Peculair Poinsettia #11

“Jim”

I first knew something was wrong when he played with other children. When I was young, Jims’ Aunt Carol and I would push and shove, but then we would forget about it and move on. Jim, once he’s done pushing around, goes back to play; but it’s different. It is as if he’s sulking…or contemplating something. The kids at his preschool, they seem to be afraid of him. He seems just to know what buttons to push to manipulate me and Michael Jim has been tentatively diagnosed with a conduct disorder.

He is still MY son. He’s got my eyes, and absolutely loves when I put classical music on the stereo. He even dances to the music! He really enjoys working in the garage, and is very interested in Michael’s power tools. Unfortunately, he has also inherited Michael’s tendency to wet the bed. Poor Michael struggled with it for years. But Jim seems to be handling it well. With therapy, the school counselor thinks Jim will be alright! He’s also starting to be friends with Janice Hostettler, the little girl two apartments down. They will go to her place and watch Disney Channel together. It is very sweet.

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I will never forget him. He was hot. Well, as hot as another eight year old can be to another eight year old. I guess cute would be a better term. I remember going out to recess and noticing him play by himself. I had just transferred from another elementary school, and didn’t know anyone there. The Cute/Hot boy by the Jungle Gym seemed a good place to start.

Hi, I’m Janice.

Hi, I’m Janice.

I one of my most vivid memories of him was how fantastic a mimic he was. Perhaps it was his impressions that intrigued me. Or I was just a stupid little girl. We talked until recess was done, about this Mythbusters show we had somehow managed to see. It was about Sharks. My parents meet Jim’s parents at the “Show and Tell” Night. And it was arranged that Jim would come over to our apartment to let his mom get some cleaning done without interruption.

At first we’d watch T.V. shows together. But after a few visits, he wanted to break the rules. One time, we found matches and decided to burn my Barbie dolls. I was waayyy to old for them, and Jim seemed really keen on the idea. Then he decided to lock me in the closet--just to see how long it would take my mother to figure I was missing. He tricked me to go in by asking if I could get out a board game. Then he shoved me in incredibly hard. He let me scream and cry and bang on the door for about and hour. Then he slipped something between the door and the door frame. I could see by the light coming in from the eaves that it was slick and shiny. It hit my elbow, and I discovered it was a butcher knife that he had stolen from the kitchen. The gash and the feel of my own blood running down my arm, shocked me into silence. Until mom got home, he ran the knife around the eaves of the doorframe—or at least as far as he could reach.

If you tell anyone, I’ll kill you

If you tell anyone, I’ll kill you

If you tell anyone, I’ll kill you…

Mom had gone to visit Grandma in the hospital for three hours, and after all, Jim’s Mom was only an apartment away. Then, Jim convinced her that I had gone to bed already. Mom found me locked up in the closet, with red eyes and blood stains on my clothes the next morning.

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“The human psyche is formed in different ways, a combination of both genetics and environment. In children with Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder, the area of the brain that controls inhibitions does not function properly, leading to the symptoms of ADHD, fidgeting, distractedness, and less time-on-task. Similarly, the child psychopathic brain does not function properly in the frontal cortex-the child is unable able to feel remorse. This allows the child to complete injurious acts on others without empathy. Is the child with ADHD human? Yes. Is the child psychopath? Yes, but that question still seems to be up to debate within American society.” ~Professor Dessel, Winchester University