Catching Up

There's been a lot of news lately, so this post probably won't be very organized or well-plotted. Danny got into Curie! Yay! So that's three kids I know are in decent high schools out of six or eight. I am only responsible for one of them, which is proof there are responsible and savvy parents on this block. School Lady is responsible but perhaps not so savvy--we have to figure out what is happening with her daughter, who applied to Young but did not get in, like 90 percent of the world. Hmmm...

Three Brady kids have made student of the month at Chavez recently--two this month and one ealier.

Lots of bad news a couple of doors up, where someone we'll call Jay-Z lives. He's a friend of Joey's. His daddy's walking around the neighborhood with a bottle in his hand.I'm pretty sure Daddy was standing out slanging (dealing) tonight. Jay'Z's mama is in jail. "He's not learning anything," his aunt tells me. No wonder.

He's been suspended twice in the last month and his dad's afraid he won't pass sixth grade, even though he's already been ID'd special ed. "He's going to become a criminal," his aunt declared. I'm afraid she's right, if something good doesn't happen for him, and quick. Apparently school people said they didn't think changing schools would help matters. I disagree, and gave his aunt a number to call. I know a charter school that is still looking for 6th and 7th graders. At least he might get real social work service there, although they probably have their own struggles with special ed.

He's come by twice lately telling me he's hungry. I feed him. I don't call DCFS because their policy is relative foster care first and he's living with relatives now, so what's the point? Besides, I have to live with these people, and don't think they wouldn't figure out in five seconds who made that call. I went to Mass at St. Joe's this morning and prayed for Jay-Z's daddy.

Even daddy asked me about counseling. For Jay-Z, not for him. I'll keep on praying, maybe for the nerve to say a few things to Dad about what he need to do to help Jay-Z get it together, like put that bottle down.

Auntie tells me she's tried to talk to her brother, but he's not hearing her, at least not yet. I told her my dad quit drinking when he was 58, so you never know.

If you're the praying kind, please keep Jay-Z and his daddy in your prayers.