SETTLING IN AT THE HOME

BY NOW THE ARRIVAL AND THE FIRST DAY AT THE CHILDREN'S HOME WAS COMING TO AN END. MY NATURAL CURIOUSITY WON OUT AND I DECIDED TO EXPLORE AND FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MY NEW HOME. MY ROOMATE'S NAME WAS PATTY AND SHE WAS A SWEET GIRL, AND TOLD ME THAT AS SOON AS THE OTHER GIRLS GOT TO KNOW ME, I WOULD FIT IN JUST FINE. I WASN'T SURE IF SHE WAS RIGHT, BUT THAT IS WHAT I WAS HOPING FOR. THE COTTAGE HAD A LONG HALL WITH SEVERAL ROOMS ON EITHER SIDE, AND AT THE END, THERE WAS A LAUNDRY ROOM TO THE RIGHT AND THE KITCHEN AND DINING ROOM TO THE LEFT. THE LIVING ROOM AND DEN WERE AT THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE, AND HAD CHAIRS, SOFAS AND A TV. IT WAS A NICE COTTAGE AND VERY WELL KEPT AND MAINTAINED. I LEFT MY ROOM AND WALKED DOWN THE HALL TOWARDS THE LIVING ROOM. THERE WERE SEVERAL GIRLS WATCHING TV, AND I SAT DOWN WITHOUT SPEAKING. SOME OF THE GIRLS TURNED TO LOOK AT ME, AND I KNEW RIGHT THEN THAT MY WORK WAS CUT OUT FOR ME. THERE SEEMED TO BE AN "ALPHA" SYSTEM WITHIN THE RELATIONSHIPS OF THE GIRLS. RIGHT AWAY, I RECOGNIZED THE "ALPHA DOG", AN OLDER GIRL WHO WAS THE CENTER OF THE GROUP. SHE HAD LONG DARK HAIR, LOTS OF MAKE-UP AND VERY BIG BREASTS. HER NAME WAS FRANKIE. SHE WAS HOLDING COURT IT SEEMED, BECAUSE THE OTHER GIRLS WERE CLUSTERED AROUND HER HANGING ONTO HER EVERY WORD. WHEN SHE ORDERED ONE TO GET HER A DRINK OR TURN UP THE TV, THE JUMPED RIGHT TO IT. I SAT ON THE EDGE OF THE ROOM, TRYING NOT TO BRING ATTENTION TO MYSELF. MY ROOMATE SPOKE UP AND GOT EVERYONE'S ATTENTION. "Y'ALL LOOK HERE. THIS HERE IS JODIE. SHE'S NEW HERE AND SHE'S MY ROOMATE. Y'ALL SAY HELLO". TO MY SURPRISE, EVERYONE DID. I SMILED IN PLEASURE, AND RETURNED THE GREETING. NOW I WAS ENUNDATED WITH QUESTIONS SUCH AS WHERE WAS I FROM? WAS I AN ORPHAN? WHY WAS I THERE? DID I HAVE ANY OTHER FAMILY THERE? I ANSWERED WITH HONESTY, I DIDN'T FEEL THAT I HAD ANYTHING TO HIDE. SOON, I BEGAN TO RELAX AND FELT MORE AT EASE. FRANKIE LOOKED AT ME AND GAVE A CLEAR MESSAGE WITH HER EYES. "DON'T GET IN MY WAY" WAS COMMUNICATED STRONGLY. SHE HAD NO WORRIES, I WAS AFRAID OF HER RIGHT AWAY, AND WOULD STAY AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE.
THE ONE THING I DID NOT COMPREHEND, WAS THAT SINCE I WAS LARGER THAN ANY OF THE OTHER GIRLS, AND EVEN THE MATRON, I HAD AN ADVANTAGE. I DIDN'T KNOW IT, BUT MY SIZE WAS INTIMIDATING. I WAS 5'10 AND WEIGHED JUST OVER 200 LBS BUT, I WAS A GENTLE SOUL, AND SHIED AWAY FROM CONFLICT. I DIDN'T WANT ANY TROUBLE, AND I WAS GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT DIDN'T FIND ME EITHER.
THE DINNER BELL RANG. THE GIRLS GOT UP TO GO INTO THE DINING ROOM, AND THEN I MET SOME OF THEM THAT HAD NOT BEEN PRESENT BEFORE. I LEARNED THAT ALL OF US WOULD TAKE TURNS IN THE KITCHEN, COOKING AND CLEANING, AND THAT IS WHAT THEY WERE DOING WHEN I ARRIVED. THE DINING ROOM TABLE WAS LONG AND HAD PLENTY OF ROOM FOR EVERYONE. WHEN SEATED, THERE WERE 16 AT THE TABLE. THE MATRON SAT AT THE END, AND THE GIRLS AT THE SIDES, BUT THERE WAS AN EMPTY SEAT AT THE OTHER END. PATTY EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS FOR THE OTHER MATRON. "OH GOSH" I THOUGHT. "ANOTHER MATRON? WAS SHE LIKE THIS ONE?" I WAS ALREADY AFRAID OF THE MATRON THAT WAS PRESENT AND I GLANCED AT HER. THE LIP WAS STILL GOING IN AND OUT. I WONDERED IF I HAD MORE TO FEAR FROM THE ABSENT MATRON. I LEARNED THAT IT WAS HER DAY OFF, AND SHE WOULD BE BACK THE NEXT DAY. WE WERE TOLD TO BE SEATED, AND I TOOK A SPOT NEXT TO PATTY. FRANKIE SAT NEAR THE EMPTY MATRON CHAIR, AND I WAS GLAD THAT SHE WAS NOT NEAR ME. FRANKIE HAD A LITTLE SISTER NAMED PENNY WHO WAS VERY THIN AND SMALL FOR HER AGE. SHE WAS ABOUT 6 YEARS OLD AND HAD RED HAIR. I THOUGHT SHE WAS SO CUTE, BUT SHE WAS NOT TOO FRIENDLY TO ME. THERE WAS ANOTHER GIRL NAMED SYBIL, AND SHE WAS VERY OUTGOING. SHE WAS LOVELY TOO AND POPULAR WITH EVERYONE. ANOTHER OLDER GIRL WAS NAMED LETICIA. SHE AND FRANKIE SEEMED TO BE FRIENDS, AND I WONDERED IF I SHOULD STEER CLEAR OF HER AS WELL. PATTY'S FRIENDS SAT NEAR US, AND SEEMED TO WANT TO MAKE ME WELCOME. AS I SAT DOWN, I STARTED TO SAY SOMETHING AND PATTY HISSED AT ME TO BE QUIET. I SHUT RIGHT UP, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHY. THE MATRON BOWED HER HEAD AND EVERYONE FOLLOWED. I COPIED THE EXAMPLE AND FOLDED MY HANDS AS WELL. THEN, SHE BEGAN TO PRAY. SHE PRAYED FOR THE FOOD, THE WEATHER, THE ECONOMY, THE CHILDREN'S HOME, THE WILD KIDS OF THE DAY AND ON AND ON. I SWEAR, I THOUGHT I WAS STUCK IN CHURCH! FINALLY, SHE BOOMED, "AMEN"! AND SAID, "PASS THE POTATOES!" THE TABLE WAS LADEN WITH FOOD. I WAS SO AMAZED AT THE AMOUNT, AND FOR A MOMENT, DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, OR WHEN IT WAS MY TURN TO HAVE SOME. I CANNOT REMEMBER THE EXACT MENU THAT DAY, BUT I CAME TO LEARN THAT FOR THE MATRON, EVERY DAY WAS POTATO DAY. I DO KNOW THAT THERE WAS A FRIED MEAT DISH, VEGETABLES, HOMEMADE BREAD, MILK AND DESSERT. I WAS SO EXCITED TO HAVE SO MUCH TO CHOOSE FROM AND LOADED MY PLATE. PATTY LEANED OVER AND WHISPERED TO ME, "BE CAREFUL. YOU HAVE TO EAT EVERYTHING ON YOUR PLATE!" IT WAS A GOOD THING THAT THAT PARTICULAR MEAL WENT DOWN WELL, BECAUSE I SOON CAME TO LEARN IN THE DAYS THAT FOLLOWED THAT THE COUNTRY COOKING SERVED WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT I WAS USED TO. I THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD BE SERVED SOMETHING LIKE THIN SOUP OR GRUEL, SUCH AS I HAD LEARNED ABOUT WHEN HEARING OF ORPHANAGES. I DIDN'T KNOW THE BOUNTY THAT WOULD BE OFFERED ME. THE MATRON INTRODUCED ME TO THE GIRLS AGAIN AND WE SETTLED IN TO HAVE OUR SUPPER. WE HAD TO WAIT UNTIL EVERYONE WAS FINISHED BEFORE WE COULD GET UP, AND THEN WE HAD TO CHECK A CHART TO SEE WHO WAS ON CLEANUP DUTY. I DIDN'T HAVE ANY CHORES FOR THE FIRST DAY, BUT FRANKIE TOLD ME THAT I WOULD HAVE PLENTY TO DO FROM THEN ON. SHE SNICKERED AND WALKED ON. I WENT BACK TO MY ROOM AND PUT MY FEW THINGS IN THE LITTLE DRESSER THAT WAS ASSIGNED TO ME. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO THEN, BED TIME WAS A WAYS OFF AND SO I JUST SAT ON MY BED AND LOOKED AROUND. BEFORE LONG, SYBIL POKED HER HEAD IN THE DOOR AND SMILED AT ME. "HEY, DO YOU WANT TO GO TO THE MAIN KITCHEN AND GET SOME ICE CREAM?" SHE ASKED. SHE AND SOME OF THE GIRLS WERE GOING TO THE MAIN CAMPUS KITCHEN WHERE THEY HAD A HUGE FREEZER. SHE KNEW ONE OF THE OLDER BOYS THAT WORKED THERE AND SHE SAID SHE WOULD GET US ALL SOME ICE CREAM.
I CLEARLY REMEMBER THAT WALK WITH THE GIRLS. IT WAS A HOT EVENING, AND BEING OUT IN THE COUNTRY, I COULD HEAR CRICKETS AND OTHER INSECTS CHIRPING AND BUZZING. THE SUN WAS SOON TO SET, AND RED STREAKS DECORATED THE EVENING SKY. A FRESH BREEZE WAFTED BY AND THE GIRLS CHATTED AND LAUGHED AS I WALKED ALONG IN SILENCE. FRANKIE AND HER CROWD DID NOT JOIN US AND FELT RELIEVED. PATTY STAYED CLOSE AND MADE ME FEEL SO COMFORTED. I KNEW THEN THAT I WOULD BE OKAY IN THAT CHILDREN'S HOME. I JUST KNEW IT. THE ICE CREAM TURNED OUT TO BE FRUIT ICES IN LITTLE CUPS, BUT WE ALL GOT ONE AND WITH SHINY WHITE PLASTIC SPOONS, LICKED AND SLURPED AWAY. SYBIL WAS KEEPING COMPANY WITH HER FRIEND AND THE SKY WAS CONTINUING TO DARKEN. FINALLY SOMEONE SAID THAT WE SHOULD BE GETTING BACK AS IT WAS GETTING CLOSE TO LIGHTS OUT AND WE DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE THE MATRON ANY AMMUNITION. WE AMBLED BACK TO THE COTTAGE AND EACH OF US WENT TO OUR ROOMS. PATTY AND I WENT TO OUR ROOM AND I GOT INTO MY PAJAMAS. I LAY IN MY BED UNDER THE WINDOW AND ON TOP OF THE SHEETS. THERE WAS NO AIRCONDITIONING, SO I LEFT THE WINDOW OPEN FOR A BREEZE. THE CRICKETS CONTINUED TO CHIRP AND THE BALMY AIR EMBRACED MY SKIN AS I SAID MY PRAYERS. I PRAYED FOR MOTHER, FOR KENNY AND FOR GEORGE. I WONDERED IF KENNY AND GEORGE WERE OKAY AND IF THEY HAD SETTLED IN AS WELL AS I HAD. I PRAYED FOR GRANDMA AND FOR DAD. I ASKED GOD TO HELP ME TO BE GOOD SO THAT I WOULD NOT GET INTO ANY TROUBLE. I DRIFTED OFF TO SLEEP WHILE PRAYING THAT NIGHT, FINALLY SETTLING INTO MY NEW HOME. TOMORROW, I WILL TELL YOU MORE OF MY LIFE IN THE GEORGIA BAPTIST CHILDREN'S HOME.