Chapter 5 third chapter

School was an unbearable ordeal for Kenmore.He was shorter than the other kids in his grade, which included the girls, to his particular shame.Nicknames for him were "Short," "Little Thing," and "Little Thing."As far as homework goes, Kenmore is only interested in math and computing, where he always gets higher marks than anyone else.The class organized a chess club, and Kenmore dominated the country in it.He used to love football, but when he went to tryouts for the varsity team, the coach looked at his empty sleeve and said, "Sorry, we can't use you." His tone was not unfriendly, but it was a fatal blow to Kenmore. blow.

Kenmore's arch-nemesis was Rick Underwood, and some students ate at lunch in an enclosed patio rather than in the cafeteria.Rick Underwood would specifically wait to see where Kenmore was eating and go with him. "Hey, orphan. When will your damn stepmother send you back to where you were before you came?" Kenmore ignored him. "I'm talking to you, monster. You don't think she'll keep you, do you? Everyone knows why she brought you here, Yellowface. Because she's a well-known war correspondent, and saving a cripple makes her look Quite glorious." "Bastard!" Kenmore yelled.He jumped up and lunged at Rick.

Rick's fist smashed into Kenmore's stomach, then slammed into Kenmore's face.Kenmore fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Rick Underwood said: "Let me know when you still want it. And you better hurry because I hear you're going to be history." Living with painful doubts, Kenmore doesn't believe Rick Underwood's words, but... what if they're true?What if Dana did send me back?Rick was right, Kenmore thought.I am a monster.Why would someone as wonderful as Dana want me? When his parents and sister died in Sarajevo, Kenmore thought his life was over.He was sent to an orphanage outside Paris, and it was a nightmare.

Every Friday at two o'clock in the afternoon, the boys and girls in the orphanage line up, waiting for the future adoptive parents to inspect them, and then choose one to take home.Whenever Friday rolls around, the excitement and tension among the kids swell to an almost unbearable peak.They were groomed and neatly dressed, and each child prayed silently to be chosen as the adults walked along the line. Without exception, whenever future parents see Kenmore, they whisper, "Look, he only has one arm," and they move on. Every Friday is the same, but Kenmore waits hopefully while the adults scrutinize the candidates.But they always picked other kids.Forgotten Kenmore stood where he was, humiliated.Always someone else, he thought desperately, no one wants me.

Kenmore desperately wanted to be part of a family.He tried every means he could think of to achieve his goal.This Friday he will smile cheerfully at the ladies and let them know what a sweet, friendly little boy he is.Next Friday he'll pretend to be busy with something and show them he doesn't care if he gets picked and that it's their luck to get him.Other times he would stare at them and silently beg them to take him home with them, but week after week it was always some other child who was chosen to take to the lovely house and happy family. Miraculously, Dana changed all that.It was she who found him wandering the streets of Sarajevo, homeless.After Kenmore was airlifted to the orphanage by the Red Cross, he once wrote a letter to Dana.It never occurred to him that she called the orphanage and said she wanted Kenmore to come to America and live with her.It was the happiest moment of Kenmore's life.A distant dream becomes reality, and the joy turns out to be bigger than he ever imagined.

Life at Kenmore was completely changed.He began to be thankful that no one had chosen him before.He was no longer alone in the world.Someone cares about him.He loves Dana with all his heart, but deep inside he hides a deep fear that Rick Underwood has instilled in him, that one day Dana will change her mind, send him back to the orphanage, send him back to the orphanage. A life of hell just escaped.He has a recurring nightmare.He's back at the orphanage, and it's Friday.Dana is among a group of adults inspecting the children.She looked at Kenmore and said that the ugly little boy had only one arm, and as she spoke she went forward and selected the boy next to him.Kenmore woke up in tears.

Kenmore knew Dana hated his fights at school, and he did everything in his power to avoid them, but he couldn't stand Rick Underwood or his friends insulting Dana.Once they realized this, they insulted Dana even more, and the fights increased. Rick would greet Kenmore like this: "Hey, are your suitcases packed, little one? It's on the news this morning that your goddam stepmother is sending you back to Yugoslavia." "Zbosti!" Kenmore would retort. Then the battle began.Kenmore would come home bruised and bruised, but when Dana asked him what happened, he wouldn't tell her the truth because he was afraid that if he said it, what Rick Underwood said might come true .

Right now, Kenmore is waiting for Dana to arrive in the principal's office, thinking that this time she will definitely send me back when she hears about what I've done.He sat there in pain, his heart pounding. When Dana walked into Thomas Henry's office, the Headmaster was pacing up and down, looking stern.Kenmore sat in the chair opposite. "Good morning, Miss Evans. Please sit down." Dana glanced at Kenmore and sat down. Thomas Henry lifted a butcher's knife from his desk: "Founded on him by a teacher at Kenmore." Dana turned and stared at Kenmore, furious. "Why?" she asked angrily, "Why did you bring it to school?"

Kenmore looked at Dana and said angrily, "I don't have a gun." "Kenmore!" Dana turned to the principal. "May I speak to you alone, Mr. Henry?" "Yes." He looked at Kenmore, his jaw tightened: "Wait in the corridor." Kenmore stood up, took one last look at the knife, and went out. Dana began to speak. "Mr. Henry, Kenmore is twelve years old. He has spent most of his life sleeping to the sound of the bombs that killed his mother, father and sister. One of the bombs cut him When I found Kenmore in Sarajevo, he was living in a cardboard box in a vacant lot. There were a hundred other homeless little boys and girls living like animals." She was lost in the memory, trying to keep her voice calm.

"The bombing stopped, but the boys and girls were still homeless and helpless. The only way they could protect themselves from the enemy was a knife, a rock or a gun, if they were lucky enough to get one. gun." For a moment Dana closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "The kids got bruised, and Kenmore got bruised, but he's a decent boy. He just needs to know he's It's safe here, no one is against him. I assure you he'll never do it again." There was a long silence.When Thomas Henry spoke, he said: "If I ever need a lawyer, Miss Evans, I want you to represent me."

Dana squeezed out a relieved smile: "I promise." Thomas Henry sighed: "Okay. Talk to Kenmore. If he does something like this again, I'm afraid I'll have to—" "I'll talk to him. Thank you, Mr. Henry." Kenmore was waiting in the corridor. "Go home," Dana said curtly. "They handed over my knife?" She didn't bother to answer. On the way home, Kenmore said, "I'm sorry I got you into trouble, Dana." "Oh, no trouble. They've decided not to kick you out of school. Listen, Kenmore—" "Okay. No more knives." When they got back to the apartment, Dana said, "I have to go back to the studio. The babysitter will be here any minute. You and I have to have a long, long talk tonight." After the evening broadcast, Jeff turned to Dana. "You look anxious, honey." "I am. I don't know what to do with him about Kenmore, Jeff. I was forced to see his headmaster again today, and two more housekeepers quit because of him." "He's a good kid," Jeff said. "He just needs a bit of time to get used to it." "Perhaps. Jeff?" "what?" "I hope it wasn't a terrible mistake to bring him here." When Dana returned to the apartment, Kenmore was waiting. Dana said, "Sit down, we have to talk. You have to start being disciplined, and the fights at school have to end. I know the other kids make it hard for you, but you have to come to some sort of understanding with them. If you keep fighting , Mr. Henry will kick you out of school." "I do not care." "You have to care. I want you to have a great future, but it's impossible without culture. Mr. Henry gave you a chance, but—" "Fuck it." "Kenmore!" Dana slapped him without thinking.She immediately regretted it.Kenmore stared at her with an expression of disbelief on his face. He stood up abruptly, ran into the study, and slammed the door with a bang. The phone rang.Dana picked it up.It's Jeff: "Dana—" "Honey, I—I can't talk right now. I'm so fidgety." "What happened?" "It's Kenmore. He's outrageous!" "Dana..." "what?" "Put yourself in his shoes." "what?" "Think about it. Sorry, my deadline is coming up. Love you, we'll talk later." Put yourself in his shoes?That's no use at all, Dana thought.How can I understand what Kenmore feels?It's not like I'm a twelve-year-old one-armed orphan going through what he did.Dana sat there for a long time, trying to think. Put yourself in his shoes.She got up, went into her bedroom, closed the door, and opened the closet.Before Kenmore arrived, Jeff had spent several nights a week at the apartment and had left some clothes behind.In the closet were trousers, shirt and tie, a knitted jumper and a blazer. Dana pulled out some clothes and put them on the bed.She went to the dresser and took Jeff's gym shorts and socks from a drawer.Then Dana stripped off all her clothes.She picked up Jeff's gym shorts with her left hand and began pulling them over her legs.She lost her balance and fell to the ground.It took her two more tries to put it on.Then she picked out one of Jeff's shirts.With only her left hand, it took her three frustrating minutes to put it on and button it.She had to sit on the bed to put on her pants, and it was difficult to zip them up.Pulling on Jeff's jumper took another two minutes. When Dana finally got dressed, she sat down to catch her breath.This is what Kenmore has to experience every morning.And this is just the beginning.He still has to shower, brush his teeth and comb his hair.This is now.What about before?Lived in the horrors of war and witnessed the brutal murder of his mother, father, sister and friends. Jeff was right, she thought.My expectations were mostly too hasty.He needs more time to adapt.I can never despair of him.My father abandoned my mother and me, and I never really forgave him for that.This should be the Thirteenth Commandment.Never abandon the person who loves you. Slowly, as Dana puts on her own clothes, she thinks of Kenmore's never-ending lyrics.Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Limp Bisket CD, "Don't Want To Lose You." "Need You Tonight." "As Long As You Love Me." "I Just Want To Be With You. ""I need love." All the lyrics are about loneliness and loss. Dana picked up the Kenmore report card.True, most of his studies were poor, but he got A's in math.It's the yu that matters, Dana thought.This is where his strength lies.This is where his future lies.Let's work harder on other homework. When Dana opened the door to the study, Kenmore was lying on the bed, his eyes closed, his pale face wet with tears.Dana watched him for a moment, then leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm sorry, Kenmore," she said softly, "forgive me." Tomorrow will be a good day. The next morning Dana took Kenmore to see a well-known plastic surgeon, Dr. William Wilkes.After the examination, Dr. Wilkes spoke with Dana alone. "Miss Evans, it will cost twenty thousand dollars to put him on prosthetics, and there is a problem, Kenmore is only twelve years old, and his body will continue to grow until he is seventeen or eighteen. Every few months he It will grow and the prosthetic will no longer work. I'm afraid it's not economically practical to do that." Dana felt her heart sink. "I see. Thank you, doctor." When she came out, Dana said to Kenmore, "Don't worry, honey, we'll find a way." Dana drops Kenmore off at school and drives to the studio.After driving six blocks, her phone rang and she picked it up. "Hello?" "I'm Matt. There's a press conference on the Winthrop homicide at police headquarters at noon. I want you to cover it. I'll send a camera crew right away. The cops are in big trouble. The story is getting bigger and bigger. But the police have no clue." "I'll go, Matt." Police Chief Dan Burnett was on the phone from his office when his secretary said, "Mr. Mayor is on line two." Burnett responded angrily: "Tell him I'm on line one with the governor." He went back to the phone. "Yes, Governor. I know... yes, sir. I think... I believe we can... once we... yes. Goodbye, sir." He dropped the phone. "The White House press secretary is on line four." The whole morning went like this. At noon, the Civic Center conference room at 300 Indiana Avenue in downtown Washington was packed with media representatives from all walks of life.Police Chief Burnett came in and went to the front of the room. "Please be quiet, everyone." He waited until the surroundings were quiet: "Before I answer your questions, I will first make a statement. The brutal murder of Gary Winthrop is not only a great loss for this community, but for the whole world. We The investigation will continue until we capture those responsible for this horrific crime. I will answer your questions." A reporter stood up: "Director Burnett, do the police have any clues?" "Around three in the morning, a witness saw two men loading a white light-duty vehicle in the driveway outside Gary Winthrop's house. They were behaving suspiciously, so he noted the license plate number. The plate was from a Stolen truck." "Do the police have any stolen items in the house?" "Twelve valuable paintings are missing." "Aside from paintings, was anything else stolen?" "No." "What about cash and jewels?" "The jewels and cash in the house were left untouched and the thieves were after the paintings." "Captain Burnett, isn't there an alarm system in the room? If so, is it on?" "According to the housekeeper, it's always on at night. The thieves have somehow disabled the alarm. We're not sure yet." "How did the burglar get into the house?" Chief Burnett paused. "That's an interesting question. There's no sign of a break-in. We don't have an answer to that yet." "Could it be an internal crime?" "We don't think so. Gary Winthrop's employees have been following him for years." "Is Gary Winthrop alone in the house?" "As far as we know, yes, employees are off duty." Dana asked aloud, "Do you have a list of stolen works?" "We have. They are famous paintings. Lists have been distributed to museums, art dealers and collectors. When any one of them shows up, it is the time to solve the case." Dana sat down, suspicious.The killers must have realized this, so they would never try to sell paintings, so what's the point of stealing them?Still committing murder?Also, why don't they take cash and jewelry?Some things don't make sense. Gary Winthrop's funeral was held at the National Cathedral, the sixth largest cathedral in the world. Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues have been closed to traffic, and secret agents and Washington police are all out.Waiting for the ceremony in the church are the Vice President of the United States, a group of senators and representatives, a Supreme Court justice, two cabinet members, as well as celebrities from all over the world, police and news media. The helicopters are continuous and rhythmic in the air knocking.There were hundreds of onlookers standing on the street outside, some of them came to express their respect for the dead, and some of them came to take a look at the celebrities inside.Tributes were being paid not just to Gary, but to the entire unfortunate Winthrop dynasty. Dana and two photojournalists covered the entire funeral.There was silence in the cathedral. "A mysterious act of God," the vicar was intoning, "the Winthrop family dedicated their lives to building hope. They gave billions to schools, churches, the homeless and the hungry. Yet equally important The great thing is that they gave so selflessly of their time and talents. Gary Winthrop carried on this great family tradition. Why is this family, for all its accomplishments and its kindness and generosity, so cruelly taken from us Go, we don't understand. In a way, they didn't really go because their legacy will live on and we will always be proud of what they did for us..." God didn't deserve such a miserable death for someone like that, Dana thought sadly. Dana's mother called. "My friends and I watched your coverage of the funeral, Dana. For a while, when you introduced the Winthrops, I thought you were about to cry." "It is so, mother. It is so." Dana had trouble sleeping that night.Finally she fell asleep.Her dreams are a kaleidoscopic sequence of flames, car crashes and gunshots.In the middle of the night, she suddenly woke up sitting on the bed.In less than a year, all five members of the same family were killed?How likely is this?