And No One Stopped Them | Part 17
The Best Way To Hide My Shame and Embarrassment
A stoned, messed-up foster kid opens up a whole new world to me
When I reached the age of 13, I began developing quite an attitude. At home, I mouthed off plenty. At school, I was always in trouble for talking and I’d become the class clown.
My jokes and saucy attitude were the perfect cover for my shame, guilt and humiliation. I prayed no one would see how defective I was or how embarrassingly nuts my family was.
No longer appearing to be a timid little mouse at school, I’d begun to make a few friends, not that I dared bring them home. Except for Patty.
Another social outcast, she understood how it was to be on the outside looking in. She was aware of some of my “after school” issues with my father and Paul but she liked me anyway and would never tell anyone my Family Secrets.
After school one day, Patty and I were in my room, which I’d inherited from Paul — complete with his chain lock — when he’d built a bedroom for himself in the basement.
I heard him coming in the back door.
“Uh-oh, he’s gonna see your shoes,” I said as I walked across the room and put the chain…
