Page 2 of Scribbled Excellence

Are you prepared to facilitate a murder?Lucy had heard a lot of words in the fifteen years that she’d been in her field. Those were the first that jolted her soul. In the break of her heart, she asked, “If the state pursues guardianship, are you prepared to petition for custody, Miss Bennett?”

It was at that moment that she made the decision to address Tomorrow like the adult that she was far before her time. The respect had been earned. She was not a child; she was a parent.

Graduation was in three weeks and prom was this weekend. Prom dresses and outfits for graduation was what she should have been doing. College applications were the only concern she should have had. The art school that she had had her eyes on since she was fourteen seemed so close. Instead, it was moved increasingly out of reach. She was now faced with one of the biggest decisions that would permanently change her life forever.

Yes, she took care of her siblings, but she didn’t have custody of them. The schools gave grace when they allowed Tomorrow to attend parent-teacher conferences in lieu of Michelle. This was something that they had become accustomed to. Parents with substance or alcohol addictions. They were happy that August and Tuesday had someone like their sister in their corner. She was all that they had.

There was only one answer to the question that Lucy asked. She knew what she had to do. It actually wasn’t a had to . . . it was a want to. “Yes, I am prepared.”

“Do you understand that this means you will be taking full responsibility for both children? Their one hundred percent care will be completely in your hands.” This was even more to take on than she already had been.

Tomorrow nodded her head as if Lucy could see her. Her eyes fell on her brother who slept comfortably on the couch. It was a couch that Tomorrow found at a secondhand store in an affluentneighborhood. It was specifically made for people to sleep on. A couch that retailed at over $3,000, she was able to talk the owners of the store down to $600.

“I completely understand what it means, and I am willing, able, and ready to do it. You are asking me to do something that I have already been doing for years. All you are doing is giving me court approval to keep doing what I already am,” Tomorrow responded with confidence and love.

The first smile of the night surfaced on Lucy’s face. God had blessed August and Tuesday with the sister that they needed. “I will get the paperwork started.”

Months Later

The Day We Stayed Together . . .

The day had finally come. After months of interviews, hearings, home visits, financial reviews, and obstacles, the papers would be signed today. While others that graduated with Tomorrow were more than likely sprucing up their dorm rooms, she sat in a courtroom with her siblings.

August sat on one side of her in his suit that his sister found at the same thrift store that she’d purchased their couch. He tried to sit there with the demeanor of a strong man when, on the inside, he was a scared little boy. He had to be strong for his sisters. He was the man of the house at his tender age.

Tuesday sat on the other side of her with her stuffed cat firm in her embrace and her head on her sister’s shoulder. To her, this was all confusing. Why did someone have to give her sister permission to do something that she had been doing all along? Itdidn’t make sense in her developing mind. All she knew was her sister. Michelle was a special guest in Tuesday’s life, but she still loved her mama.

The large State of Georgia seal that towered behind the bench was intimidating. Everything about the courtroom was. It was as if it was designed to put you in your place, wherever that was. Tomorrow hoped that her place would be as her siblings’ legal guardian.

The side door behind the bench opened finally. Out stepped a beautiful Black woman who looked to be in her mid-sixties. Her salt-and-pepper hair added elegance and gracefulness to her that was memorable. Her eyes were kind and radiated the power of Black excellence.

“All rise. Judge Sharon Black presiding.” Everyone stood. They remained standing until she took her seat and instructed them all to sit.

The hearing began. The magnifying glass was pulled out. The attorneys spoke, the social workers gave testimony, as well as teachers and school administrators. They reviewed every record that they could review from school, to medical, to finance. The home evaluations were reviewed with a fine-tooth comb.

“Miss Bennett, what is your annual income?” Judge Black questioned.

The day after Tomorrow graduated from high school, she began to apply for entry-level call center positions. They were all work from home positions that supplied the equipment needed for the job. Some even gave a stipend for internet service if hired. It took about three weeks before she was hired full-time with benefits. She couldn’t add her siblings, but they were on Medicaid, which she hoped they stayed on. “My annual salary is twenty-eight thousand dollars.”

Judge Black stared at her for a moment. Her expression was unreadable. “Miss Bennett, how do you intend to provide for your siblings and yourself while pursuing your own education?”

“I have a plan. While my annual salary may not be the greatest, the company that I work for has upward mobility and great benefits that include tuition reimbursement. I plan to use that at some point. I have a financial budget that I worked on with Miss Atwell and the financial planner that she linked me with.”

Judge Black wanted to smile but refrained for the moment.A financial planner.It was clear that everyone around these children wanted this for them. It was not common practice for social services to provide a financial planner. “Miss Bennett, are you fully aware of the responsibilities that are attached to legal guardianship?”

Tomorrow didn’t mean to chuckle at the question on the floor. The question wasn’t funny. It tickled her because these were the responsibilities that she’d carried for years. She didn’t understand what more could be shown to prove that. “Yes, Your Honor. I am.”

The testimony was over, and the courtroom was quiet. Everyone sat on pins and needles as Judge Black stared at Tomorrow. There was heaviness in the room.

Judge Black removed her glasses, folded them, then set them on her desk. She was impressed with this young lady and her dedication to her family. It was refreshing. She leaned forward on her desk.

“I have dealt with more custody hearings than I care to remember during my twenty-nine years on this bench. I’ve seen parents, grandparents, family members, and sometimes family friends fight for children. Rarely, and I do mean rarely, have I seen an eighteen-year-old fight for their siblings and assume a responsibility that not even a lot of adults would want. Yes,many fight, but I have found that it is more out of obligation than love. This feels, no, I know this is different. I see the love that beams from you for your brother and sister.”

There was a pregnant pause that allowed Tomorrow to take in her words. Yes, she loved August and Tuesday more than anyone in the world, even her parents it seemed. There were times that she realized that she loved them more than herself.

Judge Black continued. “While most people your age are busy preparing for their future, you chose to protect your brother and sister’s. You are doing it not out of obligation, but out of love. That speaks volumes to who you are as a person.”

Her words hit Tomorrow in the soul. They did resonate with who she was as a person. Tears of love and pride filled her eyes.