Invisible Son

Content Warning: This section discusses racism.

The next day is March 1, 2020. Andre has breakfast with his mother and then goes to the Parks & Rec department. On his way, he stops by the typical places where Eric hung out. At the corner market, he shows Eric’s picture to the cashier; she says that she saw him a few months ago.

He arrives at Parks & Rec, remembering how he once did a summer program for Black students that taught him how to swim. It was an attempt to fight against the stereotype that Black folks couldn’t swim. He loved swimming and kept doing it even as he got older, feeling like laps in the pool brought him peace.

Andre waits for the director of the department, Terry Jones. When he appears, he tells Andre that he thinks it’s important for Andre to face his mistakes, which is why he’s letting him do his service hours there. Andre is assigned to work in the storage room. He wonders how doing community service will make him a better person. No one has thought to ask him what he thought would be good for him.