Gypsies

It's impossible to open a newspaper or turn on the television and not see a story about the sad, confused looking blonde child who was found living with gypsies.  The poor kid reminds me of a doll that was popular in the late 50's or early 60's called Poor Pitiful Pearl. (Poor Pearl would never pass toy muster today...no little girl would want her with her ragged clothes and sad face...but that was the point of the doll. She was an orphan. A reject. Not PC at all.) What about this little girl on TV alerted the police? Why - she didn't look like her parents! They were dark and swarthy  (but the Mom didn't wear hoop earring and a big, brightly colored circle skirt like the gypsies in the movies) she was pale and fair haired. Surely she could not belong to these people...

It got me wondering why my ex and I didn't get arrested - or at least taken in on suspicion of kidnapping- when we were in public with our son. We sure as hell bore no resemblance to him or he to us.  He was Asian. We  were CAUasian. Not the same. I look back and wonder why we didn't worry more about being stopped and questioned.  If I had known that not looking like your child was suspicious, I would have always carried his adoption papers.  Where would we have stolen him?. Koreatown? - there is no Koreatown in Milwaukee (but I think there is one in Chicago). A Korean restaurant maybe?   "I'll have the bulgogi and that little boy in the kitchen please, to go.". 

If memory serves me right, the only time we were ever singled out and pointed to was in a mall.  Charlie and I were walking with Eli between us (it often took a team to keep track of him). It was near Christmas.  A family of white people walked by and the youngest child - who was screaming at the top of his lungs - calmed down long enough to notice us.  I remember hearing the mother say, quite loudly, "See that? That's what's going to happen to you if you don't behave. We'll just find you another family." I vaguely recall glaring at her but she took no notice.

When Eli was having an unusually bad day - and I was at my wits end...I often would yell, "Knock it off or you won't be happy with what I do!".  He would say.."What? What are you going to do?"  I would reply.  "Sell you to the gypsies!"  He would laugh.

Who knew that was an option?