In 1996, Bangui was considered the most dangerous place in the world. This child would have been born, what, around 2004, the start of the CAR Bush Wars? An orphan may have been a survivor of a political execution or a displaced village. The child suffered from frequent nightmares and difficulty sleeping, indicating trauma. That the child would be traumatized by an African face may not be as far fetched as you make it sound.

You're not familiar with the specific circumstances of the mother or the child. Perhaps the child's mother was killed in front of him. Would it not be traumatic if your presence reminded him of her death?

You do relate that she was "critical of Black colleagues at work". You "suspect" she criticizes you. You suggest she is a racist because she is "black adjacent" - a mother who is attempting to protect her own child. She is the most insidious racist you know?

I suspect, from your emphasis on race, you know someone even more racist.