Bobby

Life here is great. I feel wanted. I have friends. I even get to learn lessons, although not in a school. This is fine for me. I know that I am good enough to be in any company: 'if others think differently, it's their problem', at least, that's what Betsy says.

Grace and Dai are my very best friends. I have never had friends before. I was never allowed out of the house, wasn't even allowed to go to school after something that happened when I was small, I don't remember what it was but whenever it was talked about it always sounded like it was my fault.

I had a baby brother and a sister who was maybe not much younger than me but I was never allowed to play with them. I think it was because everyone thought I would hurt the baby. I do remember pulling my sister's hair once but she had been trying to poke me with a stick and wouldn't let me past her. I really needed to go to the toilet. I tried to tell her but every time I spoke she made silly sounds at me. When I got hold of her hair she screamed and screamed. The parents came running out and started yelling. I tried to tell them but they wouldn't listen so I tried to go past them instead. My dad grabbed my arm and yanked me back so hard I fell over and the force made all the wee come out. They shouted louder then and left me outside all night.

There are some other people here too. There are two girls who both have the same thing wrong with them. One has a sticky out belly and the other has a big sticky out belly. Betsy says she helps mums and not just children but I didn't understand. Dai says the two girls are his age so maybe their big bellies means their mums need help looking after them? There are also three smaller children. They don't say much. Two of them make noises at me but not mean noises like my sister used to make. It's like the noise is their way of talking. They use their hands a lot too. Sometimes I find this confusing, other times I find that their hands make more sense than words. I started using my hands sometimes too. It's fun.

The smallest child is about four. She has curly bright yellow hair and really big, pale blue eyes. At first I was afraid of hurting her because that is what my parents always thought I'd do to small children. Even though I tried to stay away from her she always found me. One night I even woke up with her in my bed. I spent the rest of that night curled up in the corner rocking back and forth and humming until I finally fell asleep. The little girl likes to be with me and I actually like her being with me too. She sucks her thumb a lot and carries a blanket around but sometimes she gets scared and slides one of her hands into mine. I like it when she does this. My heart seems to smile and I feel big and brave, like Dragoon.

Betsy is busy a lot but she is always very kind to all of us, even if we interrupt her or are being grumpy and bad. Every evening we have dinner together – at the end of the meal Betsy lets one of us pick the dinner we will have the next day, she says that this is so we can all share our favourites – and after this we spend an hour playing games or talking or watching some television. Betsy says that this is the best part of her day.

Most days we have lessons and these are taught by different people. I didn't like this at first - too many people I have met have not been nice to me and sometimes they come to take me somewhere else. Dai said that these people are all friends with Betsy and that she would never let anyone take us away. Betsy stayed with me when I met the people for the first time. I hummed a lot the first few days. Meeting new people is scary!

At first I could just sit with Betsy and watch what was going on but everything was so new and interesting I just had to join in. One lady comes and she reads us books then helps us to understand the words. She helped me to write the letters of my name. Betsy and Bobby both start with a B. Another lady comes and brings lots of things for us to count. Sometimes she brings sweets and if we count right we can have some sweets as a reward. Betsy likes music and she shows us how to play an instrument. Grace really likes the flute but my favourite are the drums.

There is a man who comes to help us use our muscles. His name is Tomos. He is very strong and very serious about keeping healthy. He is also very funny and enjoys playing games with us. He must have something wrong with him too as he goes pink whenever he is talking to Betsy. Maybe he is someone else Betsy has helped.

On the wall of the upstairs landing there are lots of pictures and each one is of someone Betsy has helped. I have been looking hard at them to see which one is Tomos but I haven't found it yet. Maybe he was only small when he came here. My picture is on the wall too. I sometimes wonder why she has helped so many, was it because something bad happened to her? But then I think no, no one could ever want to do anything bad to her. She is the kindest, most loveliest person ever.