The Children On My Street

We've lived on this street on Fort Myers Beach for almost 10 years. I first met Kathy six years ago or so, when Kathy was six years of age. Her mom was having some problems and so she came to live with her Grandma. Her Grandma was a woman in her 40's, my neighbor directly across the street. Kathy was named after her Grandma, my neighbor, Katherine. There's a rental duplex near our home and at the time that Kathy came to Katherine and Mike, there lived on the top floor of that duplex a young couple and their young son, Korvin Dee. Korvin Dee was only five at the time, a year younger than Kathy, and they became fast friends. Kathy stayed with Katherine and her Grandpa, Mike for over a year. Then, Kathy's mom had got her life togther and Kathy went home to Texas.

But, every summer, she came to visit her grandma and grandpa for a month and my husband and I were always happy to see her again. And Kathy was always happy to see our pooch, Red. We lost Red earlier this year to cancer, and Kathy was so sweet in her regrets to us and has struck up a friendship with our new pooch, Mimi, but back to my story . . . . ... A couple of year after she went home to Texas to reside, Kathy's friend, Korvin Dee and his family moved from the Duplex on our street and purchased a home in Lehigh Acres. The children remained good friends, and so every July when Kathy visited her grandma and grandpa, Korvin Dee's Mom would drive from Lehigh and pick up Kathy to spend a week with her and her husband and Korvin Dee in Lehigh.

Time passes, faster than we can believe. Kathy is now 12 and Korvin Dee 11. They call each other, text each other, email each other the year round, Kathy in Texas and Korvin Dee in Lehigh. Kathy is now in town, staying with her grandparents, Katherine and Mike. She's been here for a couple of weeks. She spent the second week of her visit with Korvin Dee and his family in Lehigh. This week, Korvin Dee is across the street, spending the week with Kathy and and her grandparents.

I'm friends with both Kathy's Grandma, Katherine, and Korvin Dee's Mom. Korvin Dee's Mom was telling me how it was a surpise for Korvin Dee a couple of weeks ago when Kathy's grandpa drove her to Lehigh to stay for the week. He was in the pool and Kathy came walking in. When he saw her, he flew out of the pool and hugged her for life. Korvin Dee's mom told me that as they have no guest room, Korvin Dee gave Kathy his bed and he slept on the floor in a sleeping bag beside the bed. I questioned this, and said to the Korvin Dee's Mom: But, now that they are older, is this wise? My friend laughed. No, they are best friends. No other idea has occureed.

Not yet. Who knows what the future holds for Kathy and Korvin Dee. By the way, Kathy is black. All of the other people in my story are white. Kathy's mom had married a black man. Kathy wants to be a Veteranerian. She could be a model, too. She is amost my height, 5'8" and simply gorgeous.

The children on my street.