The Mutes

Ail Mute and his wife, Torchy, met at work and quickly discovered they had much in common. Their life journeys, marked by challenges and resilience, mirrored each other. Both had overcome significant hurdles to achieve their success. It wasn’t long before they fell in love and tied the knot. Life was joyful and carefree for a time, but the weight of family responsibilities and the arrival of their children, one after another, swept over them like an unforeseen storm. The same traits that propelled their career success made it challenging for them to manage their emotions when faced with the nurturing responsibilities of raising young children.

The Mutes were well respected in their neighborhood. Their two-story modest house, beautified with seasonal flower beds in the yard, was a tribute to the Utopian family ideal. Ail, a landscaping designer with a great love for nature, was admired among the neighbors for his gardening skills, and gentle demeanor, always attending to plants and watering them twice daily. Their home town was in a very dry part of the world, not hospitable to plants and vegetation, at all, which made his lush garden more of miracle. Ail silently suffered emotional problems which devastated him, frequently, and was only visible to the people in the family.

Torchy, was a respected historian, preserving and protecting ancient literature at the local library. Torchy presented as a community leader with knowledge and wisdom, often lecturing the youth about love, devotion, selflessness, and generosity of spirit. Her nieces were welcomed to visit and often asked for help with their home works or the cost of their books which Torchy, generously obliged. Mute’s children, Perfi, Confi, and Massy were always clean, nicely dressed, and quiet. They did well at school but did not say much to or infront of any adults. To outsiders, the Mutes family was a perfect example of a well adjusted unit. But behind the charming appearance there was a world infused with emotional chaos and pain.

On the surface, Torchy appeared to have it all together—an image she worked hard to maintain in front of her peers and the adults whose opinions she valued. Polished and composed, Torchy exuded a sense of control that masked the emotional chaos simmering beneath the surface. She had taken on a lot more responsibilities and work than she could handle. She took her aggravations out on her children, without realizing the damage her behavior caused.

Behind closed doors her struggles were apparent, particularly to her children, who bore the brunt of her unprocessed emotions. Torchy's emotional immaturity left her fragmented, unable to reconcile her own feelings of inadequacy and overwhelm. These unresolved issues manifested in unpredictable bouts of anger, often triggered by frustrations. While her public persona remained intact, her children experienced a far different version of her—a mother whose rage and harsh discipline left deep emotional scars.

Torchy’s punishments were severe and humiliating, often designed to assert control rather than to teach or guide. Her words and actions cut deep, chipping away at her children's self-image and confidence. They grew up internalizing the shame she projected onto them, feeling unworthy and powerless in the face of her outbursts.

Yet, Torchy’s behavior wasn’t born out of malice but rather her inability to cope with the immense pressures she faced. She lacked the tools to process her emotions healthily or to seek support, leaving her trapped in a cycle of self-repression and misplaced frustration. She switched from periods of rage to periods of sad self pitty, as though even she couldn’t face the reality of the harm she caused.

Her children, meanwhile, learned to walk on eggshells, hyper-aware of her moods and desperate to avoid provoking her ire. The damage to their self-esteem was profound, shaping their identities in ways that would take years—or even a lifetime—to untangle.

Torchy’s experience underscores the importance of self-awareness, emotional regulation, and seeking help when life feels overwhelming, not just for oneself but for the sake of those who rely on us most.