wow, first post. don't know how that happened!
I'm just going to post about Shaniya's Aunt, as I find that to be an interesting relationship, but again, perhaps not what has been portrayed.
The loving Aunt only talks as if how losing Shaniya is a deep personal loss to her, as if Shaniya was very prominent in her life, yet she never really mentions her own three children and how they've been affected by the loss of Shaniya.
I wonder how old her children are, and if they are quite a bit older, so that when Aunt did take care of Shaniya, Shaniya was like an only child.
Or, if her children were the cousins Shaniya fought with, and taking care of Shaniya was addiitional stress on her own family. If she is a single mom with 3 young kids, how difficult was it for her to add one more? If Shaniya was being taken care of for quite some time by B's girlfriend Ty, how unexpected was it that suddenly the Aunt was taking care of Shaniya?
There's something about the way this Aunt is so careful in the wording her relationship with Shaniya. I sort of expect her to say "Shaniya was like a daughter to me". Yet, this Aunt won't go there. Shaniya was not like a daughter to her. She specifically says their relationship was like nothing else. They had a deep bond. (Why? Were they bonded by neglect? Neglect is a theme in the family?)
That family confuzzles me. I'm sure they did not want this to happen, and I'm sure they never expected it to happen. I'm just not sure anyone was paying attention - perhaps they all had other priorities.
The first thing you'd think about - with a child Shaniya's age - ishow important that first year of school is - making new friends, making it a good experience, consistent and special. If you really care that Shaniya brings home stars every day, then you're going to make sure that even if she moves in with her loser bio-mom, she is still bringing home stars every day. I don't get from the Aunt that there was that level of caring or responsibility. If there was, she'd have followed up with the bio-mom after two days...
The Aunt, I feel for her. But I don't think she was the primary caregiver for Shaniya. I think she was the put-upon back-up plan. I think that is the nature of their "bond like no other".
Now, it's just painful and ridiculous to watch them pretend that they were diligent with Shaniya's care. Horsehockey.
Not a single bit of this analysis helps get Shaniya back. I just had to get the Aunt thing off my chest. I pray for them all, and I know they are sufferring. I don't want to add to it. I just am trying, for my own peace of mind, to understand how this child came to be abandoned in he77.
And ... it's all JMHO.