Smother
In the year 2002, on the 09th of February, Ms. Faulkner— red-cheeked and trembling at the fingertips — traipsed as a drunkard would into Principal Kularvd’s office. She lay down a paper formulated of a child’s handwriting, explaining to him that the preceding Friday, her 8-and-9-year-old students were instructed to write of an event of their weekend as it arose, and expounding nonefurther; for the paper would speak its own interpretation. Kularvd sat up in his chair and it groaned at the effort of his 85 kilograms — for it was as whiney and antiquated as himself. He grabbed his reading glasses with his left hand; the child’s paper with his right. He read as follows:
“I was a bad boy todey Ms Fawkner.Im not shure what i did but it was bad and I kno that. Mum yelled heaps &got out Dads belt & put me a time out in the clowset. Its been a long time n here and I smelt dinner a our ago.it made my tummy hurt but bad boys dont deserve dinner. And I think its almost bedtime. But she wont let me out. She sed I deserved to rot in here and that I wudnt be let out n-til i thot about what i did. I’ve thot about it alot and Im truley sorry for what I did but i dont know what i did so how cani think som more about it? If I knew i’d be sorre more. It mustve ben bad. I mustve ben a bad boy. i’ m a bad boy alot.I dont mean to be tho. She says its becase i wasnt meant to be born. Wednesday when i spillded my plate and the nice Chiniess waiter cleaned it up Dad told me that i shouldve been a-bored-did. Whats a-bored-did mean? Ill ask when she lets me out or maybe you can tell me Munday. I hope mum lets me out by munday becaz its small n here & smells like shoe and so i can give you this paper. I dont know what else to right about becaz i mite stay in here all saturday and sunday like last time. Mum told me not to tell ppl how worthless I am bcaz they’ll look at me bad but this is ok b-caz I do’nt know wat i did ezact lee so you cant look at me bad right Ms Fawkner? Do’nt look at me bad plz Ms Fawkner,mum tries to fix me. Its not her falt I shud have ben a-bored-did.
Wel I hope i see you Monday becaz I like skool. Im not a bad boy at skool.”
— Kaden Greeves, age 8.
On the 13th of February, 2002, Kaden Greeves was withdrawn from Kantner Hill Elementary School, reasoning said to be unknown. When officials showed up at his front door the following weekend, a relinquished house greeted them.
“I was a bad boy todey Ms Fawkner.Im not shure what i did but it was bad and I kno that. Mum yelled heaps &got out Dads belt & put me a time out in the clowset. Its been a long time n here and I smelt dinner a our ago.it made my tummy hurt but bad boys dont deserve dinner. And I think its almost bedtime. But she wont let me out. She sed I deserved to rot in here and that I wudnt be let out n-til i thot about what i did. I’ve thot about it alot and Im truley sorry for what I did but i dont know what i did so how cani think som more about it? If I knew i’d be sorre more. It mustve ben bad. I mustve ben a bad boy. i’ m a bad boy alot.I dont mean to be tho. She says its becase i wasnt meant to be born. Wednesday when i spillded my plate and the nice Chiniess waiter cleaned it up Dad told me that i shouldve been a-bored-did. Whats a-bored-did mean? Ill ask when she lets me out or maybe you can tell me Munday. I hope mum lets me out by munday becaz its small n here & smells like shoe and so i can give you this paper. I dont know what else to right about becaz i mite stay in here all saturday and sunday like last time. Mum told me not to tell ppl how worthless I am bcaz they’ll look at me bad but this is ok b-caz I do’nt know wat i did ezact lee so you cant look at me bad right Ms Fawkner? Do’nt look at me bad plz Ms Fawkner,mum tries to fix me. Its not her falt I shud have ben a-bored-did.
Wel I hope i see you Monday becaz I like skool. Im not a bad boy at skool.”
— Kaden Greeves, age 8.
On the 13th of February, 2002, Kaden Greeves was withdrawn from Kantner Hill Elementary School, reasoning said to be unknown. When officials showed up at his front door the following weekend, a relinquished house greeted them.