The Power of Testimony

34 || ALL BUT NORMAL
or patronized. Her right fist, clenched tighter than normal,
pressed hard against her body. An expression of pure fury
tugged at her lips and lit a f lame behind her eyes.
“I know!” she said. “I get it! I just—”
She was sputtering frustration.
“I’m a little thirsty,” Connie said. “I’ll go get us some iced
tea and we can move on to another problem. Be right back.”
She stepped away. The sisters were learning how to manage
Bev’s condition.
One day in the middle of September, John pulled up to
the high school. Bev could no longer ride the bus—​she was
too stiff and slow; boarding and riding presented too many
hazards. She walked over to his car. He pushed open her door
from the inside in anticipation. With an awkward motion,
she f lung her pack in and sat down roughly. Pain emanated
from her eyes so much that John didn’t know how to greet her.
He pulled away from the curb and began to drive her home.
“I can’t do anything,” she said after a time of silence. “The
stairs—​I can’t get up them fast enough. I’m late for class.
The teachers are marking me late. When I get there, I can’t
open my book to the right page or write anything down fast
enough. It’s like—​like I’m in slow motion, or everyone is in
fast motion. I don’t know how to keep up anymore.”
John listened.
“ People—​people make fun of me for the way I do things,”
she said. “Everyone’s too busy. Everyone’s . . . normal. Like
I used to be.”
John’s heart was burning now, his gut screaming with
indignation. His words burst out almost unwillingly.