Most Unusual

First, I want to tell you, I am a Foster Mom of five boys, ages 3 yrs to 19 yrs. And the one I want to tell you about is the 3 yr old.

I'll call him Brandon. He has been with us now for two yrs. We live in a split level house.

From almost the beginning I felt something different about him. He would play for hours by himself, laughing out loud and making all kinds of noises. He would curl up in a ball and laugh and squeal at times. I just loved (at first) to hear him playing and laughing so hard.

The law requires that we have a gate at the top of our stairs. Brandon just learning to crawl and pull himself up would always use that gate and would stand for ages making baby sounds and hand motions over the top of the gate.

One beautiful summer day, I was in the kitchen, Brandon was walking by then, and I heard him making his baby sounds and laughing and I turned just in time to see him go past the kitchen door. But, he wasn't alone...I also caught the outline of a tall man going right behind Brandon. I leaped the three steps from where I was standing to the door calling Brandon's name. He hadn't gotten to the next door way before I caught him and he was alone.

We hear Brandon talking in his room while playing all the time. He can talk very well for a three yr old and any one listening and not knowing any better would think he had a "human" friend in the same room with him....but, he doesn't. There is never anyone there when I try to sneak up on him. He'll say things like: yes, I like you, you play with this one, you're funny, I like that song- sing it again, you can put on my coat, the dogs are loud....This baby IS talking to SOMEONE, who I don't know!!!

About six weeks ago, me and the bigger boys were outside pulling up shrubs that I no longer want in the yard. Brandon was out there with us. The man across the street came over and told me his wife had passed away at home and he was waiting for someone to come and get her. This woman just loved my kids and was always making soup, cookies etc for them. I knew we would all miss her very much.

Three or four days after her funeral, Brandon and I was sitting on the front step waiting for Daddy to take us Bye-Bye, as Brandon would say. I bent down into my purse to get my cigarettes not looking anywhere but my purse when...Brandon throws up his hand and with a big grin yells, Hi Miss Edie, got me any cookies today...I stopped in mid-air and looked up and saw NOTHING!

Brandon will stand at the window and will say to me...Miss Edie is working. He would say that when she would be hanging her clothes on the line to dry.

I have always been a very open minded person, but even though I love this kid with all my heart, he scares the biscuits out of me sometimes. It has gotten to the point that I hate being alone in this house with him. He is a Most Unusual kid.