The Sins of the Fathers

The Sins of the Fathers by Rhianon Jameson April 2009 The boy looked to be about twelve, and was small for his age. He wore a blue sailor suit, which had the unfortunate effect of making him look even younger and, sad to say, less masculine. A larger,... More

The Sins of the Fathers by Rhianon Jameson April 2009 The boy looked to be about twelve, and was small for his age. He wore a blue sailor suit, which had the unfortunate effect of making him look even younger and, sad to say, less masculine. A larger, pudgy boy was administering a beating to the smaller one while three others looked on, cheering the bully. “Stop it, boys!” I said – sternly, I hoped. I had no experience with children save from a safe distance, and had no idea what they responded to. I aimed for a note of authority in my voice. The three audience members looked up at the sound of my voice, but the larger boy kept hitting and kicking the smaller as though I had not spoken. Having reached the group, I saw that the victim was Sammy Thraxon, who lived two blocks from me in the Downs. I also recognized the three who preferred to watch rather than participate. The bully was not someone I recalled. I tried again. “Stop it this instant!” That one worked – eventually. Less