Preface

Opening chapter from Mason. A story about murder, stereotypes, and judgment.

Crime happens. It's a part of life to which we've all grown accustomed. Numerous questions pop up, which factors drive a person to commit a crime? What has happened in his or her life to perform a heinous act? What does it take to up the ante and commit a larger crime? Does crime perpetuate more crime? Are certain people more inclined than others?

How can a criminal be reformed? Can someone change?

Naomi was a young lady with sound moral judgment. She knew hardship and loss, but she lived in harmony, with herself and her neighbors. She was only twenty-seven, and chose to live with her mother, Julia, to help make ends meet. Naomi was always taught to work hard and persevere.

"Never look back at your life and feel victimized. Recognize where and how you can best improve your life. Always strive to better one’s self and to do for others. Remember to give your time and your capabilities to help those more in need. Count your blessings before the beginning of a day and again at the end because many people do not have the opportunities you or I have. Know you are always loved, and nothing in the world can change that. And above all else, even if and when your mother and I are no longer present, we have taught you to remain living. And to live with others.”

These were her father's teachings before he passed away from pancreatic cancer. It ran rampant in his family and thus environmental influences weren't enough to prevent the inevitable.

Julia's family had been prepping her for college when she met Peter. They were high school sweethearts and seniors. She had been accepted into the school of her choice, Syracuse, which meant leaving Detroit and Peter behind. Peter wasn’t ready for her to leave and decided to follow his girl. As fate would have it, he too was accepted into the school. Everything seemed right on course for a happily ever after when Peter's mother was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Peter knew it would be a quick decline. He’d watched one of his aunts go through the same.

He decided to put off his acceptance for the first year and to stay with his mother. He'd seen his father leave the family for another woman when he was just twelve and couldn't leave his mother in her ailing condition. Julia, loving his mother as her own and knowing he chose her school to stay closer to her, decided to do the same.

Julia's family was furious with her decision. Her family had a respectable position within Detroit; her father was a Judge and her mother an MD, both professionals. They reinforced the notion in Julia that middle-class African American families have the most difficult time staying ahead of the game, “Especially here in Detroit where unemployment targets Blacks and pounds on their doors until the windows shatter. You don’t need to be forgetting that young lady. You are to become a professional.”

Julia couldn’t get a word in edge wise.

“Do you think we spent all this time and money so that you could throw it away on a boy who won’t achieve much more than a local shop? You’re better than that. We’ve raised you better.”

Her mother wasn’t saying much at the time. Both ladies sat and listened as Julia’s father raged as he was known to do in a court room.

“Blacks are subjected to live by a double standard in this country. Think of all the men who come to my courtroom. A typical defendant in a Detroit courtroom is in a state of economic despair. Julia, he’s a poor man of color.

“Black men don’t have an equally-sized staircase on their climb to becoming strong and proud African American men in this society. Most of the men who come to my courtroom have a family history of mental illness or abandonment. They see violence and gangs on their doorsteps; it takes a village to keep these children away from eventual criminal activity. When they’re targeted, who’s there to teach the young men patience? When they see marked injustice, who’s there to teach the youth education and its power? When they experience hatred, where’s the role model resembling their face to show the example?

“One mistake. That’s all it takes for a black man. Just one and he’s marked a criminal for the rest of history. Doors close as dominos falling; mistakes turn into repeated offenses, repeats turn into criminal activity.

“When a defendant comes into my courtroom with repeated accounts, I have to abide by the law.

“Do not think of your father as having a cold and callous heart. It’s quite the opposite. I have come a long way in my life to build a reputable family, Julia. When the race riots began I trembled with fear of what would come my way. But I knew not to participate. I had to remain focused on my goals to get into law school. Do you know how hard it was for black men and women to receive an equal education back in the 40’s and 50’s? Do you know the sacrifices we had to take to pave the way for our children? I chose not to help my black neighbor in those moments because I knew I could have more of an impact long term by remaining stationary. Education pays, my dear. And you’re going to go to college. I stopped myself from making a mistake a long time ago, and I’m going to do the same with you. Your heart is in the right place, but you’re thinking short-term.”

Naomi and her father locked eyes. “If you choose to run after that boy and his mother, you’re no longer welcome in my house.”

Her mother chimed in with a bit of alarm, “Julia, what your father is trying to say is that you received a scholarship. You’re on track for the right Honors Societies; you’ve chosen the most appropriate sororities to pledge. You’re secure to obtain a satisfying career.

“Julia, we’ve manicured and groomed you for this. To throw it away on some dying woman, sweetie…” Her mother finished her statement, “Well frankly sweetheart, she’s going to die. To wait for the inevitable is foolish. You have to understand how fast cancer reacts…” And into the medical diction she began to recite.

Julia refused her parents and decided to remain back for the year. To her, family mattered. And Peter was already that.

His mother remained living for an additional five years after her initial diagnosis, beating the oncologist’s odds at having only eight months left. By the time the funeral had come and gone Julia's aptitude for her field of interest and scholastic achievements had expired and loans to attend college were inevitable. Her family refused to help or to acknowledge the young couple, already married and expecting. Julia and Peter had no other choice but to avoid a life of debt and took working their way up in a career from the bottom up. The couple was young and healthy and had been saving for five years. A small car cleaning business was opened; Julia ran the marketing and soliciting, and Peter went out to do the manual labor. Four years in, their business was small but stable and enough money had been saved to put on a tiny house in a suburban city only 20 minutes away from Julia’s family. Naomi was settling into her third birthday.

You see, life is made of choices. These choices dictate the movement of time. Our past walks with us, and the future constantly clashes with our present yet brief state. The point is we have many more moments in front of us to discover the people we were always meant to be.

With that I introduce the story of Mason.