The Downlow Saga

By Sheldon McCormick

Abuser and loser Eugene Downlow Colston is left with tormenting, bitter defeatism and relentless despair as a total failure, brokenhearted and frustrated by his fed-up former fiance. She beat him badly during a spat and, later, legally, in a court case against her. She broke their engagement and his nose, tossed his engagement ring in his female-battered face, and then walked out on him forever. Now all alone, plagued by racism, driven to liquor in a fruitless effort to drown his inner hellish pain, disrespected, ridiculed, and rejected as a miserable, worthless, no sexgetting, low-down black ghetto scumbag, Downlow finds redemption and purpose in armed security guard work. The Compton man also finds himself amid a wave of terrorist suicide bombings and street violence waged by the vicious Tammerack Tigers gang. Downlow manages to inspire both the black community and his fellow security officers to stand up for what is right in the face of the warring, fanatical criminal gangs bloody reign of terror in 1989 South Central Los Angeles.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 3, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543454604

Sheldon McCormick

A Los Angeles, California native, McCormick began his writing career while a student at Foshay Junior High School (now the Foshay Learning Center) in 1971. He was a writer for the Los Angeles Sentinel, the Compton Bulletin and several other publications. He was editor of the now-defunct Los Angeles Balance News newspaper in the late 1980s. McCormick received his Associate of Arts degree in journalism from Los Angeles City College May 22, 1986. He is the author of eleven other novels and has written commentaries for his Facebook page.

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Copyright © 2017 by Sheldon McCormick.

ISBN:                       Softcover                           978-1-5434-5459-8

                                  eBook                                 978-1-5434-5460-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 10/04/2017

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CONTENTS

In Memorium

Tributes

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

IN MEMORIUM

Dedicated in loving memory to my dearest parents, Ouida McCormick (June 20, 1930-May 25, 1982) and Leon McCormick (August 27, 1924-April 29, 1991), Demetria Wallace (1964-1983), Kimbrough Foley (1928-1983), Lamont Norwood, Denise Rozier, Pat Newman (1935-1981), Ebora Alexander, Dietra Alexander, Damani Gardner and Damon Bonner, every victim, known and unknown, of senseless violent crime, domestic abuse, gang violence and terrorism, USMC Pfc. James Anderson, U.S. Army Pfc. Milton L. Olive III, Heather Heyer, Reverend Eugene and Sylvia Thomas, John Peeples, Kenneth R. Thomas, Alfonso Williams, Jr. and Rosemary Almada (1957-2013).

TRIBUTES

Special and heartfelt tributes to Deborah Lacey, Diane Frierson, Felicia Marie Johns-Filer, Henry Brown and Koppell McDade, Jr., Christine Gerstenburger, Joan Alexander, Angela Hoffman, Lauren Chapin, Roland Bynum, Jennifer Thomas, Jessica R. Maes and Jose Zepeda, Gloria Allred, Norma Johnson, Vivian Corley, Von Jones, Michael Taylor, Lisa Stanley, Gary Bryant, Virgie Murray, all my Facebook friends, Pat Harvey, Darlene Donloe, Patricia Moore and Lula Mae Wallace.

Special tribute to Evelina Barajas.

CHAPTER ONE

The weight of a broken, once dominating ego, defeatism, battered by unending bouts with racism and feminine-violence, plaintiff Eugene Colston, 33, glared at the judge with his right, medium-set eel-like brown eye. A bandage covered his left eye and another was wrapped across his thick Corn Row-topped head.

Bound in handcuffs in front of him, belly chains and leg shackles, flanked by tall, muscle-lean bailiffs, Colston, nicknamed Downlow, looked pathetic. He possessed a square face that looked like a bitter cross between a wildebeast and an irritated moray eel, a sulking-lipped grouper, a high forehead and a dangled full chin shaped like the part of the continent of Southern Africa. His eyebrows were medium set over his eyes. His forehead keg-shaped and high.

The African-American Compton man visibly wondered why him, then openly expressed worthlessness, powerlessness and grudging surrender to fate. A tall, sidearmed, bobbed-haired black woman deputy with a bright burgundy lipsticked mouth and a no-nonsense expression, stood behind Downlow, ready for anything that he might do.

Downlow stood a wiry 5-foot-11-inches tall and football half back-built. The imperious, annoyed-faced brunette judge admonished him, Enough of your outbursts, Colston. When she testified, shut up, Colston. You kicked her in her rear! You brutal scumbag you!

During this couple’s three year engagement, Colston had unleased, repeatedly, his anger upon the defendant. Like a cruel slavemaster. So when he slapped her because her college studies became more important that fetching his pack of smokes from the liquor store, she fought back in self-defense and threw her engagement ring in his face. She should have shoved it up your ass, Colston! Her civil and human rights were violated, not yours!

Lucie Collier, the defendant, smiled with pride, vindication and through tears. Her six female allies comforted her. Her woman attorney was pleased. The judge then addressed Downlow without sympathy, with a pointed, condemning tone of voice.

In this court’s view, Colston, she committed no crime. You did, you worthless, bullying, low down piece of trash. Trying to prove your macho tyranny over women by abusing someone who loved you. Collier, her love for him shattered, broke down and wept.

The judge banged her gavel. "Order. Big man, huh? Big punk, you are! Furthermore, you deserved her left jab, right cross, karate kick in the groin, and a jaw-shattering round house karate kick. Losing your retina in your eyes, two of your teeth, a ruptured teste that was removed by hospital surgeons, bloody, broken nose, mouth and face was a small price to pay for inflicting this evil torment against this innocent and brave young woman. Scum punk!

The court finds no felony crime by her has been committed against the plaintiff, Colston, who filed the complaint. Her case is dismissed. Collier was elated and so was her entourage. Mister Colston. For twice disrupting these proceedings, I find you in contempt of court. You are to be held in jail for 72 hours.

The judge’s decision shocked Downlow. Collier sobbed upon her staunch-faced lawyer’s right shoulder. His eye widened in outrage and he uttered, You jive ass piece o’ shit! A white male bailiff tugged his right arm, demanding Downlow to keep quiet. Downlow did, but remained fumed.

The judge concluded her closing comments and addressed Collier. It is the court’s hopes and best wishes, Miss Collier, that you obtain your Bachelor’s Degree in science. Enjoy a long, happy life in peace, real love, productivity and happiness, from this day forward. God be with you.

Thank you…Your Honor, Collier said, her broken voice trailed off.

Court is ajourned. After her declaration, the judge banged her gavel stood and left the bench as the bailiff ordered, All rise!

After the magistrate was gone, Collier approached Downlow and glared at him. Victorious feminism, withering contempt and satisfied revenge etched her otherwise pleasant face. Rot in Hell, you stinking piece of sewer shit!, she railed, then slapped Downlow across the right side of his face, with enough force to knock him sideways and stumbled backward. I’m done with you, nigger!

She turned and sashayed away in triumph with her entourage out of the courtroom. The bailiffs did nothing to her. But they manhandled Downlow and hustled him off to a court building jail cell. His lips trembled and he was devastated inside and out by this latest, crushing defeat after a string of them in his life.

He envisioned his victories from a glorious past. The cheers, congratulatory pats on the back and head after he scored the winning football game in high school varsity football, crowned All-City Championship as he sprinted across the goal line, pass opponent football players like so much discarted lint. He goal post and spiked the ball. In triumph, he stood tall and proud, then faced the masses of joyful fans. They stood with overwhelming delight and cheered their gridiron hero.

Colorful balloons and confetti rained down upon Eugene and his congratulatory teammates. That huge salute and four others while he played college football, draped in the Tri-State College Football championship filled his