Read Online Free as a Bird by Gina McMurchy-Barber - Free Book Online Page B

Nother good thing happened too — Morris got sick an stayed away for a long time. Gramma used to tell me that jus cause I dint like somebody I still shouldn’t think bad thoughts bout em. So I thought a good thought bout Morris — like how it was good he was sick an had to stay away.
    Nother thing started happenin — the days got longer an the sun got hotter. Then the trees got leaves an the new flowers started pokin up from the dark ground. Mrs. Gentry showed me how to pull weeds from the garden an taught me some names of flowers too. The yellow ones with the liddle cups were called daffodils. An the ones that looked like tiny purple stars were periwinkle. An my favourite was the big flowers that looked like pink fireworks — rododo somethin.
    One mornin I was sittin in the day room with Susan, waitin for Mrs. Gentry to come get me. The TV was on like usual — As the World Turns was jus gettin started. Dr. Hughes was still mad at Jessica for pushin his wife into the swimmin pool. But I wasn’t interested in none of that — nope, cause I was busy thinkin. Thinkin bout lotsa things, like how many eggs you gotta have for makin pancakes, an why some plants are called flowers an others called weeds, an what happens if you put in more than one cup of laundry detergent into the washin machine, and what tastes bedder on toast — strawberry jam or honey. Nother thing I was thinkin bout was how I still wanted to learn to bake Mrs. Jiffy muffins an how I liked bein in the liddle brown house better than on Ward 33.
    With all that thinkin I was surprised when I looked up an saw Mrs. Gentry an Millie standin right front of me. Side em was two guys — lab coats, Morris always called em. One of em was short as me an had no hair. The other was skinny an had lots of hairs — mostly inside his nose an ears.
    â€œDoctors, this is the girl,” Millie said. “Ruby Jean, get up. You’re coming with us today.”
    Nobody was smilin so I got fraid I was in big trouble. I started to twist an scratch my hands. But Mrs. Gentry touched my shoulder an whispered, “Nothing to be afraid of, dear.”
    Millie held my hand an took me downstairs to a big room. It had the same green floor as Ward 33, but the walls was pink instead. An there was a big table in the room with lotsa chairs. Millie told me to sit at the end. She and Mrs. Gentry sat on one side an the doctors sat on the other.
    â€œRuby Jean, I’m Dr. Lennox and this is Dr. Martin. We’re here today because Mrs. Gentry has submitted an application on your behalf, requesting that this institution consider you a candidate for placement in a community setting. During the course of this interview, we intend to determine whether you’re ready for such a major step.”
    I had a hard time followin the doctors’ words on account of me not bein so smart — an on account of me bein busy watchin his long moustache go up an down like a little hairy critter stuck on his lip. Gramma used to call moustaches cookie dusters, but I never could think of why anyone would wanna dust their cookies.
    â€œAfter this interview, we’ll evaluate your case, come up with our recommendation, and provide our response to this request,” Dr. Lennox said. “So are you ready to begin?”
    I still dint understand an looked over at Mrs. Gentry for help. Her eyes looked like I never seen em before — dark as a stormy winter day.
    â€œIn less highfalutin words, what the doctor means, Ruby Jean, is we’re going to have a friendly talk about the things you’ve been learning, how happy you’ve been lately, and if it’s a good idea for you to move out of Woodlands and into a home.”
    I smiled at Mrs. Gentry. Her words made lots more sense. For a long time she’d had a idea that I should leave Woodlands an live someplace else. At first I dint believe that could happen, but I was startin to get the idea maybe