Part One: Chapter 1
"You got some pretty hair." A little dark skinned boy said pulling Madison's hair.
Everyday she came to school the kids poked and prodded at her. Madison Whitmore at 9 years old was constantly being bullied for being lighter than the other children; having greenish hazel almond shaped eyes; the perfect eyelashes; and long curly hair that only took a little bit of water and grease to brush.
"Stop touching my hair. I hate when you do that." She screamed swiping his hand away from her.
"Madison you are so pretty." He kept saying.
"She so pretty, but look at her mom and dad. They black as you John boy." another little boy smirked. "I bet those ain't even her real parents." The boy fell to the floor laughing.
Madison was tired of hearing how pretty she is because of her hair, and that her parents were not really hers. She wasn't the only child with dark skinned parents. Madison always thought that if they were not her parents, they would have told her by now. Last year she use to go home crying and her parents reassured her that kids are just mean and there was nothing for her to worry about.
When Madison reached 12 years old she got sick and tired of the jokes and bullying. She figured she was old enough to know the truth and she knew there was not one person in her family that she looked like.
"Mom, I want to know the truth. I think I am old enough now. " Madison said at the dinner table one evening.
Her mother Reagan Whitmore looked at her in awe. She thought to herself that if she told the truth Madison might run away or worse hurt herself. She didn't want to tell her and told her father Tim that she wouldn't.
"Go ahead babe. I think she is old enough to know the truth." He responded.
"I knew it." Madison shouted. "Why would ya'll keep this from me. Ya'll know I look nothing like ya'll."
"Look dear, " started."Your mother gave you up because she couldn't afford to keep you. She loved you with all her heart but I promised I would love you with all my heart too. I promised to protect you also, and looks like I'm not doing a great job. I'm so sorry."
"No, mom you are doing a good job. It's just that being adopted and not knowing it, but it seemed like everyone else knew but me." Madison started."I knew I looked different but you treat me better than any child I know. "
"Madison, I will go talk to the school again. I am so sorry we waited so long. I just wanted to make sure you were mature enough for us to bring this all out."
"I have been asking for a while and you denied me." Madison got up and stormed to her room.
Reagan knew she was hurting at the moment so she let her go so she could calm down.
"I'll go up and talk to her in a little bit." She sighed.
"Babe, let me do it." Tim said. "We have this bond."
After silently eating dinner Tim decided it was time. He didn't want her to go bed angry. He walked up the stairs and heard her weeping. He hated when she cried. One thing he never wanted for his child was to be hurt and especially not by them. He knocked on the door twice and she didn't answer. So, he tried to open the door but he could tell she had a chair up against it.
"Honey, let me in. I want to talk to you!" He said.
"Dad go away. " She yelled. Madison didn't try to get up or even budge. She lay with her head in her pillow sobbing.
How could they expect her to calm down when she just found out what she had been dreading the last few years. All the torture and bullying she went through only to find out it was true. Madison took out a pen and a paper and started to journal She didn't know where she was going to begin but she knew she was feeling all over the place and needed to write it down. Ever since she was 9 she wrote in a journal. Her mother had encouraged her to because that was something that had helped her get through tough times.
Madison sat up in her bed with her leg crossed and put her pen to the paper.
" I don't know why mom and dad act like I shouldn't be mad. How would anyone feel after years of being tortured by other children about the way your hair, skin, and eyes are different than that of EVERYONE in your whole family. I love my parents but I feel like the truth should have been out a long time ago. I forgive them. I have to or else mother says I will go to hell. Not for this specifically but she has told me over the years that I shouldn't hate the kids that do it or I could go to hell and I don't want to go there. I'm just hurting so bad right now. I will talk to them just not right now. My dad always slept on things when he was uneasy about it so I am going to do the same."
Madison put the pad and the paper away and crawled up under the sheets. She had been a thumb sucker since she was a baby. That, besides writing was the most soothing feeling in the world.
So, that was how it all came about. At 12 years old, someone who felt whole for a while all of sudden became insecure. This would be just the beginning of a lifetime of heartache pain and struggle for a beautiful young girl who had high hopes.
