She could’ve been homeless. Even at that age I could sense she was bat-shit crazy and the best thing to do was to maintain eye contact and continue nodding to whatever she said.
She eventually dozed off on the bench. I pretended to. Minutes later I rummaged through her purse and found two dollars.
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Arrangements had been made and so whenever school let out I’d be the only student left behind in Mrs.Forbes’s class until my mom came to pick me up. One day Mrs.Forbes told me a woman had come for me. It wasn’t my mom.
I told Mrs.Forbes that the lady must be mistaken-my mom had said nothing about someone else picking me up. With a look of concern Mrs.Forbes then told me there was no mistake-the woman had asked for me specifically…as though she knew everything about me.
Eventually a call was made.
My mother had not sent anyone.
Later my sister said; “They tried to get you.”
JUSTE 