Maria

Fourteen year old girl
Jamaican
Taking care of seven children
People come to door
Man and Woman, young,
older than she
Selling something?
No
Religion
How much?
Free
Come in
In living room,
eight sit on couch and chair,
two told,
sit on other couch,
start
Boy opens book
Starts talking
Long time
Stops talking
Any questions
One
Answers
Others
No
Continues talking
Booklet almost done.
Panic
Questions
Yes
[Whew]
Are blacks for the Devil?
What?
Repeated
Of course not,
who told you that?
Minister
Where?
Jamaica
Speechless
Why is the Christ white?
What?
Who said he was?
The bible
What?
I'll show you
Brings large illustrated bible
Shows pictures,
White Jesus,
White disciples, last supper
Tries to explain,
not real,
publisher or artist bias
She doesn't understand
What did he look like?
At least as dark as Neda,
hypothesizes,
maybe as dark as yourself,
certainly not as light as me
Was he african?
Middle eastern,
around where Neda was born.
What about women?
Equal to men,
not the same,
complimentary
Family
Peace
Unity
Education
Hope
Conversation wanders
Become close
Invite her to gathering,
Has to work
Give Farshad's number,
and a small booklet
Leave
So she can get food,
ready for work
Outside
What time is it
Four
Talking, three hours,
hadn't checked in
We walk to the rendezvous,
feet barely able to retain hold on ground
One of boys in the street,
calls out to Neda
Hey fat girl
The comment bounces off
We continue,
don't touch ground till late evening
Found out later,
from Neda,
Maria was waving to us from a bus stop,
I didn't see her,
I haven't seen her since
I still think of her.