jason's why excerpt.pdf

7/27/2019 Jason's Why excerpt.pdf

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Jasons

Why


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Jasons

Why

Beh Goobie


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Copyrigh 2013 Beh Goobie5 4 3 2 1

All righs resered. No par o his publicaion may be reproduced, sored in a rerieal sysemor ransmied, in any orm or by any means, wihou he prior wrien permission o Red DeerPress or, in he case o phoocopying or oher reprographic copying, a licence rom Access

Copyrigh (Canadian Copyrigh Licensing Agency), 1 Yonge Sree, Suie 800, orono, ON,M5E 1E5, ax (416) 868-1621.

Published in Canada by Red Deer Press, 195 Allsae Parkway, Markham, ON, L3R 48Published in he Unied Saes by Red Deer Press, 311 Washingon Sree, Brighon,Massachuses 02135

www.reddeerpress.com

Edied or he Press by Peer CarerCoer and ex design by Daniel ChoiCoer image couresy o iSockphoo

We acknowledge wih hanks he Canada Council or he Ars, and he Onario Ars Councilor heir suppor o our publishing program. We acknowledge he nancial suppor o heGoernmen o Canada hrough he Canada Book Fund (CBF) or our publishing aciiies.

Library and Archies Canada Caaloguing in PublicaionGoobie, Beh, 1959-

Jasons why / Beh Goobie.ISBN 978-0-88995-484-7

I. ile.PS8563.O8326J38 2012 jC813.54 C2012-905181-0

Publisher Caaloging-in-Publicaion Daa (U.S.)Goobie, Beh.

Jasons why / Beh Goobie.[80] p. : col. ill. ; cm.Summary: A nine-year-old boy sen o a group home by his moher, who can handle himany longer, learns o rus he people around him, and o alk abou his ears despie hisconcern ha his moher migh no ake him back.ISBN: 9780889954847 (paper)1. Group homes -- Juenile cion. 2. Inerpersonal relaions -- Juenile cion. 3. Family

problems -- Juenile cion. I. ile.[Fic] dc23 PZ7.G6735Ja 2012

Manuacured by Friesens CorporaionManuacured in Alona, MB, Canada in Augus 2012Job#77214


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chapter one

Iam a our liing-room window. Im waiing. I can

hear my mom. She moes around our house. She

goes up and down our sairs. She carries green

garbage bags o he door. All my su is in hose bags.Tere are hree o hem.

My name is Jason. Im nine. Las week, Mom ook

me o an oce. I had a big desk in i. A social-worker

lady sa behind he desk. She said, Hello, Jason.

Ten she old me her name, bu I orgo i. She mosly

alked o Mom. I looked ou he window, where herewas a ree. Birds few in and ou o he ree. Ten hey

few away.

Mom alks nice o grown-ups. She smiles and uses

her nice oice. Tis makes me nerous, because hen

shes like someone else. When shes someone else, I


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don know wha shell do. I ry o be real good when

Mom is like his.

Te social worker and Mom alked a long ime. Tey

alked mosly abou me. Mom said I was a problem.

She said I yelled and screamed. She said I sole hings

and ran away. She said I ough wih my siser Linda.

I don know why, Mom said. Why is Jason like ha?

Linda doesn do hose hings.

Te social worker old me somehing. She said I was

going somewhere new o lie. I was called a group

home. Tere were oher kids my age here. Tey had

problems, oo. Te sa a he group home would

each me hings. Tey would each me how o handle

my problems. Ten I could moe back home.My oice was gone. I waned o say, No. I waned o

say, Ill be good. Bu my oice jus wen away. I neer

knew I could be kicked ou o my own house.

Mom looked happy. She smiled a he social worker.

Te social worker smiled a Mom. Ten he social

worker smiled a me.Youll see, Jason, she said. Te group home will

be nice. Youll make new riends here. And youll ge

o isi your mom and Linda. Youll call hem on he

phone.

My oice was sill gone. I waned o say, I like he


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riends I hae now. I like my house. Ill be good, I

promise. Bu my oice wouldn do wha I waned i

o do.

Mom and he social worker alked some more. Ten

Mom and I wen home.

So now Im waiing by our liing-room window.

Mom drops he las garbage bag beside he ron door.

Tas all your su, Jason, she says. Now, you lisen

o me. I don wan you calling and bugging me. You

hae eeryhing you need inside hose bags. Where is

ha social worker?

Shes ouside, I say. I can see he social worker

hrough he window. She ges ou o a blue car and

walks oward our house. She looks he same as in heroce. She wears he same pure whie shir. Im sure i

neer ges diry.

No ooling around now, Jason, says Mom. You

behae, you hear me? No screaming.

I know righ hen i won help o kick or scream. I

hink, Maybe I can hold onto the sofa arm. Ten I knowha won work eiher. Te social worker is here. Shell

help Mom pull me o he soa.

Te doorbell rings and Mom opens he door. I can

see herhe social worker in her pure whie shir.

Shes sanding on our ron porch.


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Hello, Jason, she says. She smiles a me.

Im scared o her pure whie shir. Is oo brigh. I

sare down a he foor. Teres a piece o Lego beside

my oo. I pick i up.

Look, Mom, I say. Heres par o Lindas Lego. I

can ake i o her room i you wan.

Mom grabs my arm. She akes he Lego. No, Jason,

she says. Youre going now.

She holds my arm so I can ge away. Wih her oher

hand, she ges my jacke ou o he close. I wan o

kick and scream. Tere are many screams inside me,

huring o come ou. Bu I sand sill and le her pu on

my jacke. Ten I bend down o pull on my runners.

Now I smell all he house smells. Teres he peanubuer we ae or lunch. Tere are Moms cigarees.

I see he color o he soa. Is brown. I neer really

looked a i beore. I wan o go o all he rooms in he

house and look a hem. Wha i I neer come back?

I have to remember, I hink. When Im in the group

home, Ill my close my eyes and come back. I pu on myrunners as slow as I can.

Hurry up, Jason, says Mom.

I see he hall foor is a real ligh brown. Slowly, I ie

my laces. Te social workers ee are close by. Teyre

wearing purple shoes. I hae purple shoes. I don


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wan purple shoes in my house. I wan o ear hem o

her ee. I wan o hrow hem ou he door and ino

he sree.

Im scared o hose purple shoes. Teyre here o

ake me away.

ears hur my nose and eyes. Tey burs ou my eyes

and run down my ace.

Jason, sop crying, says Mom. She hands me a

garbage bag. Carry his, she says.

Te social worker akes a bag. Mom picks up he las

one. Les go, she says.

Te social worker pas my head. I jerk my head away.

Mom opens he door. Come on, Jason, she says.

I look down he hall. I look a he soa and V. I snihard o ge one las good smell. I wan o remember

eeryhing.

I pick up he garbage bag. I makes a crinkly noise.

Te bag is heay. So are my legs. I walk ou he door

on my heay legs. Mom ollows me ou and closes he

door behind us. Now were ou o my house, and isno my house anymore.

We walk down he sidewalk o he blue car.


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chapter two

The blue car dries across he ciy. I dries ar

rom my house. I dries ar rom my school. I

dries ar rom he park where I play wih my

riends. Te blue car dries pas downown and heday camp I wen o las summer. Ie neer seen any

o he srees were driing hrough now. I ge scared.

Wha will happen o me in a place ar away like his?

Finally, he social worker sops he car. She and

Mom ge my su ou o he runk. I si in he back sea

and sare a he closes house. I has a gray roo and apurple ron door. Purple again, I hink. I hae purple

ron doors.

Mom opens he car door and ells me o ge ou. I

don wan o ge ou. I don wan o go ino he purple-

door house. I isn my house.


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Hurry up, Jason, says Mom.

We walk ino he house. Righ away, i smells

wrong. Teres no peanu buer smell. And he foor

is yellow, no brown. Bu heres a tv in he liing-

room. I like tvs.

Te social worker smiles a me. Beside her, I see

anoher lady. Jason, his is Sue, says he social worker.

Sue works here. Shes going o show you he house

and your new bedroom.

Mom says, I hae o go. Linda will be home soon.

She hugs me goodbye, bu no ery much. I hug her

igh. I don wan o le go, bu she pulls my arms away.

I hae o go, Jason, she says. You be good now.

Mom and he social worker go ouside. I wach hroughhe liing-room window. Tey ge ino he blue car and

drie away. Mom doesn wae goodbye.

Les go see your new room, Jason, says Sue.

Im scared o look a her. Teres no one here bu

her and me. I hink, What if shes a bad lady? Shes a

sranger. Mom old me neer o alk o srangers. Somesrangers are ery bad. Tey kill kids.

Come on, Jason, Sue says.

Im skinny and small or my age. Bu I can run as.

I ge ready, in case Sue is going o do somehing bad.

Ten, real slow, I look righ a her. Wha I see surprises


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me. Sue is on her knees. Ta makes her he same as

meno so big.

Youre scared, aren you, Jason? Sue says.

Yeah, I say. I eel supid.

Sue has nice eyes. She alks nice and quie. Why

don we ake your hings o your room? she says.

Ten Ill show you he house. You can ell me wha

you like. And you can ell me wha you don like.

She sands up again. Tis ime, she doesn look so

big. We walk down a hall, pas wo bedrooms ull o

boys su. Ten we go ino anoher bedroom. Here I

see a bed, a dresser, and a oy box. Te walls are whie.

Teyre pure whie. Sue pus my garbage bags beside

he bed. Ten she shows me he res o he house.Im real careul when we go o he basemen. Is

dark down here. I sand away rom Sue. She looks

nice, bu you neer know. I can see a pool able and

a washer and dryer. I looks okay, bu hen I see some

closed doors. I ge scared by hese closed doors.

Whats behind them?I hink. Anyone could be hidingin there.

Sue ges ou some keys. She unlocks one closed door

and shows me a room wih canned ood and a reezer.

Te oher is jus a close wih ooballs and soccer

ballsha kind o su. Ta makes me eel beer. Bu


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hen I hink, Maybe they lock bad kids in here. I don

say i ou loud.

Sue ells me hree oher boys lie in he group home,

oo. Teyre all nine or en years old. She ells me o go

o my room and unpack. Ten she says she has o wrie

eeryhing I hae on a lis. She says I hae o show her

eery single hing.

Do you remember my name? she asks.

Of course I do, I hink. Bu I jus look down. My oice

is gone again.

My name is Sue, she says. Can you say ha, Jason?

Im no sure. Sue, I say. I sound like a rog. Sue, I

say again, louder.

Tas righ, says Sue. Shes smiling. Tas good,Jason.

She helps me pu my su on my new bed. She wries

eeryhing I hae on a lis. She wries down how many

socks I hae, how many pans and shirs. Ten she ells

me o pu my clohes in he dresser and close.

I ge o pick where hings go. I like his. Bu hen Suepus my model car ino he oy box. I don like her

ouching my model car. My hands go ino ss. I she

ouches somehing else, Im going o hi her. Bu, or

now, I look a he foor.

Hey, Jasonwhy don I le you pu your own su


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away? Sue says. Im surprised by his. How does Sue

know wha Im hinking? She smiles and i makes me

smile, oo. Ten I eel okay.

A door opens a he back o he house. Hey, Sue!

calls a boy. He sounds happy.

Hey, Joe! calls Sue.

A boy comes running o my door. Hes naie. He

hands Sue a noebook. Ten he looks a me. Im no

oo sure abou naies. Mom old me o say away rom

hem. She said hey were rouble. I look a he foor.

Sue reads he noebook. Your eacher says you had

a good day oday, Joe, she says.

Is ha wha she wroe? Joe asks. Awesome! He

grins.She wroe ha you had a ery good day, Sue smiles.

And Joe, his is Jason.

You he new kid? Joe asks.

I keep looking a he foor. I don wan o be a new

kid.

Doesn he know how o alk? Joe asks.Gie him ime, says Sue. Remember your rs

day.

Okay, says Joe. Can I go play ouside?

Change ino play clohes rs, says Sue.

Can he come, oo? asks Joe.


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Jason sill has some hings o unpack, says Sue.

Im glad she says his. Im no oo sure abou playing

ouside wih Joe.

Do you wan some snack, Jason? asks Sue. We

hae snack here eery day aer school.

No, I say, een hough Im hungry. I jus wan

eeryhing o go awaySue, Joe, he group home,

eeryhing. Ten, jus like ha, Sue and Joe do go

away, and Im alone in he room. I si on he bed and

look a he walls. Teyre real whiepure purewhie.

Im scared Ill ge hem diry. Ten someone will ge

mad a me. You neer know wha can happen when

someone ges mad.

I don le any o my su ouch he pure whie walls.


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chapter three

Ipu away all my oys. Ten I don know wha o do,

so I si on he bed. Sue comes o he door. I don like

her in he door. Teres nowhere o run i hings ge

bad. I I see somewhere o run, I eel beer.Jason, says Sue, a 4:30, we hae Quie ime.

I ry o lisen o her. Bu my hear pounds real hard

because shes sanding in he door.

Tis is wha we do a Quie ime, Sue says.

Te boys go o heir rooms or one hour. Tey do

homework.I look a he foor. Ie neer done homework beore.

omorrow, you go o your new school and mee

your new eacher, says Sue. oday you don hae

homework. You can play wih your oys.

Okay, I say, bu I jus si on he bed. A home,


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Mom sends me o my room when Im bad. Tas

wha his eels like. I don know wha o do, so I hink

abou Linda. A home, Mom doesn gie us snack like

hey do here. Someimes we don ge supper. Linda

is only six. Shes liler han me. I hink maybe shes

hungry now.

Aer a while, Sue comes o he door again. She says,

Eerybody has a supper chore o do. onigh you ge

o se he able. Come onIll show you how.

Ie neer se a able. I ge real worried. I ry o lisen

real good o wha Sue says. My hear pounds hard.

What if I break a cup?I hink. Sue looks nice, bu you

neer know. I bang some plaes on he able. No on

purposeby misake.ry o be more careul, Jason, says Sue. Tas all.

She doesn yellnohing like ha.

Beore supper, all he boys wash heir hands. Teres

Joe, me, and wo oher boys. One o hem is black and

one is like me. Sue ells me heir namesDae and

Rob. We all si on he soa, real quie, beore we go ohe able.

Supper ases good. Sue made i. Is pork chops,

poaoes, and corn. I ea los. Ie neer seen so much

ood. When I nish whas on my plae, Sue les me

hae more. My ummy hurs, bu I ea i. Aer eeryone


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else leaes he able, Sue les me ea a hird pork chop.

Aer supper, I clear he able. Ten I acuum under

he able. Tis is hard because my ummy hurs. Joe

washes he dishes and Dae dries. Rob has o clean

he bahroom.

Joe asks i I can play ball in he back yard. Sue says,

No, no on Jasons rs day. He has o say inside.

I si on he soa and wach tv. Te oher whie boy

sis beside me.

Remember my name? he asks. Is Rob. He holds

up a oy snake and shakes i. My snakes name is Rob,

oo, he says. Ten he moes he snake near my ace.

My snake doesn like you, Rob says. Seehe wans

o bie you.I hink Rob is creepy. I wan o punch him, bu Sue is

in he nex room. Shell ge mad i I hi Rob, so I don.

I jus moe my ace away.

Joe comes inside and we play cards on he soa. Rob

doesn wan o play cards wih us. He doesn like

whas on tv, eiher. He yells a Sue abou his. Tenhe hrows a chair. Sue grabs Robs arms real quick and

pus him ono he foor. Ten she sis on him. Rob yells

and screams.

My ummy hurs. I run o he bahroom and hrow

up. I was scared his migh happen. Tis is where they


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Goobie

hurt bad kids, I hink. Someimes I scream and yell.

Teyll hur me, oo.

I see Joe sanding in he door. Don worry, he says.

Haen you seen a resrain beore?

I wash ou my mouh. Whas ha? I ask.

Someimes sa resrain us, says Joe. I doesn

hur. Tey jus hold you down when you ge mad. I

used o do ha losge mad, I mean. Im geing

beer now. Sa jus hold you down so you can do

anyhing while youre mad. Tey don hi you

nohing like ha.

Oh, I say. Rob is sill yelling in he liing room. I like

wha Joe said, bu my hear sill pounds real hard.

We hae o ge ino pjs now, says Joe. Aer pjs, wege snack.

I ge my pjs on. Sue is sill siing on Rob. Rob screams

and bangs his ee. Sue asks Joe o ge a snack or us.

Joe ges ou some bananas. We si a he kichen

able and ea hem. He and Dae ell jokes and laugh.

Tey don worry abou Sue siing on Rob.Now you hae o brush your eeh again, says Dae.

You hae o brush your eeh all day long around

here.

I brush my eeh. In he liing room, Rob sops

yelling. Now he sis on he soa and cries. Sue ells me


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Rob is on a ime-ou. He has o si real quie and can

alk o us.

Sue asks me o come o he oce. Te oce is

behind a locked door beside he kichen. I ge real

worried abou his.

Come on in, Jason, Sue says.

I walk ino he oce. Sue leaes he door open. Ta

makes i eel beer. I see a bed, a desk, and a close.

Sue unlocks a cabine on he wall.

I hae your medicine in here, she says.

I ake pills a nigh and in he morning. A docor old

me i I ook he pills, I wouldn be so bad. Teyre blue

and whie.

Sue pus wo in a small cup. Tas he righ number.Someimes Mom gies me an exra one. She says i

makes me sleep beer. Ten I ge dizzy and can walk

good. I coun o make sure. Im glad Sue gies me jus

wo. I ake my pills.

I wach some more tv. I si quie. I ry o be real good.

I don wan Sue o si on me. Shes alking o Rob in heoce. Eeryhing seems o be all righ.

A 8:30, we go o our rooms. Sue says I hae een

minues. Ten shell urn ou he ligh. But I forgot to

call home, I hink. I wan o alk o Linda. Wha did she

do all day? Im scared o ask i I can use he phone, bu


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Goobie

I call Sues name. She comes o he door. When I ask,

she says I can call home now. Bu rom now on, I hae

o call home beore 8:00.

Mom answers he phone. She sounds mad. I can

hear Linda crying close by.

Sop crying, Linda, says Mom. I can hear your

broher, youre so loud. Wha do you wan, Jason?

I don know wha o say. Im no used o alking o

Mom on he phone. Is like alking o my grandma and

grandpa in oronoway ar away.

How are you? I ask. Did you hae a nice day?

I had a busy day, says Mom. Very busy.

Oh, I say. Can I alk o Linda?

No, says Mom. Is oo lae. Nex ime, call earlier.I hae o pu Linda o bed now. Goodbye.

Goodbye, I say.

Mom hangs up he phone. I go back o my room.

Sue comes o he door. How was your call? she

asks.

I say, Good.Sue urns ou he ligh. She says shell close he door

aer I all asleep. Tis is in case heres a re. Sue says

his is he law in group homes. Ten she goes back o

he oce.

I hink abou sleeping wih he door closed. Im no


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used o ha. Ill be oo dark and Ill ge scaredeen i

Im asleep. Ten I ge scared Joe migh cu o my hair

while Im sleeping. I saw a naie do ha in a moie.

Or Sue migh do somehing bad o me. Or Rob migh

come ino my room wih his snake. I hink abou all

hese hings.

Ten I hink abou Mom. I hink I hae o be real

good o go back home. I Im real good, maybe Mom

will like me.

Im no oo sure abou his. I all asleep.

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