On Friday, October 18th, 1996, Matthew Castillo & his girlfriend Canisha started working with me, Nola Bordelon. They were assigned to work as an in-house monitor, for Timberwood's "behavior modification" program. He was 18 years old, & not long before, was living at Covenant House at 611 N. Rampart St. His older brother, Michael, had gotten him a job to work for Timberwood, so he wouldn't have to be homeless anymore. He had been living at Covenant House ever since he ran away from his abusive foster parents. That was where he met his good friend Cornelius Cook. Matthew & Cornelius also went through rough times at Covenant House. It would've been "nice" if Cornelius was offered the same job, as well. But he didn't work there until almost a decade later.
Also, Vanessa & her husband, Daniel Robinson, were assigned to work with me. To monitor & watch me. People working in shifts to watch me in my home, 24/7, when my parents went to work. I was 13 in 8th grade. I attended Timberwood Middle School. The secret school, that, if you ask anyone about it, no one has ever heard of it. Timberwood, being the secret cult that the public has never been made aware of.
Since my parents had to work all weekend, Matthew & Canisha took me over to Mrs. Vanessa's house to spend the weekend. Cornelius came over to hang out, as well. Vanessa, Jr. AKA, Baby Nessie was 2 years old, & her brother, Danny Boy (Daniel, Jr.), was 6. We ate dinner & then went to sleep.
The next morning, on Saturday, October 19, we woke up, & Baby Nessie was crying because she woke up in the room by herself because Mrs. Vanessa was preparing breakfast for everyone in the kitchen. I walked into the room to help Baby Nessie out of the bed & asked her, "What's wrong? Why are you crying?" & she said, "I go mama.", & she was crying & drooling with her fingers in her mouth & snot running out of her nose. So, I took her downstairs (because Mrs. Vanessa & her husband were living in a townhouse) to the kitchen by her mother.
Baby Nessie was overjoyed to see her mom, & her eyes lit up. Mrs. Vanessa kissed her baby on the cheek & said, "You slept good?" Then Baby Nessie said, "Where daddy? I see daddy." Mrs. Vanessa responded, "Daddy at work, you like that?", while putting a slice of strawberry in the baby's mouth. Baby Nessie LOVES strawberries. Then, Mrs. Vanessa gave her some farina with strawberry slices & milk.
Danny Boy wasn't hungry. I ate 3 leftover donuts from the day before, along with some milk. I don't know what everybody else ate. Danny Boy wanted to go to the park, so I was able to go independently, without adult supervision, to take him & Baby Nessie, & I walked her in her stroller. The park was only 2 blocks away. We stayed there for 2 hours, until all of us had to use the bathroom. ( At least, that was the plan.)
At the park, the boys were playing basketball, while some of the girls played jump rope & hopscotch. (Ooooooh, the memories!) Danny Boy asked me if he could play basketball with the other boys. I said, "I'm scared that I'd get in trouble if I let you." Then he said, "Girl, you're not gonna get in trouble. My mom lets me play with them all the time." I said, "OK, well fine. Go ahead."
He went over to play with the other boys, while I went to the playground with Baby Nessie. Baby Nessie said, "I play on swing", while actually pointing to the slides. I said, "You wanna go play on the swings?" She said, "Yeah." So, I took her on the swings, & she was laughing to the top of her lungs & didn't want me to stop. Then, when I would try to put her on the slides, she would cry.
A few moments later, Danny Boy came running to me & crying with a bloody, scraped knee, telling me that 1 of the boys on the basketball court told him that his breath smells like doo-doo, & then pushed him to the ground. Time to go back home!
So, then when we got back to the house, Mrs. Vanessa was being lectured by Mrs. Kathy for doing a girl's hair. Mrs. Vanessa LOVES doing hair. Timberwood doesn't like their members doing any paid work outside of their "cult". She verbally argued amongst herself after Mrs. Kathy left. & Mrs. Kathy threatened to tell the CEO, Mr. Russell, if she was "caught" doing people's hair again. Mrs. Vanessa was saying that she HAD to do hair on the side for extra money because Timberwood wasn't paying her enough & cheating her out of her checks. Nothing was done about the complaints about her & her husband's missing money.
Mrs. Vanessa was so angry that she said she couldn't deal with Danny Boy's injury, so her husband, Daniel, Sr. walked in & treated the boy's injury. He cleansed & bandaged the wound. After that, Daniel went straight to the bedroom, talking to NOBODY ELSE. Danny Boy wondered why his dad just went straight to his room. Apparently, his dad was angry from work.
Vanessa went into the bedroom, & then Daniel lashed out on her & put a gun to her head & falsely accused her of cheating on him with both Matthew & Cornelius, then there was a traumatizing heated argument. Mrs. Vanessa wondered who could've started that false rumor, along with the trillions of false rumors & lies that some of the ass-kissing, fake "loyal" cult members make on the resistant ones. 🤔. Hmm! No one other than Mrs. Kathy, huh? Smh
Then, Daniel angrily slammed the door & left out & was gone until about 2 in the morning. He came back SO drunk that people wonder how he got back home with no accidents or DUI. Then, thy argued AGAIN! & he said, "Where's the gun! Where's the gun! I can't TAKE this shit no mo', man!" So, I was glad that Mrs. Vanessa was smart enough to wait until he was gone, to go throw the gun in the apartment complex dumpster. So, they had a fist fight. I don't know what else happened after that. I couldn't sleep because of all the noise & commotion.
All I know was, that the next day, we woke up @ noon. Cornelius offered to treat us to Celebration Station. I was SO excited! But all I was allowed to do was the arcade games & bumper cars. I wasn't allowed to do the Go-Karts, miniature golf, batting cages, etc. I asked why, & Matthew responded, "U wan' go back home?" Then, I started crying. & Mrs. Vanessa had me sit on the bench as timeout. I was trying to figure out what I did or said wrong. After I cried, they started to send me home.
Cornelius said, "Now, look. Just because you're having a rough time wit 'cha husband don't mean dem kids gotta be miserable. I understand what 'cha goin' through, but this why I brought everybody here. Learn how to have fun sometimes!" After that, he shook his head & made us all leave & go back home.
The End