Born a Crime

ribs. My mind flashed: It’s a trap!
I’d never been in a fight before, had
never learned how to fight, but I
had this instinct that told me to get
in close. I had seen what those long
arms could do. I’d seen him take
down my mom, but more
important, I’d seen him take down
grown men. Abel never hit people
with a punch; I never saw him
punch another person with a closed
fist. But he had this ability to hit a
grown man across his face with an
open hand and they’d crumple. He
was that strong. I looked at his
arms and I knew, Don’t be on the
other end of those things. I ducked