Chasing a Dream

Chapter 4

August 14, 1988

"Miss Jackie? Miss Jackie?!"

The wavy-haired brunette turned to see a five-year old Chase running down the hallway, his small flawless feet pitter-pattering across the floor at a rapid rate. Her bright eyes widened to see a nervous expression on the boy's face, reaching his deformed, cleft hands out toward her as if in a distressing situation.

"Chase!" she exclaimed with an elevated inflection. "What's the matter, sweetie?"

"Get back here, you little freak!" a gruff, manly voice called out.

As the sound of jiggling keys and the stomping of heavy boots came closer, Jackie looked to see that it was one of the custodians. He was bald, had a beer belly that overstretched his gray uniform shirt, and he was red with anger and aggravation as he stomped his way in pursuit of the little boy. It didn't take a genius to notice that his clothing was soggy from the waist down. Chase tugged at Jackie's pencil skirt to hide his face, and she became very concerned.

"Mr. Wilkins!" she called out. "What's the meaning of all this?"

"I work hard every damn day, and this little brat has the gall to clog the toilet! Now, the WHOLE boy's room is flooded!" he shouted, his gruff voice an echo through the hall. "Look! I'm soakin' wet!"

"He mean! I saw wata...I can't stop!" the little boy cried out, tears flooding his eyes as the custodian continued to taunt him.

"I'd be nicer to you if you had a brain in your head!"

"Hey!" Jackie shrieked. "Watch what you say to him! How could you talk to him like that?"

"How could I not, Miss Wright?! Look at him!" the custodian yelled, holding out his hand toward the crying boy. "He's the poster child for birth control!"

"Mr. Wilkins, you have a nerve!" hissed the social worker, reaching for one of Chase's cleft hands as he sobbed into her skirt. "How dare you?!"

"I'm serious!" he replied. "Dead serious! Was he kicked in the head as baby?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Jackie could sense someone else had been present. Turning around, she saw Julie, her gray eyes like storm clouds as she looked at the scene in horror. Her long, ice-white braids hung down her shoulders, and she was wearing a long, puffy-sleeved yellow shirt beneath a pink printed dress. She also had been holding a book at her side, and the woman saw her immediately rush over to Chase and try to console him.

"Julie, sweetie," Jackie said, getting her attention. "Take him in the other room."

"Okay, Miss Jackie," she said; Chase transferred his tears from Jackie's skirt to his sister's dress.