One of the things that remains unanswered in Tyler Perry’s Straw is how exactly the bank manager, Nicole Parker, finds out about Janiyah Wiltkinson’s daughter. [Spoiler Alert] The ending revealed that Aria was already dead, and all this while her mother had been imagining her presence so she wouldn’t have to face reality. When Detective Kay Raymond and her partner, Detective Grimes, came into the picture, they had a pretty clear idea that Janiyah was a grieving mother who had recently lost her daughter. I suppose Nicole got this information when 911 made a call to the Benevolent Bank and Trust as soon as the bank employee Tessa George triggered the silent alarm. Or maybe it was Detective Raymond who told her when she called the bank as a negotiator to convince Janiyah to surrender her gun and come out of the bank without causing any more trouble.
While Tyler Perry’s Straw didn’t clearly mention when and how Nicole found out about Aria’s death, my best guess is that she found out from Detective Raymond, because she was the only person who didn’t see Janiyah as a bank robber from the very beginning, but as a mother. In short, she was the only person on the police force who had taken a keen interest in Janiyah’s story and therefore might have investigated her background before talking to her as an investigator. When Raymond called the bank, it was Nicole who picked up the call, which I believe was the moment when the detective told her about Aria’s death. But you may ask me why Nicole had been so sympathetic towards Janiyah throughout the film. I mean, she hadn’t always known about Aria, right? Yet, Nicole tried to help Janiyah as best she could. But why?
The thing is, it wasn’t the first time Nicole had seen Janiyah in the bank. Actually, it was Nicole who had convinced Janiyah to open an account with the bank, as she didn’t want Janiyah to lose her money. Throughout the film, Nicole’s character had been portrayed as someone who wanted to make a difference. She had taken a transfer from the East Dale Branch so she could help the women of her community. It was Nicole who first brought up the discussion of systematic racism that was one of the reasons for Janiyah’s poor condition. Anyway, Nicole was well aware of the fact that Janiyah was a single mother who often visited the bank with her eight-year-old daughter, and being a mother of two teenage daughters herself, Nicole knew what losing one’s child felt like, which was why she was so hell-bent on helping Janiyah even though she tried to bring a gun and a presumed bomb into the bank. Nicole was the only person who could understand the confusion and chaos in Janiyah’s life. She knew that the mother didn’t have any ill intentions in mind. She’d never intended to rob the bank. In reality, Janiyah was just a victim of her circumstances.
I feel Nicole’s the kind of person who will remain in touch with Janiyah even after her arrest and the forthcoming trial. Well, she did shoot her boss, Richard, and one of the masked robbers trying to steal money from the store, but Janiyah wasn’t in her right state of mind, which the court will likely take into consideration in her case. But wherever Janiyah ends up, whether in a prison or under psychiatric care, I am quite certain that Nicole, being a responsible friend who always wanted to uplift the women of her community, will look after Janiyah and may even help her with her medications so she can recover as quickly as possible. I know that Janiyah has a mother and sister of her own, but like she said, they were hopeless. It seemed like Janiyah had had some really bad experiences with her family in the past. She might have tried to seek out their help, but instead of being there for her, they deserted Janiyah when she needed someone the most. But fortunately, Janiyah found an extended family in Nicole and the dozens of people who showed up outside the bank in her support. Everyone had heard Janiyah’s story, and they knew that she was just a victim of systematic racism. I just hope that these people won’t forget Janiyah’s story like just another TikTok clip they’ve doom-scrolled past and will genuinely seek justice for her till the very end.
And last but not least, I know that Janiyah had committed some really serious crimes, but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t deserve a second chance. I suppose Nicole will not only help Janiyah with her trial, but will also make sure that she gets the right treatment so she can be rehabilitated into society once she has served her sentence. Additionally, Nicole will help Janiyah build a new life out in the real world, find a job so she can sustain herself, and allow her to proudly look forward to whatever future has in store for her.
