Perhaps you're wondering, is Emma a good person? This post should clear up that little matter. For only a person of pristine virtue would teach an afterschool gardening program in deep East Oakland.
What's that you say? Am I getting paid for this supposed selfless act? What difference does it make? Christ, I'm not Ghandi over here.
Since I am not only virtuous, but also charming, I will relate to you a story. If you are familiar with Oakland's own hyphy movement, with its relentless cries of "Go stupid" and "Go dumb," you will appreciate this.
Klarissa, seen up front and proud in the group photo below, is my sassiest gardener. She likes to call me Miss E. She also likes to collect worms. One day, when we were doing a lot of digging, she found two worms and placed them on a board to keep an eye on them. (She would soon be obliged to put them in the compost bin.) The worms began to writhe in frustration at their exposure, flailing their bodies with abandon. Klarissa screeched "Miss E!" until she got my attention, then said, "Look! This one's going stupid and that one's going dumb."
Bonus story: When Klarissa met me last September, she asked what I was. I in turn asked her to clarify. "Like what are you, like Mexican, Puerto Rican..."
I replied that I was Jewish, but she hadn't heard of that.
ABOVE: From left, Jawan, Jose, Antoinette, Aziah, Miss E, Klarissa, [probably the top of Jakhari's head], Nikia, Osiassi (he's Tongan).
WAY ABOVE: Miss E planting tomatoes with top gardeners Jawan and Dylan (he's Belizian).
WAY, WAY ABOVE: On-again, off-again best friends Amber and Nikia do a little pruning.
By the way, do I look pale? Oh right, I'm white.
