Who: Recess, College, Glibt What: The Great Escape... Or at least a visit. Where: Andrus Children's Center Residential Treatment Program, Yonkers When: Today Warnings: Temper tantrums?
Seventy three 5-14 year-old children with severe emotional problems reside in Andrus' comfortable Tudor-style cottages under the full-time guidance of trained and dedicated staff members. The main goal of our Residential Treatment Program is to help children and their families set and meet treatment goals that will enable them to live together upon completion of the program.
That was what the brochure said that Recess had glanced at before she'd torn it into little little pieces and strewn it all around the bedroom in whatever a cottage was supposed to be. It was a stupid little house, she decided. A stupid little house where she had to share a room with three other little girls who were stupid too. And no one would tell her what had happened to Mom Joy, or why there had been so much blood when she'd gotten home from school on Friday. She'd heard the word 'suicide' from the neighbor who'd taken her in Friday while the police were there and gave her cookies, but the word had no real meaning for her.
When the House Mother had caught her in the little cottage's office, she'd thought she'd be in trouble. But she'd only gotten lectured at - which was even more stupid! - and no one ever believed her when she tried to tell them she had a brother who was old and big and strong.
Now she was sitting in the stupid bedroom, and all of the other stupid girls were at lunch. She'd pretended to be sick so they would let her go to the room - but she had a plan! It was Sunday, and she was never very strong on Sunday. But tomorrow as Monday. And Monday meant a school day. And just after lunch, she'd get them all back for being dumb and telling her she had motional problems!