Free as a Bird by Gina McMurchy-Barber

Here, let me help you.” Then he tore my present open an threw my shiny paper on the floor.
    I dint bite no more, that’s cause I hardly ever got mad. But when Morris tore my paper an throwed it on the floor I sure hadda feelin I wanted to bite him. But I dint — nope, jus had a big feelin bout it.
    The box on my lap had a picture of shoes. I thought it was sure nice to have new shoes. But then I opened the box an there was no shoes inside — nope, no shoes a’tall. Instead there was other things — like a mirror, a hairbrush, a toothbrush, an a new tube of toothpaste all for me, an a liddle bag to hold all those things. There was some coloured paper an pens too an a box of candy.
    At the bottom was two more small presents wrapped in priddy paper. I took the paper off the first one quick an put it on my lap so’s Morris couldn’t rip it. Inside was lots an lots of things for my hair, like clips, an ribbons, an hair bands — a pink one, a blue one with bows, an two white ones. None as priddy as the one Grace gave me, but I was happy cause they was mine for keeps.
    I opened the second present. It was a picture of all us Ward 33 kids — yup, it had me an Susan an Norval an the others too. I membered that day — the day we were all smilin for the camera. It was summer an there was a big celebration. We all got to eat hamburgers an cake an wish Canada a happy birthday. I membered that day, cause we was happy.
    I never had a party jus for me before — a party with presents an laughin. My face felt awful warm, jus like my insides. I only wished Grace an Gramma could’ve been there to see me so happy — an I dunno why, but I wished Millie was there too.
    Priddy soon it was time to hug my friends goodbye. Shirley wasn’t happy that I was goin. She said, “Poor Ruby Jean. She’s going away, going away like Paulina.” But then she got happy when I gave her one of my white hair bands.
    At last I said goodbye to Susan. I looked in her eyes an could tell she looked happy for me. I hoped she would get oudda Woodlands one day too … maybe come live with me and the Williamses. I opened my shoebox an handed her my pink hair band — that’s cause it was the priddiest. She laughed when Bernice put it on her head.
    â€œWell, it’s time to go, luv,” said Mrs. Gentry.
    As we walked long that hall with the polished green floor an matching walls, Mrs. Gentry held my hand. It was a good thing too cause I was feelin nervous an a liddle wobbly on my feet. Some of em kids patted me as I walked away. I had a last look inside the rooms with the barred windows and meddal beds. Funny thing bout that … I could see myself in em rooms an I was eight again.
    I turned an waved to everyone down at the day room. Just when I was bout to go through that locked meddal door for the last time I saw Millie. I waved, but she dint wave back — nope, just watched me leave.
    As we walked down the echo stairs I membered the first time I came up em. I was holdin Mom’s hand — she scolded me for makin so much noise an said, “Stop it, Ruby Jean. Just stop it.” Now, after a long long time, there I was all growed up, holdin hands with my friend, Mrs. Gentry, and goin back down em for the last time.
    As we drove down the road I had a strange feelin inside of me. Somehow the place dint look so bad from the inside of a car — a car that was leavin. When we drove passed the big stone-an-meddal gate I looked back an watched as everythin got smaller an smaller. It weren’t till Mrs. Gentry handed me a tissue that I found out I had tears runnin down my face. Dint knowed why — cause I sure was awful happy.

    Drivin in a car was like bein a balloon — I felt all light an bouncy as I watched all em trucks an cars an buses an bikes goin this way an that. An passin by so many buildins too — there was some big an some small, an some was department