would whisper, “Go find your real parents, orphan.” She made “orphan” sound like a dirty word, a contagious disease.
The cousins were worse, a pack of hyenas egging each other on. “Found him in a dumpster!” they’d shout, chasing me around the yard. “He’s a charity case! Our parents just felt bad!” They’d hide my things, lock me out of rooms, and tell continue reading …
