Fire from the Rock

Sylvia wakes up late the next day and joins her family in the kitchen just as they finish breakfast. She almost tells them the truth about the fire, but then Reggie shows up at her house. He asks to speak with her. Sylvia gets upset that Reggie is at her house when both of them look a mess. She thinks about how she wanted to invite him to Sunday dinner and make a cake. Reggie confesses that he accidentally set the store on fire. Reggie was on a mission to firebomb the barbershop of a local racist, but his aim was poor, and he hit the grocery store window instead. He tells Sylvia he might go stay with relatives in Cincinnati. Sylvia is angry because he almost killed her and he did not stop to get her out of the store after the explosions. She is even angrier that he wants to run away and not take responsibility for his actions. Sylvia thinks this will only reinforce the stereotypes that the white people hold about them.

Her father convinces Reggie to stay and confess to the police. The Zuckers don’t press charges, but Reggie has to drop out of school and work to repay them for the damage.