Page 46 of Certified Pressure 3
“No!” she shouted. “I just got my daughter back today and you not about to take her from me again. Leave me alone!”
Then they heard her yelling again, “Zurie, go in the room right now!”
That sound made my heart crack wide open.
The officers exchanged looks. One of them spoke into his radio, calling for backup. I could feel my whole body shaking while I stood there waiting.
After a few minutes, more police showed up. They talked quietly among themselves before one of them knocked again. “Mrs. Monroe, if you don’t open the door, we’ll have to do a welfare check and enter with a warrant.”
Something must have scared her because the door finally opened a few inches. The smell of cigarettes, weed, and liquor all mixed together hit me hard. The apartment looked dim inside, and the air was thick with smoke. My mama stood in the doorway with her hair a mess and her face twisted up with anger.
She pointed straight at me. “That’s her right there. That’s the one who need to be in jail. She got a whole warrant for kidnapping my child. She think she better than me, but she ain’t shit. Now y’all can get her off my doorstep.”
The officer held up a hand. “Ma’am, we just want to make sure your daughter is okay. Can we come inside?”
“No! Ain’t nobody comin’ in my house!” she yelled.
They could clearly see she wasn’t in her right mind, and one of them finally told her they were entering for the child’s safety. She tried to push the door closed, but the officers held it open and stepped inside. She started screaming, cursing at them and telling them to get out, but they ignored her.
I followed them in, and my heart sank when I saw the apartment. It looked worse than I remembered. There were dirtydishes stacked in the sink, ashtrays full of cigarette butts, and clothes all over the floor. The smell of liquor hung heavy in the air.
“Marlene, calm down,” one of the officers said, holding up his hands as she kept yelling.
“Don’t tell me to calm down in my own damn house!” she screamed, swinging her arm.
The younger officer stepped forward. “Ma’am, we’re not here to fight with you. We just need to check on the child.”
“I told y’all she fine!”
But then, from the back of the apartment, a small voice spoke. “Pluto?”
I froze.
“Zurie!” I called out.
She came out from the hallway, rubbing her eyes, still in her pajamas. The sight of her almost broke me. I ran straight to her and wrapped her in my arms.
For a moment, I felt like everything was okay again. I thought maybe, just maybe, this nightmare was finally over… but it wasn’t.
The older officer looked between us and then at his partner. “This the sister you were talking about?”
“Yeah,” I said quickly. “She’s the one I was trying to protect. She’s not safe here.”
The other officer sighed. “Ma’am, you were just arrested earlier today, right?”
My heart sank. “Yeah, but I didn’t do anything wrong. I was just trying to take care of her.”
He nodded slowly but his face looked apologetic. “Because you were arrested on a kidnapping warrant involving this same child, neither of you can take custody right now. We have to notify Child Protective Services.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. “What? No, please. She can’t go to no foster home. I’ve been takin’ care of her. Please, don’t do this.”
“I’m sorry,” the officer said. “This is protocol.”
Zurie started crying, clinging tighter to me. “I don’t wanna go. Please don’t let them take me.”
I tried to hold on to her, but one of the female officers gently pulled her away, promising they’d find a safe place for her. I could barely breathe. My mama was still cursing from across the room, her voice slurred and mean, but I couldn’t hear a word she said. All I could see was my sister being led out the door crying, looking back at me.
“Pluto! She screamed again, reaching for me.
