Moving, and eerily similar story with mine! And more coincidental is, we studied/study similar courses. Presently, I am doing my Masters in Mathemathical Physics. My parents really were harsh on me too, although on retrospect, here in Nigeria, it's common to be beaten as a means of discipline, I hate the cane! In fact, it was the punishments that made me a kinda atheist since I was 7, for a day I prayed to Jehovah: "Please do not allow me to be beaten today, I'd do all my best to be a good son and faithful worshipper,please!" Needless to say, I got beaten that day, so I lost faith in him. My father and mother without doubt loved me, and while they planned me to become a Bethelite, they also did all their best to give me a sound education. Even with my DFed status they are still financing my schooling. Sometimes tho', they really feel the schooling is responsible for my defection- what can I say, it is and it is not! I got baptised early, at 9, pioneered straight up and stuff, was very brilliant in academics and got scholarships . . . It's you on the spot here, so let me stop my driveling. I am a good poet too, and I write beautiful poetry. Maybe, I could write your story in a poem, if you'd allow me, would you?