Jamal

Yesterday, the Matron met Scarlett at her bus stop.

Bus! Whole new world!! That one block walk? The Universe.

As they were heading home and Scarlett was instructing the Matron on the demerits in her parenting grade book for waiting for at the bus stop ("MOM!! Nobody else's MOTHERS are at the stop!") the Matron noticed a slim, youngish boy wandering around in sort of a loopy way.

He was maybe 10? 11? Looking at street signs and circling the block.

Matron: "I think that little boy is lost. He got off at the wrong bus stop, I bet."

Scarlett: "OH MY GOD WE NEED TO FIND HIS PARENTS!"

Matron to young child: "Hi! Do you live around here?"

Child: "I don't think so. I live near White Bear Avenue and Ruth Street. But I can just walk downtown and see if that's where my house is. Is this downtown?"

A. White Bear and Ruth Street are miles away.

B. Downtown is nowhere near said streets.

C. Child clearly is lost.

Matron: "I'm Mary. What your name?"

Child: "Jamal."

Matron: "Do you know your address? Your home phone or Mom or Dad's cell phone? Brother or sister?"

After some time it became apparent that Jamal didn't know his address, phone number, cell phones or any other vital locating kind of information. The Matron used her cell phone to call his school but got this: sorry we are closed for the day.

Matron to Jamal: "Jamal, I know everyone learns that it's unsafe to go anywhere with strangers. I want to do what you want me to do. I can call the police right now and they'll come and find your Mom and Dad. Or, you can come home with us -- you can sit on the steps or come in, whatever you want -- and I'll work on finding your parents and take you home. If we can't find them, a police officer will come and get you and make everything okay."

Jamal: "How many kids do you have?"

Matron: "Three. They're all home. You can meet them all. If we find a phone number for your Mom, you can talk to her right away. Sometimes you have to make a hard decision: is this safe? I can tell you that all I want to do is find your Mom and Dad, but it's your choice. We can sit here on the stoop and wait for the police and that would be totally cool. But if you want to come and sit on my front steps -- with my kids-- or in the kitchen, I'll try to find your parents. Here's my cell phone. Call anyone you want. I'm going to let you hold onto the cell phone so that you're in charge. Okay?"

Jamal took the cell phone. The Matron dialed 911 but didn't hit 'send': "If you want to call the police, just hit this green button. Okay?

Jamal: "Do you have orange juice at your house? I'm a little thirsty because I've been walking for a lot of bus stops."

Scarlett: "Orange juice, lemonade AND some blue sports drink."

Jamal: "Maybe I'll sit in the kitchen."

After calling his old elementary school, the school district's central office, new school and all old numbers for parents--while Jamal had a hearty snack and hot cocoa in the kitchen, surrounded by all three children -- it became clear that he was in no-man's land.

Matron: "Jamal? I think I have to call a police officer. He can figure out how to get you home."

Jamal: "Can you drive me to my old house? We moved awhile back and I think I can get to the new house from my old house."

Jamal is 13 and in 7th grade. The Matron is now worried about Merrick's inadequacies.

Yours truly has some great pause, considering.

Matron: "I think that it would be safer for you to have a police officer come and make sure you get home. They're super smart that way and I'm not. Plus, you get to ride in the police car! Have you ever been in one?"

Jamal: "Can we call 911 now? Can I sit behind the bars?"

She called the non-emergency number for the police; a very attentive officer arrived within 15 minutes. Although he nearly fingerprinted the Matron (driver's license #, birth-date, social security, ID), he was clearly in her camp. She handed him the list of contact information, schools, and old addresses for Jamal. Even though she knew the officer quickly trusted her, she also is certain that his first question to Jamal was: "What happened in that house? Everything okay?" And that's a good thing.

Police Officer: "Are you sure you didn't go to the police academy? This is sort of efficiency to the nth degree."

Matron: "Welcome to my world."

And the whole family waved good-bye to Jamal from his perch in the back of the police car, backpack by his side.

Then John started drilling Merrick on his address and phone number.

But tonight, the Matron is still haunted by that little guy wandering through foreign territory and heartened that in this era of 'stranger danger,' he was able to accept a little help from a stranger.