Latchkey:  Commonly used to describe children who come home from school to an empty house because their parents are working. 

After school 

Two Little Girls

Two Sisters

Chris and Me

First Grader, Sixth Grader

She is 6, I am 10

Latchkey kids

Don’t BOTHER Mom & Dad at work

Our two older sisters

Smoke cigarettes

Outside the corner store

Supposed to be watching us

Don’t BOTHER Mom & Dad at work

Turned skeleton key 

Wait…the door is open?

Drawers upturned on floors

Disastrous mess

Someone broke in

Don’t BOTHER Mom & Dad at work

We are just kids

We are scared

We dial the Police

Ask officers to walk through the house 

With us

In the basement

In the attic

Don’t BOTHER Mom & Dad at work

Chris & I clean up

EVERYTHING

At 6 and 10

All the mess

All the broken pieces

Don’t BOTHER Mom & Dad at work

Mom & Dad return from work

This happened, we said

We called the Police

We cleaned up

Don’t worry

Everything is OK

Nothing was taken

We found a pillowcase with bits of jewelry on the floor

“Why didn’t you call us?”

We were protective

Of our immigrant parents

Who spoke imperfect English

And worked exhausting jobs for

Little money

We also INSTINCTIVELY knew…

Assembly line jobs 

In factories

Don’t allow for Family Emergencies

Don’t BOTHER Mom & Dad at work