Free Free as a Bird by Gina McMurchy-Barber Page B

never had a grampa before.
    â€œThis is going to be a wonderful new life for you, Ruby Jean. But I want you to know it’s not going to be easy. There’s a lot for you to learn, things that will seem strange and scary to you. And people — well, not all of them will accept you. Some will be afraid, others will just be plain old mean. That’s because they don’t know any better, dear. But we’re going to change that, right?”

    After I got up that mornin Bernice put a small box on my bed. I opened the top an looked inside an saw some folded clothes. “Those things should do you until you get more.” I was happy cause the pink-flowered shirt was in the box. Then Bernice unlocked the small drawer inside the closet with my name on it. “You’ll want to take these things too.”
    I smiled so big when she brought out Barbra. I nearly forgot bout my best old doll. Her head was nearly bald an her priddy dress ripped cause of all em days an nights I held her tight. After I got bigger I guess I stopped needin her so much. But jus cause she was bald an dirddy dint mean I’d stopped lovin her. I hugged Barbra tight an then put her into the box carefully.
    There was other things in that drawer I dint member I had — a wallet with no money, a cup that said ruby jean, an liddle pine cones I got from the park where Willy Bennett got buried. All em things I put into the box nex to Barbra. The nex thing Bernice pulled oudda the drawer made me clap my hands — it was the golden locket Gramma gave me jus fore she went to heaven in the amblance. I opened the liddle door an inside was a picture of me an her in our back garden. I was eight the last time I saw my locket — that’s cause we dint wear jewellery at Woodlands. Bernice put the locket in my box with Barbra. Finally, Bernice took some pictures out. Fore she put em in my box she let me look at em.
    I smiled at the one of me an Gramma sittin by the Christmas tree. I membered that time real good. Then I looked at the other pictures — there was Mom an me sittin on the couch at Harold’s office … one of me standin side of Mom an Harold on their weddin day — they was holdin hands an smiling, but I had tears in my eyes … an the last one was of Mom an baby Harold.
    I took the picture of Gramma an put it in my box. The other ones I put back inside the drawer an closed it.
    â€œWe’re ready!” someone shouted from down the hall.
    â€œAll right, time for breakfast, Ruby Jean. Come on, Shirley, you too.”
    I followed Bernice down to the cafeteria and wondered if I’d be eatin cold porridge an warm milk at my new home too. When we walked in to the room people shouted, “Surprise!” Yup, that’s what they said — “Surprise!” All of em Ward 33 kids were smilin an wavin. Susan was there an some uniforms too, like Tom an Roy an Bernice an Dr. Martin — Mrs. Gentry too. They all looked happy. I looked round the room but couldn’t see Millie nowhere — she was day shift an supposed to be there.
    All round the cafeteria was balloons an a big sign. Bernice told me it said GOOD LUCK, RUBY JEAN . I could tell the part that said Ruby Jean.
    â€œWe wish you all the best and hope you’ll remember your friends back here at Woodlands,” Tom said when the kids got quiet. “We have a little going-away present for you.”
    He put a box on my lap. It had a pink bow on top an the paper was shiny. I loved my present an held it tight. I used ta get presents from Gramma — but that was a long time ago.
    â€œC’mon, open it, Ruby Jean,” Tom said.
    I dint want to open my present cause it looked so priddy jus like it was. But the people was all sayin, “Open the present, open the present.” So I decided if I was real careful I could take the paper off without tearing it.
    Then Morris came over an said, “My toenails grow faster than this.