A Troubled Life

Chapter 1 How it all began

Shoot I woke up late, it is already light out. My little alarm clock I stole from Goodwill must have died. Thank gosh that woman and her boyfriend are not here.

It still hurts to sit down and move after the last time he beat on me. He told me I deserved a beating but would not tell me what for. He likes to do that, but you sure get sore after. I got a good beating right after school. They left after they beat me, thank gosh. 

I hope I am not too late to get to school before they stop serving breakfast. It's Friday and it will really suck only getting one meal today. I rush around trying to find my cleanest clothes and go out the door for school. I go to White's Tower Elementary, and am in the first grade. I can make the walk in about 2 minutes the whole way there. I am hoping mom and her boyfriend don't see me.

I get to school and no one is outside so I know school started and I missed breakfast, ugh. I walk into the office and the lady in front sees me and tells me to come over to her desk. I get scared because I don't want them to tell mom I was late again. I really got beat the last time they talked to her and Jerry.

I walked to her desk and two men wearing suits were standing there. I didn't really pay attention to them, just looked at my shoes. A really old pair of no name sneaks she got from The Salvation Army.

She said "hi Josh your running late today"

"I'm sorry ma'am mom got me up on time I didn't mean to be late"

She just smiled and said "oh honey that's OK. These two men are police officers" with that my belly growled real loud. I was so embarrassed and hoped she didn't hear it. "Are you still hungry Josh I know you normally eat as soon as you get here"

I just shook my head yes and she said "no problem let's go find you something to eat". She took my hand as she got up from her desk and led me to the cafeteria. We went in and the ladies got me some cereal and a pb&j. I was only thinking about the food and nobody else around when I went to sit down and jumped because of how my back, legs, and but hurt. With that Mrs Chandler asked "are you OK Josh"?

I lied to her and said "yes I feel down playing and still sore". I just kept eating the pb&j as fast as I could so they wouldn't take it away from me. When I finished the sandwich and first milk I started on the cereal. That is when I realized Mrs Chandler the secretary and the two police officers were sitting at the table with me.

I got nervous at that point and asked "am I in trouble? Did I do something wrong"and started crying. Before she should could even answer I started begging "please don't tell her I got in trouble, please I will do anything just don't tell her I was bad again"

Mrs Chandler just said "Josh honey you're not in trouble. You haven't done anything wrong. Just relax, eat your cereal if you want more just let me know". I just stared at her and she went to rub my back. I winced and cried more.

She immediately asked "Joshua what is wrong"?

I just cried and wouldn't tell her. That is when a new woman who I never saw before walked into the cafeteria and sat down next to me. She said "hi Joshua, do you prefer Josh or Joshua"? She was a lot nicer than that woman, I have to call mom or her friends, they only call me bad things. I don't like them at all. I didn't know what to do. I had Mrs Chandler on one side of me, the new lady on the other and police in front of me. I was so terrified I started crying again. Each of the women just held my hands and told me everything was OK. I cried for a few minutes then finally heard that they were asking me questions. I couldn't answer because I was too scared. Only 7 years old and didn't know what to do.

It took awhile but I finally told them about why my but, legs and back hurt and to please not let mom know I told them what her and Jerry did to me. I really begged them not to tell and told everyone that they told me every time I "earned" a beating if I told anyone I would get much worse after and I didn't want another beating please don't tell them.