Separated At Birth

Growing Up

Richard's Point Of View

I am five years old, I live with my dad in a small house in Bakersfield. I don't have many friends because the street I live in is very busy. My dad loves playing rock music, I really like that. My dad gives me some of his drink at night so I go to sleep. I love my dad. Every day after kindergarten I see my friends with their mom and dad, I wonder where my mom is. My dad always said that she's sleeping with the angels in heaven beside God. My dad goes somewhere every day, but if he doesn't make it back in time for me, he gets our next door neighbour, Dave, he really liked me, he said that I was going to be a great rockstar or movie star with the body I had. He always wanted to take pictures. My dad was always too drunk to notice anything. Dave said that everybody calls my dad a drunk. I wish my dad could cook, I wish that he wasn't a drunk, I wish that my dad would notice me and give me attention. To get him to notice me and to stop him getting drunk, I started acting up in school, I didn't like Dave. Acting up in school got me beat up sometimes by my dad, I was sent to my room while he went where he usually went, I couldn't believe what was happening. Dave came over every day that I was sent home, he made sure I was alright. He checked the bruising all over my body. I hated my dad sometimes. One day when I was sent home, someone knocked on the door, the cops. Dave was trying to get indecent pictures of small children, while they were there they arrested my dad for beating me up, I was put into a foster home.

The foster home was at the end of a cul-de-sac across the other side of Bakersfield. A social worker named Julie helped me pack up my belongings and move me into the foster home. I was a bit scared of leaving my home, it's the only place I've ever lived. I missed my dad I just wanted him to be with me, I loved him so much. I was taken into the front room. "EVERYBODY IN THE FRONT ROOM PLEASE!" Julie screamed as her voice echoed throughout the three storey home. I was standing next to the T.V. Boys and girls piled in the room. "This is Richard, he is staying with us for a while." Julie smiled. "Wes and Riley will look after you." They looked horrified, being made to look after a six year old. Wes had long, blonde hair with brown roots, he was tall and skinny, he wore a black, Metallica Master Of Puppets album cover t-shirt and ripped, blue jeans. Riley was younger than Wes, he had short, black hair with light blue tips on his faux hawk, he was small and skinny, he wore a green, Luigi from Mario Brothers t-shirt with dark blue shorts with '97' written in red on the left leg. Wes grabbed my bags as Riley showed me to my room. My room was on the third floor, second door on the left. The room had two, single beds, the walls were light blue. There were two wooden closets and two toy chests, the bedding on one bed was Sesame Street, the other was Biker Mice From Mars, the toy chests were blue and red stripes on both. Wes laid my bags on the bed with the Sesame Street bedding and helped me hang up the clothes I had and Riley helped me put my toys in the toy chest at the bottom of my bed. They made me feel safe, for now. 

After a week I had no friends, I was alone, scared and quiet. I played in my room, alone, I watched T.V, alone, I played on the computer, alone. I was always alone, quiet and scared of being forgotten, beaten or my dad picking me up. I needed to be noticed to prevent this, how could I do this? I got noticed by acting up in school, or should I do it at home. I was plotting everyday for a week until, I decided it was time. I sat in class, just after a lonely break, I had glued her drawers, in her desk, closed and glued her chalk to the board, I also wrote in big lettering, 'Mrs Chambers is a smelly poo-head'. She was furious with me, so she sent me to the Principal's office. The Principal was shocked to see me and said "If it continues Richard, you will be suspended." She let me go back to class. The rest of the week, the pranks continued and at home I was getting noticed. The pranks continued and soon I was on the verge of being expelled.