expensive

The past two evenings have been hard for L. He has been a crazed lunatic about doing homework.
This afternoon... after a temper tantrum and the consequences that followed, he admitted to me that he had broken something VERY expensive.
He was sure that it "maybe costs more than your car... you are going to kill me".

He was scared to death of what my reaction would be and what consequences would follow. He was sure that I would kill him. and if death wasn't involved... he was sure that he would have to spend several days in his room.

I couldn't imagine what, in his room, would be more expensive than my car. (come to think of it.. nothing in our house would qualify) He assured me that the window was still intact and that the furniture was unscathed.

I went in to inspect.
It turns out that he had made a TINY hole in the wall with his doorknob. I had to hold back my smiles as he hid under his bed to avoid my wrath.

"oh boy", I say, "do you want to know how much this will cost?!"
"No!" he replies. (fear and trembling in his voice)

I then go on to explain that the hole won't cost us anything except the time it will take for HIM to repair it.
I explained about the putty, the sanding and the painting... that HE will start on tomorrow after school.

That TINY hole seemed to be a HUGE wake-up call for him.
We'll see.