Study Guide

Autobiography of My Dead Brother Chapter 17

By Walter Dean Myers

Chapter 17

Another newspaper article, this time about good old Mason. It mentions that he's nineteen years old and was a member of the Counts. Also, he's been sentenced to seven years in jail.
Jesse's dad is freaking out. Since when are the Counts a gang? Jesse says that's just something Mason said to look cool.
Jesse's dad wants him to quit the Counts and they start arguing—and then Jesse's dad punches him in the face.
Here's Jesse's mom. She's upset; Jesse's dad storms off.
Jesse's eye is pretty messed up from the punch, and his mom says they have to go see a doctor.
Jesse and his mom grab a cab and head to the hospital. The doctor says his eye will be fine but he needs to take it easy for a while.
On the cab ride home, Jesse's mom gives him a lecture about how much she and Jesse's dad worry.
Back at home, Jesse wants to hang out on the stoop. His mom says she's going to hang out, too.
Benny and Calvin, who are also there, aren't quite sure what to make of it, so they split after a few minutes.
Jesse's mom tells him that a cop asked her if she wanted to file a domestic abuse report when they were at the hospital; she ask him not to.
Jesse tries to explain that the fight wasn't his fault, that he didn't do anything wrong. His mom says that she and his father aren't perfect.
Jesse wants to tell his mom about all his worry and confusion about recent goings-on, but he can't find the words. She leaves Jesse and his sore eye on the stoop to sulk.