Chapter 3

In the hallway, my mother was still talking.

"Ms. Levitt, it's not that I don't care about him. Quite the opposite—I want what's best for him more than anyone."

"But that's how education works. If I'm soft on him now, he'll suffer greatly in society later."

Ms. Levitt stood across from her, lips pressed tightly together, wanting to speak but continually being cut off.

Suddenly, she glanced down both sides of the hallway, her expression changing.

"Where's the child?"

She turned around and looked.

"Where's Ernest? Where is Ernest?"

My mother lifted her chin slightly, unworried.

"He must have gone to the bathroom. He knows the rules—if he makes a mess, he has to clean himself up."

"I didn't see him go to the bathroom."

Ms. Levitt was already running toward the classroom.

He wasn't in the classroom. He wasn't in the boys' bathroom either.

She ran back, anxiously stopping a passing security guard.

"John, did you see a little boy? About six years old, with wet pants?"

The guard thought for a moment.

"I think I saw a kid heading toward the flower beds out back."

Ms. Levitt's heart sank.

She knew what was behind the flower beds.

She grabbed my mother and ran toward the back door, shouting as she ran.

"Ernest! Ernest!"

My mother was being pulled along, but she still maintained her unhurried demeanor.

"Ms. Levitt, don't panic. He won't go far. The child is very timid."

The two of them went around the flower bed and onto the small path leading to the water basin.

In the distance, they saw a small figure by the basin.

Ms. Levitt squinted to look, breathed a long sigh of relief, but then immediately tensed up again.

"He's by the water? It's so cold out, is he washing himself with cold water?"

She quickened her pace. "No, no, in this freezing weather he'll catch a cold. We need to pull him away right now."

My mother grabbed Ms. Levitt's arm.

"Ms. Levitt, don't go over there. Let him wash himself."

Ms. Levitt froze.

"He finally knows to clean himself up."

My mother looked at the small figure by the water basin in the distance, her eyes actually glimmering with tenderness.

"See, I told you. Once the rules are established, children know what to do on their own."

The corners of her mouth curved upward slightly.

"He's learning to be Mommy's favorite clean baby."

Ms. Levitt was being held by the arm, her foot suspended in mid-air before she drew it back.

"But... in the middle of winter, using cold water... what if he catches a cold?"

My mother waved her hand dismissively.

"Children aren't that fragile. Once he's done washing, I'll take him home to change clothes."

Ms. Levitt bit her lip and ultimately didn't move forward.

She stood in place, watching from afar that small figure hunched over by the water basin.

She felt something was wrong, but couldn't put her finger on it.