girl came up. The boys went into one room, and the young girl came into Jules’s room with Mrs. Currie. Mrs. Currie turned on the light. The little girl, Trudy, who looked to be around seven, fought with Mrs. Currie about having to go to bed, making enough noise to wake the dead. Jules pretended to be asleep.
Morning was chaotic. The boys were arguing at the breakfast table as Mrs. Currie shouted at one of them – Jimmy – to get ready for school. The noise woke Trudy up, and she went downstairs. A few seconds later, she was back in the room with Mrs. Currie, who pulled Trudy’s wet sheets off the bed. When Mrs. Currie tried to get Trudy to change out of her wet pajamas, Trudy began to scream.
Jules curled up on the bunk and stared at the wall. She refused to get up.
At ten o’clock, a babysitter came to the house to watch the other kids. Mrs. Currie announced to Jules that – like it or not – she had to get out of bed and go with her to a doctor’s office. “They just need to look you over, Jules. The doctor will check your weight and height, that kind of thing.”
I’ve never been to a doctor in my whole life, and I don’t need one now!
Mrs. Currie told Jules that she’d be in and out of the office in two minutes. But she lied.
Jules frantically pushed the nurse’s and doctor’s hands away from her whenever they tried to touch her, grabbing hard, shoving them away with all her might. She almost knocked the nurse to the floor.
“Relax, Jules. We’re not going to hurt you,” the doctor kept saying. “We just want to make sure that you’re okay, head to toe.”
No. Don’t. You can’t. Don’t touch me!
“Now calm down, Jules,” the doctor said, sounding frustrated. He turned to the nurse. “Just keep her still, would you? C’mon, kiddo. Don’t be afraid.”
Jules would’ve made herself disappear off the face of the earth if she’d had the power.
When they got back to Mrs. Currie’s house, Jules walked up to the bedroom and slept on and off for most of the day. At dinner with the other kids, she pretended she couldn’t hear or speak, so that nobody would talk to her. Afterwards, she quickly retreated to her room.
On Saturday morning, the other kids helped Mrs. Currie wrap presents in the kitchen, on the huge wooden table. When Mrs. Currie told Jules she couldn’t stay in the bedroom all day, Jules parked herself on the chesterfield in the living room and watched TV without taking anything in.
Eileen telephoned at noon to tell Jules she’d found a foster home for her. “It’s a miracle I found a place so fast, especially one that’s near Our Lady of Peace. You won’t have to go to a new school.”
Jules felt as if her stomach were grinding glass. She’d completely forgotten about school or anything else – except her dad. She wasn’t herself anymore. She was just a stupid kid whose life got turned upside down by complete strangers in ways she couldn’t have imagined.
I don’t need to worry about having nightmares at night. I’ve got wide-awake ones now
.
“Why do I have to go to a foster home?”
“Let’s talk about it when we meet up, Jules.”
“But my dad –”
“I still don’t know where he is, Jules. I haven’t heard from him.”
December 23. Monday.
“I’m sorry we haven’t had another chance to talk,” Eileen said when she came to pick Jules up. “It’s a crazy time of year.”
I don’t want to talk
.
“Your dad phoned my office this morning.”
My dad! He’s back! He’s back! I can go home!
“Apparently he’s been at a friend’s – Hank’s. He stayed there the night he left. Then he stayed with another friend, someone he met at a party. He hasn’t been to work, which is why we couldn’t reach him there.”
He didn’t phone or try to see me. Maybe he doesn’t want to be with me – whether he’s back at home or not
.
Eileen was staring at her.
Stop it! I’m not some freak! All I want is to go back home. Be with my dad.
Morning was chaotic. The boys were arguing at the breakfast table as Mrs. Currie shouted at one of them – Jimmy – to get ready for school. The noise woke Trudy up, and she went downstairs. A few seconds later, she was back in the room with Mrs. Currie, who pulled Trudy’s wet sheets off the bed. When Mrs. Currie tried to get Trudy to change out of her wet pajamas, Trudy began to scream.
Jules curled up on the bunk and stared at the wall. She refused to get up.
At ten o’clock, a babysitter came to the house to watch the other kids. Mrs. Currie announced to Jules that – like it or not – she had to get out of bed and go with her to a doctor’s office. “They just need to look you over, Jules. The doctor will check your weight and height, that kind of thing.”
I’ve never been to a doctor in my whole life, and I don’t need one now!
Mrs. Currie told Jules that she’d be in and out of the office in two minutes. But she lied.
Jules frantically pushed the nurse’s and doctor’s hands away from her whenever they tried to touch her, grabbing hard, shoving them away with all her might. She almost knocked the nurse to the floor.
“Relax, Jules. We’re not going to hurt you,” the doctor kept saying. “We just want to make sure that you’re okay, head to toe.”
No. Don’t. You can’t. Don’t touch me!
“Now calm down, Jules,” the doctor said, sounding frustrated. He turned to the nurse. “Just keep her still, would you? C’mon, kiddo. Don’t be afraid.”
Jules would’ve made herself disappear off the face of the earth if she’d had the power.
When they got back to Mrs. Currie’s house, Jules walked up to the bedroom and slept on and off for most of the day. At dinner with the other kids, she pretended she couldn’t hear or speak, so that nobody would talk to her. Afterwards, she quickly retreated to her room.
On Saturday morning, the other kids helped Mrs. Currie wrap presents in the kitchen, on the huge wooden table. When Mrs. Currie told Jules she couldn’t stay in the bedroom all day, Jules parked herself on the chesterfield in the living room and watched TV without taking anything in.
Eileen telephoned at noon to tell Jules she’d found a foster home for her. “It’s a miracle I found a place so fast, especially one that’s near Our Lady of Peace. You won’t have to go to a new school.”
Jules felt as if her stomach were grinding glass. She’d completely forgotten about school or anything else – except her dad. She wasn’t herself anymore. She was just a stupid kid whose life got turned upside down by complete strangers in ways she couldn’t have imagined.
I don’t need to worry about having nightmares at night. I’ve got wide-awake ones now
.
“Why do I have to go to a foster home?”
“Let’s talk about it when we meet up, Jules.”
“But my dad –”
“I still don’t know where he is, Jules. I haven’t heard from him.”
December 23. Monday.
“I’m sorry we haven’t had another chance to talk,” Eileen said when she came to pick Jules up. “It’s a crazy time of year.”
I don’t want to talk
.
“Your dad phoned my office this morning.”
My dad! He’s back! He’s back! I can go home!
“Apparently he’s been at a friend’s – Hank’s. He stayed there the night he left. Then he stayed with another friend, someone he met at a party. He hasn’t been to work, which is why we couldn’t reach him there.”
He didn’t phone or try to see me. Maybe he doesn’t want to be with me – whether he’s back at home or not
.
Eileen was staring at her.
Stop it! I’m not some freak! All I want is to go back home. Be with my dad.
Similar Books
