by Roberta Lee Small

Created on: June 14, 2008

Maxwell had asked Gus to come with him because he wanted to talk to him. He was ashamed of his actions today. He never should have used violence with Mister Havershot. Max sat in one of the red velvet chairs.
"Gus, sit across from me. I want to talk to you about something."
Gus sat down in the chair across form him.
"I am sorry for the way I acted today. I let my anger take control of me." He wondered what his children must have thought watching him, and he was embarrassed.

"I should never have treated Mister Havershot the way I did. He was wrong mistreating you, but I should have talked to him instead of attacking him. I did not set a good example for you or the other children in the class. I do not want you to ever act with violence, the way I did today."
"It was not your fault, Daddy. It was mine. I cursed him and that is why you did it."
"What are you talking about Gus? Matthew told me how the teacher was treating you."
"But I cursed him and that is why you attacked him instead of talking to him.
"You can't curse people Gus. How could you put a curse on Mister Havershot?"
Gus looked so serious that Maxwell felt like smiling.
"I sinned. I swore. I said Damn Mister Havershot over and over again last night about twenty-five times," he confessed.
"I wanted to curse him, so I sinned and then I cursed him. I'm sorry Daddy. I didn't know that you would almost kill him. I just thought I could make him sick so he didn't come to school. It's my fault."
Max looked at the blue eyes gazing innocently into his. He was sincere.
"Where did you learn such things as cursing people? I hope to God they do not teach you that in Sunday school."
"I learned it from Mamma; when we were in Boston the last time."
"Your mother taught you that?"
Lisbeth would never teach him that.He had to be mistaken.
"I heard her tell Uncle David Channing. I heard her say, "Our son is a cripple. I cursed him with my sin. Why would Mamma want me to be a cripple Daddy?"
Maxwell felt the blood draining from his face. All the strength was leaving his body. What he had suspected was true. Gus was not his child. David Channing was his father.
The torment this child must have been going through, believing his mother wanted him to be a cripple.
"Oh, Gus. Your mother loves you. Didn't she always call you her love child?"
My love child! He felt like he was suffocating. Yes, that was her name for him. He needed to get out of the room. He was going to be sick.
"Gus, I need to go down stairs for a few minutes."

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