Summary

The chapter opens with a letter from the author, Kiese Laymon, to his uncle, Jimmy. Laymon begins by discussing the mistakes that he has made throughout his life, from getting kicked out of high school more than once, to run-ins with law enforcement. However, he explains that he stopped doing these things because Jimmy acted as a warning.

Laymon then describes July 4th, when Jimmy threw down his crack pipe and bought Laymon’s grandmother some meat. This is the last time that Laymon’s family saw Jimmy alive. Laymon then recollects on the time that his aunt told him that he was going down the same road as Jimmy. After this quick tangent, the author explains that they found Jimmy’s body on July 7th. Jimmy was then buried at Concord Baptist Church, where...