There are days when it's just too heavy for me to handle.
A few weeks ago, the body of a small child was found washed up against Galveston Bay. Police gave her a wide age range, between two and 5 years old. We all know how vastly different a two year old can look from a five year old, so this had to be the first evidence of something gone horribly wrong in such a young life.
Police named her Baby Grace, another clue as to how old this child really was. And the first clue that the police saw that this was a deliberate death - not an accident.
The police artist gave Baby Grace a bright smile with individual teeth, and open eyes with irises that take up the most of the eye. The open mouthed smile was another clue, as were the irises. Children have to grow into their bodies sometimes, and Baby Grace was no different.
While the idea of finding a child floating in Galveston Bay is horrifying, one would like to think it was the act of some insane psychopath who went on some random rampage. Maybe he kidnapped her from the safety of her bed some dark night while her parents had dinner within earshot. (Unfortunately, she wasn't Madeline McCann.) Or she was lifted off some playground somewhere while the mother happened to look away just long enough to pull a cell phone out of her purse. (Apparently, no children had been reported missing in such a manner during the time frame in question.)
We all should have known better. There was no Amber Alert issued on Baby Grace.
Baby Grace's legal name is Riley Ann. She was two years old, just barely out of diapers.
Her stepfather had such a fragile ego; such a slight hold on his own personal sense of manhood, that not only was he offended by the fact that this child forgot to say "please," but that she wouldn't refer to him as "sir."
The absence of such "politeness" and "respect" bothered him so much, he decided to call in sick at work so that he could "teach the girl a lesson." He lost control of all psychological senses when he started beating this small child with a belt. Baby Riley Ann was in such a state of hysterical fear, she couldn't say whatever words she had in her vocabulary, let alone think of the right ones to use to stop the hitting. The beating ended by the stepfather grabbing Riley Ann by the hair and throwing her across the room, slamming her against a hard tile floor.
Shortly thereafter, Riley Ann stopped crying.
Forever.
Riley Ann Sawyers died in absolute, bone liquifying, blood curdling terror.
And the one person in her life who might have had the power to stop it approved of the action being taken against her daughter. Mommy Dearest.
Riley Ann was killed. The abuse, for her, at least, is over. She's free to play in peace.
But how many other children is this kind of thing happening to on a nightly basis? Because mark my words, Riley Ann's case is not unique.
Rest in peace, Riley Ann. And go with the Grace of G-d.
