Chapters 17 & 18: The Sheltered Workshop, Alone Again Summary

On the day Punky begins work at the sheltered workshop, Delrita travels with him to the job. She's expecting to see handicapped people chained to workstations or being abused by their supervisors, but that's not what she sees at all. As the workers arrive, they greet each other warmly, slapping high fives and talking about what they did over the weekend. There are blind people and deformed people and people with Down's Syndrome, just like Punky. Punky even meets a beautiful girl with Down's Syndrome and it's clear there's an attraction between them. While Punky walks off with his new friends, Boss gives Uncle Bert and Delrita a tour of the facility. Delrita is surprised to see the workers enjoying their jobs, despite the limitations of their handicaps. When he sees Delrita staring...