Chasing rainbows

Last night there was a big scare/excitement in my neighborhood. In the afternoon my generous friend (Hi Debby!) came over to help me collage onto the canvases. When she arrived, she mentioned there were a lot of police cars hanging out on the roads around here. After she left, she called to say there were even more with helicopters circling overhead. She asked the RCMP what was going on. They said they were looking for a black man. She just wanted to warn me.

One of the RCMP was also black. I wonder how he felt with the white RCMP’s description of the fugitive. They didn’t say if he was tall or short, thin or heavy set, just black (not green or yellow or blue). Granted this is an obviously mostly white neighborhood, so on that level, I can understand their emphasis. A black man would definitely be noticeable. But . . . even though I doubt if it was on their minds, it does have an overtone of prejudice attached to the description.

My house is more or less sitting in the woods without another house in view. If I shouted I might be heard. I do have an alarm system. But I also have a lot of windows. I've never been afraid in this neighborhood. It’s always felt safe. But I was nervous last night. So I called a neighbor. The story goes: there was an armed robbery at the Credit Union in Chester. During a police chase, the two robbers ran their car off the road on the highway near here. One escaped. The RCMP were asking everyone in the neighborhood to stay inside, lock their doors, and if they saw a black man, to call 911. Lila and I went over the neighbors’ house. We had dinner; the dogs played; it was a very lovely, pleasant evening. Except for the underlying tension.

They did catch the "black man." And Lila and I went home to sleep in our own beds.