Free as a Bird by Gina McMurchy-Barber Page A

stores with people goin in an out, an some was jus liddle places with only one or two inside. When we drove cross a bridge I saw the river below — there was a tiny liddle boat draggin a big box filled to the top — wondered how somethin so small could be so strong. Soon we was passin lotsa houses an grassy places where liddle kids ran an played. Even if everythin looked new an different, I knowed I’d seen it all before.
    â€œHere we are, Ruby Jean. This is the Williamses’ place and your new home.” Mrs. Gentry drove her car up in front of a white-an-green house an stopped. I dunno why but all of a sudden I had the jitters an started twistin an scratchin my hands.
    â€œNow, Ruby Jean, we’ve talked about this. You don’t need to be afraid. These people are wonderful and they’re looking forward to meeting you. Please don’t scratch yourself. Everything will be okay — you’ll see.” Mrs. Gentry was awful good to me an I knowed I could trust her. So I tried real hard not to scratch my hands. “Okay, ready? Let’s go meet your new friends.”
    We went up to the front door an Mrs. Gentry let me push the button. I was surprised to hear a bing-bong sound comin from inside the house. When the door opened I saw my new friends for the first time. I can’t esplain it on account of me not bein so smart, but the second I looked at em I knowed everythin was gunna be okay.
    Mr. an Mrs. Williams said I should call em Nan an Pops. I dint call em that cause I dint talk, but I wanted to. Then Nan told me to follow her down the hall.
    â€œHere’s your bedroom, Ruby Jean,” Nan said. “We did our best to make it beautiful. Do you like it?”
    I dint member seein walls that weren’t green, or windows without meddal bars. In that room — the room Nan said was mine — the walls were yellow with tiny flowers an the window had fluffy white curtains. An the bed — instead of brown meddal an a mattress covered in plastic with green sheets — it was white an big an soft an had a frilly skirt that looked like it was sposed to be for a princess. There was a big pink chair with pillows, drawers with shiny handles, an pictures on the walls of horses an flowers. Suddenly, I was one of those happy ladies on The Price Is Right that won the big prize an I felt full of bubbles an Jell-O. There was a rumble inside me an I laughed — yup, I laughed out loud. Nearly scared myself. That’s cause I dint knowed I could laugh like that.
    The day Mom an Harold left me at Woodlands was the saddest day of my life — yup, saddest day of all. But that day … the day I stood in my new room … in my beaudiful new house … with my new family — that was the happiest. Yup, cause I was finally home.

chapter 7

    The first night in my new home I couldn’t sleep — nope, not a wink. In the corner of my room was a small light that made everythin orangey — Nan an Pops put it there cause Mrs. Gentry told em I dint like the dark.
    â€œThere are things that make Ruby Jean nervous, like being in the dark, the sound of ambulances and crowded places,” she told em. “Try to keep these things in mind as you help her to adjust to her life outside the institution.”
    But even though I had a night light an was awful tired, I still couldn’t sleep. I dint know why till I figured it out — it was cause it was way too quiet in my room. Yup, I was used to lotsa noises … like voices down in the office … an the buzz of the big lights in the hall … an the clink of meddal locks an doors. An I was used to sleepin sounds from the kids in the beds nex to me — sleeptalkin, snorin, cryin. I layed there in my new bed, wishin I could sleep. But wasn’t no use — jus too quiet.
    After lots of nights like that I started to nap in the day while Nan banged round the kitchen … or vacuumed the house … or