Among The Candles

No notebook. No quotes. To interrupt the near silence with questions which had been answered or were unanswerable seemed inappropriate. Even the pros, the photogs, the camera jockeys, the tv faces moved quietly, respectfully, through the crowd which gathered in the pre-dawn chill at The Standard.

They walked from their houses, drove from nearby neighborhoods , even braved the cold by catching a ride in the bed of a pickup truck to honor the memory of John Henderson.

The previous morning, while closing the restaurant, Henderson was brutally murdered.

Tired, red eyes glistened with fresh tears. A young woman volunteered she was late because she was up most the night comforting friends. Some of the eyes glinted with anger.

Originally, there were ideas of protest. Questions about public safety in an era of shrinking budgets and police furloughs remained unanswered, but the owners of The Standard asked that now no be the time. Anger was present, but for the moment it remained internalized, pushed aside by the horror of having this young man's life ripped away.

No questions. No answers. Not today. Later questions will be asked and answers will be given. A reckoning will come - for the story of John Henderson is not finished.

To donate to the John Henderson Memorial Fund, go to grantpark.org and follow the link to make a donation via credit card or mail donations by check or money order to: Grant Park Neighborhood Association, P. O. Box 89235, Atlanta, GA 30312. Please designate “John Henderson Memorial Fund” on the donation