Who's On My Side? The Story of Kalen Brown

Introduction

The front door was locked and the music was still blaring from inside of the house. It was loud enough to muffle the sounds of violence that carried on.

As the fighting continued, Kalen was thrown into the stereo. With the violent crash, the speakers disconnected, right in the middle of James Brown, hollering passionately through his song.

The screaming voices inside, the echoes of breaking glass and tossed furniture carried into the street. People throughout the neighborhood quickly gathered in front of the house, curious about the commotion.

Jesse was outside of the house, banging on the door, praying for Kalen to open it. “Open up! I called the police, Mr. Brown! Stop this madness, now!” Jesse’s plea went unheard. The fighting continued.

“I hate you!” Kalen shouted as blood ran from his mouth and nose. “I freakin’ hate you!”

Michael, wiped his son’s blood from his own chin as he staggered, trying to regain his balance. “So these are the balls that you have been hiding? Finally trying to be a man, c’mon you lil’ punk! If you’re ready to be a man, then I’ll gladly introduce you to manhood.”

Mr. Brown charged towards his bloodied son and tackled him over the couch. As he tried his best to kick his father off of him, Mr. Brown reached over to the corner, where his liquor bottle was lying and grabbed hold of it. He held Kalen down by the neck then smashed the bottle over Kalen’s forehead.

Kalen closed his eyes as the alcohol sprayed across his face. Michael finally let go of his motionless son’s.

Michael spit in Kalen’s face, adding insult to injury. “You’re still a lil’ punk! Who taught you how to fight?”

As Michael stumbled to his feet, Kalen slowly found enough strength to open his eyes. His adrenaline was still running through his body as he quickly kicked Michael in the groin.

“I’m no punk!” he shouted as his father toppled over, holding himself. Kalen crawled to his knees. He helped himself up to his feet with the edge of the couch. As blood poured over his eyes, he gathered as much energy as he could and kicked his father violently in the stomach.

Over and over, Kalen continued to kick Michel until he threw up the liquor that was in his system. “Who’s the punk now? Huh, who’s the punk now?”

As Mr. Brown lay in his vomit, moaning, Kalen staggered over to the stairs. Michael slowly pulled his head up off of the floor and pushed himself onto one knee. “What? You had enough? Can’t handle a little discipline, punk boy?”

Without answering his father, Kalen noticed the gun that was once on the speaker was now lying on the floor in front of the steps. He quickly picked it up and turned it towards Michael, with his heart pounding faster than ever.

Kalen’s vision was very blurry from all of the blood that had poured into his eyes. He took his shirt off and wiped some of it away. “Get up!” he shouted angrily.

As Michael looked over at his son, he noticed the gun in his hand. “Ha, ha, ha, ha! What the hell do you think you’re gonna do with that?” he said as he sat on his knees.

“I said, get the hell up!” Kalen shouted again.

Mr. Brown wiped the dripping vomit from his mouth with the back of his hand. Holding tightly to the couch, he pulled himself to his feet. “You’re gonna shoot me?” he said as he staggered back into the wall. He held his arms out as if he was placed upon the cross, like Jesus. “Go ahead, lil’ punk boy, you don’t have the heart.”

Kalen wiped the blood from his face again. He looked down and noticed a piece of a broken mirror between his feet. Tears built up in his eyes as he looked back at his father. “Look what you did to me! How could you do this to your son?”

“Oh, shut that crap up,” Michael shouted, withholding all sympathy. “I’m teaching you how to be a man.”

“No! No! This is not how you teach your son to be a man! You’re trying to kill me. You’ve been trying to kill me since the first time you hit me! That’s all you’re doing to me,” Kalen answered with the gun shaking in his hand. “But you’re not gonna do that to me. You’re not going to hurt me anymore.”

Mr. Brown’s eyebrows rose. “Oh really, so you really think you can end my life?”

“Without a doubt, I’m not dealing with this anymore. You’ve killed two people meant a lot to me and you tried to kill me. You’re going to pay for this!”

Mr. Brown’s face completely sunk as he stood in silence. He noticed his reflection in the window on his left side. As he paused, looking at himself, all thoughts of his depressing life started to build within his soul. He started to see himself as the devil that he had become. He fell to his knees and shook his head, finally feeling sorry for himself. His emotions completely took over his mind and he really didn’t want to live anymore. “Go ahead then. Pull the trigger. I don’t deserve to live anyway.”

Still shaking with the gun in his hand, Kalen slowly walked over to his father. “No more! No more!” he shouted and placed the barrel of the gun onto his father’s forehead.

As the people in the neighborhood crowded the house, they noticed that the fighting had stopped. Sharee made it up to the steps. “What’s happening, Jesse?”

“It’s not good. Kalen and his dad have been fighting in there. It’s really bad. I think Michael is going to kill him.”

Sharee shouted at the crowd of people. “Somebody call the cops! Call the cops, now!”

“I…I already did and they aren’t here yet.”

As all of the fighting stopped, Jesse turned back to the door and banged violently once again. “Open the door! Kalen, open the door!” he shouted as he continued.

Sharee banged as well. “Someone help us, please help!” she shouted to the crowd. Still, no one moved an inch.

As the police pulled up to the house, Jesse and Sharee were still trying to get Kalen to open the door. All of the fighting stopped and they couldn’t tell what was going on. Sharee turned around and noticed the officers getting out of their car, very slowly.

“Will you two hurry up! He’s killing his son!” she shouted.

“Now, now, young lady, tell me what’s going on.” one of the officers said.

As Jesse turned around to address the police, his comment was quickly interrupted.

BANG!

The sound of a single gunshot rang from inside of the house, dispersing the crowd.

The officers pulled out their guns. “Move away from the house! MOVE NOW!” One of the officers shouted as he pointed at the front door.

“No! Kalen, NO!” Jesse screamed as he slowly backed away from the front door.

Sharee backed away with her eyes wide open. She stumbled down the stairs and sat down on the grass in complete fear. “No, please Lord, no! Don’t take Kalen from me. Please don’t take him away.”

There is a story that led up to the breaking point between a son and his father. During the course of Kalen’s young life and up to that point, the actions that took place on that night allowed him see who was really on his side.

It all started when Kalen’s mother died. He was only eight years old when he moved back to Springfield, MA from Hampton, VA to live with his father. His parents had separated while he was still a baby and it had never been explained to him as to why. His mother had custody of him and Kalen never saw his father for the first eight years of his life. He barely knew this man but had love in his heart for him and wanted to call Michael, daddy.

Michael Brown was a smooth looking man, in his mid thirties. He had chocolate brown skin that sat on a six foot athletic build frame with an afro to match. His brown eyes were flattering to the ladies and his smile was just as daunting. Michael was confident and it showed in his presence when Kalen met him for the first time when he finally came to Springfield.

Kalen was driven up to Springfield, Massachusetts with his DSS worker. He had no other family to depend on and was really nervous to start a new life with his father but had no choice but to accept his new future.

At eight years old, Kalen was a healthy brown skin, short haired, happy-go-lucky kid. Even after the death of the only parent that he knew, people were surprised to see that he never lost his smile. That smile was something that everyone said that he got from his mother. Kalen loved hearing that because even though she was gone, he still loved her dearly.

When Kalen was introduced to his father for the first time, he extended his hand to shake Michael’s and looked into his eyes. Kalen quickly noticed that Michael’s eyes were similar to his and his face resembled him as well. Kalen thought that he was looking at an older version of himself and he liked it.

Without hesitation or any words said, Michael pushed Kalen’s hand away and gave him a loving hug.

Kalen’s heart was put at ease in that first meeting and he was hoping that his life with Michael, his father was always going to be that great.

 

The first few months were perfect in Springfield. The city was bustling with life. Springfield, Massachusetts was known as the city of homes and the birthplace of basketball. Basketball was a great way for people to pass the time and stay active. It seemed like everyone had a basketball hoop in their yard and for Kalen, his father, Michael Brown’s house, was no exception to that rule. They had a nice new hoop in their yard and it was used daily.

During that time, Kalen and his father bonded like they had never been apart. Michael took his son fishing, to the park and everywhere else a kid would want to go. Kalen still missed his mother, but felt safe and loved with his father.

Soon after the honeymoon phase of this union was over, things between Kalen and Michael took a drastic turn for the worse, in what seemed like a blink of an eye.

It all started on a sunny day in August of 1995…