In Our Words Canadians Reading Together

Not the Only Child

AILEEN STATES

This story is about a little girl by the name Betty Boo. Now Betty was a very strong and out going person who always wanted the best for everyone. One day as she was out playing she found an old box inside it was old letters and pictures. So she looked around to find a cozy spot to sat and go through the box. When she open the box and looked inside she found some pictures and she looked at them one at a time very closely.

There were pictures of three girls and one boy also the letters were from the mother of the four children. Little Betty she could read and write so she understood what was wrote in the letter. But her eyes started to fill with water as she wipes them and keeps on reading. The mother talks about the four children. It seems she was a single mother who got pregnant very young.

She had her first two children at the young age of sixteen one boy and a girl set of twins. Their names were Brandon and Breanda. They were eight months old when she found out she was pregnant again lord and behold she had two at the age of seventeen. This time two girls. Their names were Chelsey and Kelsey. So this made Betty Boo very curious and she wanted to know more about this woman. The next letter she read talks more about the mom.

She had no education because she had to stay home to try and raise her children and with no help she didn’t succeed. The children were taking away to never see her again. Betty kept reading more of the letters to get a name or something. The letters were always signed Love Mom. So Betty kept this box sometime, she’s now twelve years old. The people that live next door were planting flowers and her best friend was there so she asks if she could come out to play.