Published: 2025-08-30

It took the authorities ten years to close the Lord’s Daycare Center; I know it because I was there. Not as a childcare worker, but as a kid.

It all started in the summer of 1995. I had turned five years old and was about to start going to school; I was excited. My Mom got me a bunch of stuff: crayons, notebooks, a pair of scissors that could barely cut paper, that kind of stuff. I was a big boy! Even if I still wet the bed sometimes.

Since school didn’t start until after the summer, my parents thought it would be a nice idea to put me in a daycare and let me socialize with other children. I didn’t care that much about the socializing part, but I didn’t have a say.

Conveniently, a new daycare had recently opened near home. I remember when my parents and I visited it for the first time; it was just an apartment. They repurposed a residential apartment to build this daycare. In hindsight, that should have been a red flag.

Inside, kids played with Legos and jigsaw puzzles; others watched TV or read colorful books with dinosaurs on the cover. It seemed like a nice place. My Mom told me to go play with the other children; I grabbed her dress and stayed close to her.

The daycare lady seemed nice. Although younger, she was as tall as my Mom and had a nice smile. The kids seemed to adore her.

She was selling the place hard to my parents. At that time they would have thrown me in jail if they needed. I was already a big kid and they couldn’t stay home taking care of me or afford a babysitter. Thus the deal was closed. Starting the next day I will assist the Lord’s Daycare Center.

And so I did. The next day before 8:00 AM my Mom was standing in front of that apartment door, my little hand holding hers while she rang the bell. The tall, young lady from yesterday opened the door. Same big smile in her face. She and my Mom exchanged some words, grown up talk I guess, and then my Mom left.

Inside the daycare, nobody played with Legos or jigsaw puzzles today; nobody watched TV or read dinosaur books either. Kids just sat there as soulless pieces of meat. I never saw anything like it.

The tall, young lady told me to call her Aunt Marie. I was confused. I don’t remember having an Aunt Marie, and if I had, why didn’t my Mom tell me? I couldn’t say no to such a nice smile, thus I went along with it.

Aunt Marie introduced me to the rest of the kids. They all remained seated and said hello. Either these were the best-behaved kids in the world, or I wasn’t aware of the advancements in bio-robotics. Aunt Marie read me the schedule we had to adhere to and a long list of rules. There was a time to play, there was a time to eat, there was a time to sleep, there was a time to pee. Everything was scheduled. Then there were the rules. The first rule of Lord’s Daycare Center is you don’t talk about Lord’s Daycare Center. Whatever happens there, you are not allowed to tell anyone, especially not your parents. If they ask what you did today, you tell them you watched TV and took an afternoon nap. No more details.

At 8:00 AM we sang the national anthem. There was a flagpole outside the apartment. Aunt Marie would take us there and we would sing while she raised the flag. If you didn’t know the national anthem Aunt Marie would teach it to you. Also, no snacks for those that didn’t know the national anthem. My first day in Lord’s Daycare Center I didn’t get any snacks. I cried.

After singing the national anthem, it was indoctrination time, although, now that I think about it, singing the national anthem was part of indoctrination time.

The kids would sit on their designated chairs and repeat after Aunt Marie. I still remember the chants from that day.

“I will behave.” She said.
“I will behave.” Everyone said.
“I will obey God.”
“I will obey God.”
“I will obey my teacher.”
“I will obey my teacher.”
“I will obey Aunt Marie.”
“I will obey Aunt Marie.”
“I will obey my parents.”
“I will obey my parents.”

If you didn’t repeat what Aunt Marie said, there was no TV for you. My first day in Lord’s Daycare Center I didn’t watch TV. I cried.

We had indoctrination time three times a day.

Aunt Marie kept an obedience score. If you followed her orders she would stick a gold star next to your name, if you didn’t she would stick a sad face instead. A gold star was 1 point, a sad face was -1 point. The kid with the fewer points at the end of the day wouldn’t have snacks the next day. My first day in Lord’s Daycare Center I was the kid with the fewer points. I cried.

That night, I told my Mom I didn’t like the daycare. She thought I’d like it eventually.

The next morning, my Mom asked Aunt Marie if something had happened during my first day, because I didn’t seem to like it. Aunt Marie smiled and did some grown-up talk; my Mom left satisfied.

Kids who tell their parents what happens in Lord’s Daycare Center don’t get to play with Legos. My second day in Lord’s Daycare Center, I didn’t get to play with Legos or eat snacks. I cried.

I spent two years like that. Sing the national anthem, I will behave, play with Legos, I will obey God, read dinosaur books, I will obey my teacher, watch TV, I will obey Aunt Marie, take a nap, I will obey my parents. I cried.

And before I knew it, I too was a robot. Well behaved, no emotion, just sitting there waiting for Aunt Marie’s permission to exist. My parents were pleased. I was always a quiet kid, but now I was well-behaved too. It was like—

“I’m sorry, Mr. García, but the time is up.”
“Excuse me?”
“The time, Mr. García. It has already been an hour. I have other patients to see.”
“Oh. Is that right? I guess I'd better get moving then.”
“Just a minute, Mr. García. There’s something I would like to know.”
“Sure. What is it?”
“You started by telling me the authorities closed the Lord’s Daycare Center. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“And what was the reason?”
“With Aunt Marie gone, the authorities uncovered the whole operation. It was crazy.”
“Whatever happened to Aunt Marie?”

Mr. García paused for a moment and looked the therapist in the eyes.

“I happened to her.”

THE END.