I never quite figured out how, but at some point the teachers noticed the missing kindergartener. Once i began taking trips to my secret hideaway, being in first grade didn't matter as much, so in the mornings i walked to the kindergarten hall and sat with my class. Until one friday morning, after i stood silently with my hands behind my back, as the other students recited the pledge, i was told by my teacher to report to the principals office. I refused to go because i hadn't done anything wrong. I went to the right hall, i sat quietly, and I even stood up for the pledge, rather than remaining seated as instructed by my grandmother. She was a Jehovah's witness, and her faith stood strongly on the story of Daniel who wouldn't bow to the shrine of the king and as followers of god, we were expected to do the same.
As the teacher continued to demand i go to the office,I stood my ground. Eventually she called to an aid from the hallway to come and watch the class as she escorted me. When she went to grab my arm i flipped out. I threw over a bookshelf and ran to the corner behind the winter coat cubbys and refused to budge. soon the AID disappeared and the teacher resumed class. She called the students to circle time and began to read them a story. I left the corner and walked to my place in the circle assuming she realized i had been a good girl. Not short after the principal barged into the classroom.
He stood there looking like a cross of the man with the white hair from poltergeist, and an enraged jimmy carter. "Get awt of this classroom now young lady" he demanded in his southern drawl from hell.
"NO" i screamed as I began to run back to the corner, but half way there he grabbed me and picked me up, attempting to carry me out of the class. I began to scream "put me down" And i kicked him in his shin several times before he dropped me.
I tried to run away again, but he picked me up and flung me over his shoulder. Kicking and screaming i began elbowing him in the back of his head yelling any and every obscenity i could think of. He stopped and grabbed both of my wrists and held them in one hand and squeezed so tight that once we reached his office the imprint of his fingers were embeded on my tiny wrists.
when we got to the office, He closed the door.
He made me pull down my pants as he took off his belt. Before my ripped jeans hit the floor he began whaling on me. To make sure i didnt get away, he used one hand to hold one of my arms above my head, and the other to hit me with lash after lash until he had gotten enough hits in to ease his rage. Afterwards he pushed me into the chair. Told me to put on my pants, and called my mother to pick me up. When she didn't answer he called my aunt and my grandmother. when no one answered he pulled my uncles emergency contact list and called my grandfather. I couldn't have been more thankful.
In my mind i imagined my grandfather coming to school and beating that old man with his own belt for hitting his baby girl. I smiled to myself at the vision of my principal with blood spattered in his hair. What i got instead was my estranged father arriving an hour later. He drove me to my grandmothers house and dropped me off never checking to see if anyone was even home. I used my uncles latch key from under the doormat to open the door and snuck up the stairs as quietly as i could. I then hid in a pile of clothes in my youngest aunts closet. I then contorted my body in the most unimaginable position so that i blended in with the lumps in the clothes pile. With my legs bent behind my back and my arms bent in varying angles, i fell asleep.
I later awoke to the sound of youngest aunt and mother talking, wondering where i was. I am sure now that they were just humoring me. But at that moment all i could focus on was the prayer that they didnt find me. That they never found me. I layed there still hoping not to be noticed. a few more hours passed, I switched positions because, even with the rediculous amount of flexibility i had been blessed with at birth, my leg was starting to fall asleep. As i switched i heard my mother crying saying wherever i was, she just wanted me to come home.I sat their for a minute, feeling like the worst kid in the world for making my mother cry. Heart broken, I stood up, and walked out of the closet, but by that time she had already left the room.
It was night time. I had sat in that closet for close to 8 hours. I walked into the hallway. My cousin royce was the first to see me. He shook his head no as if warning me. Then my uncle corey came out of their room and started yelling "i found quay i found quay" My mother came back upstairs and just stared at me. She shook her head in disapproval then told me to go to go lay down in
"the girls room" and wait for her to come spank me. She added that i wouldn't be getting dinner.
stomach rumbling i accepted my punishment and went to lay down. I sat in fear the entire night of what i was sure to be a severe beating. But nothing happened. The next morning my mom left and went back to my great aunts house to gather some of our belongings. We moved into my grandmothers house that night. That weekend while the official adults were at work, i was left in the care of my youngest aunt. My best guess is she was roughly 14. But she had no problem handing out discipline. From the time i woke up i was told to stand in a corner neer the front door facing a spot on the wall. I had to stand on one foot. If i put my foot down or switched feet without permission, i was hit in the leg with a broomstick. if i looked at anything but the spot, i was hit with a broomstick. and if i cried, i was punched or slapped or kicked.
I stayed in that corner until my mother got home. When she got home, she told me to go to the "girls room" and wait until she came to spank me. i told her i was hungry. She told me to think about that the next time i decided to run away. I am not sure if she knew that my aunt hadnt fed me all day, or that i had already been punished for my misbehavior, but the next day was the same routine. Face the corner, dont move, now go up stairs and wait for the spanking. By Sunday night, the pangs of hunger outweighed any fear of my mother spanking me. I layed down and went to sleep. I was awaken late that evening with a belt spanking and a turkey sandwich.
