Free as a Bird by Gina McMurchy-Barber Read Free Book Online Page A

myself.
    â€œWould you like to make some tea now, Ruby Jean? I bet you’ll find that easy to learn since you’re so smart.”
    Suddenly, my face got all hot. I sure liked Grace — yup, a awful lot. But it weren’t right for her to say I was smart. The uniforms, Mom, Harold, everybody — they all knowed I had to live at Woodlands on account of me not bein so smart. Like Morris said, “No smarter than your average mutt.”
    After me an Grace made tea we sat at the kitchen table to drink it. I wished I could’ve told her we needed more toast to go with the tea.
    â€œIsn’t this nice?” Grace asked. “Sitting here, drinking tea, far from all the noise. It won’t be long, Ruby Jean, and you’ll be ready to leave Woodlands — to live in the community.”
    Grace was doin it again — makin me get confused. Sometimes I dint understand on account of me not bein so smart, but then sometimes it jus weren’t my fault a’tall. Nobody left Woodlands — cept on one of them rollin beds from the amblance. An I sure dint want that to happen. An besides that, if I left where’d I live? With Mom an Harold? I dint think that would be a good idea — I might hit the baby again an make him scream. Nope, I couldn’t live no where cept Woodlands.
    â€œC’mon, Ruby Jean. It’s time for a little adventure. Let’s go get something pretty for your hair.”
    Grace took my cup an put it in the sink. I followed her to the hall an we put on our jackets. Outside the sky was grey an the wind was blowin the trees round. But inside I felt like a sunny day.
    She grabbed my hand an we walked down the hill — farther than I ever went before — toward the big stone-an-meddal gate. When we got there Grace pulled hard an the gate made a screechin noise that hurt my ears. I dint ever member goin outside the stone wall before — cept before Mom an Harold left me at Woodlands. Outside there was cars goin by this way an that — an goin real fast. Suddenly, I got the jitters an began scratchin my hands, but Grace took em in hers an looked me in the eyes.
    â€œIt’s okay, Ruby Jean. You’re safe with me. I promise.”
    We walked for a long time on that road with the loud noises an lotsa cars. One of em cars honked an that made me jump. Grace jus smiled an told me, “It’s okay, Ruby Jean. You’re safe with me.” I wanted Grace to be proud of me so I tried not bein fraid.
    After walkin for a while we got to a buildin with big glass windows an doors. Grace opened the doors — without a key — an we walked inside. I waited for someone to say — get her outta here, staff only. But no one said anything to me — jus stared.
    That sure was a shiny place an there was lots of clothes hangin everywhere. I wondered who they belonged to. Somethin else — all em people walkin round was all strangers — dint see a single retard or uniform anywhere. But after a while I gotta funny feelin from em all lookin at me so much.
    â€œNever mind the Lookie-Loos,” Grace told me. She took my hand an we walked round that busy place lookin at shoes an sweaters an lady underwears. After that she said, “Let’s go to the accessories department now and see about something for your hair.” The accessories department was very shiny too — yup, it had bright lights an mirrors an lotsa priddy things.
    â€œHey, this looks like the perfect thing,” Grace said. “Try it on.” She pushed my hair back with a pink band. It made my hair stay up off my face so I could see bedder. “Take a look in the mirror, Ruby Jean.”
    I looked in the mirror. It was the same old me cept now there was a pink band on my head. I liked how it made me look an stared in that mirror for a long time.
    â€œDon’t you look pretty?” Grace said.
    I had bubbles ticklin my insides so I laughed out loud. Then