This Is My Corner

Shanice parked her car at the curb outside the neighborhood elementary school. She threw on her neon yellow snap-back and grabbed her bright red stop sign from the back seat. She closed her eyes and bowed her head.

"Father God, please help me guide these children safely. In Jesus' name, I pray, amen."

She hopped out of her car, inhaling the warm autumn air through her nose, and exhaling through her mouth. Class was bound to be dismissed, and she couldn't be any more excited to see the many young, free faces after a long school day. When she turned to walk to the corner, her smile faded.

Another crossing guard? Standing at her corner? Shanice was initially confused, thinking that this other lady must've come to the wrong corner. Keeping it professional, she approached the fellow guard.

"Hi," Shanice said, tilting her head and smiling. "I'm not sure if you know, but I was supposed to be at this corner."

The other guard, heavyset with snow-white hair, glanced over at her. She smirked. "Nope, the city told me to come here now." She put a cigarette to her mouth and took a drag.

"Did the city tell you that you're not allowed to smoke on the job?" Shanice said, pointing at the guard's cigarette. "And not in front of the children?"

"Do you see any children around?" the guard asked, and Shanice shook her head. "Exactly. Get lost. This is my corner now." She took another drag of her cigarette.

"No, this is my corner, honey," Shanice objected. She held up her stop sign like a shield. "You can go somewhere else."

The guard dropped her cigarette and crushed it with her foot. She got up in Shanice's face and their noses were almost touching. "Looks like you're going to have to fight the city for it."

Shanice winced at the pungent smell of tobacco in the guard's breath. "Or I could just fight you."

"Bring it on, sister."

And with that, the bell had rung. Armed with their stop signs and their confidence, both Shanice and the guard stood side by side, waiting for the outside of the school to be flooded with kids. In just minutes, howling and screaming and chatting away, kids with their parents made their way toward the corner.

Shanice and the guard stood firmly, their stop signs to their chest. The first set of kids made it to the corner, and it was the guard who escorted them first, safely and swiftly, across the busy street. When she waddled back to the corner, she gave Shanice a smug look.

Shanice waited for the next set of kids to come forth, and without hesitation or any hint of fear, she raised her stop sign and stood at the heart of the intersection, her free hand motioning for the kids to cross.

However, Shanice couldn't keep her eye off the guard as she guided kids down the crosswalk, smiling and waving. She studied her motions, her face, her style. Each kid who crossed past her waved or gave her a high five. This woman was seemingly beloved by all, and Shanice had a bit of jealousy in her.

The ear-piercing honk of an oncoming car woke Shanice out of her trance, and she quickly rushed to stop a car dead in its track, kids frightfully looking on as they crossed. She heard cackling from behind her, and she turned to see the guard waddling toward her.

"Some crossing guard you are, missy," the guard said. "Instead of watching me shine, you need to be watching these little ones before you get a lawsuit."

The guard proceeded to laugh as she tended to more kids. Shanice wanted to hurl an insult at her, but then she looked up at the sky. "Father God, help me protect these children."

The school rush was concluding. The last set of kids was making their way to the corner. Shanice and the guard exchanged nasty looks at each other.

"Come on, children," the guard called out. "Right this way."

"Babies, why don't you cross over here?" Shanice objected.

"The light's red. It's safe to cross."

"There ain't no cars coming this way. You're safe over here."

The group of kids looked back and forth between the two crossing guards, confused and not knowing which corner to cross at.

The guard persisted. "Trust me, you're safe. Come cross with me!"

The kids looked over at Shanice, who rolled her eyes. I mean, if she says it's safe, then I guess."

Shrugging, the kids went with the guard. As they were about to cross, a flash of black came bolting past them, missing all of them by a hair. The light was still red. Shrieking, the kids ran to Shanice's crosswalk.

"I like crossing with you better, Miss Shanice," one of the kids declared.

It was like putting a bandage on a slight tear in Shanice's heart. With that, she strode into the intersection and held up her stop sign. "Come on, babies."

A kid flung her arms around Shanice's waist and ran to catch up with her friends. The guard looked on in disgust.

Shanice walked back to the corner and up to the guard. "This right here," she announced, "is my corner. Always has been, always will."

The guard whipped out another cigarette and lit it. She took a long, deep drag and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. "I should've never come out of retirement." Her face drooped in defeat.

As for Shanice, winning never felt more glorious.