CLOSE CALL??!!!! OR A CALLING CLOSE!
It's Friday morning yesterday. Tiki & I have a routine. I get my coffee (McDonald's) and while I'm mixing my coffee,so it's "just right" she begins the routine.
Tiki: Mom? what song do you like?
Me: hmmm.....(we have about 5 songs we ALWAYS sing in the morning). somewhere over the rainbow.
Tiki: ok. Mom?
Me: yes.?
Tiki: let me sing...K? you don't sing.
Me: ok, ok....I like when you sing.
Tiki: soooomewhere over the raaaaainbow.....(till its over)
(clapping....)
Tiki: now what song do you like?
Me: hmmm..Jingle Bells!
Life is goood, were singing xmas songs...suuuuper happy to be alive.
My phone rings.
My boss informs me of a High School I need to go to. Another one that I was warned about. My heart skips a beat. I was having such a good day. Drop off Tiki.
When I get to work it was slow. so I have NO IDEA what possed me to call my husband.
I said " If for ANY reason I call you & don't say anything...LISTEN CAREFULLY... if you hear me arguing with anyone..CALL THE COPS TO COME TO THIS SCHOOL." Alika was kinda quite...like "what tha???did you drink this morning??!"
Then I get a bit emotional and say...."Tell Tiki I love her". He LAUGHS. " Honey, I will..but you'll be just fine".
My day went smooth, turns out I know one of the security guards....I felt safe. Ten minutes before the bell rings to GO HOME, my early "gut feeling" walked in the door.
This boy is a Samoan ( and on the smaller side). Right away I can tell his on "something". He asks if the Principal or VP was in her looking for him. said no, why? His story begins. I notice the tattoos...all "Gang" kind.
His best friend (a girl ) had been KILLED , thats why he's late. she's only 17, her boyfriend is 30 and he killed her...abuse had gone to far. This boy was blaming himself...that he had not been "there" for her. I just listened. when he stopped I did the best I could to convince him that ITS NOT HIS FAULT. Then he begings this story about "spiderman" ( top gang leader)...how he looks up to him sooo much and wants to be like him! He said to get into the gang, you have to KILL SOMEONE, they call that 'GRADUATION & GETTING YOUR DIPLOMA". he went on to say he wants to "Graduate". NOW I"M FREAKING!! but trying not too. As he talks, hes moving around, licking his lips, biting his cheeks...very nervous..and on something. He's also wearing baggy clothes and constanly putting his hand up his shirt while he describes the "last time" he was in jail for ATTEMPTED MURDER WITH A MACHETE...as he's talking my mind drifts to the call I made to Alika this morning.....Why did I tell him that??? Did I know my fate??? I picture Tiki at school and SOMETHING SNAPPED IN ME...I GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE...NOW!! He was blocking the door. Still being nice and supportive to him I casually get up and say let me see your pass. I move past him to open my door. He kinda looked at me like "Dont open the door" . I just kept thinking...if he tries to hurt me, I AINT GOING DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT. I will get hurt or die TRYING. He saw a security officer (thank GOD) and his whole demeanor changed. He had told me that 2 gangs are going to fight over this girls death tonight...it was sooo terrifying for me that these kids have NO GUIDANCE...that their MENTORS are GANG PEOPLE WHO SNUFF PEOPLES LIVES TO GRADUATE.
Now...I don't know. was he a boy suffering the loss of a dear "friend" and talking out of anger?? Or was I his "Graduation Project??" I look back and can see it COULD OF gone both ways. I prayed before I went to this school and asked God for 2 things. PROTECTION, and GUIDANCE...that if someone needed "HELP" in ANY WAY...give me the right things to say to them.
I picked up Tiki from school and again we began our driving routine.
Tiki: Mom? what song you like??
Boy, I thought I'd never "hear" that again. My eyes filled with water.
Me: Tiki...ANY SONG....SING ME A SONG!!!
Not knowing what just happened to her Mommy, she happily blurts out "JINGLE BELLS....."
I am the luckiest person right now!!!
posted by Dina @ 8:08 AM
6 Comments:
Dina, God knew what he was doing when he found this job for you. I know you were scared but maybe you were who this child needed yesterday. We need to pray these children find someone other than the gang to look up to. That was a good signal you worked out with Alika.
Dina,
Be careful. Don't shut your door if something like this happens again. I have also heard that about being in a gang. They used to get "jumped in" which meant they had to go through a beating. I don't understand gang mentality.
All I can say is Thank you God for getting Dina through Friday safely. And please help this young man know that this life he's living is not life but hearing your little girl sing jingle bells is. Help him live to know that. Help him make it over the rainbow.
Dina..I cried when I read this..I cry not only for my fear that you could have been hurt but also when this sweet little creature was such a comfort to you with her little song and I cry that you were exactly where you were suppose to be in that room talking to that boy..that was probably the first time he was ever able to talk about such things..oh sweetheart..I know fear..believe me, I felt it a few weeks ago..but, that boy knew he could talk to you about that stuff..way to go!!!
Hey Dina,
Sounds like you find yourself in some pretty "intense" schools situations. I have a couple police officer friends who have countless stories of attempts of intimidation and dealing with people who just aren't "all there" if you know what I mean.
They all say that most gang members or troublemakers in general have one thing in common, they prey on they weak and they usually act in groups. They're basically COWARDS!
I'm definitely not saying your weak (I've known you way too long!), but just don't let them see you sweat.
There are two types of strength, physical, but more importantly MENTAL! That's why he backed down when the guard came into the picture. Not only the strenght, but his brain told him the guard was less affraid than the nurse...see....COWARDS!
YOU HAVE THE "GIFT" OF WORDS, I KNOW IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN SAID THAT DAY, YOU WOULD HAVE FOUND THOSE WORDS!
PS:
You may want to make the schools you work at understand that, if they're sending someone in who is a "banger" or on "something", they should be accompanied by some security. Sounds like they should have called the police, not the nurse!
DON'T MAKE ME GET IN A PLANE!!!!
Love ya!
Dianne- Yes I believe that I have been placed here for a reason...I hope I can make a difference!
Vonnie-I think I'm going to ALWAYS have my door open....I don't know or began to understand "gang" mentality...I DO understand it is just that they feel there is NO HOPE!
Candy- I TRULY LOVE TO TRY & help people make it over the rainbow...if I knew FOR CERTAIN, that he had NO INTENT to hurt me, I would of talked to him AFTER CLASS AS WELL!!
Bev-I really doubt he shared this with any or many STAFF from school...I hope he saw I am a "good little witch" ha ha
Mike- your to cute.. youknow me BEST and know I have a ROUGH exterior that really hides the little girl in me. I was hoping he just wanted to talk, but then spotted the "weak" in me...thats when I made my move. YOU KNOW I'M NOT GOING DOWN EASILY!!! Even more so cuz of my baby girl! Thanks for the BACK!!! Maybe I just need to tell you that you guys need to come here and PROTECT me to get ya all back for a visit!!! :)
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