The Rock and The River

Sam and Mama stay at the hospital overnight. They are allowed to see Father the next morning. Stick comes by the hospital to make Mama go home to rest and to take Sam to see Leroy. At the Panther apartment, Sam joins the others in preparing. They ask Sam if he wants to testify at Bucky’s trial. Father had said no when asked, but Sam wants to. Sam says there were others who saw what happened, and he doesn’t understand why they won’t testify. Stick explains how dangerous it is to testify against the police officers. Sam returns to the hospital and tells Father he wants to testify. Father agrees under the condition that Stick comes back home and makes Sam promise to never pick up a gun again. Sam promises that Stick will come home when Bucky can go home.

Stick takes Sam back to the Panther apartment to meet with Bucky’s lawyers. The lawyers prepare Sam for what to expect. They explain, “They may ask you about the Panthers, Sam, and we don’t want to let it go there” (227). When Sam is surprised to find out that Father has been helping the Panthers and Bucky’s defense, Stick pulls him aside and criticizes him for avoiding the complexities of the world.