Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Kate
My name is Kate Brooks. I was born on December 29, 1960, in Mississippi. I was born with cerebral palsy, and my biological parents left me with my Uncle Randy and Aunt Celine. I call my uncle and aunt “dad” and “mom”. I have a cousin named Shawn whom I love like a brother. I went to a special school for a short time, and then I attended a public school. However, I did not have many friends, as I was not as beautiful as my mother. My dad was a lawyer, so he was not home that much.
As a child, I was often teased and called names by other kids, but I didn’t let it discourage me from pursuing my passion for drawing. Although I wasn’t particularly talented at it, I found great joy in creating pictures. When I was in the third grade, my dad got a job in England, and I was apprehensive about the move. My mom tried to reassure me that I would eventually adjust to living in a new country and make many friends, but I was still quite nervous.
After we relocated to England, I struggled to make any friends. The teachers at my new school were unkind and unsympathetic. They didn’t seem to comprehend my situation and every day I would return home feeling upset. My younger brother Shawn also faced similar challenges in his new school. He was very popular in our previous school, but here he couldn’t make any friends.
One day, while I was having lunch, I noticed a boy looking at me. He introduced himself as James Peterson and apologized for staring. I introduced myself and my brother Shawn to James. When James asked if he could sit with us, I said yes. Even though my brother didn’t seem to like James, I thought he was just trying to protect me from getting hurt. I fell in love with James at first sight, and we quickly became close friends.
I also became friends with James’ sister, Lisa. I happily shared the news with my parents that I had made two new friends, and they were pleased to hear it. Shawn also started making friends. My dad allowed me to go to the movies with James, and I was allowed to visit him. James’ parents were very kind people, and I had the chance to meet his cousins John Peterson and Rose Peterson. John didn’t speak to me much, but Rose and I hit it off and became friends.
We had been living in England for a year when dad announced that we were moving back to Mississippi. Disappointment washed over me, and James and I agreed to write to each other.
When I moved back to Mississippi, I made a new friend named Sara Black who lived next door to us. Sara was born deaf, so we had a hard time communicating. However, we wrote notes to each other to overcome the communication barrier. We avoided writing notes to each other during class because we didn’t want to get in trouble. We both are a part of the art club at school. Sara has to attend a school for the deaf and only comes home on weekends. During this time, I wrote to James every day.
The school year was nearly over, and I was eagerly anticipating two summer camps that I’d be attending. Recently, the art club had a field trip to an art museum, which was a completely new experience for me. I thoroughly enjoyed looking at the paintings and taking in the artwork. After the museum visit, we went to the bookstore, where I ended up getting two new books to read.
During weekends, I worked part-time at my mom’s bookstore while riding my bike to school. I saved the money I earned.
