Daddy said he felt bad about hitting Mommy. He was nicer to Mommy. He even got Mommy Mommy’s favorite foods and let Mommy see Mr. Clipper and Mr. Stephane and Miss Deborah.
Miss Deborah and Mr. Stephane and Mr. Clipper got very mad when they saw that Mommy was hurt. They yelled at Daddy and told Daddy that he was a bad man.
Daddy looked very mad, and I thought he was gonna hit Mommy again, but he didn’t. He didn’t even hit Miss Deborah or Mr. Stephane or Mr. Clipper. He looked like he wanted to, but he didn’t.
Daddy really was nicer to Mommy.
But I’m still scared of him.
Mommy’s face has a black bump on it, and Mommy has to be careful when he eats now. He’s only eating soup and Doctor White says that it will take more than a week before Mommy is all better.
Grandpa came over too, and he was really mad.
He took Daddy to Daddy’s office and said some very scary things.
I wasn’t supposed to follow them, but everyone was so mad, and I was scared for Daddy so I followed them.
Daddy closed the door, but I listened anyways and I could hear.
Grandpa didn’t raise his voice or hit Daddy like Daddy hit Mommy but he did something worse.
He made Daddy cry.
He said that he trusted Daddy with Mommy and me and he said that if Daddy was mean again, he’d take Mommy and me away from Daddy.
Grandpa is scary when he’s mad.
I don’t know if I want to leave Daddy yet.
Daddy is scary. He hit Mommy and Mommy is really hurt, but.
But he’s my Daddy.
And he’s sorry.
Please don’t take us away, Grandpa.
They caught me at the door.
Grandpa looked sad and Daddy looked sad too.
I’m still scared.
Daddy is scary. Grandpa is scary. Only Mommy isn’t scary.
I think I was crying because Grandpa knelt down used his blue cloak to wipe at my cheeks.
He asked me if I was scared of Daddy.
And even though I was, I said no.
I’m a bad boy.
I don’t want him to take me away.
I don’t want to leave Daddy.
Grandpa, don’t make Mommy and me leave Daddy.
Daddy’s sorry. Honest.
Daddy won’t hurt Mommy again. So you don’t have to take us away.
His Mother's Son 5
Journal of Haytham Lee, age 10 and a half
I’m a bad boy. I’m a very, very, very bad boy.
Mommy says that I’m a good boy, but he’s wrong.
Good boys don’t lie, and I lied.
I lied to Grandpa yesterday.
Daddy said he felt bad about hitting Mommy. He was nicer to Mommy. He even got Mommy Mommy’s favorite foods and let Mommy see Mr. Clipper and Mr. Stephane and Miss Deborah.
Miss Deborah and Mr. Stephane and Mr. Clipper got very mad when they saw that Mommy was hurt. They yelled at Daddy and told Daddy that he was a bad man.
Daddy looked very mad, and I thought he was gonna hit Mommy again, but he didn’t. He didn’t even hit Miss Deborah or Mr. Stephane or Mr. Clipper. He looked like he wanted to, but he didn’t.
Daddy really was nicer to Mommy.
But I’m still scared of him.
Mommy’s face has a black bump on it, and Mommy has to be careful when he eats now. He’s only eating soup and Doctor White says that it will take more than a week before Mommy is all better.
Grandpa came over too, and he was really mad.
He took Daddy to Daddy’s office and said some very scary things.
I wasn’t supposed to follow them, but everyone was so mad, and I was scared for Daddy so I followed them.
Daddy closed the door, but I listened anyways and I could hear.
Grandpa didn’t raise his voice or hit Daddy like Daddy hit Mommy but he did something worse.
He made Daddy cry.
He said that he trusted Daddy with Mommy and me and he said that if Daddy was mean again, he’d take Mommy and me away from Daddy.
Grandpa is scary when he’s mad.
I don’t know if I want to leave Daddy yet.
Daddy is scary. He hit Mommy and Mommy is really hurt, but.
But he’s my Daddy.
And he’s sorry.
Please don’t take us away, Grandpa.
They caught me at the door.
Grandpa looked sad and Daddy looked sad too.
I’m still scared.
Daddy is scary. Grandpa is scary. Only Mommy isn’t scary.
I think I was crying because Grandpa knelt down used his blue cloak to wipe at my cheeks.
He asked me if I was scared of Daddy.
And even though I was, I said no.
I’m a bad boy.
I don’t want him to take me away.
I don’t want to leave Daddy.
Grandpa, don’t make Mommy and me leave Daddy.
Daddy’s sorry. Honest.
Daddy won’t hurt Mommy again. So you don’t have to take us away.