Ma'Am

The Webb’s my second Mommy and Daddy of the year ; It’s only June Mr. Carver, the social worker rambles on as we pull into the driveway My five year old eyes open wide as I see the giant mansion dotted with children Ten new brothers and sisters, painfully shy, fear elevated to a joyful want of family Sunday dinner, introductions: Mr. Webb a Fuller Brush salesman , meek and gentle Mrs. Webb a stay at home Mom, a beautiful woman : with wicked sky blue eyes Alice the oldest of us all, looked up to by her younger siblings ,the Rock of the kids Virginia, frail , the twins Joe and Jim, rambunctious, Bobby, the loner, Millie,deaf I would learn sign language. Rebecca, shy as me, William, Mom’s favorite. Dotty The humorous one. George six month older than me, soon to be my closest brother I slept well that night Good morning, Harry I’m going to work I’ll be back Friday night, a chorus of Goodbyes The nightmare begins : Harry you will call me Ma’am you snotty nosed little bastard Alice, Joe, fill the bath tub this filthy little boy must be cleansed .Ma’am he’s only five Don’t sass me ***** with a slap across the face Alice fell to the floor. The tub filled The chlorine made my eyes water,tears rolled down my cheeks. Are YOU Crying? If your going to live in this house YOU will be a man now scrub your genitals, did you Hear me? Mom; several slaps to the head ,YOU WILL call me Ma’am, now scrub With tears flooding my cheeks, Ma’am I don’t know what genitals are, the bleach burning Ma’am beating me with a Fuller Brush scrub brush dry yourself, go upstairs get dressed As I limped by the girl’s room I saw Millie, Ginny straped to their beds I started to help Alice gently pulled me back : Don’t help them Harry Ma’am will beat you: but, but Why The atrocities I saw that week scarred me for life Thank God, Mr. Webb came home early Tuesday morning Ma’am in a straitjacket being put in a Police cruiser. All the children : Heading to new Foster Homes : We kept in touch Inspired by Deborah Guzzi”s Contest : Something wicked this way comes