Eden glared at the white-washed wood facade as the dark two door sedan pulled into the drive. Another foster home. God when would they quit parading them through her life? Slouching as she exited the car she lifted a hand to swipe at her nose, her eyes scanning for the hopeful presence of a gang of boys she'd be more at home with. Feeling the tight grip of the social worker as they nearly dragged her to the door her eyes stopped at the pretty little girl on the porch. Oh great, it's a prissy pants.
She grumbled under her breath as the staid way too proper social worker continued her quest towards the front door. "Now see Miss Eden. This will be the perfect place for you. We've let your hooligan ways go on way too long. We've decided to place you here. I'm sure you'll love it."
Eden muttered, "Names Eddie. Can't you at least get that right?" She shook her head as her eyes wandered the fenced in yard. There seemed to be very little grass, but lots of weeds. As she took another look at the house she couldn't restrain the shiver. This place looked worse than the last one she was in. This one was so close to looking like some crazy form of school house it was unreal. Hell what did I get myself into? All I did was brain Mr. Jackson for trying to take my bat.
The social worker tisked softly, "It's Eden Dominique and it's high time you remembered you were a girl. Maybe in a place filled with girls you'll finally figure it out."
As they stopped at the front door Eddie continued her perusal of the way to proper and pretty girl sitting in the chair. She was playing dress up with her doll but the danged doll looked like it needed a hospital. Half its hair was gone and one eye was missing. "Ought to hold a burial for that dollie."
"Misty Dawn isn't dead little boy, she's special like me."
Eden snorted, "Looks pretty dead to me prissy missy."
She winced and waited for the whap from the social worker, her eyes scanning for just ONE boy on the neighborhood street only to see nothing but a dead end road. "There any pick up games here?"
"I have some pick up sticks in my special box....half of them are missing...if you want to play with them later?" Brooke stuck out her hand to the social worker. "My name Is Brooklyn Smith. Mrs. Hanagan is out back washing Lucy's mouth out with soap. I can't go back in untils she finishes."
Brooke looked Eden up one side and down the other. "I may be a prissy missy but at least I don't have a snotty nose." Pulling out her not so white hankie out of the pocket of her party dress, she held it out to Eden. "Cost ya five cents to use it."
Watching Eden use her shirt sleeve to wipe her nose, Brooke made a face. "Mrs. Hanagan sees you do that, you gonna wish you gave me five cents. She'll make you wear that shirt till you ain't got no snot left." Brooke went back to rocking her doll in her arms. "If you were my baby, I wouldn't leave you at no hospital with no name," she whispered, “then you wouldn't get just any old name like me." She cocked her head at Eden. "Where did you get your name?" Looking up to the social worker she nodded towards Eden. "You gonna leave the little boy here?"
Eden wiped her nose again for effect as she studied the little girl before her. She looked like she was dressed in her Sunday finest, a clean blue dress with lace around the hem. Her raven hair was hanging down around her shoulders in perfect ringlets, a big blue bow tied on top of her head to hold the hair back.
Jamming her hands into her dirty dungarees she muttered, "got my name from my ma. She's dead you know."
"Did you see her dead? They told me my mom died but I didn't see her dead...,' She changed the subject and kept on rambling, “they got rules here...we don't talk about momma's and daddy's." She leaned over to whisper to Eden, "the little ones cry...a lot."
The picture of her mom laying in the flowers, the life in her eyes slowly fading as the poison she'd pumped into her veins did its work rose along with the need to cry which was quickly shoved down. Glancing up at the little girl, who had more questions than she wanted to answer she shrugged. "Ain't gonna cry, cryin's for sissies."
"They gonna put you in my room...Sandy left one night...runned away I guess...said her momma was gonna come and take her to Hollywood...she's gonna be on the T.V. one day..."
Brooke put the doll on the step and covered her with the hankie. "You got 5 cents? I can show you where to hide stuff from Mrs. Hanagan. You got a special box?"
Eden winced at the knowledge. Stuck in a room with prissy pants? God hates me I just know he hates me. She didn't want to play dress up, she didn't want to be around no one that did, she wanted to run, climb trees and play ball. As Brooke kept talking her brow furrowed. "Ain't got no money, but tell ya what, you show me that and I'll keep people from hurting ya."
Brooke looked around to see if anyone was watching. "You gonna keep Mr. Hanagan from hurting me? He's a big man..."
She wiped her hands on her dress and looked up at Eden. "I think he hurt Sandy one night..."
Eden's head cocked sideways at the urgent and somehow scared whisper. Little prissy was too cute to be hurt, why would some big grown man want to hurt her? She shook her head as a totally foreign emotion seemed to seep in around the edges. "Like I said, you show me around, I'll keep you from being hurt Brookie."
"Okay...I can tell you all the rules...been here longer than the other ones..." taking Eden's hand they followed the social worker who finally went inside to talk to the house mother. "We get one Sunday dress for church. I guess if you ain't got one you can wear Sandy's...Chores are done before school and after... we get one birthday present...I don't gots no birthday so I don't get one...And best of all the church sends us a present at Christmas...the poor dears...that's where I got Misty Dawn."
Eden watched as they were herded towards the upstairs. If she had thought the last foster home was bad, well this one had it beat. The wallpaper looked like it used to be colorful, but now it seemed to be tattered and gray. The furniture was covered in plastic, not that it helped the appeal of the dingy flowers any.
She shook her head as the girl she now thought of as babbling Brooke kept up the constant patter. She talked the whole way to her room.
When the door opened Eden stuffed back a wince. The walls were the same dingy gray as the downstairs. Looking around the room she saw twin beds that had seen better days. Each bed boasted a dilapidated pillow that should have been thrown out ages before and a ratty looking cover. Two chest of drawers and two chairs stood side by side on the far wall. She grinned and turned to find the window. If there was a window, there was usually a tree and if there was a tree she could escape whenever the urge to play ball hit. Glancing around her eyes widened. Bars? There were bars on the window? Closing her eyes she felt the first stirrings of worry. They hadn't put her into a home, they'd slammed her into jail after all.
Seeing the shock filtering into the new kids eyes at the barred windows had Brooke leaning in to Eden to whisper. “They put those up after Sandy runned off, but its okay, we can still push the window open at night to feels the breeze.” When Eden' gaze shifted to her she grinned and continued, “I knowed you was a girl...we don't got no boys here."
She looked at the room that was identical to every room she'd slept in since they day they'd taken her out of her mother's cold arms and shook her head. "Aint worried 'bout no dress, I just don't wear 'em." Reaching up she took her cap off for a moment and wondered how anyone could think they didn't have a birthday. "Damn sure you have a birthday. You popped in this world didn't ya? If ya don't know the day, well just pick one."
She watched surprised as waist length straight as a board dark brown hair fell around Eden's shoulders making her oddly colored purple colored eyes stand out. How did she get all that hair up under that cap? Listening to Eden mutter about the bars she hastened to add, "don't let Mrs Hanagan hear you swear...that's why Lucy got the Ivory Soap bar for lunch. I like the spring...can I have one in March? That's when Sandy had her birthday..."
Going over to the closet she pulled the door open and pushed the clothes to the right and reached in and pulled out an old battered suitcase. "Everybody gets a special box when the comed here but me. When Leslie left, I think she runned away too, I got her special box."
She flopped on the bed closest to the door and bounced a couple of times totally unsurprised to feel the springs in the mattress.
"She probably got 'dopted." Her voice dropped slightly. "They usually always 'dopt the pretty ones."
"I been here since I was borned. Nope she runned away, when they get 'dopted the special box goes wif them. The babies get 'dopted...the big girls always run away." She put her special box on her bed and opened the lid. Inside were one box crayons that had been worn down to the nubs, a tube of pick-up sticks with only a few left in the tub and a couple of little books with some of the pages missing. Eden glanced in to see that there was also one red ribbon and one pink ribbon, but not much else. "If I was borned then I had a momma and a daddy...but they told me I been here the longest since I ain't got no family."
She listened to the sadness in the voice that had been so perky until now and frowned. Nothing so pretty should ever sound that sad. Standing she moved over to the other bed, one slender grimy arm wrapping around her shoulders. "Well kiddo, ya gots family now, we'll just have to stick together. And when we get outta this place we can be what we want and say what we want. Sound like a deal?"
"K...Sisters...I always wanted a sister...not no baby one either..." Leaning over to Eden she continued, "they cry...a lot." She sniffed. "Oh yeah the bestest thing of all? The ladies come from the church and take us to the movies, we gets popcorn and soda then. Sometimes they give us fifty cents, sort of for being such poor dears. Then we gets to buy things." She reached into the small slit in the lining and pulled out a change purse that looked like it was on its last leg. "I don't spend much...maybe for a ribbon or pins when I get's stuff that the older girls leave. One day I'm gonna wear pretty dresses and fancy shoes. I'm gonna make lots of money...boat loads...but not in no nasty movies like Leslie said. Mr. Hanagan takes pictures of Leslie...I think Sandy too, that's why they runned away.
She held her new friend close and decided then and there that no big hairy man would take pictures of Brooke if she didn't want it.
"Don't you worry none about that. He tries that mess with you....." She lifted a hand to swipe at her nose, "And I'll do to him what I did to Mr. Jackson. I'll brain him with my bat."
"Promise?" Brooke asked looking up with big green eyes.
She lifted her hand and spat then held it out to Brooke with brows waggling. "Promise."
Brooke made a face and then spit in her hand and held it out to Eden...once they shook hands Brooke ran to the bathroom and washed her hand. Living with Eddie was gonna be different...but Brooke liked having a sister for once.
She plopped back on the bed and watched Brooke run to wash the spit off and started to laugh. It was going to be fun to teach her how to throw a ball or climb a tree. Prissy ones needed mussing up on occasion. But somewhere deep inside she knew the challenge was going to be a riot of fun. "Just you wait Brookie. You ain't seen nothing yet.
She grumbled under her breath as the staid way too proper social worker continued her quest towards the front door. "Now see Miss Eden. This will be the perfect place for you. We've let your hooligan ways go on way too long. We've decided to place you here. I'm sure you'll love it."
Eden muttered, "Names Eddie. Can't you at least get that right?" She shook her head as her eyes wandered the fenced in yard. There seemed to be very little grass, but lots of weeds. As she took another look at the house she couldn't restrain the shiver. This place looked worse than the last one she was in. This one was so close to looking like some crazy form of school house it was unreal. Hell what did I get myself into? All I did was brain Mr. Jackson for trying to take my bat.
The social worker tisked softly, "It's Eden Dominique and it's high time you remembered you were a girl. Maybe in a place filled with girls you'll finally figure it out."
As they stopped at the front door Eddie continued her perusal of the way to proper and pretty girl sitting in the chair. She was playing dress up with her doll but the danged doll looked like it needed a hospital. Half its hair was gone and one eye was missing. "Ought to hold a burial for that dollie."
"Misty Dawn isn't dead little boy, she's special like me."
Eden snorted, "Looks pretty dead to me prissy missy."
She winced and waited for the whap from the social worker, her eyes scanning for just ONE boy on the neighborhood street only to see nothing but a dead end road. "There any pick up games here?"
"I have some pick up sticks in my special box....half of them are missing...if you want to play with them later?" Brooke stuck out her hand to the social worker. "My name Is Brooklyn Smith. Mrs. Hanagan is out back washing Lucy's mouth out with soap. I can't go back in untils she finishes."
Brooke looked Eden up one side and down the other. "I may be a prissy missy but at least I don't have a snotty nose." Pulling out her not so white hankie out of the pocket of her party dress, she held it out to Eden. "Cost ya five cents to use it."
Watching Eden use her shirt sleeve to wipe her nose, Brooke made a face. "Mrs. Hanagan sees you do that, you gonna wish you gave me five cents. She'll make you wear that shirt till you ain't got no snot left." Brooke went back to rocking her doll in her arms. "If you were my baby, I wouldn't leave you at no hospital with no name," she whispered, “then you wouldn't get just any old name like me." She cocked her head at Eden. "Where did you get your name?" Looking up to the social worker she nodded towards Eden. "You gonna leave the little boy here?"
Eden wiped her nose again for effect as she studied the little girl before her. She looked like she was dressed in her Sunday finest, a clean blue dress with lace around the hem. Her raven hair was hanging down around her shoulders in perfect ringlets, a big blue bow tied on top of her head to hold the hair back.
Jamming her hands into her dirty dungarees she muttered, "got my name from my ma. She's dead you know."
"Did you see her dead? They told me my mom died but I didn't see her dead...,' She changed the subject and kept on rambling, “they got rules here...we don't talk about momma's and daddy's." She leaned over to whisper to Eden, "the little ones cry...a lot."
The picture of her mom laying in the flowers, the life in her eyes slowly fading as the poison she'd pumped into her veins did its work rose along with the need to cry which was quickly shoved down. Glancing up at the little girl, who had more questions than she wanted to answer she shrugged. "Ain't gonna cry, cryin's for sissies."
"They gonna put you in my room...Sandy left one night...runned away I guess...said her momma was gonna come and take her to Hollywood...she's gonna be on the T.V. one day..."
Brooke put the doll on the step and covered her with the hankie. "You got 5 cents? I can show you where to hide stuff from Mrs. Hanagan. You got a special box?"
Eden winced at the knowledge. Stuck in a room with prissy pants? God hates me I just know he hates me. She didn't want to play dress up, she didn't want to be around no one that did, she wanted to run, climb trees and play ball. As Brooke kept talking her brow furrowed. "Ain't got no money, but tell ya what, you show me that and I'll keep people from hurting ya."
Brooke looked around to see if anyone was watching. "You gonna keep Mr. Hanagan from hurting me? He's a big man..."
She wiped her hands on her dress and looked up at Eden. "I think he hurt Sandy one night..."
Eden's head cocked sideways at the urgent and somehow scared whisper. Little prissy was too cute to be hurt, why would some big grown man want to hurt her? She shook her head as a totally foreign emotion seemed to seep in around the edges. "Like I said, you show me around, I'll keep you from being hurt Brookie."
"Okay...I can tell you all the rules...been here longer than the other ones..." taking Eden's hand they followed the social worker who finally went inside to talk to the house mother. "We get one Sunday dress for church. I guess if you ain't got one you can wear Sandy's...Chores are done before school and after... we get one birthday present...I don't gots no birthday so I don't get one...And best of all the church sends us a present at Christmas...the poor dears...that's where I got Misty Dawn."
Eden watched as they were herded towards the upstairs. If she had thought the last foster home was bad, well this one had it beat. The wallpaper looked like it used to be colorful, but now it seemed to be tattered and gray. The furniture was covered in plastic, not that it helped the appeal of the dingy flowers any.
She shook her head as the girl she now thought of as babbling Brooke kept up the constant patter. She talked the whole way to her room.
When the door opened Eden stuffed back a wince. The walls were the same dingy gray as the downstairs. Looking around the room she saw twin beds that had seen better days. Each bed boasted a dilapidated pillow that should have been thrown out ages before and a ratty looking cover. Two chest of drawers and two chairs stood side by side on the far wall. She grinned and turned to find the window. If there was a window, there was usually a tree and if there was a tree she could escape whenever the urge to play ball hit. Glancing around her eyes widened. Bars? There were bars on the window? Closing her eyes she felt the first stirrings of worry. They hadn't put her into a home, they'd slammed her into jail after all.
Seeing the shock filtering into the new kids eyes at the barred windows had Brooke leaning in to Eden to whisper. “They put those up after Sandy runned off, but its okay, we can still push the window open at night to feels the breeze.” When Eden' gaze shifted to her she grinned and continued, “I knowed you was a girl...we don't got no boys here."
She looked at the room that was identical to every room she'd slept in since they day they'd taken her out of her mother's cold arms and shook her head. "Aint worried 'bout no dress, I just don't wear 'em." Reaching up she took her cap off for a moment and wondered how anyone could think they didn't have a birthday. "Damn sure you have a birthday. You popped in this world didn't ya? If ya don't know the day, well just pick one."
She watched surprised as waist length straight as a board dark brown hair fell around Eden's shoulders making her oddly colored purple colored eyes stand out. How did she get all that hair up under that cap? Listening to Eden mutter about the bars she hastened to add, "don't let Mrs Hanagan hear you swear...that's why Lucy got the Ivory Soap bar for lunch. I like the spring...can I have one in March? That's when Sandy had her birthday..."
Going over to the closet she pulled the door open and pushed the clothes to the right and reached in and pulled out an old battered suitcase. "Everybody gets a special box when the comed here but me. When Leslie left, I think she runned away too, I got her special box."
She flopped on the bed closest to the door and bounced a couple of times totally unsurprised to feel the springs in the mattress.
"She probably got 'dopted." Her voice dropped slightly. "They usually always 'dopt the pretty ones."
"I been here since I was borned. Nope she runned away, when they get 'dopted the special box goes wif them. The babies get 'dopted...the big girls always run away." She put her special box on her bed and opened the lid. Inside were one box crayons that had been worn down to the nubs, a tube of pick-up sticks with only a few left in the tub and a couple of little books with some of the pages missing. Eden glanced in to see that there was also one red ribbon and one pink ribbon, but not much else. "If I was borned then I had a momma and a daddy...but they told me I been here the longest since I ain't got no family."
She listened to the sadness in the voice that had been so perky until now and frowned. Nothing so pretty should ever sound that sad. Standing she moved over to the other bed, one slender grimy arm wrapping around her shoulders. "Well kiddo, ya gots family now, we'll just have to stick together. And when we get outta this place we can be what we want and say what we want. Sound like a deal?"
"K...Sisters...I always wanted a sister...not no baby one either..." Leaning over to Eden she continued, "they cry...a lot." She sniffed. "Oh yeah the bestest thing of all? The ladies come from the church and take us to the movies, we gets popcorn and soda then. Sometimes they give us fifty cents, sort of for being such poor dears. Then we gets to buy things." She reached into the small slit in the lining and pulled out a change purse that looked like it was on its last leg. "I don't spend much...maybe for a ribbon or pins when I get's stuff that the older girls leave. One day I'm gonna wear pretty dresses and fancy shoes. I'm gonna make lots of money...boat loads...but not in no nasty movies like Leslie said. Mr. Hanagan takes pictures of Leslie...I think Sandy too, that's why they runned away.
She held her new friend close and decided then and there that no big hairy man would take pictures of Brooke if she didn't want it.
"Don't you worry none about that. He tries that mess with you....." She lifted a hand to swipe at her nose, "And I'll do to him what I did to Mr. Jackson. I'll brain him with my bat."
"Promise?" Brooke asked looking up with big green eyes.
She lifted her hand and spat then held it out to Brooke with brows waggling. "Promise."
Brooke made a face and then spit in her hand and held it out to Eden...once they shook hands Brooke ran to the bathroom and washed her hand. Living with Eddie was gonna be different...but Brooke liked having a sister for once.
She plopped back on the bed and watched Brooke run to wash the spit off and started to laugh. It was going to be fun to teach her how to throw a ball or climb a tree. Prissy ones needed mussing up on occasion. But somewhere deep inside she knew the challenge was going to be a riot of fun. "Just you wait Brookie. You ain't seen nothing yet.
No comments:
Post a Comment