There will be those who think that I’m crazy, but I’ll do anything on earth to save my son. I know that he’s made some foolish mistakes and some very bad decisions, but like I’ve been saying for the past few weeks—since this gang nightmare started—stupidity shouldn’t be a death sentence. So I’m throwing everything I’ve got at the wall, hoping something sticks.
During the past few days, in my latest incarnation as SuperMom, I’ve used every form of electronic communication available to man (or woman) to ask for help from the L.A.P.D., all the way up to the Deputy Chief’s office, every news outlet I could think of, e-mail, phone calls, reaching out in every way possible, to people I haven’t known for 20 years, working to help my son find safe harbor.
I’m such a ba-a-ad mama that I stood up to the gang! [Who am I fooling? I was just that desperate.] I’m not gon’na lie to you, I have been going crazy—trying to front off this “incident” to the grocery clerk, the gas station attendant, the bank teller, not to mention my neighbors, my boss, clients and business associates—all people I normally love to chat with—pretending that I wasn’t looking over my shoulder, scurrying to the car, tucking behind a bush, cutting meetings short; wearing baggy, black get-away clothes, all signs of a fugitive lifestyle.
Okay, so I’m learning to protect my personal safety from possible gang retaliation because if they can’t get at my son, maybe they will come after me. Hey, I've watched enough CSI episodes to know the rules of the streets. My son's gone, okay. So maybe they’re thinking of taking out his moms. [Now that would really prove a point, wouldn't it!]
This afternoon—after an exhaustive day of research, phone calls and passionate conversations with my new deep friend, Aztecs Rising Gang Interventionist, Mario Portillo, and Natalie, a member of LAPD’s top-brass staff, and a mother who cares, I fell into a peaceful slumber. Or so I thought:
----
“Say wa’, homes? That’s the lady who used to bring snacks to H.P. baseball and shit. She was always smiling and shit. And she had good snacks too, man.”
“Naw, homes. No shit? Like, did she bring pizza and shit?”
“Yeah, homes. And Cokes too. In the can and shit. But she was crazy and shit. Always talking about our potential and shit. And she used to pick the cans out of the trash can and talk about recycling and shit and saving money and shit. She made me laugh and shit.”
“Oh yeah, man, I remember that black lady. She came to school and talked about college and careers and we could do anything we wanted to be and shit.”
"Is she the one who talked at graduation about the value of a penny and shit?"
"Yeah. And she was the lady who used to work in the school gardens and shit. I remember that she was old and shit but she had great legs."
"Yeah, dude. That's the one. She worked in all them damn gardens all over Highland Park and shit. S he used to talk about worm gardens and composting...I think that's what it was, and shit."
"I remember that she was down with the little homies to build a skate park and shit."
“No shit, homes? The l'il homies?”
“No shit. She used to talk to us like we was real people and shit. She told me I should be a graphic artist and shit. I used to draw real good, dude.”
“No shit, man? You used to draw and shit? That’s the old lady you want to hit, homes?”
“I don’t want to hit her homes, but her son disrespected us. He’s been greenlighted. And you know how it is.”
“But look, homes, how does that put his old lady in the grave and shit?”
“I dun’no, homes. I don’t get it either. I was just told to do it if we can’t get her son, we got to send a message.”
“A message to who, homes?”
“Uh-h-h-h, yeah, homes, that’s a good question.”
And that’s when I woke up. But, did I?
----
Please ask how you can help the City Attorney’s Victim-Witness Assistance Program so that they can widely distribute their literature and make their services available to at-risk youth citywide, 24-7! And send us your comments so we can send them to the mayor. Please don’t let another parent’s nightmare come true. Together, can we change government policy? I believe that the answer is “Yes, We Can!”
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment