The next morning I woke up, really disoriented, until I remembered where I was. I rolled over, to see if Stephanie was awake yet. Since her bed was empty, I just lay there for a while. When I finally got up enough energy to drag myself out of bed, it was 6 o'clock. I always woke up a little later for school, but since the bus was coming earlier, I had to get up earlier.
I realized I didn't have any clothes. Well, at least none except the ones I was wearing, and those were all wrinkly because I had slept in them, for lack of any pajamas. I figured I'd go find Lisa, and see if she had gotten me any clothes. I knew I was still supposed to be using the wheelchair, at least for the week, but I really didn't want to, especially since it took me so damn long to get into it. So I pulled myself into a sitting position, grabbed onto the bed frame, and got myself into a standing position, leaning heavily on the bed frame. I let go, carefully, and took a few steps. I thought I was doing okay, but with no warning, my legs gave way underneath me, and I sank to the ground.
"Damn it!" I cried out in frustration. Now I was in the middle of the floor, with nothing to really grab onto. I began to drag myself over to the bed, so I could get myself when the door opened slowly.
"Ashley," a voice, who I recognized as Lisa, called out, "time to…" she trailed off when she saw me. "Not using the wheelchair, huh?"
"Yeah," I said sheepishly.
"Come on," she said, picking me up into the chair. "Do you want to hear the good news first, or the two items of bad news?"
"Um, the good news, I suppose."
"I have clothes for you. A whole bunch of clothes, in fact. Plus toiletries, book bag, and a bunch of book I found on your desk."
"And the bad news?"
"Your mother didn't move a muscle to get anything, so I don't know if its okay or not."
"Yeah, I should have warned you. My mother and I are on about as good a term as my father and I. Only difference is she didn't physically abuse me. She just let it happen."
"You mean she saw it?"
"Yeah, and she sat there."
"Hmmmm. That's negligence, you know. She could be arrested for that."
"And the other bad news?"
"Well, actually this is another good news and bad news thing. Which first?"
"Good."
"Your father was arrested last night, and given a high bail of $100,000."
"Wow! That much?"
"Yeah, but now for the bad news. Your mom posted bail. Every penny. So you're dads out of jail, just as fast as he got into jail."
"Does that mean I'm going home?" I asked. I could have kicked myself for asking that like I did. Every ounce of my voice was screaming, "I want to go home to be abused again!" Lisa looked at me, shocked. She heard that in my voice too.
"You are not, I repeat, are not ever going home if I can help it. No matter how much you want to, you will not return there."
"I don't really…well, I don't actually want to go home to be abused again. I just…"
"Just what?"
"I love my parents, despite everything. And maybe…maybe I deserved some of what I got. I was raised…" I started to say, but Lisa interrupted.
"It doesn't matter how you were raised. You do not deserve to be abused, no matter what. Now get ready for school, you have a long day ahead of you. And young lady, stay in that wheelchair! I will not be picking you up again. I mean it!" she said, smiling.
"Yes ma'am!" I said, saluting her. Once she got out of the room and shut the door, I pulled out some clothes to get dressed. The choices she had made for clothes were perfect, and I was ready for school in no time. And yes, I was in my wheelchair. I wheeled into the kitchen, snatched an apple, and headed out to where Lisa had told me the bus stop would be. I was right on time, but quickly found out that I wasn't going to get on that bus anytime soon.
The driver took one look at me and said, "You're in a wheelchair."
I wanted to scream. Obviously I was in a wheelchair. "Not being able to get on the bus," I thought to myself, "is not a good sign."
"I'll radio down to the station to send a handicapped bus down here. You'll just have to wait." And with that, the bus driver took off down the road.
Fifteen freezing minutes later, a short bus got there. A platform went down; I rolled onto it, locked myself in place, and got on the bus, where it was warmer. And then began the long drive to school.
I realized I didn't have any clothes. Well, at least none except the ones I was wearing, and those were all wrinkly because I had slept in them, for lack of any pajamas. I figured I'd go find Lisa, and see if she had gotten me any clothes. I knew I was still supposed to be using the wheelchair, at least for the week, but I really didn't want to, especially since it took me so damn long to get into it. So I pulled myself into a sitting position, grabbed onto the bed frame, and got myself into a standing position, leaning heavily on the bed frame. I let go, carefully, and took a few steps. I thought I was doing okay, but with no warning, my legs gave way underneath me, and I sank to the ground.
"Damn it!" I cried out in frustration. Now I was in the middle of the floor, with nothing to really grab onto. I began to drag myself over to the bed, so I could get myself when the door opened slowly.
"Ashley," a voice, who I recognized as Lisa, called out, "time to…" she trailed off when she saw me. "Not using the wheelchair, huh?"
"Yeah," I said sheepishly.
"Come on," she said, picking me up into the chair. "Do you want to hear the good news first, or the two items of bad news?"
"Um, the good news, I suppose."
"I have clothes for you. A whole bunch of clothes, in fact. Plus toiletries, book bag, and a bunch of book I found on your desk."
"And the bad news?"
"Your mother didn't move a muscle to get anything, so I don't know if its okay or not."
"Yeah, I should have warned you. My mother and I are on about as good a term as my father and I. Only difference is she didn't physically abuse me. She just let it happen."
"You mean she saw it?"
"Yeah, and she sat there."
"Hmmmm. That's negligence, you know. She could be arrested for that."
"And the other bad news?"
"Well, actually this is another good news and bad news thing. Which first?"
"Good."
"Your father was arrested last night, and given a high bail of $100,000."
"Wow! That much?"
"Yeah, but now for the bad news. Your mom posted bail. Every penny. So you're dads out of jail, just as fast as he got into jail."
"Does that mean I'm going home?" I asked. I could have kicked myself for asking that like I did. Every ounce of my voice was screaming, "I want to go home to be abused again!" Lisa looked at me, shocked. She heard that in my voice too.
"You are not, I repeat, are not ever going home if I can help it. No matter how much you want to, you will not return there."
"I don't really…well, I don't actually want to go home to be abused again. I just…"
"Just what?"
"I love my parents, despite everything. And maybe…maybe I deserved some of what I got. I was raised…" I started to say, but Lisa interrupted.
"It doesn't matter how you were raised. You do not deserve to be abused, no matter what. Now get ready for school, you have a long day ahead of you. And young lady, stay in that wheelchair! I will not be picking you up again. I mean it!" she said, smiling.
"Yes ma'am!" I said, saluting her. Once she got out of the room and shut the door, I pulled out some clothes to get dressed. The choices she had made for clothes were perfect, and I was ready for school in no time. And yes, I was in my wheelchair. I wheeled into the kitchen, snatched an apple, and headed out to where Lisa had told me the bus stop would be. I was right on time, but quickly found out that I wasn't going to get on that bus anytime soon.
The driver took one look at me and said, "You're in a wheelchair."
I wanted to scream. Obviously I was in a wheelchair. "Not being able to get on the bus," I thought to myself, "is not a good sign."
"I'll radio down to the station to send a handicapped bus down here. You'll just have to wait." And with that, the bus driver took off down the road.
Fifteen freezing minutes later, a short bus got there. A platform went down; I rolled onto it, locked myself in place, and got on the bus, where it was warmer. And then began the long drive to school.