A Day at PAPATYA
In the morning at 8 o’clock the carer Maya, who has stayed overnight, wakes the girls. A carer is in the apartment round the clock. At half past 8 everyone is sitting at the breakfast table, talking about how they have slept and discussing who is going out today or has an appointment. Jasmin is still very tired. It was her first night at PAPATYA and she is happy, that she did not have to sleep in a room on her own. The big apartment has room for eight girls in a single bed room a two- bed room and a three- bed room. She has talked half the night with her bed neighbour, Sara.
Yesterday Jasmin was accompanied by her teacher to the Youth Emergency Service and then brought to PAPATYA. Her brother had observed her at school with a boy and now she is very frightened what will happen when her parents hear about it. There was already stress at home. At the Youth Emergency Service she had telephoned a staff member from PAPATYA, who had explained the rules to her: Each girl must hand in her mobile phone (cell phone); is not allowed to tell anyone the address; is not allowed to have any visitors; and is only allowed to go out with permission. Everyone has to be back at the apartment for dinner, which is eaten together. Each resident can make phone calls from the girls’ telephone and can also use the computer. The girls are not contactable. Jasmin accepted the rules because it is important to her to be in safety.
Sara is not hungry. She is nervous because today she is going to meet her parents at the Youth Office. On the telephone her family cried and said that nothing would change. They claimed that so far no-one knows that Sara is gone. When Sara comes home, they want to start afresh as if nothing has happened. Sra is uncertain whether her parents really can change. She is happy that two carers are going to accompany her to the meeting.
At nine o’clock Tülay comes. She is responsible at PAPATYA for the household, for cooking and shopping and she joins the others at the table. Two girls clear the table and pack the dishwasher. Everyone has to do chores in the household and the tasks are divided up each week. The girls who have midday tasks discuss with Tülay what they are going to cook together later. Then the girls decide who will do what. Sara goes to have a shower; two girls go shopping with Tülay. Jasmin stays with two others sitting at the kitchen table. They listen to music and play cards. Jasmin is getting to know the other girls a bit better. She had not thought that there were others who had the same experiences as her at home.
At ten o’clock Maya goes home and new staff members come to work: Johanna, Sevda and Shirin, the trainee. Shortly afterwards Sara has to set off with Johanna and Shirin for the meeting with the parents at the Youth Office.
Sevda asks Jasmin to have an introductory conversation in the consultation room and Jasmin tells her about her life, her family and why she has run away from home. Sevda explains to Jasmin what will now happen: She will make an introductory appointment with the responsible Youth Office. Jasmin will be accompanied to this appointment. In addition, Sevda will inform Jasmin’s school that she is not able to attend for a while. Neither the school, nor the Youth Office nor her parents will find out exactly where Jasmin is staying. She will have the peace and time to think about how her life should go on.
About half past twelve there is lunch, during which Sara, Johanna and Shirin arrive. Everyone wants to know how the conversation with the parents went. Sara is relieved that she has it behind her and proud because she managed to tell her father to his face what she had not been able to put up with at home. Her father had suggested that she could live with an uncle. If Sara decides against that, the Youth office will ask her parents to agree that Sara should be placed in a residential group (group house/flat) Sara does not think her parents will accept that. If that happens, she can, with help from PAPATYA, apply to the Guardianship Court. Sara hopes that her father will prefer to sign this agreement than to risk a court hearing.
After lunch many girls are in a hurry. From 2pm they can go out. Jasmin is supposed to stay at home today. Sevda wants to see first how her parents act at the Youth Office. Jasmin herself is also too afraid to want to go out. She wants to phone her best friend and ask whether she has seen her parents at the school. Jasmin asks Sevda whether she has to have a conversation with her parents. Sevda thinks that that is still very difficult to judge but that Jasmin will always have a say about what the next steps should be.
At 3 o’clock the girls are allowed to watch television but today Jasmin finds it more interesting to set with Amina on the balcony and to talk about her boyfriend. The times goes fast and suddenly it is 7pm and the others all come back. Nora, who is the carer who has the night shift also arrives.
At 7 o’clock there is dinner. After dinner some of the girls stay with Nora in the kitchen doing crafts, others watch TV or make phone calls from the girls’ telephone. At 10.30pm Nora sends everyone to bed. Jasmin does not feel so strange in her room. She whispers with Sara for along time before they fall asleep.
