The morning after his sixth birthday, Gordon wakes to the sound of water dripping in the bathroom. He loves this sound and enjoys thinking of his father while listening to the water. Even though Gordon fears his father, who is a minister of a nearby church, Gordon also likes this feeling of fear. Gordon and his father discuss how to tell the time, and Gordon insists that he cannot remember how, even though his father disagrees. During breakfast, Gordon becomes disappointed that his father does not give him a look of approval, but he tells himself that his father is simply burdened by the responsibilities of his profession. Gordon thinks about how he used to mourn that he does not have a mother, but he eventually decided that his mother must not have been good enough and had to be sent away. Gordon also thinks about how his father and God must be the same person. After breakfast, Gordon goes to Sunday school at his father’s church. He becomes convinced that if he hides somewhere in the church and prays to God, his father will be able to hear and find him. When his father does not come, Gordon begins to panic and cry. He decides that his father must be punishing him for trying to verify his power. Gordon leaves his hiding place and returns home, and his father grabs him immediately; he has been crying, too. Gordon’s father tells him he looked all over town for him and asks Gordon to promise to never do such a thing again. All Gordon is interested in is if his father visited sick people like he said he would.