12

Chaos. Police agents raided the home we lived in. My brother peed his pants. Our lives changed forever.

1502 Harvest Hill Ln, Arlington, TX.

I was studying for a history exam when a bright light flashed. Soon enough, the event that unraveled would become a defining moment in my own history.

It was April, and the june bugs were clinking against the sliding door by the back porch lights in Texas. It was warming up. I felt like those june bugs, clumsily finding my way. Disoriented from the flash bang. Was I trying to make my way in, or out?

I found one of my brothers with his pants wet, washed him, and changed him into clean clothes, as it must’ve been an uncomfortable feeling. Scared.

The police made arrests that night. One being my mom’s boyfriend, who would eventually become the father of my youngest brother, not yet born.

We became without that home. Section 8 housing authority don’t mess around. It seemed like such a tragedy at the time. But now I look back, and I sense liberation.

It’s odd how perspectives can change over time. The once grand things, a minimal speck etched in my memories.

I suspect the call to inform the police came from the teacher or school administrator who lived next door. I don’t remember her name anymore. I remember her showing me rosebushes in front of her home. Such beauty.

After the incident, I called Brian and Tammy to inform them. They prayed, and said yes to us living with them temporarily for the summer.

It would become a summer of joy.