Lullabies for Little Criminals

by Heather O'Neill

‘God bless her, but the child is wild. It’s not her fault. But she’ll never be normal. At least let her enjoy her childhood. You read the report, didn’t you? There was rotten food in the fridge, clothes all over the floor. She came here wearing one of her father’s T-shirts and his baseball cap. You just wanted to throw out all the things that she had in her suitcase and give her a chance to start all over again. And the child’s fingernails were long. Who ever heard of long fingernails on a twelve-year-old? And she smelled!’ ‘Is she worse than Rodney?’ ‘Rodney? No, God no. She doesn’t need psychiatric help. I’m just saying that she needs a couple extra things like a sweater or some new toys of her own.’ Later that afternoon, Isabelle came into my room with a box filled with girls’ toys. I pulled out a blue pony with long yellow hair and pink seashells on its butt. ‘Who was Rodney?’ I asked her. A little boy who lived here and used to wear swimming goggles all the time. Who’s been talking to you about Rodney?’ ‘You mentioned him to the social worker.’ ‘Lord! Don’t worry what I say to the social worker. I have to make you sound like a real sorrowful case to be able to get you more things. See, I got you a pretty pony, didn’t I?’ I guess it was worth having your self-esteem destroyed if there was a free toy involved. Isabelle told me that she was trying to get us a subscription to Ranger Rick magazine. I didn’t want to hear what she was going to say about me to get it.

The wind was a man with a lisp talking about people who had stabbed him in the back.

‘Look what I have for you. Wait here. Paul, keep an eye on her. I swear to God, if I come down and she isn’t here, I’m going to burn this place down. You know I’m capable of it.’

Even if it wasn’t biting throats, eating babies, running across fields, and worrying about his ass getting shot, you could tell the wolf was thinking about those things.

I was a baby, there were times when he had thought that I was possessed. He said I was always trying to run out into the middle of the street and would lie down on the floor in a subway car. He didn’t seem to know that all babies did these things. Anyhow, I guess nothing could surprise him now.