Читать книгу The Poet X – WINNER OF THE CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL 2019 - Элизабет Асеведо - Страница 30

Rough Draft of Assignment 1—Write about the most impactful day of your life.

The day my period came, in fifth grade, was just that,

the ending of a childhood sentence.

The next phrase starting in all CAPS.

No one had explained what to do.

I’d heard older girls talk about “that time of the month”

but never what someone was supposed to use.

Mami was still at work when I got home from school and went

to pee, only to see my panties smudged in blood. I pushed Twin off

the computer and Googled “Blood down there.”

Then I snuck money from where Mami hides it beneath the pans,

bought tampons that I shoved into my body

the way I’d seen Father Sean cork the sacramental wine.

It was almost summer. I was wearing shorts.

I put the tampon in wrong. It only stuck up halfway

and the blood smeared between my thighs.

When Mami came home I was crying.

I pointed at the instructions;

Mami put her hand out but didn’t take them.

Instead she backhanded me so quick she cut open my lip.

“Good girls don’t wear tampones.

Are you still a virgin? Are you having relations?”

I didn’t know how to answer her, I could only cry.

She shook her head and told me to skip church that day.

Threw away the box of tampons, saying they were for cueros.

That she would buy me pads. Said eleven was too young.

That she would pray on my behalf.

I didn’t understand what she was saying.

But I stopped crying. I licked at my split lip.

I prayed for the bleeding to stop.