My Son And His Wife Went On A Cruise, Leaving Me To Babysit My 8-Year-Old Grandson Who Had Never Spoken Around Us. As Soon As The Door Clicked Shut, He Stopped Rocking, Looked Straight In The Eye, And Whispered In A Clear Voice: “Grandma, Don’t Drink The Tea Mom Made For You… Not Yet.” A Chill Ran Through Me…

He continued. “She said some children go to places like that and their families forget about them completely.”

I had to blink back tears of rage and sorrow. The psychological manipulation of a small child.

The weaponizing of his natural fears and dependencies. It was a level of cruelty that I was still struggling to fully comprehend. “But you’re very smart,” I said, squeezing his hand.

“Smarter than she thinks you are.”

“I had to be,” Damian said simply. “I started paying attention to everything after that. I learned to read by watching TV when no one was looking.

I figured out how to understand what adults were really saying, not just the words they used in front of me.”

The resilience of this child amazed me. While other eight-year-olds were playing video games and complaining about homework, Damian had been conducting a covert survival operation, gathering intelligence that might someday save both our lives. “What else have you learned?” I asked.

“Mom has been researching things on her computer,” he said. “She doesn’t know I can read, so sometimes she leaves it open when she goes to get coffee.”

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