Читать книгу The Struggle is Real, but So is Jesus - Tessa - Страница 9

Chapter 2

I had to buy people’s friendships and love from the time I was in grade school and bullied a lot because I couldn’t control my emotions. That’s where it all started: first grade. We were asked to stand up in front of the class and introduce ourselves and say a little about our families. I had never been embarrassed to be adopted, my adoptive mother was polish; I was proud of this, and my great-grandmother we called Busha used to try to teach me polish.

I shared this with the class and immediately got the nickname “adopted pollack.” I was a very sensitive child and would cry all the time, and that just fueled the fire. They started telling me if I stole something at the store for them and brought it to school, they would be my friends. That day, I went to Safeway after school and stole a plastic lemon, the ones that have the lemon juice in them. That was their first request.

They would pat me on the head and say, “Good, little pollack.” then give me a list of more stuff to bring. It was always stupid stuff like that. Just to see if I would do it, I was too afraid to tell my mom and dad and then be called a snitch on top of it. I just continued to do what they said so they wouldn’t make me cry.

This continued until I left that grade school and entered junior high at a different Catholic school. We didn’t have to wear the plaid skirt uniforms like we did at the other school and my mom would make my clothes. I loved them; she always let me choose the pattern, but as soon as the kids found out at my new school, a whole different dynamic of bullying started. Mainly, I was called ugly a lot. This lasted the whole year, another year with no friends, no invites to parties. Soon, I started acting out.