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

stepped in, and Martha stopped her

was subdued, sniffling and fishing out a stack of documents from under

could

and nodded:

"That's good then."

secured 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 least thirty feet, right? Did you ever stop to think what could happen if such a small child fell? We wouldn't be talking about

The parents went pale.

the child, too ashamed

her family packed up to

it was late, Norris even offered to let them stay the night and leave

your family are all good people, not like your mother...

led her family

trying to figure out who he

...

and her family finally got a good

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

After breakfast, Roseanne decided

a

West Street where she found a rare,ition book related to her

the owner wouldn't sell it; she could only read it there