: July 27, 1999
: MEMORIES - PAIN OF SEPARATION
: One of my favorite memories of the Move kids was in 1976. The
: day I volunteered to give all the kids a bath to get them ready to go
: to Virginia so they wouldn't be in the house for the May 20, 1977,
: confrontation. One by one I got the kids ready to get a bath.
: Starting with Tree-Tree first, who was the oldest, so she could help
: me down the way if I needed it because, I had a baby who was only
: 6 months old, at the time. Before I could get done with Tree, here
: comes 2 year-old Missy, with her almond-shaped eyes, cute, round
: face, and strong built body, running across the floor barefoot and
: buck naked saying, "I wanna get in the tub." I said, it ain't your
: turn yet. She looked at me with them sad eyes and put her head
: down. I went for it and gave her her bath after Tree; figuring she
: was at least out the way now. Oyewolf, who had the strongest
: hands of any kid I ever met, was next after Missy and he was no
: trouble as usual, except when his mom was around. (smile) After
: I gave Oyewolf his bath, here comes Missy lookin at me saying, "I
: wanna get in the tub." I said, "You had your bath already." She just
: stood there lookin at me put her head down and went in the other
: room. Netta was next and Netta was always good and so sweet as
: she could be, even when her mom was around. I got Netta her bath,
: and as always, she was ready to eat. That was the way I got them
: all to cooperate. I promised them they could have bunches of sweet
: black grapes after they finished their baths, if they behaved
: themselves. That was a big treat to Move kids, cuz they didn't eat
: candy, and they were all ready and willing to do it. After Netta was
: done, Tremaine was next. Tremaine was real good too, except that
: he was so slow; seemed like he had lead in his feet, and by the time
: Tremaine got int he bathroom, that little girl was already in the tub
: again. I said, with exclamation this time, "what you are doing in
: this tub!". She looked up at me again with them sad eyes and said,
: "I wanna get in the tub too." I said, "Missy, you cannot get a bath
: everytime somebody gets out the tub; but I washed her up again,
: dryed her off and said, "O.K., you had your bath, now get goin'"
: and off she went running into the other room with this big grin on
: her face and a big towel around her neck. She looked so cute. Lil
: Phil was next and he was real pleasant with his strong barrel lookin'
: chest and raspy voice like his dad's. He was real good, got his bath
: with no trouble. Before I could get him out the tub, here she comes
: again, lookin at me again with this towel around her; but this time,
: I ain't fallin for it and my six-month-old wasn't gonna play with
: Netta too much longer; time was running out. I was supposed to
: have them ready by Noon, and noon was approaching fast. I got
: Tree to get out the grapes, and Tree fed her grapes while I got
: Delisha and Malicyde done. Tree had real keen motherly instincts
: and was always a big help, when ever we needed it, with the little
: babies; real dependable; while Delisha had real strong leadership
: qualities and was the boss of all the kids, even at age 4. I was
: relieved now and on a roll. By the time they were done, Missy was
: done with her grapes too and I only had two kids left to do. It was
: Linda's turn, she was next to the last one to get done; only she was
: the only one that didn't want to get a bath. She had grape juice all
: over her hands and runnin' all down her stomach; (I couldn't give
: one of the kids grapes without giving the others, thanks to Missy),
: so Linda needed a bath for real now, but she didn't wanna hear it.
: I was takin' her to the bathroom, and she was pulling back saying,
: "no," I said to Linda, "you have to get a bath," she said, "no I
: don't". Well I spent at least ten minutes convincing her that in
: order to go on an activity she had to get washed up, while she stood
: lookin at me suspiciously and stubbornly with big, brown, teary
: eyes, and pursed, cherry-red lips. She gave in but, by god, she
: gave me a run for my money. Linda was a strong-willed girl. I
: can't remember for sure but she couldna been no older than 3 years
: old at the time. By the time I finally convinced Linda to get in the
: tub, Missy was back in the tub for the third time. I was in
: disbelief, that this little handful was so persistent; I couldn't do
: nothing but laugh. I gave up and just put Linda in the tub with her
: and let her stay there until all the kids were done. I stayed with the
: kids all that day, feeding them and taking them for walks
: throughout the day until it was time to go. It was later on, we made
: pallets on the floor and all fell asleep. Tomaso, the first child to be
: born in Move naturally, didn't go. He was still a little fella and
: real sweet, but he was up there with us too. By the time I woke up, they
: were all gone. I can't remember too good, but I believe, the only
: ones left in the house were Bert, Tom, me and Witt. I was happy
: in a way, cuz they wouldn't have to be there in the city to put up
: with them cops, but sad too because I would miss them a lot. I
: never imagined ever with everything we had already been through
: with them cops, that I'd never see most of them again. We sent
: them to Virginia to keep them from being hurt; when we brought
: them back a few years later, they were killed May 13, 1985.
: That was 23 years ago. I've been in prison 21 of those years this
: August 8, 1999. I was 8 months pregnant when I was put in prison
: and my 6-month old daughter, Witt, was just about to turn 2 years
: old. She was a real good baby, even tempered and pleasant. I had
: her at home, naturally, which made her even closer to me than if I
: had her in a hospital. I remember the day the cops took her from
: my arms. It felt like somebody ripped an organ from my stomach,
: and never replaced it. I miss her a lot; I don't have many memories
: of her because she was so young, when they separated us, but the
: memories I do have I hold on to, and tell them to her over and over
: again cuz she was too young to remember. One of my favorite
: memories of her was how she would wake up in the morning, roll
: over to where her dad was sleeping, bounce up and down on his
: chest, while laughin' and taking her little hand gently smackin him
: in the face to wake him. That was his wake up call every morning.
: Of all the things I miss about her, I really miss seeing her with her
: dad, how she'd laugh when he played with her, and how happy it
: made him when she'd wrap her little arms around his neck all
: excited when he held her. My heart still aches to hold her as that
: little baby but I never will.
: I had my son in prison, in my cell. The guards didn't know it until
: Janet told them hours later. They didn't believe it until they came
: back in the isolation section of the prison, where they housed us, to
: see for themselves. I kept him for four days, never letting him out
: of my site or reach. I gave my son his first and last bath at 2 days
: old. As little memories as I have of the Move children, they are
: even fewer of my daughter; and fewer yet of my son as a baby. We
: lived as mother and son through telephone calls, letters and very
: few visits for the time we've been separated. The system not only
: took my freedom, my husband's freedom, they took my children's
: freedom too and almost took their lives if it wasn't for the Move
: family. Most people have no idea the pain of separation between
: children and their parents, especially their mothers. People have no
: idea what it's like to never see your child except for a few hours on
: a visit once every year or 3 years under unprivate, watchful,
: suspicious eyes. People don't know how much pain you go through
: when you're on the phone just getting into a good talk with your
: daughter and your 15 minutes is up, or before you can tell her you
: love her, the phone just clicks off; talkin to your son and before the
: time is up he remembers something that he wants to tell you
: personally, and the phone clicks off, or trying to get every word out
: in the 2 minutes you have left sometimes never getting to say
: goodbye. I sometimes call back and it makes me feel bad, cuz my
: Move family are doing so much for us already, but they always tell
: me to call back and have never denied me that. Sometimes I don't
: call back cuz I know the bills are so high, so I just endure this gut-
: wrenching anxiety until it passes; except it never passes because
: when I finally start to relax it's time to call again. People uphold
: these crime bills, listen to the media and don't give one
: consideration to what's really happening to the children when they
: carelessly endorse sending a mother to prison. They don't know
: what it feels like to know that your child thinks of another as his
: mother. What's worse is knowing I didn't do nothing to deserve
: being in prison 21 years, and my children really don't deserve it.
: In my case, my Move family has never failed me in bringing them
: to see me and their father whenever it was possible, and for that we
: are very grateful; but it still ain't nothing like the pain of
: separation. Both my children are grown now and have children of
: their own. I can tell me son fears the separation between him and
: his son even though he never tells me. He wrote me a letter in
: February of this year and he said to me, "Hello Mother ha!ha!ha!
: How are you doin', good I hope. I'm doin O.K. I'm sittin here just
: thinking about you. Mona told me she talked to you the otha day.
: I was happy to talk to you a couple weeks ago too. I know I don't
: write much so it's probably a surprise to see a letter from me, but
: I think about you all the time. Robin and Alex are goin' fine. Alex
: is five months tomorrow he is getting very big. I'll tell you a story.
: I am in California right now and yesterday I got here. But before
: I left I told Alex not to forget me, cuz I'ma be gone for 8 days. I
: don't know how he gonna react to me not being there since I'm
: with him everyday. So when I was leaving I kissed Robin, kissed
: Alex, told him not to forget about me and he just looked at me. So
: when I got to S.F. I called home and talked to Robin. I told her to
: put Alex on the phone and soon as I said "hey Alex!" he started
: laughin and wouldn't stop. Everytime I said something he got
: louder and louder. I felt so good known that he loved me and feel
: about me the way he do. I feel so good. I love my boy. Robin got
: back on the phone and she was very happy to see him laughin and
: happy. So they're both alright ... Well tell Janet and Neen I said hi
: and I live and miss them. I can't wait to see yall agin. It's been a
: while. I'll talk to you later O.K. I love you. Ona Move stay strong.
: LONG LIVE JOHN AFRICA Love lil Mike."
: When I read that letter it brought tears of happiness to my eyes, and
: tears of hurt, for him, because I could only imagine the pain of
: separation he has felt all of his life not having his mother or father
: with him. Both of the children are deeply affected by the pain of
: separation. Witt won't leave her children for any length of time
: with nobody, and they are very close for it; as hurt as I've felt, I
: know they had to feel it many times more than me, I've endured
: their pain as well. Despite all I've been through, tho, I still feel
: grateful for all that I do have, especially in My Move family and I
: cherish the little memories I do have with my children and the
: Move children and use them to keep that bond between us all
: strong.
: On the Move
: LONG LIVE JOHN AFRICA!
: Debbie Africa
: Minister of Education
: MOVE Organization
: //////////////////////