The Trouble With Insanity
the girl who sidetracked hate
Nimmy Pierce sat down opposite the girl who she had never before met. They had moved themselves into the living room, away from the adults and Nimmy’s sister, Jessica.
The two girls were similar in appearance, both with auburn hair and pale skin. Nimmy didn’t know what to think of the girl. They were family. Cousins. But she felt like this girl was a total stranger. And for all intensive purposes, she was.
The girl … oh what was her name again? Nimmy had to rack her brain for a moment before she remembered Aunt Winnie’s words.] “Go on, Nardecca, go play with your cousin.”
“Nardecca?” Nimmy said, being the first to speak.
The other girl looked up, the away shyly. She was holding a small worn doll in her hands, hugging it close to her chest.
“What’s a Mudblood?” Nimmy asked.
Nardecca ran her hand through the doll’s hair. Her words came out manually, robotically. “Filth.”
Nimmy pondered for a moment. “My mommy told me Mudblood is a bad word.”
“My mommy said it’s not.” Nardecca replied.
“My mommy said it’s not bad to have Muggle blood. That it’s good to be different than others.”
Nardecca looked at the girl curiously. She had never before heard any other points of view except for the ignorant ones of her parents. But here was this girl, saying things Nardecca had thought of so many times but could never express because she didn’t know how.
“I don’t think their bad either.” Nardecca said quietly, then gasped and covered her mouth, looking around the room in fear.
“What’s wrong?” Nimmy asked, now also scared. What was going on?
“Don’t let mommy hear me say that!” Nardecca hugged her doll so tight, Nimmy thought it’s head would explode.
“My mommy says that your mommy is mean. And not to talk like that around her, otherwise bad things will happen.”
“What kind of bad things?”
Nimmy scrunched her face. “I don’t know.”
“I don’t want to find out.”
“Neither do I.”
There was silence between the two girls. Finally, Nimmy spoke again. “Does your dolly have a name?”
“Mimi.”
“That’s a nice name.”
“Do you want to play with her?” Nardecca held out the doll towards Nimmy. Nimmy could tell that this was something rare, that her cousin had never allowed anyone to play with the doll before.
“Sure.” Nimmy took the doll from her cousin, and the two began to play quietly together. The entire time, thoughts ran through Nardecca’s head, thoughts that her mother would find to be very bad indeed.
The two girls were similar in appearance, both with auburn hair and pale skin. Nimmy didn’t know what to think of the girl. They were family. Cousins. But she felt like this girl was a total stranger. And for all intensive purposes, she was.
The girl … oh what was her name again? Nimmy had to rack her brain for a moment before she remembered Aunt Winnie’s words.] “Go on, Nardecca, go play with your cousin.”
“Nardecca?” Nimmy said, being the first to speak.
The other girl looked up, the away shyly. She was holding a small worn doll in her hands, hugging it close to her chest.
“What’s a Mudblood?” Nimmy asked.
Nardecca ran her hand through the doll’s hair. Her words came out manually, robotically. “Filth.”
Nimmy pondered for a moment. “My mommy told me Mudblood is a bad word.”
“My mommy said it’s not.” Nardecca replied.
“My mommy said it’s not bad to have Muggle blood. That it’s good to be different than others.”
Nardecca looked at the girl curiously. She had never before heard any other points of view except for the ignorant ones of her parents. But here was this girl, saying things Nardecca had thought of so many times but could never express because she didn’t know how.
“I don’t think their bad either.” Nardecca said quietly, then gasped and covered her mouth, looking around the room in fear.
“What’s wrong?” Nimmy asked, now also scared. What was going on?
“Don’t let mommy hear me say that!” Nardecca hugged her doll so tight, Nimmy thought it’s head would explode.
“My mommy says that your mommy is mean. And not to talk like that around her, otherwise bad things will happen.”
“What kind of bad things?”
Nimmy scrunched her face. “I don’t know.”
“I don’t want to find out.”
“Neither do I.”
There was silence between the two girls. Finally, Nimmy spoke again. “Does your dolly have a name?”
“Mimi.”
“That’s a nice name.”
“Do you want to play with her?” Nardecca held out the doll towards Nimmy. Nimmy could tell that this was something rare, that her cousin had never allowed anyone to play with the doll before.
“Sure.” Nimmy took the doll from her cousin, and the two began to play quietly together. The entire time, thoughts ran through Nardecca’s head, thoughts that her mother would find to be very bad indeed.