Miracles Boys

by Jacqueline Woodson

Three years ago, Lafayette's brother Charlie was sent to a juvenile detention center, Rahway Home for Boys, for robbing a candy store. Since Charlie's return, twelve-year old Lafayette has thought of him as "Newcharlie" because of his changed behavior. In Charlie and Lafayette's shared bedroom, Charlie and his new friend Aaron discuss who's the baddest. Before they leave, Charlie blames Lafayette for the death of their mother.

Lafayette's oldest brother Ty'ree comes home from work. Before Lafayette was born, Daddy died after saving a woman and her dog from drowning in a frozen pond in Central Park. Since Mama's death, Ty'ree has been Lafayette and Charlie's legal guardian. Lafayette asks Ty'ree about Mama's death. Ty'ree reminds him that she died of insulin shock two years ago; when Lafayette found her, she was already dead. While Ty'ree cooks, Lafayette dozes, dreaming of his great-aunt Cecile in South Carolina. In his dream, he fishes a rainbow trout from a stream, but Newcharlie knocks it out of his hand.

Over dinner, Ty'ree suggests watching a movie. They remember when Charlie tried to save a dog that had been hit by a car. Lafayette and Ty'ree take the subway to Fourteenth Street, where the sights remind Lafayette that they are poor. When Lafayette was a baby, they went to Bayamón, Puerto Rico, for their grandmother's funeral; Mama promised they would visit again, but Charlie never believed they would have enough money. Ty'ree asks Lafayette if he ever tries to talk to Charlie. Lafayette storms off, remembering when Charlie tried to burn all their photographs of Mama.

Ty'ree admits he told Daddy to rescue the woman and her dog. Lafayette asks why nobody told him before that Ty'ree was there. Ty'ree says he wanted to make believe he wasn't; he asked Daddy to save them because he wanted a pet dog himself.

Early in the morning, Ty'ree wakes Lafayette from a dream about fighting a rainbow trout: Charlie is badly hurt and in police custody. Officer Joseph says Charlie was caught riding in a stolen car. He releases Charlie with a warning.

Outside in the rain, Charlie explains he thought Aaron was taking him to a party. Instead it was a gang initiation. Charlie was expected to fight but refused. An older guy offered to take Charlie home, then beat him. Charlie says he never wants to go back.

Late that afternoon, Lafayette goes to the park with his friends Smitty and PJ. They encounter Aaron, who is wearing gang colors. When Aaron asks about Charlie, Lafayette says that Charlie doesn't need colors to be bad.

When Lafayette returns home, he meets Charlie sitting on their stoop. Lafayette starts to go upstairs, but a vision of Mama stops him. He returns to the stoop. He tells Charlie that Mama woke up the morning she died. The second time the paramedics shocked her heart, Mama's eyes opened and her lips moved; then she died. Charlie says he robbed the candy store so they could visit Bayamón. Ty'ree arrives, and the three brothers sit on the stoop together, remembering Mama.