Some Interesting Days

The other day a few of the kids gave me a little tour of the hood. They went to show me a fort they made behind an apartment building but it was torn down. So they took me out back of the hood where there is an open area they say is owned by the complex next door and is used as a dog walk area. There were a few crude tree forts there but they seemed proud of them. A little further was a drinking area with a lot of empty beer cans scattered all over. They didn't know who had done that. But as we were walking back, one of the apartment complex owners was telling us that we shouldn't be back there. I said isn't it a dog run for the neighbors? He mumbled something and moved on. The kids say he always yells at them except when there is an adult nearby. I told them that some adults think that all kids are punks.

Last nite we were having dinner on our patio when we heard a fire truck come into the hood. We knew it was close so we went over to see what was going on. Right on the corner of Dakan Court and Farm Drive there was a guy in the middle of the street with blood and guts on the ground and he was convulsing. The paramedics were working on him. Found out from a few of the kids that a car was driving down Farm Drive and this guy was hanging way out the window Then the guy falls out of the car onto the pavement. (paramedics said he was high). The driver got out and took a look at him and then took off. Our friend Adam works for the fire department and was there busy working on the guy. Patty asked the kids hanging around if anyone saw anything and a few did. So we encouraged them to share what they knew with the police. Some were reluctant.

We left for awhile and came back a few hours later and there were 2 cops still there and a bunch of the kids. They were waiting for the crime scene clean up guy to show up and clean up the blood on the street. One of the cops, Ed, was talking to the kids and Patty and I introduced ourselves. The kids said he was a real nice guy to them unlike some ot the others that come through the hood. The kids were all sitting on the hood of his car. Nice cop. Ed said the guy that was hurt was brain dead and they were waiting for the parents to show up to pull the plug. How sad. Nobody in the hood knew him.

Today we heard that they arrested the driver and were still looking for the guy who lives in the hood (in Dakan Court) who was a friend. One of the younger kids mentioned that he could not sleep last nite due to thinking about what happened. This was a teachable moment. Patty asked him if he prayed for God to help him get to sleep. Sad that a 7 year old has to see this. The comment going around was that no one in the hood had ever actually died. This was a big thing to the kids.