A mixed marital arts fighter named Wallace, the main character from the story “You’ll Apologize If You Have To” by Ben Fowlkes, flies to Florida to fight someone he had never heard of, and for a payment of ten thousand dollars. Wallace is knocked out in the fight by the other fighter and does not remember how it happened. All Wallace knows is that he has a bad bruise on the side of his head. He is later informed by Coach Vee of how he was knocked out. They travel back to San Diego and part ways at the airport to their own houses. Wallace then falls into a state of depression and starts to really think about his future. When he steps out of his home, he runs into a neighbor and gets into an altercation. He then has to go visit his daughter,
…show more content…
So Wallace spent some time in his condo feeling sorry for himself, “After three days he’d had enough. He had to do something, get outside, take a walk” (84). Wallace has also ignored his phone during this time and when he finally looks at his phone. There is a voicemail from his ex-wife because he forgot to pick up Molly. Wallace then feels overwhelmed by it all, so to release frustration he rolls a joint and walks around the estuary behind his condo. During his walk he comes across a man who was bothered by Wallace smoking weed so close to his house. Wallace tries to understand and return to his house peacefully but the man keeps teasing him saying, “I’ll bet that’s why you’re out here smoking weed in the middle of the day. Because you’re so busy with work, right?” (86). The embarrassment of his bruise and being teased about his job causes Wallace to snap. So Wallace has to get a bit physical with the man by only dropping him on the floor and into the mud. When the man got up, he only swore at Wallace, as if asking for more. But Wallace’s reaction is, “he was going to let the man say whatever he wanted to say. That was a choice he was making… four days out from a knockout and I-don’t-give-a-fuck had settled in” (87). His altercation with a neighbor shows how Wallace is maturing, and has learned his lesson for taking a fight he should not have. He is now making the choices in his life and being wiser. Wallace must now go face his ex-wife and daughter for missing his scheduled visit, before he can continue thinking about his fighting
So Wallace spent some time in his condo feeling sorry for himself, “After three days he’d had enough. He had to do something, get outside, take a walk” (84). Wallace has also ignored his phone during this time and when he finally looks at his phone. There is a voicemail from his ex-wife because he forgot to pick up Molly. Wallace then feels overwhelmed by it all, so to release frustration he rolls a joint and walks around the estuary behind his condo. During his walk he comes across a man who was bothered by Wallace smoking weed so close to his house. Wallace tries to understand and return to his house peacefully but the man keeps teasing him saying, “I’ll bet that’s why you’re out here smoking weed in the middle of the day. Because you’re so busy with work, right?” (86). The embarrassment of his bruise and being teased about his job causes Wallace to snap. So Wallace has to get a bit physical with the man by only dropping him on the floor and into the mud. When the man got up, he only swore at Wallace, as if asking for more. But Wallace’s reaction is, “he was going to let the man say whatever he wanted to say. That was a choice he was making… four days out from a knockout and I-don’t-give-a-fuck had settled in” (87). His altercation with a neighbor shows how Wallace is maturing, and has learned his lesson for taking a fight he should not have. He is now making the choices in his life and being wiser. Wallace must now go face his ex-wife and daughter for missing his scheduled visit, before he can continue thinking about his fighting