Beautiful Child by Torey Hayden

Author:Torey Hayden [Torey Hayden]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780007370818
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Chapter Twenty

The next day, Wanda came struggling up the stairs to the classroom, Venus trailing behind.

“Her come to school,” Wanda said as I met them at the door to the room. “Beautiful child come to school today.”

“Yes, that’s right. Thank you for bringing her, Wanda.”

“Beautiful child go to school.”

“Yes, thank you, Wanda. You brought Venus to school today, didn’t you?”

She twisted her hands and gave a shrug. “Beautiful child go to school.”

“Yes.”

Shabbily dressed in a tentlike garment and heavy tweed man’s overcoat, Wanda stared at me in an almost beseeching manner. I noticed she had no gloves on, despite the cold weather, and no hat or muffler. She twisted her hands again.

It occurred to me that perhaps she was saying in her own way that she, too, wanted to come to school. What was being done for Wanda? I wondered. Anything? Did she wander aimlessly, her days empty? Except perhaps for Danny. At that unsavory thought, I made a mental note to talk to Bob about her. In the meantime, I took notice of her hands, still twisting.

“Your hands would feel warmer with gloves or mittens on, Wanda,” I said. “Do you have a pair?”

“Beautiful child go to school.”

“Yes, that’s right. But do you have a pair of gloves at home, Wanda? This is the weather to put them on.”

Wanda stared at me.

“I can try to find you some in the donation box, if you want. Shall we do that? Before you walk home? Shall we go down and see if there are any gloves for you?”

Only Jesse had arrived, and he was busy putting a puzzle together. I guided Venus over to her desk and then took Wanda downstairs to the office.

“Who’s at home now, Wanda?” I asked. “Is Danny there?”

“Wanda go home,” she replied.

“You’re going home? After bringing Venus to school?” I was uncertain what she meant. “Is Danny there?”

“Don’t like Danny,” she muttered.

“Why is that?”

We were in the back office. I’d taken down the box of donated clothing that was kept on top of the cupboard and began to sort through it for gloves of a size that would fit Wanda. I couldn’t find a matching pair.

“Don’t like Danny. Danny says ‘Sleep in the bathroom.’”

“Sleep in the bathroom?” I asked, looking up. “Who does he say that to? You? Do you sleep in the bathroom?”

“Beautiful child.”

“Venus?”

“Cold. Cold hands.” She put her hands up against her ears. “Makes cold. Don’t like Danny. Don’t want to go home.”

“I see.” I didn’t see. I wasn’t sure what Wanda was talking about except that it wasn’t good, that someone – she or Venus or maybe both of them – was being mistreated. “I’ll see what I can do. Okay? Perhaps you can stay here for a little while.”

Wanda’s eyes grew wide. “No. No go to school.”

“No, I know you don’t go to school here. But if you want to stay here a little while instead of going home, I’m sure it would be all right.”

“No!” She seemed quite alarmed at this and backed off.

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