don’t want to learn. Take a real close look at yourselves.”
“Dang,” Jamal whispered. The room fell quiet, and he looked over at Marcel for some backup. Marcel just gave him a confident smile and shrugged.
Chanta spoke again. “What you know about the system?”
“Excuse me?” Caitlyn planted her feet on the floor.
“You heard me. What you know about the system?” Chanta moved closer to Caitlyn.
Caitlyn looked up at Chanta. “I know what it’s like to depend on the system. Had to depend on it for thirteen years myself. I know what it’s like to have people think you’re stupid and can’t learn. They turn their noses up at you and treat you like you’re trash.” She started to walk off, but pivoted around with her eyes narrowed. “Cut me some slack about staying in the system, and let’s figure out how you’re going to make it out the hellhole you’re in.”
Chanta’s tone was low, apologetic. “So what we got to do?”
“Tell me what you know how to do.” Caitlyn patiently waited for an answer.
Jamal snorted. “They say we ain’t good at doing nothing.”
Caitlyn’s voice held an indignant tone. “Who is ‘they’? I know you can do something.”
Silence.
Caitlyn focused her gaze on Chanta. “You look smart to me. Bet you’re running the books for your man’s money.”
Chanta cocked her head sideways and slowly nodded as she grinned. “Down to the last penny.”
Caitlyn fought back the twinge forming at the corners of her mouth. “You got the heads-up on his inventory, know what walks out the door, and I bet you know who owes him, right?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Well then, sister-girl, in the business world, that’s called inventory control, accounting and money management all wrapped up in one.”
At the end of the session, Marcel walked up to Caitlyn and whispered next to her ear. “Cat eyes, you aren’t a kitten, you’re a tiger.”
Caitlyn thought about Cole and shook her head at the statement. Tigers fought their predators; they didn’t run from one end of the country to the other to get away from them. She noticed that Marcel had fished his car keys from his pants pocket. “Are you leaving?”
Marcel nodded. “I’m going to hang out with Jamal for a little while and talk with him.” He glanced at his watch. “How about lunch at Kincaid’s in an hour?”
Caitlyn smiled. “See you then.”
Once she was alone, Caitlyn neatly stacked the chairs against the wall and never once regretted sharing the hardship of her childhood with the group. She’d done it primarily for Chanta’s benefit and prayed something she’d said would help the girl.
She was headed to her office to catch up on some paperwork when Chanta appeared from a side room.
“Uh, Caitlyn…I mean Ms. Thompson, can I ask you something?”
Caitlyn nodded and patted the girl’s shoulder. “Feel free to call me Caitlyn.”
Chanta offered a soft smile. “I was thinking about what you said today, you know, about us being able to make something of ourselves.”
“I meant every word. You can do it. You all can do it.”
“You know, I’ve always dreamed of being a nurse.”
Caitlyn could hardly contain her excitement. “What’s stopping you?”
Chanta shrugged. “I don’t know. Just ain’t had nobody to talk to about it. I don’t know nobody who’s a nurse who could tell me what it’s like.” She lifted her round face to look at Caitlyn. “Know what I mean?”
“I know exactly what you mean.” Caitlyn’s eyes lit up. “Listen, if you’re really serious about this, I think I can put you in touch with someone. Perhaps she could serve as a mentor.” She saw the glow that brightened Chanta’s face.
“You really mean it? I mean, you think she could talk with me?”
“My word on it.”
Chanta hugged Caitlyn. “You know I’ve been making good grades lately.”
“That’s good.” Caitlyn stared at the floor as a thought ran through her head. “Do you
“Dang,” Jamal whispered. The room fell quiet, and he looked over at Marcel for some backup. Marcel just gave him a confident smile and shrugged.
Chanta spoke again. “What you know about the system?”
“Excuse me?” Caitlyn planted her feet on the floor.
“You heard me. What you know about the system?” Chanta moved closer to Caitlyn.
Caitlyn looked up at Chanta. “I know what it’s like to depend on the system. Had to depend on it for thirteen years myself. I know what it’s like to have people think you’re stupid and can’t learn. They turn their noses up at you and treat you like you’re trash.” She started to walk off, but pivoted around with her eyes narrowed. “Cut me some slack about staying in the system, and let’s figure out how you’re going to make it out the hellhole you’re in.”
Chanta’s tone was low, apologetic. “So what we got to do?”
“Tell me what you know how to do.” Caitlyn patiently waited for an answer.
Jamal snorted. “They say we ain’t good at doing nothing.”
Caitlyn’s voice held an indignant tone. “Who is ‘they’? I know you can do something.”
Silence.
Caitlyn focused her gaze on Chanta. “You look smart to me. Bet you’re running the books for your man’s money.”
Chanta cocked her head sideways and slowly nodded as she grinned. “Down to the last penny.”
Caitlyn fought back the twinge forming at the corners of her mouth. “You got the heads-up on his inventory, know what walks out the door, and I bet you know who owes him, right?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Well then, sister-girl, in the business world, that’s called inventory control, accounting and money management all wrapped up in one.”
At the end of the session, Marcel walked up to Caitlyn and whispered next to her ear. “Cat eyes, you aren’t a kitten, you’re a tiger.”
Caitlyn thought about Cole and shook her head at the statement. Tigers fought their predators; they didn’t run from one end of the country to the other to get away from them. She noticed that Marcel had fished his car keys from his pants pocket. “Are you leaving?”
Marcel nodded. “I’m going to hang out with Jamal for a little while and talk with him.” He glanced at his watch. “How about lunch at Kincaid’s in an hour?”
Caitlyn smiled. “See you then.”
Once she was alone, Caitlyn neatly stacked the chairs against the wall and never once regretted sharing the hardship of her childhood with the group. She’d done it primarily for Chanta’s benefit and prayed something she’d said would help the girl.
She was headed to her office to catch up on some paperwork when Chanta appeared from a side room.
“Uh, Caitlyn…I mean Ms. Thompson, can I ask you something?”
Caitlyn nodded and patted the girl’s shoulder. “Feel free to call me Caitlyn.”
Chanta offered a soft smile. “I was thinking about what you said today, you know, about us being able to make something of ourselves.”
“I meant every word. You can do it. You all can do it.”
“You know, I’ve always dreamed of being a nurse.”
Caitlyn could hardly contain her excitement. “What’s stopping you?”
Chanta shrugged. “I don’t know. Just ain’t had nobody to talk to about it. I don’t know nobody who’s a nurse who could tell me what it’s like.” She lifted her round face to look at Caitlyn. “Know what I mean?”
“I know exactly what you mean.” Caitlyn’s eyes lit up. “Listen, if you’re really serious about this, I think I can put you in touch with someone. Perhaps she could serve as a mentor.” She saw the glow that brightened Chanta’s face.
“You really mean it? I mean, you think she could talk with me?”
“My word on it.”
Chanta hugged Caitlyn. “You know I’ve been making good grades lately.”
“That’s good.” Caitlyn stared at the floor as a thought ran through her head. “Do you
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