Chapter 32 "All That's My Mother", I can see this being one of everyone's favorite chapters in the book. Deborah and Rebecca made some great strides in finally getting Zakariyya to come with them to John Hopkins to view their mother's cells. Christoph showed such compassion to them, and mentioning how he agrees with the unfairness of how the family has been treated all these years. That went a long way with Deborah and Zakariyya. I enjoyed reading where Christoph took so much time with them, to show them how to use the microscope, teaching them what they were looking at, the DNA, cell division and for them to actually see it happen at the very time they were viewing the cells. That was almost magical or inspired with thinking Henrietta herself was able to make that happen right before their eyes. They learned a lot that day, and I especially like how Zakariyya got involved and asked,
"If those our mother's cells," he said, "how come they ain't black even though she was black?" "Under the microscope, cells don't have a color," Christoph told him. "They all look the same__they're clear until we put color on them with a dye. You can't tell what color a person is from their cells."
This chapter was a feel good moment for Deborah and her brother. Christoph validated Zakariyya's feelings of being angry.
"Zakariyya has a lot of anger with all this that's been going on," she told Christoph. "I been trying to keep him calm. Sometimes he explode, but he's trying." "I don't blame you for being angry," Christoph said.
The Lacks family has gone through so much since the death of their mother, and the immortal cells, and for someone at John Hopkins to just simply take the time with them, and agree there were injustices done to the family was huge. Zakariyya left I think a better calmer man,
"As we walked toward the elevator, Zakariyya reached up and touched Christoph on the back and said thank you. Outside, he did the same to me, then turned to catch the bus home. Deborah and I stood in silence, watching him walk away. Then she put her arm around me and said, "Girl, you just witnessed a miracle."
In Chapter 33 The Hospital for the Negro Insane, yet again they come across someone who is willing to be helpful, when Deborah and Rebecca visit the records dept at Crownsville. Paul Lurz, went over and beyond what was necessary in assisting Deborah in finding Elsie's files, believed to have been destroyed. This chapter was bittersweet, and also for me heart wrenching. It finally could give Deborah closer to Elsie's time at the hospital, and death, but also it caused her so much emotional stress dealing with what she now knows.
"At one point, Deborah climbed from her car looking near tears. "I been havin a hard time keepin my eyes on the road," she said. "I just keep lookin at the picture of my sister." She'd been driving with both of Elsie's pictures on the passenger seat beside her, staring at them as she drove. "I can't get all these thoughts outta my head. I just keep thinkin about what she must've gone through in those years before she died."
It did not surprise me when in the next chapter Deborah is showing symptoms of this all affecting her emotionally, mentally, physically and medically, as she and Rebecca get back to the hotel room and begin going through all the information in the medical records. Even Deborah's trust level of Rebecca is being challenged at this point. It's like all the answers Deborah has wished for, longed for, prayed for are finally before her own eyes, yet she begins to realize how valuable these facts are and suspects Rebecca will break their trust for her own personal/financial gain. Ughhh.... that was rough reading this:
""You're lying!" she yelled again. She jumped off the bed and stood over me, pointing a finger in my face. "If you're not lying, why did you smile?" She stared frantically stuffing papers into her canvas bags as I tried to explain myself and talk her down. Suddenly she threw the bag on the bed and rushed toward me. Her hand hit my chest hard as she slammed me against the wall, knocking me breathless, my head smacking the plaster. "Who you working for?" she snapped. "John Hopkin?" "What? No!" I yelled, gasping for breath. "You know I work for myself." "Who sent you? Who's paying you?" she yelled, her hand still holding me against the wall. "Who paid for this room?" "We've been through this!" I said. "Remember? Credit cards? Student loans?"
The next morning walking down the lobby for breakfast, Deborah says to Rebecca, "We're okay, Boo."
Phew..... Rebecca sure put herself in some risky situations to get this story told.
