Over the last few months our life has been as crazy as it’s ever been. Every day craziness. Every day I’d think, I’m not going to blog today because it’s not a “normal” day. I’ll start tomorrow. But I’ve come to realize that the craziness of our life may be instructive to others, and the craziness represents our real life better than what I think “normal” should be.
Where does the title come from? Three weeks ago Jesse was jumped by three guys and brutally beaten. He was kicked in the face and his jaw was broken. When Jesse came home he came upstairs where we were watching a movie. One look and I knew he was badly hurt. He wanted me to give him a ride to the hospital but he was not talking right. I knew he had a head injury so I called 911 instead. I told the 911 operator that we didn’t need the police. Please send an ambulance without sirens or flashing lights because I don’t want to alarm Jesse. When I explained what had happened and how he was acting she got a paramedic on the phone. I was talking to the paramedic when the police arrived. Jesse freaked out. He ditched his pot pipe behind a chair and somehow managed to take his shorts off in the front porch. The police took the two of us outside and “interviewed” us separately.
M(e): Why did the police come. I told the operator we didn’t need the police.
P(olice): We came because of a serious assault. Do you know you have a known gang member living in your house?
M: I know he was involved in gangs in the past but I don’t think he is now.
P: Look at how he is dressed, that’s gang affiliating.
M: All the kids around here dress like that.
P: We knew there was going to be violence tonight because of the wake going on at the Indian center. This was most likely gang related. Do you know who did this to him?
M: No, and I’m sure he’s not going to tell you.
P: He won’t tell us because he wants to take care of it himself.
M: I’m sure that’s true.
P: Are you prepared to have your house shot up like the house four blocks away? That was a gang-related shooting.
M: Well no I would prefer not to have my house shot up, but I also am committed to Jesse and his well-being. I’m not going to kick him out because I fear the gangs.
Jesse went to the hospital by ambulance. The next day he had surgery to have a metal plate installed in his jaw. Since then I’ve talked to Jesse about that night. He got jumped by three guys. He was fighting one guy but every time he got the upper hand one of the other two would knock him down so the first guy would have the advantage. After the fight was done, the three knocked him down and kicked the crap out of him, breaking his jaw and giving him a concussion.
Despite the injury, Jesse thinks the fight was “fun” and worth the pain and damage he’s suffered. He is proud of himself that he was winning the fight with the one guy. So far this school year Jesse has broken his hand fighting, re-broken his hand fighting, broken his finger fighting, suffered a big bruise on his head from being pistol-whipped in a fight, and then this. The night he was pistol-whipped he got arrested for assault and fleeing a police officer and had to spend the night in jail. Yet he STILL thinks fighting is fun. Welcome to the inner-city values where your fighting ability brings the ultimate prestige and power.
