Cathy's Creative Corner: The Wright Kids (Part 2)
To read The Wright Kids (Part 1), click here.
“Hello. Is this Mrs. Barbara Porter?” Crystal queried when she heard an elderly voice on the other end of the line.
“Why, yes, it is,” the lady replied.
“My name is Crystal Long. I’m calling from the Childcare Division of Social Services. I’m the new caseworker for Desmond and Demitria. Looking at their file, I see there hasn’t been a home visit in quite some time. Would it be alright if I come by in a couple of days to review their case?”
“Yes, ma’am, you can. I don’t have anywhere to go this week. No doctor appointments. So stop by anytime that’s convenient for you. Keep in mind, if they need to be here, the kids don’t get home from school ‘til after four o’clock.“
“Okay, today is Monday,” Crystal said as she eyed her appointment book. “Let’s set a tentative date for this Thursday at three. That’ll give you a chance to discuss issues with me before the kids get home that you may not want them to hear.”
“Oh, we ain’t got no secrets from one another. I don’t keep secrets from them, and likewise, Demi and Des don’t keep secrets from me. It’s too hard to keep up with the lies that come with secrets. But there is something I need to get off my chest with you people. I’ll be looking for you Thursday.” With that, Mrs. Porter hung up the phone.
Crystal stared at the phone in her hand and rehashed the conversation she just concluded. She wondered if she said something wrong or did she misread the grandmother’s attitude? Either way, she had to continue on with the case. Before Thursday, she needed to interview both the school counselor and the neighbor who had expressed concerns.
A quick phone call to the school revealed that Demitria experienced a panic attack when one of her teachers suffered the loss of a grandparent. The counselor said the teen had shortness of breath and trembled uncontrollably. She remained in the counselor’s office until she could stop crying. During this time, Demitria expressed her concerns about her grandmother being the siblings’ only relative. The counselor called Social Services to see if protocol would allow them to locate other relatives. As for Desmond, the counselor said he was a model student.
Crystal’s next call was to the concerned neighbor, Vanessa Langley. She introduced herself as being in charge of neighborhood watch. Ms. Langley said, on various occasions, she observed Desmond hanging out with gang members in the alley behind her house. She shared he smokes with them and may be drinking for all she knew. She even heard he was the lookout for a recent home invasion. She was aware his grandmother didn’t know these things but thought someone with authority should tell her to emphasize the severity of the issue. After a call to the nearest police precinct, Crystal wondered about the credibility of Ms. Langley’s observations. There were no known gangs or gang members in the vicinity of where the family lives.
Thumbing through the Wright children’s folder, Crystal found it odd there was no mention of their parents at all. Apparently, they haven’t been in the children’s lives for some time. Why do people do that? she pondered. Have kids and put them off on a parent to raise? Don’t jump to conclusions, she admonished herself. That may not be the case. They could have died unexpectedly. At least, Desmond and Demetria weren’t placed in a group or foster home. They indeed had the love of their grandmother. Crystal looked forward to wrapping up this case on Thursday.
