The other day we went to the mall to play. Everything seemed just normal, and he was having a good time interacting with the other kids in the play area. Then I noticed we were the only white people there. I found it interesting to note that there were 2 Asians kids, 2 Indian kids, 4 Hispanics, and 6 Black kids....and then there was Cash. My fair-skinned little white boy. I couldn't help but think to myself that it was ironic that he was the minority!!! However, after living in China where we were definitely the minority it has just become normal, and I really enjoy being where I can see other cultures and hear other languages all talking at once. I enjoyed picking out the few chinese words I knew while there, understanding probably more of the Spanish, and seeing just the different cultural styles and actions of the people. It was actually very entertaining in and of itself.
Then there was the EVENT!!!! There was one little boy who was probably the oldest of the bunch - I will guess 6 or 7. He was being chased by another little boy who was 5 or 6. The younger, and smaller, boy was jumping all over, hitting, grabbing, and bugging the older one to chase him and wrestle with him. They were being a bit rough. I told Cash to stay away from them so as not to get pummeled. They ran outside just a little bit of the play area, and that is when we heard this Big Black Mama (altho probably barely 5 ft. - but BIG) yell out "Jerome, get back inside". She definitely meant business. She was actually outside JCPenneys, however, about 25 ft. away, so it was a little shocking. Then, upon them running out again you heard her even louder, altho now she was about 25 ft. into the JCPenneys. Again, another time she yelled from inside the store, inside the clothing racks (you could still hear her just as well as if she were back outside the store). Well, the kids came back in and were just wrestling some more and her son (the 5 or 6 year old) was really egging on the bigger kid. You could see the frustration on the older boy's face, and after taking a sharp elbow on the shoulder and a choking hold around the neck I think he had had enough. He stood up and started to chase him - the younger jumped on his back and was hitting him in the face and that is when it happened. The older boy just kind of swung him over his head and onto his back onto the hard slab you see above in the bottom of the picture - just like a wrestling move. The younger boy immediately started to scream that his arm was hurt - i think he put it down and it bent backwards during the pinning - not really sure exactly what happened - but he was definitely hurt. He was screaming really loud and everyone's attention at this point in the play area was on him.
The older boy shrank to his knees, and on his face you could see he was sorry and sad he had hurt him, and also scared probably of what was to come. Cash was the first one on the scene, running over and asking if he was all right and saying "what happened, what happened to you?" He knelt right down and tried to help him (SO sweet). I looked up to see if either of the 2 boys involved in the event had their moms coming to check. But none. This other lady came over and asked what happened, but the boy was screaming too loudly and was holding his arm and not talking at all. I looked up to see where the boys mom was in JCPenney, but no customers were within sight at this point. A few minutes later, however, she did emerge, yelling "Jerome, get up. Get on your feet! You know why that happened? Do you? Get up" She didn't look to see if he was ok or help him up, gave him no sympathy, just pulled him by the collar over and sat him down next to her. She asked the other lady if she knew what happened, but she hadn't seen it. Her friend then said "had you been here you would have known and seen it" to which the mama replied "The difference is I was where I could see him and watching him the whole time - the other mom is shopping in the store and can't see her son at all!"
What?!!!! HELLO - if you were where you could see him and were watching him you would have seen what happened and been here quicker than 5 minutes after the fact. Also, you were shopping and NOT in eyesight. Are you kidding me? You are no better, and if you had been watching you would know the older kid was not trying to hurt him, but rather just playing back and your son had been egging him on and pestering the older kid the whole time. I couldn't believe it!
Well, the older kid was looking so sad and just sitting on the ground with his eyes on the floor, almost looking like he was in tears. Cash noticed this and said to him "what's wrong? why you sad? you want to play with me?" I couldn't have been prouder of my little son, and also feeling sorry for this boy who seemed so sad. I then asked him where his mom was and he said "she is in the JCPenney." I said that was sad he was just here alone and he responded with "yea, i have been here a long time." How long i wondered. However, he just was quiet and sat for a little longer. We were actually getting ready to leave at this point and so were packing up and set off. We went into Express really quick and then came out and Cash was riding the horses merry-go-round thing when the next part happened. It is right outside the play area so I looked over to see what was going on. Well, the mom of the 5 year old who had gotten hurt was talking to a policeman, telling him how this boy had hurt her child and how his mom had just left him while she went shopping - and how irresponsible that was and that she was in JCPenneys and all this stuff - just going off on her. The policeman was listening and then set off to find the mother it seemed in the store.
I COULD NOT believe it! The audacity this lady had to go telling the cop all how this other mom was the most terrible mother, and how the kid hurt her son, and on and on after she too had done the EXACT same thing. Do I think the other mom should be found and told she needed to be out here watching her kid? Yes definitely! But i just hoped that the boy wasn't going to get in any trouble and that stuff didn't get taken out on him. This other mom didn't mention she was in the store shopping when the accident happened where the kids wrestling hurt her son - oh wait, she didn't know it was an accident or the fact that her son was provoking it from the start - and she didn't say she wasn't there the whole time and she too had been out of sight in the store - so it just drove me crazy. I thought of goign and saying something myself to the policeman, but thought it best not to get involved and so we left. However, I can't stop thinking about this sweet little boy and hoping his life is better than what it seemed. Hoping that he is taken care of, loved, and treated good and has a happy home life. He was darling, and really sweet (he wanted to play with Griff for a bit til he got attacked by the younger boy to come chase him) and he was really polite and kind. I hope he is ok!
What a day at the playground! Tai jien!
