I Will Protect You

Tasha scoops up her son, Rodney, and kisses him on the forehead. "No matter what, I will always protect you. Before anyone touches you, they will have to go through me." Five-year-old Rodney laughs. "Momma can beat anyone." They leave the park that is at the center of their apartment complex and enter apartment 342. Rodney runs to his action figures in the corner of their front room. Tasha goes to clean and change into her nightgown. They hear knocks on the door. She rushes from her restroom. Luckily, she was finishing up her change of wardrobe. She opens the door to see Officer Warren staring her down with his hands on the belt. "How are ya', Ma'am"? "I'm fine, officer. Uhm, Can I help you with something?" "You surely can. You can help me by putting your hands behind your back. You're under arrest." "For what?" Please turn around Ma'am." Rodney senses the rising tension between his mother and the man. He walks over to her side. Officer Warren forces her around and handcuffs her as she starts to panic, asking, "Why am I being arrested? What did I do?" Ma'am, you are under arrest for the assault of a Misses Hathaway." "What about my son?" "Your son will be taken downtown and picked up by a family member. If there is no family member, he will be placed in temporary foster care." "This is ridiculous!" Tell it to the judge Ma'am."

Downtown, Rodney is being interviewed by detective Mitch. "Can you tell me what happened between you and your mother in the parking lot of the Walmart earlier today?" "She had a fight." "Has she ever fought with you before?" "No." Are you afraid of your mother?" "No, sir. Are we going home tonight?" "Not tonight Rodney, but soon." "Tomorrow?" Yes, maybe tomorrow. Can you tell me your mother and the lady were fighting?" "Yes, because the lady said she would run me over with her car." And why would the lady tell you that?" "I don't know." "Did your mother leave you by yourself anytime today at Walmart?" No, sir>" "So what were you doing when the lady said this to you." I was opening the door of the car to get in." "And what was the lady doing?" She was parking but she was going really fast and had to stop when she saw me." "So that's what made her upset?" "Yes, sir." "And what did your mother do after she said this to you?" Nothing. She didn't hear her. I told her once I got inside of the car." "And why did you tell her?" "Because she told me, "If anyone touches me, they would have to go through her." "And you believe that." "Yes. My momma can whoop anyone." "You believe your momma can whoop the police?" "The police?" "Yeah. Do you think your momma can whoop the police like she whooped that lady?" "But she said she was going to run me over with her car and she wouldn't say, 'I'm sorry." So you and your momma think that's an excuse to open her car door and punch her in her head? You did punch her too, right?" "Yes, sir." So here's what's going to happen. Your mother is going to spend a few months in jail, while you go and stay with your uncle. He's on his way to pick you up."

"What you in for?" "Beating up a woman who threatened to run my son over with her car." "What? Girl, you lying. I'm glad you got her. I would have done the same thing too. It's a shame how a black mother can't protect her children. We can't protect them from racists or the police."