Emerging Courageous online Magazine
"FREEDOM" CAN SOMETIMES BE A PRIVATE THING
Roger Dean Kiser, Sr.
"Where is Kiser?" yelled the matron to one of the boys who lived in
the orphanage with me.
"I don't know, Ma'am. He was just here a minute ago," he told
her.
"KISER!" screamed the matron at the top of her voice.
I felt a little sick that day after we kids had eaten our breakfast.
I was sitting on the toilet because my stomach was not right, and it was hurting
me real bad like.
"KISER!" yelled the matron again.
"I'M RIGHT HERE, MRS. MA'AM, IN THE BATHROOM!" I hollered out to her.
Within several seconds the matron entered the bathroom and stood directly
in front of me.
I looked down at the floor because I was embarrassed that someone was
seeing me sit on the toilet. I never did like to have anyone see me
sitting on the toilet. To me there was always something real personal
about having to use the bathroom.
The matron just stood there, her arms up on her hips, towering above me
like a large city skyscraper.
"I'm sorry, Ma'am, that I didn't ask to use the bathroom this time.
But I was hurting real bad in my stomach, and I didn't know if I could really
use it for sure or not."
I placed my hand in front of me so that nothing private would show 'cause
she was a lady.
"Get up. Right now," she demanded, gritting her teeth at
me.
"I'm really sorry that I didn't ask permission. I really
am," I told her.
She reached out and grabbed me by the arm and jerked me off the toilet.
I tried, as best I could, to cover myself. My little short pants fell all
the way down to the floor. About that time the worst
thing that could happen did. I had a little accident on myself.
"DON'T YOU MOVE YOUNG MAN!" she yelled out in a slow drawn-out
manner
as she headed out the door.
I will never forget how embarrassed I was that day. I just stood
there afraid to move a muscle. Very slowly I reached over and I pulled off a
line of toilet paper and covered myself in the front. I did not try and
clean myself for I was afraid to move. I looked up and saw my naked self
in the large bathroom mirror and started to
cry.
When she returned, she beat the holy hell out of me with a polo paddle.
I spent the entire day cleaning up the terrible mess that was made in the
bathroom because of that beating.
Fifty years later, I have never forgotten what I saw that day in the
mirror. A little seven-year-old boy, almost totally naked, his pants down
around his ankles, afraid to move a muscle.
I will never forget what it felt like for an innocent little child to have
to ask permission to use the bathroom or get a drink of water. Many people
associate freedom with different types of things.
But there are those of us, many are orphans and abused children, who
appreciate "freedom" because they have been given something that most
people take for granted every single day.
Something as simple as having the right to use the bathroom without having
to ask permission.
Roger Dean Kiser, Sr.
Trampolineone@webtv.net
Copyright © 2002 by Roger Dean Kiser, Sr. All rights reserved.
*******
About the author: Roger Kiser is the author of the book
"ORPHAN, A
true story of Abandonment, Abuse and Redemption." Roger writes
short
stories for Heartwarmers4u.com, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Reader's
Digest, ToTheHeart.com, and several other magazines around the world.
He is also one of the co-authors of "Heartwarmers," "Heartwarmers
of
Love," and the Petwarmers CD Collection.
Roger now spends most of his time writing about child abuse issues
and giving talks in the Georgia School system. He states that he
never forgot how he and 300 other children were treated as though
they were less than human while living in a Jacksonville, Florida,
Orphanage.
You can purchase Roger's book, "ORPHAN" in major book stores or
order
from Amazon.com at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580624480/o/qid=975333679/sr=8
-1/straighfromthe0a/107-5931457-7011735
Check out Roger's interview at HeartTouchers:
http://www.storiesfrommyheart.com/roger_dean_kiser_sr_/
Check out Judy Kiser's interview (Roger's wife) at HeartTouchers:
http://www.storiesfrommyheart.com/judy_kiser/
_________________________________________________________
Now available in most book stores
Click
here to purchase "Orphan" online
THE SAD ORPHAN WEB SITE
200 Nonfiction Short Stories
On January 1st 2002 I am putting together a foundation to help orphans living in
America. I hope that many of you will see the value in this type of organization
and will help us spread the word around the internet so that this will succeed.
The Sad Orphan Foundation has been established to specifically help orphans in
the United States of America.
The intent of this organization is to make sure that a minimum of 90 to 95% of
all the donations received go directly to the children. Not to groups,
organizations and/or Societies who tend to pay themselves large salaries and in
the end leave the kids getting little or nothing. The foundations books will be
available on the internet 24/7. All transactions will be posted on this web
site, in pain english, for everyone to view. The names of the contributors and
the amount of their contributions will also be posted, unless otherwise
instructed by the donor. Also posted will be all purchases made by the
foundation as well as all receipts for such purchases.
I want these kids to know, without a doubt, whatsoever, that the world really
cares about them and that not having a mother and a father is lonely, yet it is
survivable.
The help of my friends will be greatly appreciated.
Anyone wishing to help please send your donation to: The Sad Orphan Foundation
c/o Author, Roger Dean Kiser 100 Northridge Drive Brunswick Georgia 31525
"Any child who has to beg a parent for love is also an orphan. They just
have not realized it yet."
Author, Roger Dean Kiser
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