When I went to Jaybird’s house after school with a black eye and swollen nose, I was ashamed to tell him I lost a fistfight. The old black man, my boyhood best friend and mentor, asked one question: “Was it a fair fight?”
“Well, I guess so. Because I thought Freddie was cheating in our marble game, I took a swing at him. We fought, and I lost. But I promise you this, I will get revenge.”
