HT 02 "Know Your Place"

Then he pulled me and dragged me into the MEN'S ROOM. The bathroom they had there. He pointed to the toilet and really tried to force me to sit on the floor facing it.

Hello Tomorrow      Want to read this in a different language ? Change the TO field to your own country and click the TRANSLATE button after going HERE Press CTRL = (equals) to increase the page size and CTRL - (minus) to decrease the page size HELLO TOMORROW #2 "Know Your Place" ( From my placement in JPS and later, a mental ward ) © December 2013 Written by David Wicker Please do not reprint without permission * * * This chapter is Rated: TEEN I had only traveled a short distance when I remember being cajoled by one of the staff members there whose job it was to introduce new people. I also noticed very few of them had their own clothes whereas I had mine and - in truth it made me stick out a little. And if anything I always wore clean clothes no matter where I knew I would be going. This world or the next. In any case, there was apparently an interesting card game going on in one room. I was told by my guide that this is the MEN'S room. That only men are allowed in it. I did see some in there were smoking too. I felt a little nervous but pretty certain that I could fit in given the chance. I looked around and everyone was tucked up in a blanket in a chair too. I asked why and she said that they were short on beds at t he moment and some people are so tranq'ed up they slept during the day. And some were noisy in their snoring. Finally completing my nickel tour I was guided to a seat I could call my own. It didn't recline or anything like the nice ones, but it was mine. I asked for a blanket and hurriedly tied it up into a shape comfortable like a teddy bear. No-one would take my own blanket from me as everyone had one. Finally I was ready to approach the mysterious Men's Room. I started to open the door but a big guy stopped me. "Where are you going ?" "In there." I replied quietly. Like all the people in this blessed world, there was just something about my voice people liked, either to tease or it or they thought it was cute or young or something. Anyways, he got a big bushy smile on his face and said, "Oh. Well, this isn't your room then, son." I had to have been about the same age as him but people say that to me. "Son," or "boy." One pleasant black woman called me "child," but she said it nicely enough. He held out his hand, I took it. He whistled for a minute appreciatively then stopped. Then pulled me and dragged me into the MEN'S ROOM. The bathroom they had there. He pointed to the toilet and really tried to force me to sit on the floor facing it. "There's your seat, kiddo. You can blow bubbles and drink from this bowl all you want, just wash up when you're done." and gave me a mean smile. "Yah thanks." I said acridly. Finally I pulled free of his grip and grinning visage to sit back in my original chair. He saw I wasn't going to attempt entering the forbidden door again and he went back into the Men's Room where I could see the card game was getting some applause now. Darnit, the only thing playing was the TV and it was the NOISE in the TV that bothered me. Sometimes I could fall asleep to the lull of it's sound, like hearing the static beyond the words - and it was bad dreams then. I had no televisions in my home. I remember calling Salvation Army over one time to take them away, left over from my Dad's inheritance. They were nice ones too, great big, wide, I just had no purpose for them. It's like watching television that I knew was being broadcast from radio waves was offensive to me. I couldn't really describe it. Sorta like the ball feeling and the number 1 feeling. And the number 1 feeling doesn't have anything to do with the bathroom, it's the imagining of the long line and the sharp little stubs it has on it's ends to show that it is different from the "I." I know one time I was joking and singing out loud, "I am number one." cause the "1" feeling was really deep in me, and it's notta good feeling in truth. Anyways, getting a bit off track. I sat in my chair and suddenly a frantic girl screamed in my ear, "It's not fair !" * * * "No ma'am, it isn't." I added agreeably and got up covering my ears. Suddenly she pounded her fists on the "glass." I knew then it wasn't real glass cause it boiyoinged like when Captain Pike was in the Cage. Boiyoing. Boiyoing. Suddenly somebody came out to give her an injection of something and she didn't resist. Then she sat down in a chair and suddenly slumped over in a deep snore. Wow. So if you gave them a hard-time, they'd give you 'booty juice' cause it was always in the butt. That's what the other tenants called it. And yah, maybe they weren't tenants but I called them that all the same. I mean, we had our breakfast, lunch, dinner, right there in our chairs, there was TV, finally some girls brought out some dominoes to play with. That was pretty neat to watch. But no, we weren't patients cause no - we weren't, patient I mean. *Grin* It was late at night, that was the worst cause someone was determined that THEY were going to be the focus and they would start wailing and making noise. And WOW, talk about people who talked to themselves, they were a dime a dozen here. Now, I know to a level I talk to my Teddy Bears and many times I do answer back, but not to this level where you are gesticulating with your hands and punching their arms and legs and junk. Really bad stuff. I finally realized the safest place for me to be was right by the entry door where the doctors came in and out. And once again that bit of strangeness. They would say hello. I would nod. I really hated to speak cause it changed everything. As long as I didn't speak everyone treated me as an equal. But one woman who worked there determined to get me to say something finally did and then gave me a big smile and patted me on my head like I was half my age or worse. Geez. Anyways it usually DID protect me anyways. When I talk to the police or someone in authority, my quiet timid voice gets them to immediately act and listen to me intently. I'm not sure why. I know when I was at JPS one time for a different reason I spoke with a stranger, that I was confused with the proceedings, and how did I know when it was my turn to see the doctor ? After hearing my voice he nodded and asked what my last name was. I said Mr. Wicker. He said, that's fine. You see that door marked NO ENTRY ? I want you to go right through that door now. I did and inside there was a small chair and a doctor's desk. He asked if I was David Wicker. I said yes, he said, good, you're expected, let's begin. Yah crazy stuff like that. Anyways, back in the ward it was snack time. Now unless you wanted to lose a tooth or something you BACKED AWAY and let the crazies get what they wanted first. And I did. And I was more than happy with apple juice and graham crackers rather than chocolate pudding or butterscotch pudding which was apparently what everyone fought over. No, I quietly e't my crackers and didn't get in anyone's way. The next day a doctor came to me and asked if I would do him a favor kiddo. What ? I asked. He said that more patients are incoming and they are running out of beds. Which was funny cause at the time I didn't have a bed nor a reclining chair. But I nodded. He said I want to transfer you over to Millwood hospital. They have better facilities there and are equipped to handle more people. Can I get you to do that for me kiddo ? Yes, sure. Great ! I'll write up the papers for it. Hey ! Someone just left, there's a reclining chair, grab it quick ! And I did, I snug my blanket all around it to show that until I left that I was the owner of this chair. And yes, fights did break out if someone left their reclining chair but didn't leave a 'mark' on it. I was told by the lady working there the best 'mark' you can have is to snug your blanket all around the chair. It's only when a chair is completely empty, no blanket, like I found, did it mean it was up for grabs. It's curious how many more friends of doctors and nurses I made rather than actual patients that - as soon as I spoke they wanted nothing to do with me like I was someone's lost child. But finally the day came, I was to be shipped to Millwood Hospital, and hopefully things would be better there. END OF CHAPTER 2 Return back HOME   You are Earth Visitor #

Reviews

[RealistMe]

So far, I like story. Although, I suggest you revise it, whenever you have the chance. When I was in the middle of reading this 1 section, I decided to do a little revising for you. Here's what I would say:

"Darn it! The only thing playing was the TV and its NOISE bothered me.


Sometimes, I could fall asleep to the lull of its sound. It was like hearing the static beyond the words. Then, there were bad dreams. I had no televisions in my home. I remember calling over the Salvation Army once to take them away because they were left over from my Dad's inheritance."

Make sure you don't confuse "its" as in inanimate objects with "it's" as in the contraction "it is." I think you're off to a decent start. All you have to do is revise some of the syntax, diction, and punctuation. :)

[dw817]

Hmm ... Quite a bit of a review there. I'm always messing up its and the contraction for "it is" it's and it's possessive case. Ah - you'll just have to deal with it. :D

As for the TV, no, I have it worded correctly,
"Darnit ! The only thing playing was the TV and it was the NOISE in the TV that bothered me."

In this case, I hear noise in televisions even when they are silent or the volume is turned off. In some cases I can make out words, usually violent ones - it's not good for me overall.

[RealistMe]

Oh okay. I understand.

[SpeedyHobbit Armstrong]

Yikes, this definitely sounds like an ordeal! imagine not being able to speak? I also bet if the narrator called them out for that idiotic rule they'd be treated as though they were crazy too

[dw817]

Hi Speedy. This happened about 2-months ago now. I'm not sure if I want to write anymore to it as it's pretty painful memories.

Instead I encourage you to check out my book in progress, Barrier,
http://bit.ly/1gZAO6k

or a completed book of mine which includes the first time I was employed in a serious job and the mental ward I was placed in afterwards, found HERE,
http://bit.ly/1dpoHOP

[SpeedyHobbit Armstrong]

Sounds good! =) I've some books in progress as well myself

[SpeedyHobbit Armstrong]

I also hope you never have to get hell like that again (I have a couple of friends that had similar circumstances. I live in a bad area for nonconformist types)

[dw817]

Honestly I don't think I've been a non-conformist, not voluntarily anyways. No, years ago I likened to think of myself as a chameleon - blending into hostile environments. So too was it at the ward.

[Tania]

i like the story , its good

[dw817]

Well thank you, BeYourself. Tomorrow or - someday - I will get the next chapter posted. It is clear in my head and I won't forget it.

[Tania]

Awesome ! Cant wait

[Marie]

So far, so good. No suggestions.

[dw817]

Actually that's fine. It's non-fiction and that sorta writing is not so much a literary work as a recollection of actual memories.