11 October

Dear Fortune,

I might have to change your name, because you are NOT bringing me good fortune. Listen to this. So there I was at break today, hanging out with my best friends Lily, Zindzi and Erin (she’s a girl, by the way), when Prisha came by with Mary-Beth and Babotse following. They looked us up and down and started pointing, making monkey sounds and saying, “Look, Jungle Janes. Ooh ooh eeh eeh.”

I don’t know what they were talking about, but I told them to shut up. Lily and Erin just said to ignore them. I don’t know. I think they’re up to something and it makes me MAD.

13 October

Dear Fortune,

I’d like a change of fortune, I’ll tell you that. So ignoring Prisha and her friends did NOT work. Now everywhere we go, people are pointing at us and saying, “Jungle Janes” and making monkey noises.

I finally got in Babotse’s face and said, “What are you doing? You being racist with those monkey noises?”

And her eyes went all WIDE and she was all, “Oh no, we’re not being racist. How could we be racist? I’m as black as you.”

So then I was all, “So then why are you bothering us with those monkey noises?”

“Ape,” she said. I kid you not. SHE CORRECTED ME. Like making ape noises is so much better than monkey noises?

So I gave her an earful. I’m sure her mama will be calling mine soon, and my mama won’t listen to my side of the story and I’ll be having another, “time out with my thoughts”.

Believe me, if I do, YOU will be hearing all about it.

***

Tell us: Does it really matter if the children are making “ape” noises instead of “monkey” noises? Or is just mean, regardless?