I met Malik, an eleven-year-old, on a hot morning in July. Lunch was to be served shortly, and he was sprawled out in a big beanbag chair watching a video. Another guy was sleeping in his own chair and never even moved. Malik is an observant guy and noticed any activity in the room. He came over to where I was seated and immediately sat down (after greeting Scott, the director of Genesis), eager to share his opinions and ask questions.
Malik’s hometown is Ponca City and I asked about the Pioneer Woman bronze statue that has put Ponca City on the map and he knew of it but was far more impressed by the tasty food, especially from the Sonic, where he always orders breakfast burritos. The ingredients included eggs and cheese and he wished they were served daily from the Genesis kitchen. He likes delectable food, and he would welcome more variety in their selections of meals. He does not like tomatoes and if they never bought them again, he would be happy.
Fruits appeal to his appetite and he has more than one favorite, including apples, oranges, and bananas. I shared a new treat that I had tried, and he acted interested. I explained that you roll a banana in a bowl with vanilla yogurt. Add sprinkles that you normally use on cupcakes or cookies, loose nuts, or chocolate chips (or all three) and slice the banana into small pieces. Fill mixed ingredients in a popsicle mold and give it time to freeze. It is a cold; tasty treat and I passionately believe Malik could conduct a class teaching his peers to make popsicles for a refreshing treat just by listening and asking questions.
Malik is the middle child and has an older sister and a baby brother. His mother is not allowed to contact him, and he does not know where she lives. His father is incarcerated as he was found guilty of shooting a police officer and he does not hear from him either. His grandmother recently died. She had a seizure and suffered from a great deal of stress which contributed to her death. He told me this with a “matter of fact” attitude and accepted it without showing any emotion. It was a great deal to divulge but he seemed to have separated these relationships from where he is today. He shared that he used to have problems having a good relationship with his peers but has learned to separate himself from the other person by just walking away. He would not argue or say anything that would make matters worse. He would not allow them to create problems for him and by leaving the problem, it separates him from it, and it deletes him from the situation. I thought it showed he was maturing, learning to cope with life’s circumstances and he was listening to staff who were guiding and educating him in a mature fashion. I hope all the residents leave with such a positive manner in resolving differences with their peers.
Equine therapy was his favorite pastime at Genesis, and he really took to a brown horse named Gender and looked forward to being around the horses again. The boys were given instructions and utilized their time which made him feel good. He even considered doing something like that for a living.
He misses Mrs. Sowers, the teacher, since school is out for the summer. He relishes being outside, but the mosquitoes love to bite him. He gets bitten when others were not even affected. He adores swimming but when he visits the deep end of the pool, he has not mastered floating on his back and his feet sink straight to the bottom. He does walk on his tiptoes, so he is afloat, but it puts a lot of stress on his toes. He appreciates the outings that the Genesis group takes and can hardly wait until they return to Frontier City so he can ride the Bullet once again.
Malik and I had an enjoyable visit and he liked to ask multiple questions. He complimented me on my long fingernails, and he thought they were fake. I told him that they were my real nails, and he inspected my hands very carefully and even squeezed the nails as he expected them to pop off. He had a natural curiosity, and he was open to learning new things which would come in handy in school.
He was not sure what the future held for him, but he could picture himself being a rapper and would keep the language clean for the public but might use inappropriate words with his friends. Despite his background, he had a good head on his shoulders. He left with the others to the east porch, and I let myself out the front door. When he saw me walking away, he gestured to me to come back as he had something to tell me. He ran to me and asked that I plug the idea with Scott Coppenbarger, the executive director, by adding new items to the menu as he relishes unusual food and likes to stretch his palate. He thought the other boys agreed with him. As I drove off, he waved at me and bid me adieu. He was an interesting boy to interview.
