Spring 2009

Christopher had an inquisitive mind at his young age. He liked the school he attended, which was 23 minutes away from Englewood. Concurrently, Derek was concerned that his nephew was one of the few Black students there. Only 30% of the number enrolled were, in fact, non-white. Christopher nonetheless managed to make friends and get straight-As on his report cards, though a 'B' would appear once in a while. The second grader's day-to-day routine was standard. In the mornings, Momma Dean would help him get ready for school. Chenille would drop him off by 7:30am. Christopher attended a club after school until 4:30pm. It was all good until it wasn't.

One day, Derek was surprised when he received a call from Christopher's school. Chenille wouldn't get off work until 6:30pm. Momma Dean had found a new job as an accountant. When he drove up to the school grounds, he saw his nephew sitting on the steps alone. That wasn't right; there should be a grown-up supervising him. The cornrow-sporting boy had a toothy grin at the sight of his uncle's car pulling up to the curb. He sprinted towards it as it made a complete stop. "Uncle Derek!"

"Hey, little man." They greeted each other with a fist-pump once the passenger door opened. "Where are your friends?"

"Still inside." Christopher secured himself in his seat. "Thanks for coming to get me."

"No problem." His uncle drove them off the campus. He waited until they left Oak Park to discuss what happened. "I thought you wouldn't be done for another hour."

He shrugged, " The teacher told me to leave."

Derek's eyebrows knit together disapprovingly. "Why? Did you get into a fight?"

"No."

"You weren't hurt, were you?" Another no. He didn't like the nagging sense he was getting. "Did your teacher tell you why you had to leave?"

"He just told me I'm supposed to give this letter to Mom." As the convertible stopped at a red light, Christopher gave his uncle a white flat envelope from his backpack. The phrase "To the Parent/Guardian of" was stamped on the front. Underneath was the boy's name written in cursive.

They exchanged a glance. "Listen, your mom and G-Ma won't be home soon. How about another dance lesson?"

His forlorn nephew looked at him with renewed excitement. "Yeah!" Christopher loved the arts; he especially shared his interest in hip-hop music with his uncle. Chenille wouldn't let her son listen to certain artists from that particular genre until he was "over 13 years old". At the same time, Derek himself did want the 7-year-old to retain an ounce of innocence. He found a loophole by educating him about the history of hip-hop culture. After that, Christopher wanted to learn dance moves. The sessions were taken place at Emerald Park after the basketball court wasn't used. Derek played a setlist of clean singles on his stereo. The boy quickly mastered the basics within a few months. Surely enough, he started freestyling. That afternoon was one of those days. His 25-year-old uncle was happy to see him distracted from his troubles at school; however, he himself couldn't ignore his own suspicions.

When Chenille and Momma Dean got home, Derek was helping Christopher with homework. The moment was merely the calm before the storm. After dinner, his mother was reading the letter intended for her. She was suddenly outraged with its content. "What on Earth is this?"

"What did it say," Momma Dean questioned. Chenille couldn't answer without raising her voice again. Christopher would hear her from the bathroom. He was getting himself ready for bed at the time. Therefore, she passed it to her brother, who orated:

Dear Sir or Ma'am,

This letter is to inform you that your child has an outstanding balance of $1,250 due to unpaid tuition and/or other fees. The student is thus exempt from attending any extracurricular activities including field trips and after-school programs. All charges must be repaid within 21 days from today. Otherwise, your child will likely face expulsion.

Derek didn't read further; he didn't have to. He thought the worst reasons possible. Some of which were better left unspoken. The truth was stupid. Not the good kind, the kind where his bottom jaw was dropped to the floor. "Are they for real?"

"I just paid them last month when I was re-enrolling my son for the next term. How are they gonna expel him over some bogus fees?"

"I thought his scholarship covers everything."

"It was only for Christopher's first year. I can't keep paying them out of pocket with the rent increasing. Maybe I should apply for the voucher program."

"You better reconsider; there's something I have to tell you." When Derek recollected what happened when he was picking up Christopher, he didn't know who was livider: Chenille or Momma Dean. It culminated with all three adult Reynoldses arriving at the seemingly pristine school the very next day.


Summer 2009

Following the showdown in the principal's office, it was decided that Christopher would be going to a different school in the fall. He was bummed about it. After all, he wouldn't hang out with his friends. Momma Dean assured him that he would be able to make new ones. Chenille settled on her and Derek's old elementary school as an alternative. It, like other buildings, had undergone some developmental changes from the housing crisis. She wasn't certain whether they were positive or negative at first. When she revisited it, she was impressed but not to the point of getting her hopes up.

For Christopher's 8th birthday, the family drove to the pier at Lake Michigan. They rode the Centennial Wheel and the funhouse maze. They ate a deep-dish pizza heavy with toppings. The day was rounded out with exploring several outdoor art exhibitions. Christopher claimed that was his favorite moment before he went asleep on the drive home.

It was around that time Derek took a radical step into his own future. He enrolled into Kennedy-King College for the incoming term as a part-time student. What made this decision outlandish was that he didn't know what subject to study. He had shelved lingering medical aspirations a long time ago. Could he still become a pediatrician? Maybe. Would he leave his family to do so? Hell no.

On the day of college orientation, Chenille wanted to go to the store with Christopher for school clothes. But her car couldn't start; Momma Dean's car also had a faulty engine. Derek didn't mind taking public transportation. He just needed to get the student orientation on time. As he was paying the fare, he heard a voice nearby. "D? Is that you?" He looked directly at the smirking bus driver. Despite the facial hair, he was recognizable due to the scar above his left eyebrow.

"Malakai?" He couldn't believe his former homeboy was out of the pen. "How? When?"

"I got out last week."

Derek raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

"What's it look like? This is my job. Part of my parole."

"Parole?"

"Yeah, my sentence got cut short for good behavior. You know, you're holding up the line, right?" Derek looked at the impatient passengers standing behind him. Feeling self-conscious, he sat five rows away from the front and Malakai. The same brother who prided himself on being a thug was now friendly and calmer. "It has to be a front," Derek said to himself. A new bunch of passengers boarded as he was getting off at his designated stop. Malakai hollered to him, "Hey, I forgot to tell you. I saw that white girl you dated in high school the other day." The driver closed the doors after the last one was seated. Derek wasn't paying attention to the departing bus or which direction he should be going. His mind was on one thing only. Sara was back in the neighborhood!