Kelly: A Beauty Within

Chapter 1

Mentally disabled, mentally challenged, unable to function like the "normal" human being. Those are the whispers I heard at school, and the things I heard my doctors say to my parents. Since I was little there has been this non-ending debate between my parents thinking that I am like this because of them, but no one tries to understand me, no one tries to show me how life should be, and even though I want to learn, they could care less about it.

My illness-well, more of a birth defect has always been sugar coated to me. Its been explained to me like I'm some type of robot that isn't supposed to show any human emotions. This story was suggested by a special someone and I guess by writing this I'm keeping a promise.

On a cold winters afternoon of April 19, 1994, a beautiful baby girl named Kelly Hartsfeild was brought into this world by Robert Hartsfeild and Jane Hartsfeild; and I am lucky to say that that beautiful baby girl, was me.
I have had down syndrome ever since the day I was born. The earliest thing I remember from the days of my parents discovery was tears. I remember seeing my mom cry while she was wrapped in my dads arms as the bus I rode, well known as the "short bus" pulled outside of our drive way on my first day of ever going to school. At the time I was 4, because my dad wanted to give me some extra learning before I actually went to school.
It was my 15th year of school and like any other regular day I was waiting outside with my dad as the bus slowly made it's way closer to me.

"Your gonna do great today I bet." My dad said with his arm around my shoulder.

I smiled wide and straightened my book bag on my back. I could only say a few words and I could read lips, but repeating what I hear is very complicated, so he taught me sign language.

"You hear me sweetheart?" He said turning around towards my face.

I nodded my head.

"Okay hun." He leaned down and kissed my forehead, "Have a good day."

I gave him a hug and the bus doors opened. I ran onto the bus and continued to wave goodbye to him as it pulled away out of my window. The bus was always quiet, because most of everyone in the bus was unable to communicate with each other orally and only an elite few of us knew sign language. On some days a student or two would cry or yell or scream upsetting everyone else and the bus would become uncontrollably loud.
As we spead down the rode, with no cars to be seen, the bus driver almost came to a halt in front of a dark red brick house. There was a boy who looked around my age, holding hands with a tall lady on the porch of the house. He was holding a dog leash with his other hand and it seemed like the woman was trying to pull him towards the bus, but he wouldn't budge. The woman let go of his hand and acted out sign language. From far away I could tell the she had acted out the word 'Please'. The boy then let got of the dogs leash and replied back to her with sign language too; he had acted out the word 'Okay'. The woman grabbed his hand with her right and the dogs leash with her left hand and started towards the bus. She helped the boy on the bus first and told the dog to stay (as he did by siting down behind her outside of the bus).

"Hi, this is Tommy. I'm Angela, but everyone calls me Ms. Day. We just moved here and I was wondering if I could get the bus papers for my son?"

The bus driver leaned up and took a packet of stapled papers from the filthy dash board and handed one to her.

"Thank you." Ms. Day said as he got the papers. She pushed Tommy along ln the bus and sat him in the empty seat in front of me. "Well I'll see you this afternoon." She told the bus driver.

The bus driver tipped his hat and Ms. Day stepped off the bus. She blew Tommy a kiss as she grabbed the dog leash and walked backwards to her porch until I couldn't see her anymore. The boy I know knew as Tommy had dark brown hair and smelled like peppermint. I slowly leaned up and tapped his shoulder. He turned around suddenly and I ducked my head down, but I could still see his face. His eyes we're dark brown just like mine and he wore black bulging glasses. I leaned back up as soon as he turned back around and tapped his arm again. But this time I didn't duck, I stayed still and looked at him face to face.