Too Much, Too Soon, by Tony Covatta

A rainy afternoon. Age twelve, doing my paper route, there's my brother Chris, age six, walking toward me, under a huge umbrella.
"What's up?"
"Today I go. Mom is mean."
"Go where? Live where? Will you go to school?"
"Don't know." times three.
"Come." I take him home.
"Guess what I found?" Not funny. Upset Mom has his note: "Today I go." I retreat to our room, lay on my bed, Chris sits on his. Mom charges in and slaps, spanks, pounds, beats him.
"Never do that again."
He didn't.
Why didn't I go, why not take him with me?