That night, I startled Andrew by striding right up to him in the attic and shoving my face close to his. For once, I was too angry to be scared of him. "You didn't tell me Papa beat you!"
Andrew raised his eyebrows. "Do you mean to say you finally earned a whipping?"
"It's not funny--he hit me with his belt!"
"Oh, horsefeathers. If Papa thought you deserved it, you probably did." Andrew studied my face. "I hope you didn't cry."
"Of course I did. It hurt!"
Andrew cradled his head in his hands. "How will I ever face Theo," he muttered. "I can't imagine what he thinks of me."
Stung by his lack of sympathy, I glared at Andrew. "My dad never hits me. Never! When I do something wrong, we talk about it. Fathers who beat their kids go to jail for child abuse."
"Truly?" Andrew smiled. "That's one more reason to keep winning--my rear end could do with a nice, long rest.
Andrew raised his eyebrows. "Do you mean to say you finally earned a whipping?"
"It's not funny--he hit me with his belt!"
"Oh, horsefeathers. If Papa thought you deserved it, you probably did." Andrew studied my face. "I hope you didn't cry."
"Of course I did. It hurt!"
Andrew cradled his head in his hands. "How will I ever face Theo," he muttered. "I can't imagine what he thinks of me."
Stung by his lack of sympathy, I glared at Andrew. "My dad never hits me. Never! When I do something wrong, we talk about it. Fathers who beat their kids go to jail for child abuse."
"Truly?" Andrew smiled. "That's one more reason to keep winning--my rear end could do with a nice, long rest.
( Mary Downing Hahn )
[ Time for Andrew: A Ghost Story ]
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