I wondered how I looked to them. I could guess: a little anxious, a little excited, plenty hopeful. I had a year to find my feet in this world, a year to get used to my condition and to learn to deal with being clinically depressed and having an anxiety disorder. A year to start to get better. I was ready.
I rose and slipped away into the tiny closet behind the front door where the coats were kept. I put my hand into the pocket of my Princess Di coat and took out the schedules for the Fourteen bus and the Eighteen bus, the schedules that had been my constant companions since I had come to Edmonton. I crumpled them into balls and took them to the kitchen, where I dumped them into the garbage. Julie was in there to get a fresh bottle of wine. “What’s that?” she asked.
“Nothing important,” I said. And it was true. I knew my buses. I could find my way home. Home home was right here.
From the other room, Jillian called, “Kayla! Time to eat!”
“Coming!” I answered. Julie took my hand and we walked outside together.
RESOURCES
Where to turn for help…
If you or someone you know suffers from depression or mental illness:
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
nami.org
1-800-950-6264
Mental Health America
mentalhealthamerica.net
1-800-969-6642
Teen Lifeline
teenlifeline.org
1-800-248-TEEN (8336)
Teen Mental Health
teenmentalhealth.org
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)’s National Helpline
1-800-662-HELP (4357)
samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
If you or someone you know is suicidal or in crisis:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
suicidepreventionlifeline.org
1-800-273-8255
Crisis Text Line
crisistextline.org
Text 741741
IMAlive
imalive.org
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am grateful to God for this opportunity to write about some of his more misunderstood children, and to L.D. for graciously allowing me to use aspects of her personal story here.
Thanks to the team at the CODE Burt Award for Caribbean Writing, which caused this book to be published. Thanks to Polly Patullo and Papillote Press for your patience and kindness. Thanks to Delacorte Press for giving Home Home the opportunity to reach more people in its second edition, and to my excellent Delacorte editor, Monica Jean.
Thanks to the team of the Bocas Lit Fest, who have done so much for the development and support of Caribbean writers and publishing. Special thanks to Nick Laughlin: your work changes lives.
Thanks to my family and particularly my daughters, Ishara and Najja; my nephew, Taye; and my husband, Brian, for their endless love and care for me when I cannot care for myself.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lisa Allen-Agostini is a widely published novelist, journalist, and poet from Trinidad and Tobago. She writes primarily about the Caribbean, its people, and its culture. Lisa lives in Trinidad with her family; her dog, Sassy; and her fabulous cat, Fennec. Home Home is her second novel for young adults and a Burt Award winner.
lisaallen-agostini.com
@AllenAgostini
What’s next on
your reading list?
Discover your next
great read!
Get personalized book picks and up-to-date news about this author.
Sign up now.
Home Home Page 13