I asked Alvin about what his father had just told me after waiting for him to return home. After agreeing, Alvin said he would handle everything as long as I did not consider doing anything foolish that would damage his reputation.

What did he mean specifically? After giving it some serious thought, I went upstairs to my bedroom. Consequently, my father awoke me early the next day and asked me to go with him to a milestone. Where would we be going at this hour of the morning? I wondered at first, but I left without asking him. After we got in the car, we reached the court a few...