There was a little girl named Rainy Dais. She was quiet and insecure. She came a racially diverse home that wasn’t stable. Her dad was never there and her mom worked a lot and hung out a lot. They had a sure fire system though whenever her mom went to work or out with friends.  Rainy knew not to touch the phone unless there was a single ring followed by three rings. Then when the phone rang again she could answer it. And by no means was she ever to answer the dooor.

Her days were long because cable was off more than it was on. Same thing with their lights. So she fell in love with books she would get from the library at School. Those books gave her life. They took her places she never thought she would go. They kept her company.

Growing up with honey colored skin and a white mom made Rainy not feel so pretty. When she looked in books she saw her mom and not her. In her little six year old mind that meant she was ugly.

At six, Rainy got herself up each morning and if there was Cereal or pop tarts she would eat before dashing out to catch the bus. She always loved school. It was her safe place. Even though she didn’t have friends and sit to the back of the class, she still loved being there. First of all she wasn’t alone. Second she was around people and she could listen to them talk to see how life was for others.

Seasons changed but not Rainy’s situation. She even felt invisible at school. No one ever invited her to a sleepover or birthday party or even to play at recess. The teacher never said much except for the occasional “tell your mom that you really need a clean top” or ” did anyone help you with your hair today”. There was never a positive meaningful exchange. Being six and invisible was hard but it was easier than being six and alone in the dark at home.

Time went by and it was now May. Not much had happened at school until now. In May there was a new student in Rainy’s class. She would smile and sit next to Rainy every day. After being there a few weeks she started bringing double snacks and sharing them with Rainy. They begin to play at recess and sit together at lunch. This new student didn’t notice the dirty torn clothes, the unclimbed Curley golden hair and how tired Rainy’s little eyes looked. She only saw a friend.

The school year came to an end and Rainy’s moments of happiness packed in a 8-3 day had ended too. Just as abruptly as the summer switching to fall, her joy had left.

The summer brought change for Rainy.  Rainy’s mom had begin staying out more and more. There were days between meals and hearing her mom’s voice. Her mom kept bringing home different people who weren’t good for Rainy. Rainy found comfort in her books. She only had four that she got from school and she had read them over and over a hundred times.

They provided her with an avenue of escape. They gave her the chance to be someone else, somewhere else everyday.

Well time rolled on and Rainy grew up. She never forgot the new girl who saw her the invisible girl when she was six. She often thought of her classmates because it had been years since she had gone to school. Little Rainy Dais had to skip her childhood along with school because of life.

To be continue…..