Chapter 1
I’m Nathan. I’m eight. I live with my mom and dad in a village. There’s no school around, so Mommy teaches me at home. Mommy says it’s not worth it driving me to school. I’m sorry that I’ve got no friends here.
Mommy’s ill so she can’t work. She stays with me all day long. She takes vitamins so she won’t have nightmares. Daddy says there are ghosts in our attic and Mommy’s scared of them. He told me to never go there.
Daddy works a lot. He drives a big car. I would like to see Daddy’s car someday, but I can’t go outside. Once, I opened the front door for a postman. Daddy was very angry. He beat me with a belt so hard that it hurt when I sat. I cried a lot. Mommy said I mustn’t go out anymore or Daddy will be mad.
I learn with Mommy every day. Sometimes a lady in a suit visits us. She asks my mom what new things I’ve learnt. Mommy always talks me up. She says I’m good at sports and that I can play football, but that’s not true. Every time the lady in a suit visits us, Mommy calls me Tom. It’s my nickname. Mommy and Daddy call me Tom every time we have a visitor. I’m Nathan only when I’m alone with them. I like both my names.
I like to learn geography. I wonder what the world outside looks like. I’d like to visit villages where people speak different languages. Mommy says our village is so small it’s not on the map. For Christmas, I want a lighted globe. Daddy says boys need to do sports so he teaches me how to play football. I’m not too good at it but I try my best. For my dad.
