Headlines

Chapter One

"Aw man. It happened again," Xavier exclaimed, slamming the newspaper down on the table with a vengeance. "What is this world coming to?" His father barely glanced up from his breakfast of grits, sausages, eggs, and toast; the same thing they'd eaten every morning for as long as Xavier could remember.

"What is it LaMont?" His mother always called him by his middle name. He watched as she tested the water in the sink for warmth before she placed the dirty dishes in it. She turned, wiping her hands on a white apron that she wore. She ran a tired hand through her graying hair.

"This article in the paper," Xavier vented. "Black-on-black crime is increasing and there's nothing that anybody can do about it. Not the police, not the public, nobody. I'm sick and tired of reading about brothers killing each other. Something needs to be done." His father snickered but said nothing in response. "I'm going to find a way to do something."

Xavier got up from the table abruptly.

"LaMont, you're not going to go and get yourself into trouble now, are you?" his mom asked worriedly.

"Of course not, Ma. You know me." He grinned sheepishly.

"She knows you all right and so do I." His father finally spoke. "Land your ass in jail and don't expect to be getting out anytime soon. You hear?"

Xavier threw his dad an annoyed look that he didn't bother to cover up.

"What the hell do you care, old man? Huh? You ain't never gave a damn before. Why you tripping now? If I get in trouble, I wouldn't turn to you for help anyway. If I go to jail, that's my damn business."

"If you get hit in your mouth, that'll be your business too," his father warned. Xavier shut up immediately. "All I'm trying to do is tell you right from wrong," he continued. "That's all I ever tried to do- teach you right from wrong. And what do I get for my troubles? Huh? Not shit. All I got is what's standing before me now- a snotty nosed, smart-mouthed troublemaker."

"Oh no. Not another speech," Xavier mumbled. "I guess you're going to start preaching to me now, right?" He glared at his father. "Preaching 'bout how Woodrow got caught up with the wrong crowd, got lost along the way and now he don't know if he's coming or going. Well, I don't want to hear about Woodrow. I'm sick and damn tired of hearing about him. Woodrow ain't a part of this family no more. As far as I'm concerned, he ain't even my brother." He pointed at his father. "And if you had some sense old man, you'd do the right thing and cut him out of your life too. But you can't see it like that." Xavier threw up his hands. "Forget this, man. You ain't even worth me wasting my breath talking to."

"Lamont," his mother said tentatively. "Don't start now." She spoke quietly. "You know how your father's blood pressure acts up. Don't upset him so early this morning, okay?"

"He don't care Mabel," his father told her. "That boy don't care about nothing but his self. He's a selfish ass son-of-a-bitch."

"Fred Holloway Brunswick," Mabel gasped. '