Why this

There is a 4 year old that follows us around at church asking me...
What's wrong with her? What's wrong with her shoulders?
This happens so often.
She shuts off and I'm left to try, as fits the situation and the age of the child to quickly explain. I never know quite what to say--I feel loyalty to make her feel as comfortable as possible as I tell strangers about her medical problems.
I'm not quite sure why they ask me, when she can hear and talk perfectly.

Children everywhere we go stare as she zips by--
she puts on blinders and drives on.
A couple of times in bad moments I've asked them not to stare, that it makes us uncomfortable.
Its like fighting a losing battle.

Sometimes we'll hear, "Mommy, I want one of those scooters, she is so lucky!"
If only they realized... but its a nice change from those who did.
Old folks, they're the best.
I tell her it's because they have life experience. They have seen enough to understand.
Little grandpas wave at her. Smiling grandmas address her and love her scooter and her eyelashes.

The other day I thought it was a safe place
a backyard sandbox, a couple of children.
But the truth poured out on the way home. They had quizzed her about her feet
("just put your heels down, just do it"), her knees, her shoulders and her back...Was it real or did she have a toy or something in her shirt? They came and poked her just to check. And, "You're the weirdest person I've ever seen", and "Do you have any friends at all?
It was awkward and embarrassing (her words) and she cried as she told me.
Can you put the blame on curiosity? cruelty?
Do you blame the parents like you blame the owners of a naughty dog?
We decided to chalk it off as lack of experience.

Still after everything she been through
Why this too?