Channing was in the background, slightly blurry. In another photo, Mrs. Yun was frowning at the camera, holding up a glass of lemonade. She seemed unhappy to be the subject of the camera. Next to her was Channing, sitting at the table, and then near her I could make out Minjae, half of him, his body turned in Channing’s direction. Paul appeared in one making a goofy face next to Minjae, who was looking in another direction, out of the frame. There was another of Mrs. Yun with Ames. Alice, Jesse, and their baby were in a photo, as well. I remembered Mr. Yun asking them to smile. Several people had liked the photos, and there were comments about the importance of friendships and family.
There were photos of Paul and Ames and Ames’s sisters over the years. I had to go back through many of them because Mr. Yun posted so much; some were the same, just a difference of an angle. He was one of those who posted everything in duplicate and triplicate and made no decisions about which photo was better than the other.
At that point I heard a ding, notifying me that the moderator had approved me for a group. It was for the larger East End community. And then another ding sounded. I’d been approved for another and then another. Clearly, there were no criteria.
I meant to go to the largest East End group, but I ended up seeing a postabout school supply lists on one and when they’d be told by the school which teachers their children had been assigned.
A comment caught my attention from a member who said parents should buy from the local store instead of ordering online. Others liked the comment and chimed in with hearts and happy faces. Another person commented that people were just showing solidarity in this forum but would buy online.Show receipts!this person demanded. There were no likes of that post. But recently someone had posted a photo of a receipt, and others liked that, and a few others followed. And then there was one that said,Just buy online and save money, we’re not rich like you.That one got the most likes. Someone followed with:Yeah, you’ll be sorry when the small shops leave and the online one is the only one left and jacks up their prices and you have no choice! Good luck!
I was sorry to see that nobody liked that one. Below it were a bunch of political posts for local candidates and a slew of paranoid conspiracy messages that made me cringe. From the number and intensity of the likes and reactions, the graphics posted against migrants, casting them as criminals and dehumanizing them, I saw East End with new eyes. I wanted to shut my laptop closed as if doing so would extinguish the reality of them.
Chapter 41
How could anyone live among such hateful people? The sheer noise and violence of those voices shocked me. I was about to leave the group when I saw this post:Did the Ahn boys show up today in camp? I’m not sure their babysitter knows anything about taking care of kids. #LookingOutForOurNeighbors
The user had a sheepdog as a badge with the name “John Smith.” Who was that, and why would he be asking about Edison and Austin? It was dated two weeks ago.
Another user, Nora Poleman, who had a red rose as her badge, said yes with a thumbs-up emoji. Others liked her comment. At the beach club, the woman who had run up to Channing had been named Nora. She’d tried to help me at pickup at the camp. Was she the same woman who had made this comment? It was a common name, I reminded myself. I clicked on her profile and saw that her background photo was of her two daughters sitting by a swimming pool.
A post by someone with an American flag badge said,The Ahns’ babysitter is a thief. Don’t know where they got her. Keep her locked up!
She comes from a family of thieves,someone replied.
My heart dropped. I didn’t want to read the rest, but I had to.
Her dad stole money from his friends. Look it up.
No one proved that,Nora commented.
She tried to kidnap the children. If the storm hadn’t come in, she would have gotten away with it.
Someone posted a laughing emoji. And someone beneath it posted,Good thing they caught her. Act of God. Fluke storm, or was it?
It was in the forecast. Calm down, people.
She’s Kent’s fiancée! Imagine stealing from the man you’re engaged to!
She fooled him.
That person replied,Have a sense of humor. I’m a fan of Kent’s too. He got the mayor to fix the water problem and the playground since Kent started working for him. I think Kent should be our next mayor.
Hold on, we love our mayor, Rick Reynolds.
I feel sorry for the parents of those kids!
Someone said,Maybe Kent has terrible judgment.
Too trusting.
She tricked him.
Looks can be deceiving. Watch out, men!
Chief Buzz Harper should bring her up on charges of attempted kidnapping.
Chief knows what to do with her. Lock her up, throw away the key.
He locked up Freddie Lu for stealing. Eight months. Chief Harper doesn’t play. For stealing a watch that expensive, she’ll be locked up for good.
