The Mistake

Chapter 1

It was 5 pm July 11th, Chester Neumann pulled into his rain soaked drive way.  The house was set back with a large front yard.  The driveway stretched a whole acre from their nearest neighbor.  Between the homes was a small field of regrowth wild grasses taking up the whole distance.  The car was warmed by its internal heat from the engine area filtered to remove carbon monoxide.  Outside the heavy rain could chill the baby on the bench seat between his wife and him.

The squirming bundle was a large baby with wide chest and what would become broad shoulders when he reached his final growth.  He had inquisitive green eyes that seemed to take in everything.  His mother exhausted from the birthing process couldn't seem to look at the mistake.  It was a mistake and she knew it.  

When the couple’s first child died in a house fire she and her husband had mourned in their own manners.  They had now three children, again. Their youngest daughter whose ambition was floundering at all she tried except basketball was now their oldest child.  She was eleven years old and the maternal expectations of this new child would have to be filled by her.  Whether she was ready or not for the responsibility it was her job now.  Her name was Wilma but her nickname was Mazzie.  

I didn't mean for this to happen...

It's happened.  We will take care of it.  We won't speak of it again, you hear?

She nodded her head.  She couldn't even look at the child.  So ashamed was she and it was a reminder of her mistake.  Her husband was going to make her see it every day.  Their son, this baby’s half-brother, would be the focus of her husband.  Determination had been made by her husband.  They would not just throw away this new born child.  But, he would always feel a part of this family but also a part from it on the side.

They would make plans for the one true son they shared but this boy would have to just learn to make it on his own.  This second boy would be fed, bathed and live in their world but not of their world.

The doctor, a cousin of hers, created a perjury assigning this second boy as the father's.  But, claim it?  No, he would train it, discipline it. But, this child wasn't to be able to claim membership as a birthright.  He would have to earn it but never would he truly be able to achieve it.

The decision 'never speak of it...' hung in her ears like an infection.  Yes, that is exactly what this abomination was: an infectious mistake every time she would look at him she'd see.

Chapter 2

Three years later, the baby proved to be a good watchdog on their daughter.

Take the baby tonight, was a request of her father.  With this baby brought along on dates Mazzie's parents knew nothing would happen.  It would stop any desire for petting with a 'boyfriend'.   

Although she had bathed, fed and clothed him every day since the boy had been brought home taking this big child on her dates was much to ask of the teenage young woman.  She resented the instruction but not the child himself.  In that time their bond had grown.  To the child's mind and heart she was his mother.  And, her mother had become a grandmother fixture in his tiny life.  He never saw much of the mother that bore him as most of the day she was out of the home working with other people's special needs children.

As the baby grew without realizing it to occupy his time, giving her some personal free time, he would sit alone looking at magazines like other children would comic picture story books.  He was now at the age of three he was the size of a five year old with inquisitive flashing eyes below a crop of bright red hair.  As Mazzie grew older her early maternal instincts blossomed for the baby.  As her father was the principal of her small school she had accepted that her classroom experiences included the younger brother.  So by the time she was fifteen it was accepted as natural to have the younger brother at her side.  To keep him busy when he grew strong enough she let him thumb through her school texts.  She tried to interest him in comic magazines but soon learned those he obviously found boring.

While other children his age were running exploring their world: this child was just content to just sit and watch what to his mind his mother was doing.

What did Charles learn today?  The principal would want to know.

Oh he was just happy to sit and watch.  I sometimes put my math book in front of him with some paper and a pencil.  He'd copy the numbers.  You know father sometimes I think he understands the problems better than I do.

Well, that's probably just his manner of playing.  But her father wasn't even sure of what he was saying.  Working all day at the school and taking medical courses at night he resolved to take the baby to be tested at Johns Hopkins.  He never thought of this child as one of his.  He had two children with his wife, this young girl and another boy just a few years her junior.  

The middle child, his youngest son, did not enjoy the attention of the baby when he played with his friends.  This baby would sit on the street curb observing.  It was like a little man studying every movement.  The only time the baby seemed to play was with Mazzie's school books.  Chester noticed this also and wondered what was going through - or if anything was going through - the baby's mind.  He always just seemed to be observing things.

Chester knew something was clicking in that little head.  When he was two years old the family had gone every weekend to a public swimming pool.  While he and his son swam lengths of the pool this younger boy would dangle his feet in the water watching them.  Another six months Chester heard his wife and daughter scream an alarm.  The baby had stood at the edge of the deep end without regard for himself.  He had stepped into the water sinking over his head.  By the time any adult got to the baby everyone with shaking nerves saw the lad surface and swim with an easy series of strokes the length of the pool.

People wanted to know how he had learned to swim.  No one had ever tried to teach him.  He just stepped in the deep water, came to the top and swam.  It was obvious he had no fear.  It was a trait everyone but Chester admired.  The patriarch realized then and there this child bore watching.

Chapter 3

One year later the family moved to Austin, Texas.  Mazzie held the young boy's hand as they walked around the new house.  She wasn't happy they had left their old home.  She didn't know anyone here.  Their accents sounded like a foreign country to her.  

Chester had adopted the nickname 'Chet' and was doing well in the new environment.  Mrs. Neumann was working steadily with the special needs children.  Even the baby was becoming acclimated to this southwestern town.  The oldest son now called 'Junior' was becoming quite the athlete.  Now, with more financial support with the two incomes Mrs. Neumann started to become more acquainted with her youngest son.  He went along with her many times to her school.  It was gratifying, yet a little worrisome, to see the baby laughing and playing with the disabled children.  He accepted them without regard for their infirmities.  She discussed this with Chet in their pillow talk.  Chet heard her but always brought to the topic back to the plans for Junior.

Junior was encouraged by Chet to exercise with weights developing his burgeoning muscular body.  It was curious to the father the baby seemed to always watch their activities.  One day he noticed this baby was physically showing signs of a growth spurt.  When it stopped Chet saw that baby was about two inches taller than his son.  The germ of a question was sewn in his mind: who was his father?  But, his wife and he never spoke of it.  The baby was melding quietly into the family but it was obvious his attachment was more with the older girl, his daughter.  Chet's daughter would say she needed something around the house and the little guy would go get it. Soon without saying it he would just do it instead anticipating her needs.

One night, after Junior had gone to sleep, Chet heard the weights move in the boy's bedroom.  He went to investigate and saw this child doing pushups balancing with his small hands on the weight bar keeping it from moving as he pressed up.  Curious he gained the young boy's attention with a snap of his fingers.  The boy now on his knees looked to him. He indicated to come out of the bedroom quietly.

Son, it was the first time he addressed him using that title, what do you think you’re doing?

In a direct manner unabashed, it looked like fun.

Sir

Sir the boy learned quickly that was the proper manner to address Chet.

A little embarrassed at his remonstrations of the child, that's ok.  I was just curious.  The little boy stood his ground looking at him with no sign of acknowledgment of the verbal reprimand.  It was just an open expression.  What did this kid think?  He recognized even at three years old this was a boy who was observant and combined things in a different way than other children.

It was at this time the youngest boy showed signs of wanting to emulate Junior.  This emulation caused a rift between his daughter and his son.  Junior, in normal growing sibling pattern, didn't want the baby to play with his friends and him.  When Junior took his bike to ride down the street to a friend's house this boy would hold the metal bar on the rear of the seat and run along beside the bicycle.  After a short time he learned to stretch his stride to the bicycle speed.  So, when Junior would take as much as he could of this pestering child he'd stop riding and give the younger child a good rap in the mouth or nose.   When the younger boy came home