That was 1986. That year I felt myself to be drowning in the news reports of murder. I was aware that these murders very often did not land upon the intended targets but fell upon great-aunts, PTA mothers, overtime uncles, and joyful children-fell upon them random and relentless, like great sheets of rain. I knew this in theory but could not understand it as fact until the boy with the small eyes stood across from me holding my entire body in his small hands.
In 1986, the author reflects on a time when he felt overwhelmed by news about murders happening around him. These violent acts seemed chaotic and indiscriminate, often affecting innocent people within his community rather than the intended targets. The imagery of relentless rain illustrates how pervasive and tragic these events felt, creating a deep sense of despair and anxiety.
The personal connection to this violence becomes more profound when the author encounters a boy who holds his body in a vulnerable position. This moment signifies a shift in understanding, transforming abstract knowledge about violence into a painful, tangible reality. It emphasizes the vulnerability faced by individuals in a society marked by such random acts of brutality.
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