"Get away from the window, you naughty girl. Go to your room and take a nap!" Lucy yelled from the kitchen where she was peeling potatoes and carrots for dinner. Her face was flushed, her anger and frustration obvious.
"But I already took a nap, Lucy." Ali replied, a bit scared of the babysitter. She didn't really take a nap, she just lay on her bed, her knees stinging with their new scrapes. Lucy had sent her to her room after she caught her crying quietly outside the door. She couldn't sleep, not after that tumble.
"Well, go back in your room and play with your doll or something. I don't want to see your ugly little face." Lucy glared at her from behind the kitchen counter, hands on her hips, her head nodding towards the bedroom door.
It was always the same thing every day. Ali really did try not to fall and scrape her knees, or take a tumble, while playing around the backyard. But she always did. And if she was indoors, she would accidentally break stuff. That's why they called her "clumsy Ali". That's probably why Lucy was always mean to her. She was trouble.
Ali just really wanted to get out of the house and play with the other kids. She didn't want to be cooped up in her tiny room. It was dusty and dark. Lucy didn't really clean it.
But nobody liked to play with her. Not even Uncle Joe and Auntie Bea's kids, Johnny and Junior.
She was alone so much, it made her cry a lot. Her chest hurt from trying not to, but she couldn't keep her tears in. Sometimes it made her so angry she would roll on the floor screaming her lungs out. Ali knew it made Uncle and Auntie upset. But she really just wanted to have friends.
There must be something wrong with her, she guessed, shrugging her slight shoulders. That must be why her dad left even before she was born. It must be why her own mother was never around, she had to go live with her mother's relatives. And even then, they always looked anxiously at her, like they didn't know what to do with her. Like she was a problem.
They were nice people. They were just always so busy. But at least they always made sure somebody
was left to watch their kids--including her. Lucy has been the nanny long before she even came to live with them.
Ali looked out the window and ran her little fingers through her knotted hair, trying to straighten them. She forgot where she left her comb again, and she didn't dare tell their nanny about it. She'd just shout at her like she always does, and pinch her hard she'd leave red crescent marks on her skin. Those hurt a lot.
She was afraid of Lucy, but she didn't like to show it. Johnny and Junior would only make fun of her if they knew. Ali was almost five years old, and had just started kindergarten, but she was thin and not very tall. They were way bigger and older. Johnny was eleven, while Junior was nine. She was a tiny ant compared to them.
They would often play rough, and sometimes they let her join them. But they would tease her, call her names, and even scare her with creepy stories. But she was okay with that. She would rather be teased and scared silly than left alone.
They often left her alone in the house. Alone with Lucy, with her really loud voice, and sour face. She would lock Ali in the bedroom when she did something naughty. She would also grab her hair or her arms so hard they would hurt. No matter how hard Ali tried, there was always something wrong with what she did, and Lucy would get mad. It made her really sad.
"Can I just play in the yard?" Ali pleaded. "Please, Lucy. Promise, I'll be good."
Lucy scowled, and was about to say something when the kettle whistled.
"Hmp. I gotta make coffee. So, whatever," she grumbled.
"Just don't make a mess of your clothes or break anything or I'll lock you in your room again!" The nanny called out over her shoulders as she rushed to turn off the stove.
Ali gingerly opened the door, sat on the front step and sighed. Johnny and Junior must be having so much fun without her. She frowned and chewed on her thumbnail as she imagined it. They were playing with the kids next door. She could even hear their voices across the tall fence.
Their neighbor had a huge yard with a slide and a swing set, and Ali really wanted to try it. Maybe when she gets bigger, or older, they would like her better, and they would let her play there with them.
Then, she remembered, it was almost her birthday. She was turning five. She'll be a big girl! The thought quickly brought a smile to her face.
Ali stood up, her heart suddenly light. Perhaps, Johnny and Junior would want to play with her, then. Maybe even the other neighborhood kids would, too. And who knows, maybe even Lucy would like her even just a little.
She skipped towards the gate and looked longingly through the iron bars to watch the other children play on the street. Some were playing hopscotch, some were playing tag, and some were doodling on the ground with colored chalk. They ignored her like they usually did.
Ali chewed on her lip and just shrugged. She didn't mind waiting. She was used to it. Even now, she waited for her mama to come pick her up and tell her how much she missed her. Even now, she still waited for a papa to finally come and tell her how sorry he was he left. She knew they would come get her soon, and they would all live together in a nice, big house with a nice, big yard that had a swing and a slide like their neighbor's had.
So she'll wait until her birthday. When she turns five, it will all be worth it. They will finally like her. They will finally see that she was such a good girl, and they will then want her around. Oh, she was sure of it.
She won't ever have to be alone anymore.
