Yikes! I Need Help.

Instead of a shower, I had to take a bath with my cast all wrapped in plastic. Momma poured a big cup of water over my head to rinse the shampoo out.

I squeezed my eyes shut but opened them too soon. "Momma, my eyes are burning."

Momma handed me a washcloth and I tried my best to wipe the soap out with my left hand. I poked my lower lip out.

"Chloe, what's the pouty lip for?"

"This is a disaster! How long do I have to wear this thing?" I raised my right arm.

"You will probably have to wear the cast about six weeks. Maybe less, if your wrist heals faster."

I moaned. "Ugh."

"You'll just have to make the best of it."

***************************
As soon as I stepped into Mrs. Taylor's room on Monday morning, everyone gathered around.

"Whoa, Chloe, what happened?" Dylan said.

"I broke my wrist. Little accident on my scooter."

Weston moved next to me. "Does it hurt?"

"A little bit. Not too bad."

Mrs. Taylor walked up and put her hand on my shoulder. "Friends, we'll have to help Chloe a lot until she can get her cast off."

"How come?" Bryson said.

I held up my cast. "It's my right hand. The one I use to write and cut and color. Everything."

"Ohh," everyone said at once.

********************
Mrs. Taylor read a book called Last Stop on Market Street. She help up a page. "Now you will have to color, cut, and glue down this onto the construction paper. Then you'll be writing down here what the purpose of the author was for writing this."

She explained a bit more and demonstrated. I hardly heard her. I couldn't do any of that. My eyes got watery.

"Come on, Chloe. You can color the shapes with your left hand, and then I'll cut them out. Then you can put the glue stick on." Efren smiled.

"Thanks for helping me."

Efren shrugged. "It's okay."

***********************
Later we went onto the new playground. Everything looked so fun, but I couldn't do anything. I watched as everyone tried out the monkey bars. I traipsed over to the sidewalk and plunked down.

"Come on, Chloe. We'll walk around with you," Kelly said.

"Yeah, come on." Belinda reached her hand to help me up.

"No, you go ahead. I know you want to try out the new stuff."

"Let's all go watch, and when you get your cast off, you'll know what you want to try." Kelly nodded.

We walked around, stopping to look at each activity. I actually had a good time, even though I couldn't do any of the activities.

When we lined up to go inside, Leonardo walked into line behind me. "Can people sign your cast?"

"I don't know. I'll have to ask Momma."

"It could be fun to have all of us sign it and write little messages on it." Leonardo's eyes widened.

"You're right. That does sound like fun." I would ask Momma as soon as I got home today.

*********************
"Momma, Leonardo said something about people signing my cast. Do you think I could have my friends sign mine?"

Momma's eyes brightened. "Now, why didn't I think of that? Of course. I'll send you some small markers to use. They can sign it and decorate it right up."

I looked at the boring white cast. "I'll have the prettiest cast around."

"You probably will. And I think it will coax that smile back out of you." Momma tweaked my nose.

*****************************
Chloe hadn't expected all of the things she wouldn't be able to do with her arm in a cast. Make a list of the things she might not be able to do. Which thing do you think would be the hardest to not be able to do? Explain why.

Chloe's friends helped her deal with her broken wrist. What would you have offered to help Chloe to do?