564 words. A short story about a father’s hatred, and a son’s eternal love.
“We were always real pals -- till a few years ago! Then he started to -- change! I know he’s been having tough sledding in business -- but why take it out on me?” - ASM #39
“I had to bring him up alone... and I tried my best..! I was a good father... I was! I did my best to be a real pal to my son! But, it wasn’t easy... Harry didn’t have anything to complain about! The more money I made, the more presents I bought him! I wanted everyone to see what a great father he had!” - ASM #40, juxtaposed against a montage of Norman neglecting Harry 😅
Norman had Harry at 27, when he was still poor. A bit late for his era of men, but at least he had a child. His wife died during childbirth. No doubt the child’s first act of murder influenced Norman’s feelings.
Harry grew up poor. He wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth. But he didn’t know he was poor at his young age, especially with Norman working up the business ladder and doing his best to hide his low class from everyone, including himself and Harry.
Single father Norman genuinely loved and took care of baby Harry. He became obsessed with making money so his child could survive, thrive, have a better life than he had. No expense was spared on Harry, especially because he was such a sickly and weak child. Harry was clingy, needy, not by choice, but because he literally would not be living without his dad doting on his every bloody cough and doctor’s exams.
Norman’s obsession with the act of making money took over his original goal of caring for Harry. Surely Harry would be ecstatic with a Rolls Royce for his 18th birthday, even if Norman was away on a trip to Europe that month. Any other kid would be happy. Norman would have loved having expensive gifts as a poor kid. Harry shouldn’t complain, worthless spoiled stupid child. He didn't deserve any of these gifts when Norman’s spent so much money on his classes and Harry showed nothing but a C+ effort.
Harry grew out of the worst of his childhood illnesses, but remained thin and weak. Physically, he was gaunt and bony. He looked exactly like his father, if his father loss all his muscle mass and got his nose punched in. Emotionally, he was still clingy and needy. Perhaps not so much because he needed his father to administer his medications, but for all the love that his father lost for him as Harry got older. Mentally, he inherited a concoction of all of his father's schizophrenia, bipolar, BPD, depression, and the cycle of abuse from grandpappy Osborn.
Norman looked at Harry and saw a mirror image of himself, distorted to accentuate all his own worst features. Weak, feminine, awful crying child. He grew to loathe this child because he loathed himself. Norman managed to fight through his illnesses and abuse to become a made man. Why couldn’t Harry?
Now Norman is old and sickly. All the chemicals he worked with at Oscorp got into his nervous system. His legs don’t work so good now. His schizophrenia and bipolar have gotten worse. He needs a doctor to make house calls to the Osmansion often for transfusions and medication.
More than anything, he needs Harry to take care of him. Just as Norman once took care of young Harry.
It’s too bad he didn’t give Harry the love he needed when Harry was a angsty teenager. Now Harry has all the power over Oscorp and Norman that Norman himself once possessed. Harry can do anything he wants to his beloved father's company, to his father even. He loves his father so much, even after everything. And his father can’t do anything as his son pushes him through the empty house. Norman can’t escape what he’s done to Harry. The cycle of abuse continues, father to son, son to father.
You better watch what Harry puts in your meds, Mr. Osborn. That boy ain’t right.
