They Locked Me in the Freezer and Forgot I Existed

The day of the school field trip, I had a hundred-and-four-degree fever.

Mom didn't care whether I lived or died. She took my brother and walked out the door.

Before leaving, she turned to Grandma. "Keep an eye on her, Mom. Don't let her make a fuss."

Grandma came into my room. She looked at the sweat soaking through my sheets, and her face twisted with disgust.

"What a nuisance," she said. "It's just a fever. You're not dying. Stop being so dramatic."

She ripped the blanket off me, grabbed my arm, and dragged me out of bed.