I saw my ma crying in front of two strangers, although it was something she had never let me see. I saw her in uniform. It was cold. She had on her long, scratchy, gray cotton trench. It was open because she never buttoned it all the way up, only held it tight across her every morning when she walked out of the house for work. Her long, fat, out-of-style shoelaces were frayed and dangling at the ends but somehow she never stepped on them. She had her black knit cap pulled down over her scar.

“I’m for real, sir … I mean, I woulda remembered if I had seen her in the last couple of days. She kinda cute … Oh sir, I’m sorry I’m not trying to be funny… I’m just trying to help … But you know I guess I gotta get back to my homework …”

My ma …

“Oh, ma’am, my name Rasul… umm my aunt and uncle live here but they out of town now … naw I don’t go to high school I go to Olive Harvey… umm I’m nineteen, ma’am … you tell me your apartment and I can let you know …”

My ma …

“Well, she probably alright. She probably just at her friend’s house or something … oh, you already been there … you been back? Oh, you been everywhere … Man, she ain’t been to school… she got a boyfriend?”

My ma …

“Ma’am, I’m really sorry for your situation right now but I’m pretty sure she okay … uhn huh … uhn huh … I don’t think you should be all upset ’cause you know girls do this all the time … run off somewhere for a couple days … I know she gone come back but she just got to get ready I guess … uhn huh … uhn huh …”

My ma …

“I mean you might just be overreacting … I’m sure it ain’t nothin’ … you should calm down … she gone be back in a couple of days … Ma’am … Ma’am … I think you should just go home and quit worrying and calm down …”