My Lips Are Sealed Cleft Wars

I saw the way her face scrunched up when the kids started teasing her, because of her mild scar on her face.

"Leave her alone!" I said and was a little surprised that I had murmured that out to the group around the girl. For a moment it felt good to have that sort of confidence, but when all the kids focus was now on me, I kind of wished that I could just curl up into a ball, in a fetal position and hope they'd think nothing of it. I'd be down and when someone is down, you don't keep kicking them, right?

The girl stopped her wailing protests and looked at me as if to say, 'Who the hell are you?'

The chubby boy let go of the girl's shoe, which he'd been tormenting and approached me with a menacing expression fixed on his face.

Oh man! Why did I have to call attention onto myself was all I could think of. I had gone months without anyone saying anything to me. I swallowed hard as he stopped and looked up at me. He was short and stocky compared to most kids but wore an attire, angry like a bulldog.

I adjusted my glasses nervously and swallowed hard.

"Four eyes," he crudely said, poking a finger onto my tender arm. I wanted to tell him to stop, that it hurt and that I bruise easily. But it was kind of difficult when the glasses comment belittled me. I felt small even though I'm at least a foot taller.

"Why are you defending cleft over there, four eyes?" still I was lost for words. The girls face, was quizzical as if she had no idea what she had done wrong to deserve such cruel remarks. Surely, she must already feel saddened by her slightly different looks. The gloomy look in her eyes struck familiar. Suddenly, as if her lack of self control and power had added to my own confidence boost. I looked carelessly and unfazed by the boy.

"Stop it," I lightly shook him off by shrugging my shoulders.

This only served to further annoy him, "You're sticking up for that freak?"

"She is not a freak. What did she ever do to you?" I stuttered, re-adjusting the falling frames.

"Aww, how sweet! Sticking up for your new friend," he teased, "Cleft and four eyes."

"Dude un-cool," I announced getting a little frustrated. This comment seemed to startle all of the kids. "Do you see me standing here and making fun of you about your height or call you the Grinch or something. No, 'cause that's lame and I'm not mean." The boy was fuming perhaps it was the wrong choice of words.

"No one makes reference to my height. No one!" he spat, edging dangerously close. I wanted to ask him if he was embarrassed or felt little for being shorter than average, but thought best not to.

"What gives you the right to tease her for that then huh?" he opened his mouth as if to speak but said nothing. The other kids snickered and called him shorty pants. He rushed off hastily in annoyance.

The young girl lifted up her doll and her shoe in the other hand as she approached me.

"Want to play?" she asked. I shrugged, not wanting to. She grinned sheepishly.

"Guess this means you're my friend." I didn't want to upset her further. I mean yes, I scared the bullies off for now. But they'd probably be back for round two and if they thought we were friends like forming a buddy system then things could get worse. I didn't want to be mean to her and I sure as hell didn't want to feel stuck with her all for doing a nice thing.

"You should stick up for yourself you know," I informed her.

"Why?" she asked, a childlike innocence in her eyes.

"Because, they have no right to speak to you like that and they'd go away. They'd move on if you gave them nothing and find someone else and leave you alone."

She shook her head in disapproval.

"No, I'm different. Mummy always told me I was different and she wishes I was normal like other kids. I wish I was like other kids, because I don't like it when she cries. I don't want to be ugly anymore I want to go away."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Yes you're different. We are all different. But you are not any less important than them or I. Yes you have a cleft lip and still play with dolls. So what?" she frowned and clutched her Bratz doll tighter as I made that comment, "Nobody is perfect and over time you'll grow out of it."

"Really?" she asked, a split smile spread across her face, as if having some hope suddenly, "And mummy will stop crying and daddy will come home?""What?!" I asked. Had her mother told her that her father left because of her?

"Will your glasses and freckles go away too?" she asked quirkily and I wondered why I even bothered with her at all. The freckle comment kind of stung."There is nothing wrong with freckles. It's quite popular to be frank. As for glasses they're common too and I think they make me look smart. You know kid, you don't need to change for anybody. All you need is to be happy with yourself."

"But I'm different!" she protested.

"Everyone is different!"

"No, not everyone," she said dropping her doll in annoyance, "You are. I am."

I couldn't help but feel just a fraction insulted about that, yet decided to work with it.

"I guess we are, and so are they. Anyway I got to get home. Take care of yourself."

"Can I come?" she asked, retrieving her fallen doll and flattering her lashes. I paused in my tracks. She was looking up at me with that same innocent expression that mirrored a lost puppy begging you to take him home with you.

"Don't have you have friends?" I blurted out then immediately bit back on my tongue, noticing the words had obviously stung her, "Okay, just for today. This does not make us friends okay?"

She nodded excitedly, a lot of the words she spoke came out too hurriedly and I had no idea what she was talking about half the time. It occurred to me that perhaps I was her only peer that has spoken decently to her all year.

"You're the first person to stick up for me and it's the first time I've been to my friends house." I wanted to correct her about the friend thing, but that would just be mean.

Mum frowned at me when she noticed I had company. Her gaze followed to her cleft lip to the doll, to the untied shoelaces.

"Oh," she said looking at me surprisingly, "How wonderful. And who are you?"

"Emily," the girl said smiling cutely at mum. It hadn't occurred to me to ask for her name yet there it was finally. I rolled my eyes behind my head at the friendly exchanges.

"Will you be joining us for dinner Emily?" I was about to protest until I noticed Emily shook her head as if to say no. I was slightly disappointed as if she felt obliged to refuse.

"Are you sure Emily?" I asked, "You should stay for tea." She was very easily swayed.


She called her mother to let her know she was staying over for dinner.

After mum dropped her off home she came up to my room. She stood smiling down at me from the door way.

"She's cute. A lovely girl Jenny." I snorted. Typical. Mum was butting in again. I explained that she was just a girl at school that was getting bullied and I stood up for her and felt stuck with her.

"I'm proud that you stood up for her. You let her know she is not alone,"

"Why is she like that mum?" I couldn't help but ask. It had amazed me how the cleft lip left awful scars.

"Well. Some babies are unfortunately born like that. It's nothing to do with her mother it could be genetic or just pot luck. She would've had some extensive surgery because a cleft lip looks a lot worse when not treated. I would like to have a word to her mother because sometimes parents carry the blame on themselves. As sad as it is, some believe it is something they did that caused such a birth defect when it isn't necessarily the case."

I assured mum that she didn't need anyone to talk to, that she grew up enough years to cope the way she is. Yet she didn't seem settled even as she nodded.

***

Author:
Calliope Alexandris

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