Hibiscus's Testimony

Today I will step into Hibiscus's shoes for a little while.  I have been thinking about her stories in order to prepare her for facing the court again in a few days.  Several of our allies have pointed out that it is Children's Court, and the most important voice is that of the children, and therefore how important it is for the children to find their voice and say what is important to them.  Hibiscus is terrified of having to say something in court again.  I think partly the judge's interrogatory manner confused her (she says she understands the judge wasn't angry at her, though), and partly she sensed the fear and animosity in the room, and partly it is very upsetting for her to have to say (or even think) negative things about her former life when her birth parents are right in the room with her. 

So to prepare, we have talked about a few simple things that she can say.  And we worked together and wrote up her own testimony.  I helped with the spelling and wrote a few of the words, but the whole page is her own declaration.  It was a very big project for a girl who could hardly write her name a few months ago -- when I was looking through my paperwork I found a letter of recommendation that she had doodled on the back while suffering through a boring meeting.  Her writing has improved years' worth at American Montessori!  (So has Emerson's, actually.)

We have also been trying to practice something for all three children to say.  Hibiscus is nervous, but can remember a few of the things off her paper.  Emerson wants to say something to the judge, but he isn't sure of what to say.  And Buttercup is happily practicing her lines: "Dis one my daddy.  Dis one my mama."  And she points to each of us in turn.


So here is Hibiscus's written testimony, and here are a few of the stories I collected for a document  I can present with her representation of life in her birth family's home.  I am cautious of her privacy, so I am telling the more benign stories that she tells casually.

Another story is about Buttercup. Both girls are absolutely terrified of dogs and cats, and Hibiscus explains why. This story has also been told several times. Hibiscus acts out the story, and Buttercup participates and seems to agree. "Baby Buttercup was sitting here, like this. (puts Buttercup on a cushion in the middle of the room) The dogs are coming up! Many, many dogs, they are coming to baby Buttercup. (puts toy animals and bowls around in a circle, to demonstrate dogs circling Buttercup on her pillow) They go like this. (she pretends to be a dog and growls at Buttercup) We are very very scared, the dogs, they might kill baby Buttercup, she might even die! We are very scared. Then ---- (name I don't recognize), she come and grab baby Buttercup like this. (lift Buttercup up by the armpits and swoops her away) She run, run, run with Buttercup, and the dogs don't get baby Buttercup." Who was the person? "She, she a friend." Is she a child like you, or a grown-up? "She big, big like this. (lifts hand to indicate very tall)"

About her life in general:
Did you go to school every day? (she is confused) Every day in a row, did you go to school, like you do now, or only sometimes? "Oh, is sometimes. Is not like now, I go every every day now."

I asked once if her mama went away. She was a little confused by the question, and answered: "No, is my daddy who is going away. He go 'way very very long time. He go 'way long times, and is no food to eat. My sister and me, we is very very hungry. My daddy goes 'way and we is very very VERY VEEERY hungry, no food 'till daddy comes back. Is gone and we very hungry."

She is very frightened of bugs and especially rats. It took her weeks to believe that we didn't have any rats in her home, and the rats were not going to come in the night and bite her toes. She talked about this very frequently when she first was living with us. She would search for rats, and jump down to show us the places where the rats bit her toes and her fingers. One time she started talking about the rats biting her fingers, and Buttercup looked and her own fingers and started to cry.

"I 'membering, when it is night-time, dark dark DAAARK night, even the stars are out, our house it is dark, and it is just my sisters and me. Buttercup, and me, we are all alone. Our daddy is not there, our mama is not there. Our mama, she goes walkin' about, that what our daddy say, she walkin' about, she walkin' about for long times, no is home. And our daddy is gone too, house is very very dark." What did you do then? "We cried. We is all crying."