Through his eyes
“Jonathan!” Yelled Khaiya. He was in his room at the orphanage he lived at since he was a little baby.
“What what- I am -a- wake,” Jonathan said like he was half asleep.
He woke up with sweat running down his body.He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee and today it was a really hot day.
“It is the day that you go and meet a new family remember, so get dressed all nice.” said Bentley.
He had his nice suit and tie lying down at the end of his bed ready for him to put it on.
“BUT- I DON’T – WANT TO.”
“Come on today could be your day that you finally get the right family.” said Rebecca.
Everybody else already had on their nice clothes ready to meet a nice family who might take them home.
“Oh let him go, he can do it on his own you know that right.” said Phuan.
“Yea -I can -do it on -my own.”
They started to walk out of the room to go to the kitchen when they get halfway down the hall they remember that Jonathan is still in the room. So they all walk back to get Jonathan so that they can walk down to the kitchen.
“Let’s go get some breakfast to start the hopefully memorable day.” Says Jake
“Okay- oh –but what i–i-if-if-I am not- hungry yet?” Jonathan asked.
“That is okay Jonathan I’m not that hungry either.” says Khaiya.
They all went down stairs to the kitchen then they got shooed out by the cook. They were told to go and sit at the dining table. Then when the food came out, they heard an ear-piercing screamed from Mrs. Devers, Jonathan and his roommates could hear it from the kitchen. They heard footsteps and then right in 3 seconds flat Mrs. Devers was down from her room with an excited face.
Bentley asks, “What’s going on Mrs. Devers?”
“I just, said Mrs. Devers trying to catch her breath, I got a call saying that one of you fine children have a living relative.”
“OH, is it me?!” asked Rebecca.
“No, please let it be me!” Emma screamed.
“Calm down everyone now, you didn’t let me finish I was going to tell you who it is. It is Jonathan.”
Everyone looked at Jonathan and started to clap for him and he was looking at them like they were CRAZY!
“What – bu-but- I –don-don’t – want-to hav- have- a- living – rela- relati-relative!” Jonathan screamed at them and ran away.
By the time that he was up and in his bed crying the whole group of orphans were up in his room asking him what is wrong with having a living relative?
“I don’t know -if he or she –wi-wi-will-will- like –me!” Jonathan cried.
“Of course they will like you why wouldn’t he or she?” Asked Emma and Khaiya
“Because everyone who meets me says I act funny around them.”
Jonathan was right all of the foster family’s he had, had before were like, what is wrong with this child on the papers, it said that he has no allergies to anything, why won’t he eat this? But to their dismay, they had never taking Jonathan to the doctors before because he never got sick. And when of the foster family’s tried to take him they ended up taken him half way to the doctor and then turned around went to their house and got his stuff and then went back to the orphanage to drop him off. Now that made the whole group that was up in his room, think how and why did every foster family do that to him?
“Well can you please go and try to live with her for a while?” asked Mrs. Devers.
“Um- sure why- not, said Jonathan, wait -where does -she live- on the- other side of – town or what?”
“Well actually she lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.” whispered Mrs. Devers.
‘‘WHAT- COLORADO, screamed Jonathan, I have to- fl- fly- to Colorado though- and I ha-hate being on- an- air-air-plane-, airplane.”
“I know you hate flying but if you want to meet her then you have to get on to a plane and fly to meet with her.”
“Now this was a hard choice for Jonathan to make he knew he hated planes. Then he thought but if I don’t meet her then I will probably never have a warm home to live in and clothes on my body. That got him thinking again what if she comes and flies over here to Tennessee.” thought Jonathan.
“MRS. DEVERS- I HAVE -AN IDEA!”
“Stop screaming and come down here and tell me your idea.”
“What would happen if she came over to Tennessee to meet me that way I don’t have to fly and I can meet her and then you don’t have to leave the other orphans here alone while you go on the plane ride with me?”
“Well Jonathan to tell you something your grandmother is 78 and I don’t think she will won’t to fly here just to meet you.” Mrs. Devers said.
By now every one of his roommates are thinking how in the world are we going to get him to get on a plane to go all the way to Colorado?
“Mrs. Devers, Jonathan asked, if I got on -the plane to go to -my grandmother’s house how long do -you think it will take to -get there?”
“Um, at least 3.5 hours.” replied Mrs. Devers.
Jonathan is now thinking, “I am going to do this, oh no I am not, but I have to she’s my grandmother, no I am afraid of things that go high in the air, if I don’t then I will never know what my parents were like and I probably won’t have a nice home for a while, I am going to tell Mrs. Devers.”
“Um Mrs. Devers I have my answer for you I have decided that I am going to go to meet my grandmother.”
“Oh yea let me call her back and tell her we will be on the next plane out of Tennessee.”
“Come on Jonathan it is time for you and I to go to the airport to get on our plane to your grandmothers house.”
When they get in the car Jonathan sees all of these big suitcases and he asked Mrs. Devers, “What are -all of these big -suit cases for?”
“Well they are yours they have fun things in them and your clothes for when you are at your grandmothers for the 2 weeks you told me you wanted to be there!”
“What 2 -weeks in- Colorado?!” screamed Jonathan
Now this really ticked Jonathan off he thought he was only staying for a couple of days then flying back to his home town.
“What I- never said -2 weeks!”
“Oh but yes you did I even heard you I said it to me during breakfast the other morning.” Mrs. Devers said calmly.
“Oh now I -remember sorry -for the trouble -I gave you.
Okay now Jonathan had cooled down from that he and Mrs. Devers were on their way to the airport and the airport was at least an hour away. So on the way Jonathan fell asleep and when they got to the airport it was already lunchtime. And from that wonderful nap Jonathan had he was very hungry. He through a hissy fit in front of everyone at the airport. Boy was Mrs. Devers mad at him.
“I hope you are happy young man because you just made a scene in front of everyone in this airport.’’
“NNNOOO I am- not happy I am -hungry really hungry.”
“Well what am I supposed to do about that?”
So now Jonathan has spotted a Burger Sing his favorite place to eat. So he runs over there and cuts to the front and asks for a kid’s meal. All of a sudden someone grabs him and screams at him and puts him in the back of the line. Mrs. Devers comes over and picks up Jonathan and cradles him like a baby and then asks him what he wants and waits for their turn to order. By the time it is their turn to order and they get their food the plane they are on is about to take off it is calling the rest of the boarders to get on. So they have to hurry Mrs. Devers has her food in her hand and Jonathan on her shoulders and the entire luggage behind her in her other hand. They make it just in time to get on the plane. They are the last people on and they have 1st class so it is really nice for them they can relax and watch the TV in front of them.
“AAAAAAAA what is –that on the- TV.” screamed Jonathan. He was looking at the TV; it was a TV show on alligators. This scared Jonathan to death. He hated the alligators scaly skin, there humongous teeth.
“It is only an alligator.” whispered Mrs. Devers. She didn’t want the rest of the 1st class flyers on the plane hear her. Then she confronted him and told him
not to yell. Of course like a little boy he asked why he should not yell on the plane. When she told him that it was a disturbance then he settled down in his seat.
“Mrs. Devers -I have a- question for- you, Jonathan said, is -it-it-it- okay if I- take a nap -on your lap?”
“Um sure why not I mean you will have another 8.5 hours left on this flight.”
Jonathan was scared oh this plane ride but he knew he was doing the best thing for him and the family of orphans back home. But what he didn’t know was anything about his so called grandmother, because he had never meet her or does he even know what she looks like. To a 6 year old little boy this is the biggest adventure of his life.
But to his grandmother it is just an opportunity to meet what her daughter had made with the nuisance of a husband she had. Oh and when I say nuisance I mean he was the rudest person she had ever meet. But she loved him and that there was nothing she could do about it. When her daughter and her husband died she was devastated. All she could think about was how they could have died. Maybe that no-good of a husband crashed the car on purpose just so that me and my daughter never had to meet again. Oh this is my entire fault she thought I should have never let her date. I should have chosen the man my daughter dated and married then none of this would have happened. But no I had to let her be her own person. I could not isolate my own daughter.
By the time that they got to Colorado it was 7:00pm and to Mrs. Devers and Jonathan it was 9:00pm. Colorado is 2 hours behind Tennessee.
“Jonathan wake up the lane has landed I Colorado.” whispered Mrs. Devers.
“What- why- where- am I?!”
“You are on the plane in Colorado, and we need to get off your grandmother must be waiting for us in the lobby of the airport.”
When they got off of the plane and got their luggage off the luggage carry. They were surprised to see that there was no one around them.
Mrs. Devers even sent her a picture of them so if she was picking them up she would know looked like. They started to walk off. Then they heard this ear piercing scream of: “WAIT don’t you dare walk away from me I am too old to run.”
They slowly turned around to see what had called them to a stop. It was her Jonathan’s grandmother! “What in god’s name are you walking that way for my car is parked out this way!” yelled Jonathans Grandmother.
“Mrs. Devers asked. What are we going to do without you, if you weren’t here to help us we would get lost in this gigantic airport, thank you…, um … sorry I can’t remember your name?”
“Leanne, Leanne Baker. But for you Jonathan I am Mama Leanne.”
“AAAHHH- Mrs. Devers- how she- knows my- name?” screamed Jonathan.
“Why is he talking like that?”
“We don’t know he always has.” answered Mrs. Devers
“You have never got that checked, why haven’t you got that checked out by any doctor.”
“Well you see the hospital won’t let the orphanage pay for any visits that we have with a doctor’s office or even with the hospital, so we just never take them.”
By now they were in the car half way to Leanne’s house. And oh boy was Jonathan throwing a fit. He didn’t want to be in his car seat any more, he wanted to go home. The rest of the ride was horrible. When they got to Leanne’s house Jonathan was surprised. The house was as big as a mansion. (Well to him at least because to a little boy it was huge.) But to a grown-up it was a great deal bigger that they would have imagined for a women for Leanne’s age. Now when they pulled up for a moment you could see out of the corner of your eye you could see cacti. Even thought it was a beautiful place it had marble cylinder columns to hold up the house. And the décor in it was amazing but when Jonathan saw it he was disappointed. He wanted to be able to jump on all of the furniture.
“WHAT- happened to- all of the – furniture th-that I ca-ca-can ju-
jum-jump on?” asked Jonathan with a worried scream.
He reacted to that like there was a bullet coming at him and he did not have time to move. I mean this boy loved to jump on the furniture at the orphanage.
What in the world is this I mean where is all the furniture that Jonathan can jump and play on is? Asked Mrs. Devers
What furniture I am a sophisticated lady you are talking to I do not have to have furniture that little boy the age of 6 can jump on, my mother always said there is no piece of furniture that you should ever jump on, unless you want to ruin it. answered Leanne.
That is what set off a little click in Jonathan’s sub- conscience had told him this
You do not want to stay here it is a horrible place. You can’t jump on the furniture and with all of this priceless stuff around you can’t even play your favorite game turn and twist for the Wii. So listen to me and I can help you. Here is what you do. I want you to start spinning around until you get really dizzy and then I want you to stop and start walking. Now don’t worry if you run in to anything I will make sure that you don’t run into anything. Now when you start to walk I want you to say I can’t see anything I am to dizzy. Then run around the house and knock everything off in your path all the books and stuff like that.
“How do I know when to stop spinning?” Jonathan asked his conscience.
Don’t worry about that I will work with your nerves on that part but when you hear the word GO then you know to start to walk and say I can’t see anything I am to dizzy. Okay Jonathan. I am really counting on you here you can do this.
GO! screamed the Sub-conscience
So Jonathan started to spin and he got really fast. After about 1 to 2 minutes of spinning, he was told to stop. Boom, CRASH, smack this is just what Jonathan had done to everything in his way. Boy did it make Leanne mad.
Leanne screamed “You need to get that boy to stop he is wrecking the whole house. And later I am having ladies from a club come over and have tea imported from England.”
Mrs. Devers told her “Well you better call that club of ladies and cancel tea for today. Because I am leaving right now to go back to Tennessee to take care of the rest of the orphans now I will be back in 2 weeks to get Jonathan. Please take care of him for the 2 weeks that he wants to stay here for. Oh by the way I advise not having any body come over while he is at your house.”
With all of that said Mrs. Devers called Jonathan and told him she was leaving and that she will see him in 2 weeks. After that she opened the front door and got into the limo Leanne owned and told the driver to take her to the Denver airport then after the driver closed the door and pulled away, Jonathan started to cry. He already missed Mrs. Devers.
4 days has gone by and Jonathan is acting weirder than ever. So Leanne decides to take Jonathan to the doctor and they run test on him and then they find out that he has autism. The type he has is CDD or Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. The symptoms of CDD are little skills in communication, little social relationships. So Leanne decides to take him back to Tennessee herself. While all of this is happening Jonathan is still in shock from the doctor telling him that he has a type of autism. They have a 3.5 hour flight and they are now just landing.
Leanne asks “Jonathan where is the orphanage that you live at?”
“It- is-is-is on – 34th – street- it is the- biggest building- there.” Jonathan answered.
When they got there Leanne rang the doorbell and Khaiya answered. Then she screamed and hugged Jonathan. Khaiya then scream out all of the roommate’s names Emma, Bentley, Jake, Rebecca, and Phuan. They all came at the call of their name and then they all screamed and one at a time hugged Jonathan.
“Mrs. Devers there is somebody at the door for you.” screamed Bentley.
Mrs. Devers answered. “Okay I am coming; I will be there in two
seconds.”
When she got to the door to her surprise she saw Leanne and Jonathan. Then she screamed and invited them in. She told Jonathan to go play with the rest of his roommates. Leanne and Mrs. Devers started to talk.
Leanne says. “I can’t keep this kid.”
“What why not, do you know that he has been through foster homes like that?” Mrs. Devers answered.
“Let me ask you something, did you know that Jonathan has CDD"
“No what is that?”
“Well it’s a type of autism!” Leanne screamed.
“He can't have autism, he is a really good kid, wait how did you find out?” questioned Mrs. Devers.
“I took him to the doctor.” said Leanne.
“Why did you do that?”
“Because he was acting weird around me so what else was I supposed to do?”
“Well whatever, we need to make up a plan for him.”
30 minutes later.
“Okay so this is what we have, He goes and lives with you because you can give him the treatment for his autism, or he stays here until the right foster family comes along.” Mrs. Devers said.
“So let’s go see what he wants to do.” Leanne said.
“Jonathan, would you like to come here?”
“We have a question for you, would you like to go and live with your grandmother or would you like to stay here at the orphanage until the right foster family finds you?”
“Um I- would- like…”