CHARLES by Shirley Jackson

The day my son Laurie started “Why did Charles hit the kindergarten, he gave up his teacher?” I asked. little-boy clothes. He started “Because she tried to make wearing blue jeans with a belt. I him color with red crayons. watched him go off that first Charles wanted to color with morning with the older girl next green crayons. So he hit the door. He looked as though he teacher. She spanked him and were going off to a fight. said nobody play with Charles. He came home the same way But everybody did.” at lunchtime. “Isn’t anybody The third day, Charles here?” he yelled. At the table, bounced a see-saw onto the he knocked over his little sister’s head of a little girl. He made her milk. bleed. The teacher made him “How was school today?” I stay inside during recess. asked. “Did you learn anything?’’ “I didn’t learn nothing,” he said. “Anything, “ I said. “Didn’t learn anything.” “But the teacher spanked a boy,” Laurie said. “For being fresh.” “What did he do?” I asked. “Who was it?” Laurie thought. “It was Charles,” he said. “The teacher spanked him and made him stand in the corner. He was On Thursday, Charles had to really fresh.” stand in a corner. He was “What did he do?” I asked. But pounding his feet on the floor Laurie slid off his chair, took a during story-time. Friday, cookie, and left. Charles could not use the The next day, Laurie sat down blackboard because he threw for lunch. “Well,” he said, chalk. “Charles was bad again today.” On Saturday, I talked to my He grinned. “ Today Charles hit husband about it. “Do you think the teacher,” he said. kindergarten is too disturbing “Good heavens,” I said. “I for Laurie?” I asked him. “This suppose he got spanked again?” Charles boy sounds like a bad “He sure did,” Laurie said. influence.” “It will be all right,” my “He kicked the teacher’s husband said, “There are bound friend,” Laurie said. “The to be people like Charles in the teacher’s friend told Charles to world. He might as well meet touch his toes. And Charles them now as later.” kicked him.” On Monday, Laurie came “What do you think they’ll do home late. about Charles?” my husband “Charles!” he shouted, as he ran asked. up to the house. “Charles was “I don’t know,” Laurie said. bad again!” “Throw him out of school, I I let him in and helped him guess.” take off his coat. “You know Wednesday and Thursday what Charles did?” he said. were routine. Charles yelled “Charles yelled so much that the during story-time. He hit a boy teacher came in from first in the stomach and made him grade. She said our teacher had cry. On Friday, Charles stayed to keep Charles quiet. And so after school again. All the other Charles had to stay after school. children stayed to watch him. And so all the children stayed to On Monday of the third week, watch him.” Laurie came home with another “What did he do?” I asked. report. “You know what Charles “He just sat there,” Laurie did today?” he asked. “He told a said, noticing his father. “Hi Pop, girl to say a word, and she said you old dust mop.” it. The teacher washed her “What does this Charles look mouth out with soap, and like? My husband asked. Charles laughed.” “What’s his last name?” “What word?” his father “He’s bigger than me,” Laurie asked. said. “And he doesn’t wear a “It’s so bad, I’ll have to jacket.” whisper it to you,” Laurie said. I could hardly wait for the first He whispered into my husband’s Parent-Teachers meeting. I ear. wanted very much to meet “Charles told the little girl to Charles’ mother. The meeting say that?” he said, his eyes widening. was still a week away. “She said it twice,” Laurie said. On Tuesday, Laurie said, “Our “Charles told her to say it twice.” teacher had a friend come to “What happened to Charles?” my see her in school today.” husband asked. My husband and I said “Nothing,” Laurie said. “He was together, “Was it Charles’ passing out the crayons.” mother?” The next day, Charles said the evil “Naaah,” Laurie said. “Charles word himself three or four times. He got was fresh to the teacher’s his mouth washed out with soap each friend. They wouldn’t let him do time. He also threw chalk. exercises.” My husband came to the door that “Fresh again?” I said. night as I was leaving for the Parent- Teachers meeting. “Invite her over after the meeting,” he said. “I want to get a look at the mother of that kid.” “I hope she’s there,” I said. “She’ll be there,” my husband said. “How could they hold a Parent-Teachers meeting without Charles’ mother?” At the meeting, I looked over the faces of all the other mothers. None of them looked unhappy enough to be the mother of Charles. No one stood up and apologized for the way her son had been acting. No one mentioned Charles. After the meeting, I found Laurie’s teacher. “I’ve been wanting to meet you,” I said. “I’m Laurie’s mother.” Oh, yes,” she said. “We’re all so interested in Laurie.” “He certainly likes kindergarten,” I said. “He talks about it all the time.” “He’s had some trouble getting used to school,” she said. “But I think he’ll be all right.” “Laurie usually fits in quickly,” I said. “I suppose his trouble might be from Charles’ influence.” “Charles?” the teacher said. “Yes,” I said, laughing. “You must have your hands full with Charles.” “Charles?” she said. “We don’t have any Charles in kindergarten.”