When I was 8/9 years old I was taken out of public school and sent to catholic school. I don’t know why. At public school (Carver) I went school with all the kids in my neighborhood/apartment complex (Bluemeyer). All black except for two boys with last name Lahue. The black boys were mean/abusive to the two boys daily. They hung in there though. It was awful. They too lived in the complex but on the other side. I can’t say how they were treated outside of school. There was one girl that I considered my friend at Carver. Her name was Rosalind. She too lived in Bluemeyer. My first year at Xavier (catholic school) I met many new people. Dwanita was my newest/closest friend at Xavier. We spent a lot of time together on the phone and outside of school. We’d borrow one another’s shoes, barrettes, jewelry etc. But it was Dwanita that brought up in me once again the uncomfortable feelings of ‘normal’ I experienced at home. I’m not sure if we’d been friends for one school year or two but shortly thereafter Rosalind was enrolled at Xavier. The two new of one another through me but hadn’t met. Perhaps over the phone. I can’t say for sure. I thought this was great! However … not long after the school year started they were the best of friends and wanted nothing to do with me. I was so confused. It was like they were in a secret club or something and I was not imagining things. I was devastated. To this day I don’t know how/why this happened but of course I felt as if I’d done something/it was my fault. That was almost 50 years ago. FIFTY. The first (or second) year of DeeDee’s and my friendship while visiting her at her house she introduced me to a new family w/kids that had moved onto her street. Kim and Michael. Kim and I never developed a friendship. Michael and I did some 30 some odd years later. He became/remained quite dear to me. Him his son and his mother. Michael fell asleep in death on February 02, 2019. At his memorial service I was reminded again by Dwanita exactly how she felt about me this time as an adult and also as a human … who’d lost a loved one … that we both knew. I’m sure she had/has her reasons after all this time. I have closure.
Nikki In a Nutshell 