The True Vyne

"Can you come get Blaque?" I heard a hint of hysteria in Miriam's voice through the telephone line. I was already in bed fast asleep, but I shook off slumber to mutter,"Give me a minute to get dressed, and I'll be right over."

I noticed the flashing blue lights before I got all the way to Miriam's house. When my car pulled into the driveway, Blaque emerged from the police car shivering from the chill of the night air. She spoke softly, "Hey, True. You taking me home?"

"Yes, but give me a minute to sort things out. You have any clothes or homework you need to bring?" I asked.

Blaque clearly looked embarrassed, "I think they might be burned up."

I put my hand to her dark face and whispered, "Nevermind about that. We'll find something later. Go have a seat in my car. It's running so the heater will get you warm."

Miriam shadowed by a police officer came toward me, "True, Marcus (Miriam's boyfriend) and I had a big ugly fight. I walked out of here to get some air, and when I came back the police was here. Marcus put clothes around the kerosine heater to catch them on fire, left the house, and called the police to say my children were alone in the house. A few things got burned, and I might go to jail." She glared toward the policeman, and I tried to absorb the impact of the atom bomb of information I'd just heard.

"Where's your son, Ramone? Does he need to come to my house too?" I inquired. Miriam shook her head, "Nope. Beth done come got him." Beth was my co-worker whose son was friends with Ramone from middle school.

"Miriam, Blaque is good with me until all this is sorted out. Let me know what else I can do for you, okay?" I managed a concerned smile and turned to drive Blaque to my home. I put her to bed in my spare bedroom, and I let her sleep in though it was a school day. I called Buck to pick up some things for her at Wal-Mart on his way home from work.

Once Blaque woke up, we ate cereal together, and I took her to school. I met with the principal to explain, "I'm standing in for Miriam during a family crisis. Blaque can't get to her school books, so could you please round up another set and have the teacher write out work which needs to be done at home? You know, I work next door if you or Blaque need anything."

Blaque lived with Buck and I for one week. She didn't like homework like any other fifth grader. We played Uno and ate pizza. Despite her circumstances, we joked and laughed. I don't recall talking much about what had happened at home, and amazingly the light in her beautiful brown eyes didn't dim.

This is one story which won't end as sadly as the others, because I simply don't know what became of Blaque, or Miriam, or Ramone, or Marcus. They packed up and moved to the Carolina's not too long after Miriam asked for me to bring Blaque home.

Yes, I think of them from time to time and wonder what adult life is like for Blaque. Did she find her way out of the mess? Does she have children of her own? Did Miriam ever make her way out of the cycle of poverty and violence? What is Ramone like now? What happened to Marcus?

The thing is that all these people had unmistakeable and remarkable potential snapped off like a twiggy branch from a wintered tree. In my mind's eye, I can see Miriam as a famous stage actress with her animated voice and strong wiry body connecting an audience to her pain, Ramone a successful businessman in an Armani suit, Marcus a community leader standing firm for the rights his people, and Blaque as a tender mother raising children who know and love themselves. Let that be the end of this story.