One more day in Cradock

I was in my 'second hometown' today, as I'm coaching the Cradock team for girl's softball, and we had practice today. I'd been at my house less than five minutes when it all broke out. I came out of the house to screams and a massive group of people standing on a street corner. A mix of black and white, young and old. As a girl and a guy started screaming at each other, very loudly, something caught my eye. Another, smaller group was running the way everyone had just left. Some carried scraps of lumber, one guy had a bat. The girl that was screaming panicked and turned her screaming on them. They ignored her and ran past, heading to a house with a lot of people. There was a lot of screaming, a lot of yelling. Sadly, it was typical Cradock, and as the summer comes closer it will only get worse. Today, though, as I dialed 911 from the street corner, something else was moving on the outer edge of the crowds. I turned, and saw a young woman, fear plain on her face, running with a child, maybe two or three years old. Thirty or so feet away, another girl ran in a different direction with a baby and another toddler. Confused, I wondered where they were running. As I hung up the phone with the snooty operator, I watched the two girls. Nearing the end of the street toward Afton square, the one with two kids kept throwing glances over her shoulder. I kept waiting for someone to chase her, but no one did. I glanced at the other girl. She was still running, then slowed to catch her breath, clinging to the child in her arms that looked so awkwardly long...far too old to be carrying for long distances, yet she didn't put him down. She turned and looked back, but kept walking backward, then she turned again and kept walking away. The other girl had reached the square and stopped to scoop up the toddler in her other arm. As she bent to grab him, she turned to look back at the mob of people. I was between her and the commotion, and I saw her face plainly for a brief moment--saw the fear.

And it struck me, where these two women were running, clinging to their children.

Away.

They were simply running anywhere else.

Today, no shots rang out, and as far as I know, no one died. It was a good outcome.

As I sit here, reflecting, that woman's face enters my mind, and I wonder about the children. Will they ever know a different life? Will they escape this hopeless land? Will their mother be able to protect them? I hope so.

Today I am reminded of what we're up against. And what's worth fighting for.