They became afraid of Daddy Chal. It was even worse when he was drinking beer.

Afraid to show his anger, Billy withdrew into himself. He didn’t understand the strictness, the hostility, the punishment. Once when Chalmer shouted at him and Billy looked directly into his face, Chalmers tone changed to an icy hiss: “Bend them eyes while I’m talkin’ to you.”

The voice made Billy cringe and look down …

Often when Shawn opened his eyes and looked around, someone was watching him with lips moving, face angry. Sometimes it was the pretty lady. Sometimes it was one of the girls or the boy, who was a little bigger than he was, who would push him or take his toy away. When they moved their lips, he moved his, too, and made the buzzing through his teeth. Then they would laugh when he did that. But not the big angry man. The man would glare at him. Then Shawn would cry, and that would make a funny feeling in his head, too, and Shawn would close his eyes and go away.

Kathy later remembered Billy’s favorite childhood game.

“Do the bee, Billy,” Kathy said. “Show Challa.”

Billy looked at them, puzzled. “What bee?”

“The bee thingie you do. You know. Zzzzzzzz!”

Puzzled, Billy imitated the buzzing of a bee.

“You’re funny,” Kathy said.

“Why do you make that buzzing sound at night?” Jimbo asked later in their room. They slept in the antique wooden double bed together, and Jimbo had been awakened several times by his brother making the vibrating buzzing sound.

Embarrassed that Jimbo should mention the buzzing, just as the girls had, which Billy knew nothing about, he thought quickly. “It’s a game I invented.”

“What kind of game?”

“It’s called ‘Little Bee.’ I’ll show you.” He put both hands under the covers and moved them in circles. “Zzzzzzzz … You see, that’s a family of bees under there.”

To Jimbo, it was almost as if the buzzing sound was coming from under the covers. Billy brought one hand out, cupped, and it seemed the buzzing was coming from inside his hand. Then with his fingers he walked the bee up and down the pillow and the covers. He did this several times with different bees until suddenly Jimbo felt a sharp pinch on his arm.

“Ow! What’d you do that for?”

“That was one of the bees stung you. Now you gotta catch it. Smack that bee or hold it down with your hand.”

Several times Jimbo slapped or trapped a bee that stung him. Then once, as he trapped one, the buzzing filled the darkened room, became louder and angrier, and the other hand came out and pinched him harder and harder.

“Ow! Ow! Hey, you’re hurting me.”

“It’s not me,” Billy said. “You trapped Little Bee. His daddy and his big brother came buzzing around to punish you.” Jimbo let go of Little Bee, and Billy had the whole family of bees circling around Little Bee on the pillow.