“I’ve always had a problem with language. I didn’t even talk...

“I’ve always had a problem with language.  I didn’t even talk until the age of four.  I’ve had to see a therapist my entire life.  And even now, people don’t understand me when I speak.  Growing up was very difficult.  It didn’t help that I was already shy.  I was so timid.  I had so many complexes.  And my problem just made everything worse.  People didn’t include me in things.  I had very few friends.  All I did were solitary things: read, watch TV, look out the window.  My grades suffered, and my parents were so disappointed.  They wanted me to go to university and get a real job.  They were Haitian.  They knew poverty.  And they didn’t want the same thing to happen to their kids.  Now I’m working in a hotel as a cleaning lady.  I feel like I’m invisible.  Like nobody sees me.  I’m so scared of disappearing.  If it wasn’t for my family, nobody would even know I exist.  It’s like I’m just dust in life.  My father says I’m good for nothing.  I’ve heard it so many times that I carry it inside of me.  And one day it’s going to come out.  Sometimes I want to scream.  I want to explode.  I want people to feel that I’m here.”
(Montreal, Canada)