When something odd happens to you as a young boy, you never really forget that oddity.
After moving to Phoenix, Arizona without much notice from my mom, I think I became more aware of what was going on around me, even at my young age. And I did question my mom many times about how grandma and grandpa were doing. I had a feeling that something wasn’t right. While she always reassured me that everything was okay, I felt like there was something about our situation that was being hidden from me.
And then something happened at school.
The day seemed normal. But then I was called to the principal’s office. This was the first time this had ever happened to me, and I really didn’t know why. I began to wonder if I had done something wrong. When I got to the principal’s office there was a man and a woman dressed in nice clothes sitting with the principal. I was instructed to sit down in the empty chair between them. The principal said that these people had some questions that they would like to ask me. The man and the woman looked at me strangely, but with smiles.
The principal left the room, and it was just the man, the woman, and me.
I was a nine-year-old boy when this happened. And this event happened after the Spring Break holiday and before the Memorial Day holiday in nineteen sixty-five. I remember being scared because my mom wasn’t there. I guess back then having your mom or any parent present when being asked questions by strangers wasn’t a thing. Today this would not be allowed to happen.
So, they began to ask me questions like where I lived. Did I have my own room? What food did I eat, and did I like it? Who was my mom’s boyfriend? Was I happy and did I get to go outside and play? Did I have any friends? The questions just kept coming and I didn’t know why. And they wrote down my answers on paper sheets in a folder they had. And the questions were all about home, and my mom, and her boyfriend. I didn’t understand why I was being asked all these questions and what my answers meant to them.
I don’t remember how long the questions lasted, but it seemed like a long time. Finally, I got to go back to my classroom and the day continued.
And this incident did bother me because I thought I was in trouble, that maybe I was a bad boy even though I felt like I was finally adjusting to this new place, and I had friends.
After school I went home and told my mom what had happened at school and she seemed to become very angry, but not with me. I got my after-school snack and then went to my room to play and do my homework. I knew that later I could go outside and play with my friend when he finished his homework.
That night I heard my mom talking to her boyfriend about what I told her. And she was still angry.
The next day my mom went with me to school. She said she had a meeting with the principal to go to after she walked me to class. She was still not happy with what I told her about the people asking me questions. She then went to the principal’s office.
After this day things would begin to change. At home I would hear angry calls being made on the phone. I don’t know who she was talking to, but the language was not nice. And other calls were being made asking questions about working and where to stay. This also scared me. I shared this with my friend, and I think he shared it with his mom and dad.
That night my friend came over to play, and his parents were in the living room with my mom and her boyfriend. They were talking about what had happened to me at school and what they were going to do. I could hear most of what was being said since the walls didn’t hide anything.
In a very short period of time, we were packing our things. I don’t recall school being over for the year, but we were moving again. And quickly. And me and my friend were crying about me moving away. His parents said if we need anything just let them know. They would help us.
Once the car was packed, and goodbyes were said, we pulled away from where the car was always parked and began our drive. I think as a young boy I was once again faced with why this was happening. Just when I was feeling happy, we were now heading back into the unknown. Was this happening because I was a bad boy? Did I do something wrong at school? My thoughts drifted and I looked out the window.
Where to now I wondered…
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