Written by:
Gabrielle Turner
It bothers me that they never want to go home. They come over almost every weekend. I enjoy having them over but it is hard sending them back home knowing what they are going home to. They live in one of the worse neighborhoods in New Orleans. It hurts me to send them home to a mother who seems to love drugs more than her children. I don't think she would mind if we kept them forever. I know she loves her children but it is hard for me see the love when they haven't had baths in days. It is not right for a 10 year old to witness murders and drug busts. They live with their grandmother in a two bedroom house with twelve people. I don't want to imagine where they sleep.
It is four of them aging from three to ten. The oldest of the four acts as the mother. She is 10 years old. She combs hair, changes diapers, wakes them all up for school, fixes breakfast, and walks with them to school.
They came over one weekend and the baby needed changing. She asked me would I do it because she was tired of changing her brothers diaper. Their grandmother is seventy something years old. It gets hard trying to get seven children bathed and ready for bed. The reason my mom have them over so often is to give their grandmother a break.
I want to give them a break. The oldest of the four told me " if I don't change the diaper no one will." It a shame that there are five people older than fifteen in the house and she is the only one who changes the diaper.
When they come over they think they are coming over to just have fun and play games. They don't realize we are trying to help reshape their lives. When they come over they can't just lay around and eat snacks and leave they mess there. They help me clean up and wash dishes. They help my mom cook dinner. I remember one time we were all sitting around the dinner table and one of them started eating and another said" you better stop eating, You know we have to say grace first." I sat back and smiled. From the first time they came over we taught them that in this house we say grace before we eat. They don't do things like this at home and they enjoy doing it.
People around their house know them because of their mother. They have a reputation. Everyone around the neigborhood know that their mother uses and sells drugs. Because of that they get labeled. They think they are these worthless children with no future when in fact they are the ones on the corner hussling. People tell the youngest girl "you are going to be just like your ma." If I can help it, she won't.
I truly believe God put me and my family in the lives of these children for a reason. It is hard trying to make a crocked line straight. With God on our sides we can help shape the future of these children.