Our story today is adapted from a novel for young people called "Crazy Lady" by Jane Leslie Conly. "Crazy Lady" is a Newbery Honor Book, one of the highest awards for children's literature in the United States. The story is told by 14-year-old Vernon Debs. His mother died and his father is raising Vernon and his brothers and sisters. Vernon becomes friends with Maxine and her mentally disabled son Ronald. Here is Shep O'Neal with our story.

Sometimes I dream Maxine is walking down the street, right in the middle like she always did with her son Ronald. She is wearing dark glasses and a funny hat and purple pants, and she moves back and forth when she walks. Ronald is always pop-eyed, like he is scared someone is going to hurt him. Then the kids come and start shouting "Crazy lady" and she shouts at them and holds onto Ronald and they laugh and shout right back.

I want you to know about our neighborhood, it is called Tingly Heights. What I really need to tell you about is the next street down. It is a slum. People live down there with their windows broken out all year round. I did not go down there much until I met Maxine and Ronald and their friend Miss Annie.

That was in 1981, the year I was 12 years old. I found out that once you are 12, you are too big for lots of the things you used to do before, but you are too young for a job. So a whole group of us was left with nothing to do. We would stand on the corner to see if Maxine would come by with Ronald. Somebody found out that he went to a school for mentally disabled kids and that a special bus brought him home every afternoon. His mother was always there to get him off the bus. What we liked most was to get her angry, so she would put on a show. Anything we said would make her a poppycock.

One day, I was at the local store to buy potatoes. Millt, the owner of the store, was arguing with the woman about the price of potatoes. "I'm here for potatoes, too." I said, "My sister said they were a dollar nine on Monday." Millt shouted, "You both can go on up to the other store."
Suddenly, I realized I was walking up the street to the other store beside Maxine. There was no way I wanted to be there.
"I'm in a hurry," I said.
"I'm in a hurry, too." She said, "I left Ronald home by himself sitting by the TV."
"You give me the money and go on home," I said, "I'll get the potatoes."

I bought two bags of potatoes, put one bag under each arm and got back to Maxine's house quick.

"I do thank you." she said, "You know what? I believe I knew your Mama. Are you Debs?" I nodded. "I thought so." Maxine said, "She was a real nice woman. One winter she sewed a coat for Ronald. She must have seen us on the street and she knew he did not have anything good to wear. She brought it down here and did not expect any money."

My Mama could always make you feel special. I told myself she could see what my teachers could not, deep down, inside, I was smart. But that was a secret between us. When my Mama died, the secret died too. I started to see myself like everyone else did ? a big backward kid, trying to slip by without being noticed. It was Maxine who introduced me to her neighbor Miss Annie when I needed help with English. Miss Annie told me to bring my books to her house everyday after school.

After a few weeks, she said, "Vernon, I have never asked you for money, but I would like you to help Maxine clean up her yard." My face got red. I thought, "What if the guys saw me there?" But it was not as bad as I expected. I cleaned up the yard and put the trash in a bag that Ronald held. Ronald stood there holding the bag like it was the most important job on earth. Seeing him like that, trying so hard to do something so simple gave me a funny feeling inside. You see, when you first saw Ronald he looked like an ugly animal. But what I figured out was a lot of Ronald's problem was fear - being scared made him look strange.

One day, Ronald's teacher Miss Marlow came to visit Ronald's home and Maxine wanted me there. Miss Marlow wanted Ronald to be in the Special Olympics, a sports competition for mentally disabled children. Ronald would need sports shoes and a person to help him. "I will go with him," I said, I had a feeling somebody needed to say that. I wanted to have a party to sell things and make money to buy sport shoes for Ronald. I told Maxine about it ahead of time which was a mistake. She was so excited. She drank too much alcohol, but we earned 143 dollars for Ronald. Maxine said she was sorry for drinking too much.

When we got to the store to buy Ronald shoes, Bobbie and Jerry and Chris were standing there. It was Bobbie who found the bright red shoes. Ronald was smiling from ear to ear.

"You are our best friend, Vernon," said Maxine, in front of everybody. "Thanks."

A few weeks later, Maxine drank too much again. The police drove her home. I was worried about Ronald. Then, that Sunday, Maxine and Ronald came to church. She wore a green dress with a hat that looked like a tomato with some cloth stuck to it. I knew she would never make it through the religious ceremony without opening her mouth.

"No matter what you think of me I love Ronald everyday," she shouted as the priest asked her to leave, I sat low in my seat, but she saw me anyway, "there is Vernon Debs," she told the world, "he does not have the brains God gave a tree."

After that, I did not forgive Maxine. She would shout at me and once it sounded like she was trying to say she was sorry. But I was not interested. I did keep on seeing Ronald, though. I would take him some sandwiches or small cakes. He would eat them all right away and we would sit and talk. The truth was I would talk and Ronald would listen. But by now, I knew his face so well; it was almost like he could talk. He had a thousand expressions and his arms and legs moved according to how he felt. He was always glad to see me and I felt the same. There was something calm about him once he was used to you. I told Daddy that Ronald's teacher Miss Marlow had been checking upon Maxine. She knows Maxine drinks too much.

I saw Miss Marlow again at the Special Olympics. Ronald did not win any of the competitions. But he had a great day. He had more friends than I had ever imagined. Miss Marlow said, "You will miss Ronald, won't you?" Then, she saw my face. "Oh, Vernon, I'm sorry. Maxine said she would tell you, Ronald is going to live with his mother's sister and her husband in North Carolina."

I went straight to Maxine's house. "If you loved him you would not do this," I shouted. She started to cry. "You cannot send him away!" I shouted.

"It is done," she said simply and she closed the door. Maxine's friend Miss Annie had found out that morning, "Maxine's sister and her husband live on a small farm in North Carolina," she said, "they have all kinds of animals and a big garden. There is a state university with a special education school nearby."
I stared at her. "You're going along with it," I said.

"I think Ronald would be better off," said Miss Annie. I did not say anything.

Ronald left on a Tuesday. By then, everyone in Tingly Heights knew he was going. Miss Annie was there crying her eyes out. Ronald's aunt and uncle brought him out of his house and stood on either side of him. His aunt said, "I want to thank you. There are a lot of places that would not have cared for Ronald the way you all have."

Ronald and his aunt and uncle got into the car. "Goodbye," I whispered. I put my hand on the outside of the car window and Ronald leaned his face against it. The car started to move. I went with it, walking, then running slowly alongside. The car went on. I fell, I hit the ground rolling and did not stop until I hit a concrete wall, I hurt everywhere. A hand moved up on my legs and back, feeling for broken bones. "Vernon," my Daddy said, "I am here!"

You have heard the American story "Crazy Lady". Your storyteller was Shep O'Neal. The producer was Luwand Davis. This story was used by permission of Harper Collins publishers. Copyright 1993 by Jane Leslie Conly. It was adapted by Karen Leggett. Listen again next week for another American story in Special English on the Voice of America. This is Gwen Outen.