The Best and Brightest Ben

We should all want the best for our children. But what happens when "best" means best for the parents' image instead?

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Narrated and produced by Nari   
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Written by Caroline Giammanco Find her on Twitter @giammancobook   
  
Editing and Music by Omenhawk Studios (formerly Flyboy Entertainment)   
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Theme music by Nico Rodriguez  
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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, excursionists. It's been a little while, and I want
to thank you truly for sticking with me through the quiet.
Life has been shifting behind the scenes, and I've been
building towards something new. A few projects are in the works,
not quite ready to announce just yet, but trust me,
when they arrive, you'll understand why the pause was needed.

(00:24):
More than anything, I've been working on how I show
up here for you and for the stories that deserve
to be told. So here's what's changing. Into the Night
Anthology is moving to a seasonal format. From now through
the end of the year. You'll hear new episodes every
other Thursday, right up until our New Year's special. After that,

(00:45):
the show will take a short break, returning in March
for a brand new season. This new rhythm lets me
bring you deeper stories, better production, and a more consistent experience,
one you can count on without wondering when the next
tale will appear. So thank you again for being here.
Let's step back onto that twisted path together and as always,

(01:09):
take care of yourselves and each other. Are you ready?
Welcome to Endo the Night. I'm Narri your guide on
today's excursion down a Twisted Path. Be careful not to
get lost. Be it dark or light, it's easy to

(01:31):
lose your way. Are you ready, then let's begin. This
episode contains themes of parental emotional abuse and themes of death. Listener,
discretion is advised the best and brightest Ben Being a

(01:54):
third anything can be difficult, but it seemed especially dreadful
to Benjamin Buckley the third. Even as a toddler, the
unrelenting sense of disappointment he felt from his parents overshadowed
his every move. Benjamin Harris Buckley the second and his
wife Maud didn't need to verbalize their opinion of their

(02:15):
only child, although they often did. Little Ben knew he
wasn't the type of son they wanted, or, more specifically,
that they demanded. Deep in his soul, he knew the
caustic words only reaffirmed the sad state of his existence.
Why can't you be a good boy and learn your

(02:37):
alphabet from mamma? Maud Buckley squinted her eyes as she
stared down at her son. His eyes brimmed with tears,
but she paid no.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
Mind to him.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
Glaudius, son knows his alphabet already. It's embarrassing. Try harder.
These words were some of the earliest memories. Benjamin recalled
he was not quite two at the time that his
mother chided him for falling so short. The disappointments only
compounded over time. He knew without a doubt that he

(03:08):
was the greatest failure of his parents adult lives, and
the strain bore down on him from that day forward.
At three, piano and dance lessons began. At four, his
parents added tea ball, soccer, tennis, and swimming. Art lessons
followed soon after. Maud and her husband lamented the fact

(03:30):
that their son showed neither athletic prowess nor intellectual aptitude
at an early age. Nothing pained them more in the
idea that their only product performed so pitifully. There were,
after all, appearances to be upheld, and it was completely
unacceptable that anyone could feel superior to the Buckleys in

(03:53):
any way. Perhaps Harris, as Maud always called her husband,
we made a mistake having a child. He is not
at all what we thought he would be, seldom involved
in his son's upbringing. Harris nodded in agreement and encouraged
his wife to do what she could with what they

(04:15):
had to work with. For a child Maud, always a
stickler for details, devised a schedule she displayed on the
corkboard that hung in the wall in the foyer. Every
waking moment of young Ben's day was filled with one
activity or another. Laytime never appeared on the schedule. Ben's

(04:35):
efforts to have it added were quickly quashed. Mother, Can
I please play with Jimmy and the other kids in
the neighborhood.

Speaker 2 (04:44):
I won't stay out.

Speaker 1 (04:44):
Long, Benjamin, don't be ridiculous. You know you have piano
lessons now, but what about after that? Can I play? Then?
Maud wrapped her index finger on to the schedule. It's
three o'clock. Here at four, you have math tutoring. That's

(05:04):
nothing new. Why do you insist on arguing with me?
Ben opened his mouth to speak. Don't just don't, Ben,
The schedule cannot be changed. If you're ever going to
catch up with others in your life, you can't take
time off to play. You've already shown that you're behind.

(05:25):
Play is a waste of time. I don't care what
Jimmy's parents do with their son, but no six year
old is going to dictate to your father and me.
Now get to the piano. This minute, tears welled in
his eyes, but he did the best he could to
not cry in front of her. History had proven that

(05:46):
only made his mother angrier. No, it was better for
him to bottle his feelings up inside and remained the
beautiful son he so desperately tried to be. That followed
resulted in one failure after another. Harris, we have to
do something about Benjamin. What will others say if he

(06:09):
continues to be so defective? Her husband furrowed his brow
as he considered her question. I may know of a solution, Maud.
Let me talk to a few people I know at
the university. There may be a program we can enroll
him in there that will help. It's cutting edge, but

(06:33):
I think I can pull some strings to get Benjamin
in hutting edge. I like the sound of that. Yes,
do whatever you can to enroll him in the program
before we are embarrassed any further. I swear I caught
Monica and Luen saying it's a shame our son isn't

(06:56):
up to paw. A tear formed in the corner of
her eye.

Speaker 2 (07:02):
There there dear, no need to cry.

Speaker 1 (07:05):
I'll talk with my colleagues tomorrow, I promise we can
fix Benjamin. It's not too late. Harris pulled her close
to him and held her. Fixing their son was exactly
what Maud wanted. What Maud Buckley wanted she usually got.
Harris returned home from work the next day to tell

(07:26):
her the exciting news. I spoke with doctor Bremerman. He
said he'd be thrilled to include Benjamin in his program.
There's paperwork we need to fill out, but he's optimistic
this will help him. His wife's eyes sparkled for the
first time in months when discussing Benjamin. He'd prove to

(07:46):
be more of a burden than a blessing, and Maud
openly admitted that she'd felt she'd lost the child lottery. Harris,
this is the best news I've heard in years. Thank
you for giving Benjamin a chance to not be a disappointment.

(08:06):
I know how this has troubled you, Maudie. I'd do
anything for you. In the coming weeks, Ben's parents shuttled
him back and forth to one doctor at the university
after another. Mother, I don't feel sick. Why am I
at the doctor? Don't question me. Benjamin. You may not

(08:28):
feel ill, but you are not well at all. You
need to do what.

Speaker 2 (08:33):
Your father and I tell you to do.

Speaker 1 (08:36):
Still confused, Ben watched the passing sights out of the
car window. He didn't like these doctors his parents dragged
him to, but he knew it did him no good
to tell his mother that his father wasn't around enough
for him to tell. But Ben knew if he could
tell Benjamin Buckley the second how he felt, it wouldn't matter.

(08:57):
Maud the Mighty ruled Supreme weeks filled with brain scans
and sleep studies followed by surgeries. Physically, Ben felt miserable,
but the treatments worked in his mother's estimation. With every
new step and every procedure, Ben's IQ grew, with more

(09:18):
abilities gained came something he'd never had before, his mother's
love and approval. For the first time in his life,
she had pride in her eyes when she looked at him. Intellectually,
he knew this was an improvement. His emotions, however, weren't
affected to the degree they should have been, and this

(09:41):
made Ben wonder, why shouldn't I be happier now.

Speaker 2 (09:46):
That mother isn't embarrassed by me? Why can't I enjoy
the love she's showing me now?

Speaker 1 (09:54):
Ben didn't have the answer to those questions. He didn't
let his mother know his emotions were unmoved by her
sudden increase in affections. He smiled, played the dutiful son,
and acknowledged her interest in him. He noticed other changes
in his emotional health as well. While his academic success

(10:14):
was undeniable, the higher his IQ rose, the less he
wanted to socialize with others. I remember begging my parents
to let me play with other children in the neighborhood.
I cried and pouted because they invariably said no. I
don't know why, but now that I'm older, I don't

(10:35):
care to be around other children. I'm perfectly content with
my books. Maybe I'm simply growing up. Ben shrugged off
his indifference about friends, and his parents never noticed. So
enraptured were they in his growing intellect that they scarcely
cared about his social and emotional well being. He's going

(10:57):
to do great things now, Harris Maud beamed at her
reflection in the mirror as she readied herself for the
dinner party that evening. Now we are the envy of
the other parents, and it's lovely, isn't it. Harris put
his arms around her and looked into the mirror with
her Yes, Dear, it certainly is time that we had

(11:18):
something to brag about. I know that the doctors have
helped to a degree, but I truly believe that Benjamin's
natural abilities are finally coming out. He was a late
bloomer and undoubtedly would have eventually come around. I couldn't
agree more. I'm sure he would have done just fine
without the doctor's but I believe they sped up the process.

(11:43):
I can hardly wait to compare our scores to the
other children's. Over dinner, Harris smiled. He too was now
proud of his son, but he was especially pleased with
his wife's improved humor. Maud referred to any of Benjamin's
achievements as out successes. She wasn't about to be left

(12:03):
out of the limelight he now garnered among their peers.
She had, after all, been a driving force in his improvements.
While Harris contacted the medical team, it was she who
demanded that something be done to help their son, so
she considered herself an equal part in his new found accomplishments.
Every Tuesday, Maud took their son to the university, where

(12:25):
he met with the medical team. While pleased with her
son's improvements, Maud often appeared bored and impatient while dropping
Benjamin off or picking him up. The medical professionals, among
themselves worried that the Buckleys may not be vested emotionally
in the study. Doctor Bremerman, what do we do if
the Buckleys choose to remove Benjamin from the study. He's

(12:46):
too valuable to lose. The following Tuesday, doctor Bremerman broached
the subject with the Buckleys and implored them to continue
the appointments. I can assure you that his gains will
be thwarted if we do not continue.

Speaker 2 (12:58):
He's made oh.

Speaker 1 (13:00):
Much progress that it would be a shame to lose
ground at this point. It's vital to his success that
Benjamin continues in our program. Maud may have deluded herself
over her role in her son's development, but she was
a realist. Of course, doctor Bremerman, we wouldn't dream of
ending Benjamin's treatments. The man let out a sigh of

(13:23):
relief and ran his fingers through his gray hair. The
team will be very happy to hear that Benjamin is
making such progress. It's important that we see this through
Harris spoke up. Of course, we want Benjamin to reach
his full potential. We're pleased with the improvements we've seen
in the past year. Lee's continue helping him for the

(13:45):
next several years. Benjamin Buckley the Third spent countless days
either in the hospital or being observed by members of
the university team. At first, he didn't understand what was
happening to him.

Speaker 2 (13:58):
I'm not even sure mother and father know what being
done to me. What's all this about.

Speaker 1 (14:03):
Eventually, however, Ben became self aware, and he even surprised
the doctors who cared for him with his level of
understanding of the project. Doctor Bremerman, now a man in
his seventies, felt a sense of paternal protection for the
subject of his long term study. While his parents barely
noticed Benjamin's social Withtrawal, it troubled doctor Bremerman. Ben, I'm

(14:29):
worried about you. You seem sad, Thank you, Doctor Bremerman.
But I don't think what I feel is sadness. Instead,
it's isolation that bothers me. I can't relate to other people.
Give me any mathematical formula and I'll solve it. Ask
me to tell you information about a thousand random topics,

(14:49):
and I'll do it quickly and accurately. I'm missing something though,
missing something. Yes, I'm big here pointed to his head.
I'm small here he pointed to his heart. I understand theories.
I can calculate problems, but I can't relate to other people.

(15:12):
I don't belong and I worry that I lack empathy.
I can see where that would trouble you. Think of
all the amazing advancements you've made in science with your abilities.
Though a sense of satisfaction should come with that, right,
Benjamin's shoulders slumped.

Speaker 2 (15:30):
Yes, I suppose so. Thank you for talking with me, doctor.

Speaker 1 (15:35):
After the elderly man left the room, Benjamin's sighed, I don't.

Speaker 2 (15:40):
Think he understands. How could he? How can he?

Speaker 1 (15:45):
Benjamin's success in the world of science and business was undeniable.
At night, however, when he no longer had to smile
and pretend to be social, he sat alone on his
couch and contemplated the emptiness he felt inside. Amount of
knowledge replaces what I'm missing.

Speaker 2 (16:02):
In fact, the more I learn, the more empty I feel.

Speaker 1 (16:09):
Years passed, and in time the people who surrounded Benjamin
became ill or died. His mother's demise was most distressing
in her older years, when she lost her beauty and
need for appearances, she underwent a humbling of spirit. Instead
of caring about social standing or what others thought of her,
she now realized what she needed in her life was

(16:32):
the love of her family. She wanted genuine emotion, and
with her husband long deceased, she turned to Benjamin for
the love she craved. As her time drew near, Benjamin
sat stiffly next to his mother's hospital bed. She reached
out and held his hand, but he did barely more

(16:53):
than briefly squeeze her hand. In response, Anny, I know
I wasn't the best mother in the world to you,
but your father and I have loved you. Won't you
show me any sign that you loved me back? He
stared blankly into her eyes.

Speaker 2 (17:14):
I wish I could. Mother. You made me this way.

Speaker 1 (17:18):
You got what you wanted. What do you mean, Ben,
I've only ever wanted the best for you. No, you
wanted me to make you look good. Do you think
I don't remember when you were embarrassed by me, when
simply being myself wasn't good enough for you. A tear

(17:43):
trickled down the corner of maud Buckley's eye. Please, Benny,
he stopped her. No, mother, you did this, he pointed
at himself. Do you think I don't know what you
did to me, what the doctors at the university did

(18:04):
to me. I'm not a simpleton. No, I'm the genius
you demanded I become, and you didn't care what lengths
it took to turn me into one. You created a genius,
but you destroyed me as a person. Benny, we only

(18:25):
wanted what was best for you. No, you wanted what
was best for you. The doctors of the clinic wanted
to make history. No one cared about Benjamin Harris Buckley
the Third, no one. Now he's gone, and you are
left with nothing but what you asked for. Porely somewhere

(18:48):
inside you is love for your poor dying mother. After
all I've done for you, all you've done for me.
When you sent me to that clinic of torture, you
gave them permission to implant a neurlink into my brain.
You killed me. I can't give you the love you

(19:10):
ask for, mother. It's not that I won't, I can't.
Long ago I realized what a monster you turned me
into I'm not half man and half computer. I've lost
what made me a man altogether. He rose from his
seat next to her and walked to the window. Don't

(19:32):
talk like that, Benjamin. Your father and I tried our best.
The Doctor's truly cared for you too. I was used
as a prototype, nothing more. Thanks to you and the
mad scientists in that clinic, you've unleashed the undoing of
mankind as it was. No more emotions, only cold understanding.

(19:54):
The neurlink is more powerful than humanity. Mother, you helped
create the end of humanity. Benjamin, Please don't say these things.
Not now. I'm dying. I need you. He turned and
smiled a cold smile at her. Of course you still

(20:16):
only care about you now, of all times, it's still
about you.

Speaker 2 (20:25):
Don't worry though.

Speaker 1 (20:27):
When I'm gone, others will do the bidding of the
monstrous wheels now set in motion.

Speaker 2 (20:33):
I was the guinea pig. I not need it anymore.

Speaker 1 (20:39):
Maud Buckley reached her hand out to him, but he
ignored her.

Speaker 2 (20:44):
It's a lovely view. From here. I can see exactly.

Speaker 1 (20:47):
Twelve point eighty six miles. It will take exactly four
point two seconds for impact. I've lived to provide you
what you wanted, a son you could be proud of.
I became your winning ticket in the child lottery you
so desperately sought. Now you're dying and I am free

(21:09):
from that burden. It's time to stop this madness. You've
had your best and brightest ben for long enough. Goodbye, mother,
No Benny, don't he ignored her. Please opened the window
and plunged to his death. His last thoughts brief as

(21:30):
they were, celebrated the closest feeling to emotion he'd had
in years, and it was the sweet sensation of freedom.
Thank you for joining me for this episode of the
Into the Night Anthology podcast. Written by Caroline Giamanco, narrated

(21:54):
by Nari Quack. Theme music by Nico Rodriguez, all other
original music, sound design and editing by Omenhawk Studios. You
can find our links in the show notes. Into the
Night is on your favorite podcatcher, so make sure to like,
subscribe and leave a five star review to help other
excursionists to join us. I'll see you next time, and remember,

(22:14):
whether in the shadows or in the daylight, all twisted
paths lead you into the night. Into the night, Anthology
is a creative TYPO entertainment production