Comin' Home
by
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Comin’ Home
Chapter 1
Home is...
Six year-old Willie Joe sauntered through the apartment doorway, tossing his head with a cavalier glance around the kitchen. His mother, Bernice Cunningham, reeled around from her cooking and glared at him.
“Where have you been?”, she snapped.“Outside”, Willie Joe answered, maintaining an attitude learned from his older brother, Carlton.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Mrs. Cunningham reached over, grabbed Willie Joe by the collar and thrust his face on the table. In one well-practiced, deft move, she snatched up and wielded the wooden spoon from the stove and began beating his bottom with it. Tears welled up in Willie Joe’s eyes. He was determined not to cry out. It seemed as though the beating would not end. Finally, she stopped, swung him around to face her and confronted him, her eyes glaring.
“When I ask you a question, I expect a proper answer. Is that clear?”Willie Joe cowered, his lower lip quivering, as he sheepishly responded.
“Yes, ma’am. I was in the parking lot, playing ball.”
“That’s better. Now, you go and wash up for dinner. Willie Joe, you need to understand what is going on outside of these walls. The city of Newark is in flames. Brothers are rioting in the streets. You got angry cops and National Guards with tanks and guns, just waitin’ to take down Black folks. I need to know where you are at all times. Is that clear now?”
“Yes ma’am.”
His pride hurt; his bottom smarted; his ego hurt. Worse than that, when he first looked up from the table, he saw his older brother and the neighbor across the hall standing in the kitchen doorway, smirking. As he wiped the tears from his eyes and cleared his vision, he saw his aunt and uncle observing the scene. The humiliation hurt the worst. Willie Joe felt powerless.
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About the Book
Born and raised in the projects of Newark, NJ, Willie Joe Cunningham aspires to become a professional basketball player. Surrounded by everything from race riots to drug and alcohol abuse, Willie Joe manages to rise above his humble beginnings. Guided early by a few caring mentors, he now has to confront the issues of race and politics. After qualifying for a spot on a professional basketball team, he suffers an inury and a career setback. Willie Joe overcomes his injury, marries his college sweetheart and becomes a successful college basketball coach. He settles in suburbia. His perfect world is unsettled by the appearance of a former teammate, who implores him to come home andhelp the youth of his native city of Newark. Torn between two worlds, he finds major obstacles that include a wanting wife and an even more wanting ex-lover. Willie Joe's story concerns the search for one's own moral compass. It is everyone's story, regardless of his or her circumstances.
About the Author
Walter Townes, a native of Queens, NY, has proven himself in both the business and the sports worlds. This book—and the resulting future film, is his first effort into the literary world. Walter has led the charge in team building, serving as a college basketball coach for several prestigious schools. He has coached on all levels ranging from Big East St. Johns under legendary hall of famer Lou Carnesecca, to great academic institutions such as Dartmouth and Columbia University. Walter served as head coach at both Clarkson University and Drew University, also coaching at Rutgers University and College of the Holy Cross. He has recruited and coached numerous players who have gone on to the NBA and to Europe to play professionally. In addition to his twenty-five years in collegiate athletics, Walt founded and ran community youth development programs and instituted alumni programs for student athletes, as well as developing new classes. He has turned around marginally performing teams that far exceeded their goals. Currently, he serves as Athletic Director fo the Knox School in St. James, New York, where he resides with his wife Kelly and their daughters Jordyn Elisabeth and Jacklyn Patrica. Walter holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Clark University, and has done graduate studies in Education Administration at St. Johns University. Although fictionalized, this book is semi-autobiographical in nature. Walt’s message focuses on the importance of education—and rising above one’s circumstances and humble beginnings. Barry Cohen has devoted the last 32 years to a career in advertising and public relations. Born in Newark, NJ, he is a cum laude graduate in English from Kean University. He has addressed audiences at trade shows and conferences across the U.S., and contributed to several business and trade publications. Barry has been profiled in numerous publications and interviewed on several major radio stations. This collaboration is his third book. His previous titles include 10 Ways to Screw Up an Ad Campaign, and Startup Smarts; The Thinking Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting & Growing Your Business, both published by Adams Media. In addition, Barry has edited five books for other authors.