Love Story of interracial couple beginning in the 1970's seeing the troubles that faced them. This story tells how their lives changed over the years as their children grew, how they had to handle obstacles that still stood in their way in today's world. A huge mystery weaves its way through the family causing terrifying pain and heart ache that will surprise you. Building Dominoes is a book has something for everyone.
Follow the lives of Sarah Miller, naive country girl and Anton Reynolds, street smart kid from East St. Louis. Watch as their forbidden friendship turns to love. See the obstacles they were up against and the choices they made to stay together through the years. Meet their children. Laugh when boys want to court their daughters and take joy when they walk their first daughter up the aisle. Go through the tragedies and triumphs of their lives. See how the family sticks together when there is a crisis. How does Sarah handle that her youngest son tells her he is gay. How does the rest of the family handle it? This story not only has triumphs and tragedies of the racial prejudices of the 1970's but also brings in the troubles in today's world not only of interracial marriages, but of coming out and letting the family and community know. There are mysteries in this story. Who caused such hardship and sadness? Can you figure it out before the sheriff?
Strong Sexual Content
Excerpt
After getting permission from Sarah, Anton slid in the booth next to her and began his tale of woe.
“I was on my way over here to meet you and I saw Felicity on the ground and those other two trying to get her up. They’re all three stoned and drunk. They were finishing a joint when I walked up and Marcie had half a bottle of Boone’s Farm on her. Anyway, I helped them get Felicity up and helped all three of them over here.” Anton paused and took a sip of his Dr. Pepper. “Good thing the security guards weren’t around. We might have been busted.”
“Or worse,” Rick said. “You know better than that, man. They’d blame you most of all without asking any questions.”
“What can I say? I was just trying to be nice,” Anton said.
Growing up in a small town Sarah never had the opportunity to meet or talk to Negroes and now she was sitting just inches from one. He seemed like a normal person. And he seemed very nice, too. Sarah looked at Anton closer and noticed that he was quite handsome…for a Negro. He was quite handsome no matter, he was just plain handsome. He had deep set eyes and high cheek bones and a strong jaw line. Anton noticed her staring at him and smiled and Sarah felt her face blush.
“Small town girl,” Nancy whispered.
Rick, Anton and Nancy laughed then and Sarah could feel the heat in her cheeks. She understood the joke but didn’t think it was that funny.
“I feel just like white people, too,” Anton said smiling and still laughing.
“It’s not that funny. Please let me out of the booth,” Sarah ordered, having had enough of the joke. “I don’t appreciate being made fun of.”
Anton got up and let her out with protests and apologies from Nancy and Rick. Anton followed her and walked with her back toward the dorm.
“We didn’t mean to embarrass you, Sarah,” Anton apologized.
“That’s OK,” she said, feeling tears burning the backs of her eyes.
“We were just teasing. I guess we went too far.”
“The country girl is an easy target for a joke, right. Well, I can’t help it my town doesn’t have any Negroes living there and that I’ve never seen any until I came to school here,” Sarah said, walking faster.
“Honestly, you never met a black person until now?” Anton said in total disbelief.
“Never,” Sarah replied walking quicker.
“Slow down, Sarah, and let me talk to you,” the very athletic built young man said out of breath.
“Why, so you can tease me some more?” She asked him.
“No, because I have never met a small town white girl either and I’d like to get to know you. OK?” He asked as they stood face to face under a street lamp along the pine tree walk way.
“OK, but for just a few minutes,” Sarah said, as she checked her watch. It was just 8:45 and there was lots of time before her 11:00 pm curfew. But Sarah felt it was not proper for her to be seen with a man….a black man at that….alone at night outside where no one could really see them. She thought maybe they should go back to the Nest. But, no, she said they could talk for just a few minutes.
Anton and Sarah sat on one of the benches along the walk and talked about their hometowns. Anton grew up in the projects of East St. Louis and worked hard to get out and go to college on a partial English Scholarship. He had always wanted to be a Journalist and now he works on the college newspaper. When Sarah said she had helped out on her high school’s newsletter, Anton asked if she would help him with the paper. She said she would check her schedule and would be happy to help if she could.
She liked Anton. He was so friendly and easy to talk to. She hoped that they could be friends.
“Hey, you two,” Nancy yelled as she and Rick walked toward them.
“Hi,” Sarah said.
“Come on girlfriend, we’re gonna be late for curfew,” Nancy said as she grabbed Sarah’s hand and pulled her up from the bench.
“What time is it?” Anton asked.
“5 til 11,” Rick said.
“Bye, Anton, see you tomorrow,” Sarah yelled over her shoulder as she was trotting toward the dorm with Nancy huffing and puffing behind her.
“I can’t believe it’s that late,” Anton said looking at his watch.
Rick just gave him that knowing look and winked at him.
“No, man, it’s not like that. Not with her,” Anton said as the two of them walked toward their dorm.
