1968

Part 1

January 31, 1968

Oakland, California....

It's a Wednesday morning, as an eighteen year old Darren Wilson was doing pushups on his bedroom floor.

"48...49...50..."

After the fiftieth pushup, a shirtless and sweaty Darren got off the floor.  There was a wooden dresser there with a large mirror attached to the back of it.  Darren began staring at his shirtless reflection.  What used to be a lanky, yet muscular body was now more defined.  He then flexed his muscles, liking what he's seeing.

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An eighteen year old Chris Smith - who was dressed for school - was eating breakfast in his kitchen.  His thirty eight year old mother Denise - who was dressed in a nurses uniform - grabbed her keys.

"Listen, baby."  Denise said, kissing Chris's forehead.  "Tonight, you're going to have to fend for yourself for supper.  'Cause I got me a date tonight."

"Wait.  A date?"  Chris said, not liking that fact.

"You heard me."

"With who?"

"You don't know him.  But you'll meet him later on."

"Ma, you can't be going out on no dates.  It ain't right."

"Look.  I ain't got no time to be arguing with you.  I got to get off to work before I'm late.  So, I'll see you later."  Denise grabbed her purse and headed towards the front door.  "Bye."

"Bye, Ma."

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As Darren's twin sister Jackie was eating from a bowl of cereal in the living room, a fully dressed Darren came walking down the stairwell.  Jackie was watching cartoons on the TV, as Darren walked into the kitchen nearby.

"Jackie, turn to the news."  Darren said from the kitchen.

"The news?"  Jackie was surprised to hear him say.  

"You heard me.  Turn to the news."

"Boy, I ain't turning to no news stations.  I'm watching Bugs Bunny."

"Right now, I don't give a damn about Bugs Bunny."  Darren walked into the living room.  "There are terrible things going on the world now."  He turned the TV channel to a news station.

"Hey.  I was watching that."

"I don't care."

"Well, I do.  Now turn the channel back to where I had it."

"Jackie, don't you understand that our boys over in Vietnam were ambushed by a shitload of Viet Cong insurgents yesterday?"

"Of course, I do.  I don't live under a rock, you know?  And besides, why do you even care what's going on overseas?  Our brother's home from there now."

"Andre may be home now.  But ain't no telling when Uncle Sam's going to get a notion to send me over there."

"Boy, you got a whole year before you're eligible for the draft.  So, I don't know why you're even worried right now."

"You may think I'm paranoid.  But this war could last for a long time.  And I don't even want to think about stepping foot over there."

"Look.  Until next year, try not getting yourself all worked up over this Vietnam business.  Just live your life."

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"Charmaine."  

A twenty one year old woman named Charmaine Bowman's mother Miss Loretta called out from the hallway, as she was in her bedroom.