Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

"Didn't I tell you before we left? Behave yourself, don't go grabbing stuff that isn't yours. Goes in one ear and out the other, doesn't it?! Hand it over, now! You must be sick of living, itching for a taste of juvie, huh? You disobedient little brat-" Martha was swift in her reprimand, scolding right after the slap.

Everyone was too stunned to react.

The kid was dazed.

The woman and the man were dumbfounded.

Even Roseanne stood frozen in place.

"Wahh-Grandma hit me! Waaaaah-"

The troublemaker finally reacted, bursting into real, undiluted tears.

"I didn't take it! I don't even know where the stuff is!"

"Say that one more time? See if I don't tan your hide!" Martha was both angry and scared.

"I won't say! I won't!"

"That'll teach you to disobey! That'll teach you to take things! Hand it over, right now!" Martha got serious, aiming a flurry of slaps at the kid's rear.

The man and the woman tried to intervene, with persuasion and pulling, but to no avail.

"You old witch-how dare you hit me why aren't you dead yet?!"

so incensed she nearly passed

in, and Martha stopped

subdued, sniffling and fishing out a stack of

could

and nodded: "Yes, this is

"That's good then."

the files and turned to the child's parents: "My door was locked. He climbed in through the window. We're talking a drop from the second floor, at

The parents went pale.

ashamed to lift

family packed up to leave

let them

people,

led her

eyebrows, trying to figure out who he should be

...

and her family finally got

morning, Madge hired three cleaners to help tidy up the house. After a morning's work,

After breakfast, Roseanne decided

a

West Street

wouldn't sell it; she could only read it