Maya and the Robot

Maya stands outside of Mr. Mac’s store for Christopher’s memorial service with her parents and many members of the community. She feels uncomfortable and is unsure what she is supposed to do, but her dad tells her that her and Ralph just being there will mean a lot to Mr. Mac. Once everyone has arrived, Terrance—the young man who was at the store when she found Ralph—steps forward to speak. He was Christopher’s best friend, and his speech explains that on this day 10 years ago, Christopher was shot and killed walking out of his father’s store. He laments the prevalence of gun violence and the loss of the 12,000 people killed by gun violence. He also talks about how smart and kind Christopher was, and how he used his skills to make the world a better place. When he is done, he invites Mr. Mac to speak.

Mr. Mac thanks everyone for coming to help him remember his son and then begins to speak from the heart. He explains that for a long time, he didn’t want anyone to even mention Christopher to him because the reminder of his absence was too painful.