“Then why are you trying to talk me out of doing what needs to be done?”
“I’m saying let’s give it a day. If after the weekend you still feel the need, I will be the first one to help you find a job for after school hours.”
Travis laughs, but there’s no humor. “I can’t go to school and work enough hours to provide for my family.”
He says exactly what I’ve worried the most about since he walked in this room. Hunter’s Point has one of the highest unemployment and poverty rates in the city. He needs his high school diploma, but it’s the hardest to get here. Income inequality between the rich and poor has increased dramatically in the last decade. More and more people are forced to leave the city for places like Oakland and other suburban areas. With raising housing rates — I once heard a story of a walk-in closet fetching four hundred dollars a month in rent — and the loss of non-tech jobs, the disparity continues to grow every year.
“How is you dropping out of school going to help your family? You need a diploma.”
“I’ll do an online school. Get my GED.”
Well at least he has given this thought, but it’s still not an acceptable answer. Not acceptable to me at least. “I’m going to leave your name on the books, Travis. I want to see you in here like normal this weekend. And we’ll talk again on Monday. Don’t do anything stupid until then.”
“Yeah,” he says and stands in the chair. “We’ll see, but I’m gonna do what I gotta do.”
“Remember our actions have consequences,” I say to his back as he walks out the door.
John stands as well. “So, this weekend should be fun. How many of the kids have parents employed with Del Fray?” he asks.
I do the quick math in my head. “Half? Maybe more. I need to get home now, but do your best to keep it calm tonight and I’ll schedule extras to keep everyone busy for the next two days.”
Any other time there’s no way I’d leave the center with this bombshell about to go off, but before I can help anyone else I need to find out if it’s true or not.
And I need to find out from the source.
Good thing I have an inside connection with the new owner of Del Fray.
He’s going to find out how interested I am in what he does for a living now.
