"We always used to spend the holidays with Grandma
and Grandpa. They used to live in a big brick house, but Grandpa
got retarded and they moved to Arizona. Now they live in a
tin box and have rocks painted green to look like grass.
They ride around on their bicycles and wear name tags
because they don't know who they are anymore. They go to a
building called a Wrecked Center, but they must have got it
fixed because it is all okay now. They do exercises there,
but they don't do them very well. There is a swimming pool
too, but in it, they all jump up and down with hats on.
At their gate, there is a dollhouse with a little old
man sitting in it. He watches all day so nobody can escape.
Sometimes they sneak out.
They go cruising in their golf carts. Nobody there cooks,
they just eat out. And they eat the same thing every night,
called 'early birds.'
Some of the people can't get out past the man in the dollhouse.
The ones who do get out bring food back to the Wrecked Center
and call it potluck.
My Grandma says that Grandpa worked all his life to earn
his retardment and says I should work hard so I can be retarded
someday, too.
When I earn my retardment, I want to be the man in the
dollhouse. Then I will let people out so they can visit their
grandchildren."