1907

I don’t like waiting. If it were my choice, people would always just leave at the right time, so they get to wherever they want to go when they are supposed to be there, and no one would have to wait. Mom and I took a taxi here. I always like to go for a ride. That waiting isn’t bad. There’s a lot to look at when you’re riding in a car, although this car ride is getting old now. We’ve done it so many times that I think I’ve seen everything there is to see by now. Everything on the way that is. Ever since we started coming here, I’ve been wanting to stop and look at all the things outside the building, but Mom always says that we don’t have enough time. I don’t understand why. Once we get inside, we just sit and wait some more. I wish we could take a few minutes to look around when we get here. I want to go look at the statue of the lady with the blindfold. And there is a brick beside the door we go in with the letters “MCMVII”. What is that supposed to spell?

Today we had plenty of time before our meeting. But it didn’t matter; Mom was in a hurry still. As soon as the Taxi stopped, I felt my mom’s hand grab my arm. She held it while digging through her purse with her other hand. She paid the taxi driver and then pulled me out onto the sidewalk. My mom always pulled me along when we came here. That’s not usually like her. She usually asks me to hurry up when I’m not going as fast as she wants me to. But whenever we come here, she pulls me along without saying anything.

Once we made it to the door at the top of the stairs, we ran into a man who was also going into the building. He took off his hat and held the large wooden door open for us. Mom thanked him and reminded me to do the same, which I did, and then she immediately pulled me inside. There were a lot of people inside, just like there usually was, and everyone was in a rush, just like they usually were. They walk by really fast without looking at you, or talk on their phone in a loud whisper, or both at the same time. Sometimes there are people who cry too. They’re the only ones that don’t seem to be in a rush.

One time, I saw my Dad in the hallway when we came in. He was just standing with Mr. Atkins, the man who sits with Dad on his side of the room. When he saw me, he turned his whole body so that we were straight in line with each other. Then he smiled, and his eyes opened wide. I pulled away from Mom’s hand and ran to Dad as fast as I could. Dad picked me up high above his head before giving me a big bear hug. Dad and I do this every time we see each other now. It used to be just when he was getting home from work, but now it’s every time, no matter where we are. I like it better now that we do it every time.

Today, when Mom and I got to the room, Dad and Lilly were already sitting inside. Dad was on his side of the room, sitting at his big wooden desk on the other side of the wooden gate, and Lilly was sitting on the long bench behind him. Mom went to sit behind the big wooden desk on her side of the room, and I sat down next to Lilly. “What does MCMVII spell?” I asked her. Lilly gave me a funny look and started shaking her head, “That doesn’t spell anything.” “Here, try to be quiet when I go up,” she said. She reached into her purse and handed me my airplane. She usually didn’t have anything for me, but I had left my airplane over at Dad and Lilly’s apartment. The last time I was there, Mom called Dad while we were out eating at a restaurant. I could hear her yelling at him on the phone. We had to rush back to the apartment, and when we got there, Mom was waiting in the parking lot. Mom made me leave with her. I didn’t realize until after we got home that I had forgotten my airplane.

Just as I had gotten down on the floor to play, the police officer told us all to stand up for the black lady while she walked in to sit down. I call her the black lady because she wears a long black dress every time I see her. She doesn’t seem to be all that nice either. Today, Lilly got to go in front of the wooden gate because the black lady, Mr. Atkins, and Mr. Adler had to ask her questions. They didn’t ask me any questions. Lilly said it was because I was too young, and I won’t have a choice until I’m older. If I did get a choice, I think I would go with Lilly and Dad.

After everyone was done talking, Mom and I left to go back home. Dad and Lilly left to go back to their apartment. Lilly said I get to come over every weekend now, but not for Christmas. When we left, Mom was crying more than she usually does, and Mr. Adler, the man who sits with her at the table in the room, was giving her a hug. We stood there for a while until the taxi pulled up. Mom and I got in, and before we left, Mr. Adler told me, “Take care of your Mom. You’re officially the man of the house now”. I wasn’t sure what that meant; it’s something that people have said to me before. I don’t know how to take care of my Mom. I think that maybe just being quiet helps. The car started driving away from the sidewalk, and I turned around to look behind us. I again wondered what those letters next to the door spell. And I tried to get one last look at the statue of the blindfolded lady. Today is Thursday, so I think I will be able to go over to Dad and Lilly’s apartment tomorrow after school. Was it just Saturday and Sunday I get to go over there, or does Friday after school count as the start of the weekend? I should have asked Lilly because I’m not sure. I want to ask Mom, but I think I’ll just wait and figure it out myself. She is still crying a lot, so it’s probably best that I keep quiet. This weekend, I think I’ll ask Dad what I need to do to take care of Mom. If anyone knows how to do it, it must be him.