Parable of the Sower

A week later Tracy still hasn’t returned, which almost certainly means that she’s dead. Meanwhile, Bianca Montoya, another girl in the neighborhood, is pregnant at 17. She isn’t married to the baby’s father, and there is a “feud” between their families, although Lauren is glad that they are at least both Latino because fights over interracial couplings are intense. Getting married and having children seems crazy to Lauren given the state of the world, but she knows it is what the neighborhood expects her to do. Bianca is making preparations for the wedding, and Lauren admits she doesn’t know “whether Bianca is brave or stupid.” Lauren really likes Curtis and may love him, but says if marriage, children, and more poverty were the only things lying in her future she’d kill herself.

At the next target practice the group finds another corpse; one woman refuses to participate in target practice anymore after this. The oldest Payne kids still come, even though their uncle Wardell has been saying rude things about Lauren’s father. Keith, who is almost 13, begged to come even though he knows he is not allowed before he is 15. Lauren is disturbed by the sight of more skeletal people living in makeshift shacks beyond the neighborhood wall. Later, Lauren’s family discover that Keith stole Cory’s key and has left the neighborhood. Lauren’s father goes out to look for Keith, refusing Lauren and Marcus’s offers to help, and telling them to stay inside. Suddenly, Lauren sees a shadow moving across their neighbors’ porch, and then Cory hears a strange sound coming from inside the Olaminas’ house. Lauren’s father investigates, taking his gun with him.

Soon, Lauren’s father shouts for her to come inside the house. Keith is lying on the kitchen floor, wounded and filthy, surrounded by their siblings. Keith explains that he was attacked by five men, who stole the key to the neighborhood gate. Lauren’s father immediately runs out of the house, likely to warn others in the neighborhood. They will make new keys the next day. Keith curls up on the floor, knowing he will be harshly punished not only for losing the key but also for losing a set of clothes and pair of shoes. Lauren cleans up the blood and makes dinner for the family.

The next day Keith is forced to confess what he did at church and apologize to his parents, the community, and God. Lauren’s father does not hit him, but instead asks over and over how he could be so stupid. Keith says that he wanted to prove he was a man; after two hours, he finally promises that he won’t do it again. Keith is not intelligent, but is highly stubborn. Lauren observes that he silently holds onto his anger.