by Dandelion Doolittle

Created on: June 22, 2010   Last Updated: June 23, 2010

Margaret was a shy and timid child.  Her mother was an angry woman and her father was a weekend drunk. She had two siblings, an older brother and an older sister.  Margaret wore hand-me-down clothes from her sister.  She was very self-conscious about everything.  She was a sensitive child.  Her mother beat the children and constantly told Margaret she was no good and an unwanted child.  Margaret believed what her mother said and had feelings of worthlessness.

She and her siblings had to fend for themselves.   “You look like a tramp!  Who dresses you?” commented her third grade teacher.  Margaret was so humiliated she went into the coatroom and cried.  This wasn’t the first time someone had taken notice of how poorly she looked. 

Margaret walked with her head held low, not making eye contact with anyone.  Her parents had nightly battles.  This resulted in packing up clothing in the middle of the night.  Then an aunt picked up the children to take them to her house.  Margaret was constantly late for school and that was partly why she looked a mess.  Her clothing would be wrinkled.

The parents were shameless caretakers.  They were so involved in their own misery and plight, they neglected their children and it showed.  The son was a delinquent and the older daughter ran with a rowdy crowd, and Margaret was left to be on her own.  Margaret was bereft of any love.  She had no guidance or anyone to talk to.

At the dinner table, Margaret’s father sat in total silence and no one was allowed to talk, or her mother would be bitching and cause a fight.  Her mother worked in a factory and her nerves were always frayed.  She would get frustrated and then she’d beat the kids.  Margaret often had welt marks on her neck from choking or red marks from slapping on her face.  The older children weren’t around much, so Margaret was the main recipient of her mother’s rage.

Margaret lived a dismal life.  She was unhappy at home and at school. The family lived on the wrong side of Grand Avenue and this made Margaret feel insecure.  The home was in a poor neighborhood and was shabby.  There was torn linoleum and old furniture.  Margaret was ashamed of where she lived and because of the family turmoil.  To escape the shame, Margaret made up stories about her life and never brought friends around.

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