My teenager son Karl became unsocial after his father died, always staying alone and being silent all day. As a single parent, I tried to do my best to talk to him. But the more I tried, the more he pulled away. When his report card arrived, it said that he had been absent 95 times from classes and had six failing grades for the year. If he kept on like this, he would never graduate. I sent him to the school adviser, and I even begged him. Nothing worked.
One night I was at work when I got a phone call. A man introduced himself as the headmaster. "I want to talk to you about Karl's absences." Before he could say another word, I choked up(哽咽)and said sadly, "I love my son. I've tried everything to get Karl back to school…but… it's out of my hands." For a moment there was silence on the other end of the line. The headmaster seriously said," Thank you for your time", and hung up. Karl's next report card showed a marked improvement in his grades. He was even on the list of the most understanding students at school. In his fourth year, I went to a parent—teacher meeting. I noticed that his class teacher was surprised at the way he had turned himself around. On our way home, he said, "Mom, remember that call from the headmaster last year?" I said yes. "That was me. I thought I'd play a joke but when I heard what you said, it really hit me how much I was hurting you. That's when I knew I had to make you proud."
①Mom cried over the phone. ②Karl's father died. ③Mom was told who actually was the caller.
④Karl did badly at school.