The floorboards felt gritty underneath my knees, and the dust made me want to sneeze. Then a new fear overtook me: I needed to pee. Suppose that I couldn’t control myself? Crying in front of the class was bad enough, but even the boys did that when they were punished. But wetting myself? I would die before I let that happen. I tightened my muscles and waited. All the while, Mother Frances was lecturing the class. “I warned you about that fire escape,” she said. “Some children have been killed falling from fire escapes, but that’s not going to happen in this school. Do you remember what I said I’d do if you went down those steps? I said I’d thrash you to within an inch of your life.
Catholic School in New England20
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