I have two new hobbies now. Two new favourite things to do. I still read. Lots. But I don’t read what Dod told me are called fiction books much anymore. I read non-fiction most of the time now. But my new favourite hobby is to look out the window in Dod’s bedroom. I see different things all the time. I ask him if we can look out the window instead of watching the TV. He agrees most of the time. Sometimes he lets me watch TV and look out the window afterwards. I like looking out the window because it gives me ideas to write my own books. Although, because I now like to read non-fiction I have started to write a book all about myself. I’m going to call it Betsy’s Basement. And it will have me, Dod and Bozy in it. I will write about what I do every day down here. It will be a bit like the books I read now.
I think my favourite non-fiction book so far has been the one called I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. I have learned lots of new words because of that book. It’s about a young girl like me called Maya who felt she was trapped but then became a really good writer. She wasn’t a good writer when she was younger and then she became really good because she read lots and lots. I hope the same thing happens to me. She had brown skin. I’d like to see somebody with brown skin. People with brown skin sound as if they’d be beautiful.
Another girl who I have read a non-fiction book about also has brown skin. Serena Williams. She is another woman who wasn’t really happy when she was younger but then became really happy when she got older. She thinks women are the best. Better than men. So do I. She plays a sport called tennis. And is the best person to ever play it. I asked Dod if he could show me some tennis on the TV but we can never find it on any of the channels. We have tried to look for it a few times. He keeps buying me new non-fiction books because I ask for them now. I think he feels just as happy as I do when he gives me a new book. He buys me a new book almost every week. I read so fast.
My room is mostly taken up by the big shelf I have against the wall. It is filled with books. I counted a few weeks ago. I had ninety-five. And Dod has bought me four more since then. So the next one I get will be my hundredth book. I wonder what it’s going to be. I hope it is about another strong woman. A woman who has a bad childhood but then becomes really, really happy. Because I think that is what is going to happen in my life. I will be happier when I’m older. I want to be a happy writer when I am an adult. Just like Maya Angelou.
I have started to write Betsy’s Basement but it is not easy. It takes too long for me to spell out the words correctly.
I hop up onto my bed and pick up Bozy. Then I place him so he is sitting up against my pillow and say: ‘Are you ready, Bozy?’ I make him nod at me by using my fingers to push at the back of his head.
‘This is the start of Betsy’s Basement.’
I flick open my copybook.
‘I was playing on my street one day while Daddy was talking to somebody from work. It was a long time ago now so I don’t really remember everything. I was four years old. I know that. Now I am thirteen years old. So it was nine years ago when it happened. But I was walking on a wall and then Dod just took me. He put his hands around my mouth and around my legs and just took me. He told me to be quiet. Then he put me in a car and he drove for ages and ages and ages. I was really scared. And I was really hungry. And then after ages he took me out of the car and into my basement.’
I look up at Bozy.
‘What do you think so far?’
I think he likes it.
I just wish I could write much faster. That much has taken me two weeks to write. I keep spelling words wrong and then changing them. Maybe when I am older I will be able to write much quicker. I want to write loads of books. Betsy’s Basement is just my first.