A Better one

"Tom, you jive turkey!" George Jefferson shouted. He put one hand on his hips and slammed the door with the other.

 

The channels changed abruptly. Channel 9 News broadcasted from some ghetto neighborhood on the south side.

 

"Apparently, the lady standing in the doorway had some information of her own about her daughter's disappearance. The voice over spoke as several African American residents milled around the courtyard. The camera switched to the broadcaster, who was trying not to read from his cue cards, and then to a picture of a newborn baby.

 

 It had been vibrating for several minutes but she just didn't want to answer. She saw the familiar number on the screen and returned the phone to her lap. She changed the channel again.

 

Renita was an only child, born on the outskirts of Chicago. Her father had left when Renita was 5 or so her mother said. She couldn't really remember him. She and her mother had moved several times before settling in back on the outskirts of Chicago once more, only 10 miles from where she was raised. Renita wasn't sure if she liked the area or not. There were too many nosey white folk always coming by and offering things. For some reason they thought Renita needed some white girl's hand-me-downs. Stupid white people.

 

Renita's mother was a nurse, had been for about 6 years now, and she had all of Renita's respect for the way she had took care of things. Renita was proud of her mother. She was amazed at how her mother had pulled the weight when her father left, all that she could remember anyway. Her mother had payed for Renita's school, her doctor bills and even was able to afford to buy Renita new clothes when it was time for school to start. Although most kids couldn't stand their parents, Renita, at 14, was in awe of her mother. Her admiration grew as the years went by.

 

"After 14 years of searching, Shkinda has finally found the location of her daughter's kidnapers. The suspect is a black female named..."

 

Renita flipped the channel again and noticed that the Jeffersons were on channel 26 as well. This time, George Jefferson was dancing in a pair of tight polyester disco pants. Renita wondered if her father was about his age.

 

Her phone vibrated again and she grit her teeth. "Come on Leon, I don't want to talk to you, right now."

 

"Renita, you better finish your homework before you be talking to that boy!" Renita

s mother spoke from the kitchen doorway. She held a spoon in one hand and an oven mit in the other. Her face was pinched with serious intentions.

 

"okay mama." Renita rolled her eyes and chunked her phone onto the coffee table. She shifted to get her school books from the floor and her rump pressed against the remote control. The channels changed and the stiff white news reporter reappeared. He looked scared to Renita.

 

"My baby...she was a abeautiful baby.." A lady cried while holding on to the reporters arm. Her fake sobs were obvious enough that Renita laughed out loud. As the lady raised back up, she stared into the camera and then remembered to sob again.

 

"What a phoney.." Renita whispered and turned her history book to page 235. She pulled a spiral bound notebook from her backpack and flipped the cover over and under. As she wrote her name, she wondered how her father wrote his name. Renita exhaled and tried to forget him again.

 

"Sources have led us to believe that this woman..." A black and white sketch flashes on the screen momentarily and the reporter continues his sentence. " is the criminal who stole little Martina from the Grayer hospital 14 years ago. Police have been sent to the location to resolve the situation.

 

Renita looked up at the screen just as the sketch flashed once more. She had to double take for a moment because the lady looked so much like her mother. She laughed, "huh, isnt' that funny."

 

Renita looked toward the kitchen and called to her mother. "Hey mom, this lady on television looks just like you. You should come see this, its funny."

 

The picture changed to the sketch of a baby. A drawing of a  baby with the most beautiful big eyes. Renita smiled. "Awww, she is so cute, she looks a little like me when I was a baby."

 

Renita's mind wandered a moment then back to the sketch. Her father used to draw, that is what her mother said. Renita caught a section of some pitures from the corner of her eyes. Her own baby picture stared out at her from its place on the livin room wall. She had been a beautiful baby too. Renita wondered how the mother must feel to have been seperated frm her daughter for all these years.

 

The reporter offered the sketch to the public once more. Renita stared at the baby's features. Her eyes slowly wandered over to her picture on the wall. It took a moment to register with her, but when it did, her stomach sank. Renita felt as though she was about to pass out. Something of a behemoth, a huge knot formed inside her bowels. Renita looked at her baby picture then back to the sketch on the television. Then the sketch disappeared. But it was too late, Renita knew now.

 

She heard the sirens in the distance but her mother's humming was louder. Renita pushed her history book onto the floor and stood. Her feet were heavy as she walked toward the kitchen doorway. The sirens grew louder. She guessed that they were right around the corner.

 

Her mother dropped her dishcloth and walked into the living room, ignoring Renita's tear stained face. The Televison greeted Norma wilmington, mother of Renita, baby theif, criminal and low life, as she licked her lips and closed her eyes. Renita wondered what daddy would do.

 

"Authorities are now on their way to detain the suspect in question. Soon, mother will be reunited with daughter, this fine day of January 26, Tuesday, 2011." The reporter signed off and was replaced with a picture of Norma wilmington. Renita looked at the television as did her mother.

 

The sirens were horribly loud as they pulled into the Wilmington's driveway. Renita looked at her mother and spoke once more.

 

"I love you mother. YOu are the best mother in the whole world."