I saw the children playing a game. They were kicking a ball around. I longed to be one of them, normal. One of the little girls was about my height and was also looking over at me. She noticed the green of my eyes. She tugged on her bracelet and shook it for me. It was also green. Someone called her name and she turned around. I wanted to point to her but a delivery truck sped by, ruining her perfect day with muddy puddle water. I wanted to laugh and hug her at the same time. I found out later that her name was Billie.

Each day for me in those days was the same. I was to wake Momma up

when the sunlight streamed into her bedroom. She would leave for work a few minutes after that, and I was to go outside and start playing until the other kids came out. The corner store was only a few blocks away, the baseball field was even farther and the park was very far away and that summer, I would be ten years old. By the time school almost started, I was one of the gang but I had to

prove myself. I had to be the lookout while they went in and stole candy. When they come out, we headed up there to the park to eat our special treats. I would wait outside, according to Billie. It was easier for everyone but especially for me to remain invisible. A cop car stopped us before we began our journey, us being me, Billie, and the other kids. He stared at me.

“What are you doin’ in this neighborhood, little gal?” He asked. Everyone else stopped walking and stared at their shoes. Even the trees along Twelve Mile Road and Ten Mile Road and Nine Mile Road will be quiet. We wouldn’t hear anything until we were closer to the city, which started at Eight Mile Road. Billie spoke for the group: “She’s with me. Her mother works with mine.”

He nodded his head and continued to stare at me. “Just make sure that she gets home before dark,” he shouted out his car window as his police cruiser turned the corner. Billie gave him the finger to claps and applause from the other children. Despite everyone’s lack of understanding, I was welcome solely because

Billie wanted me to be.