When I Was the Greatest

Ali ruminates on Malloy’s analogy on his way home but does not linger too long on his journey because he knows any watching neighbors will report back to Doris and worsen his punishment. Still, he pauses briefly by Noodles and Needles’s building, worrying about them both. Back inside his own apartment, there is a strong scent of chemicals, and Jazz confesses she finished the chores his mother left for him—all except cleaning his room. They play around together before he gets to work.

In the early evening, John comes over with Black, who relays his experience at Brother’s barbershop earlier that day. A few battered-looking men came in talking about the party and about Ali, though they did not know his name. Black inferred it was Ali because they were making fun of a kid with yarn, and his experiences with Noodles’s false bravado made him confident it was not Noodles who fought the men. Brother had the same reasoning and ejected the guys, saying the barbershop is “no thug meet-up spot” (168). Before they left, the men made it clear they wanted to get even with Ali. He is petrified hearing this, but John assures him he will protect him and will handle it the next day. Ali recalls the gun in the car and nods soberly.

His father tells him that Kim, who is in EMT training, is tending to Needles next door. Afterward, she debriefs them on his status. The wrist is only sprained and none of the bruises are serious. Their mother is still absent. Kim commends Ali for his actions taking care of Needles. She adds that Noodles apologized to her and Black, whom she calls by his given name Kenny, for his behavior at Black’s house.

After Black and Kim leave, Jazz, Ali, and John reminisce about the past. Doris comes home to the three of them asleep on the couch together. Ali takes Jazz to her bed and collapses into his own but spends a sleepless night speculating about what his actions will cost his family.

Ali hurries out of bed early to catch his father before he leaves. He sees Doris and John having coffee together. An emotional Doris hugs John before departing for work. Ali tries to talk his father out of going, but John is determined. He hugs Ali and shakes hands with him, squeezing tight, then gets into his car and quickly takes off.

Jazz and Ali spend the day watching TV and hanging out. Ali is tense but does his best not to reveal what their father is up to. On a bathroom break, Ali hears a thump from Needles and Noodles’s apartment next door. This takes his thoughts back to the brothers. He thinks about what it must have taken for Noodles to swallow his pride and apologize to Kim.

Ali is enormously relieved when John staggers in later that afternoon. His nose is bloody, but he is otherwise unharmed. They retreat to Ali’s room to avoid disturbing Jazz. Ali collapses into his father’s arms and weeps intensely. John comforts him by saying it has been handled. Ali asks what it was like “pulling the trigger” (185). Stunned, John realizes Ali thinks he killed the men. He explains that no one was killed—he never planned to and his has no bullets—instead, he just talked to the men and negotiated a truce. He told them he is Ali’s father and took a couple blows but was able to convince them to take the car and its contents in exchange for Ali, Noodles, and Needles’s safety. Ali is even more emotional about his father’s sacrifice, and John, who is also overcome, joins Ali in crying. Although he has given up everything, John assures Ali he will “figure something out” (188).

Doris hurries home that evening, also anxious to see how things went with John. She experiences a flood of emotions upon seeing John, Ali, and Jazz together on the couch. The parents talk together in a bedroom before Doris goes to her second job. John promises to wait for her to return, and she hugs the children and leaves. The next day, a Saturday, she calls in sick and spends the day with her family. John and Ali make breakfast, then the family—even Doris—peruses Jazz’s scrapbooks. Doris plans to cook dinner, which is a rarity because she is so often busy.

Ali, his father, and sister sit on the stoop while Doris shops for dinner. Noodles appears from his building. He looks ashamed, and there is an awkward moment before John calls him over to join them. He enquires about Needles and his recovery, and then the group falls into an uncomfortable silence. Doris comes back with a shopping cart and makes Ali and Noodles return it to the store together. She is treating them to barbecue chicken for dinner, which delights the family. They invite Noodles to fix a plate for himself and his brother. On the way to the store, Ali and Noodles have strained conversation but eventually find their way back to their usual rhythm. Noodles shares that he is having a difficult time. Needles refuses to speak to or even look at him, and he knows Ali is also angry with him. Ali apologizes for his part in the situation, saying none of them would have gone if Ali had not pushed so hard. Noodles warns Ali about the threat to them, but Ali lets him know John has already taken care of it for all three of them because they are “all together” in it (198). Ali asks whether Noodles apologized to his brother, and he has, but Needles is unbelieving. Ali says he must also demonstrate it with his actions. They return to the stoop and sit next to each other.

A while later, Needles comes out of the building looking exhausted with a faraway stare. He suddenly wails and keeps screaming even when Malloy, Ms. Brenda, and Kim try to console him. Noodles thinks Needles needs a replacement set of knitting needles and yarn, so Doris quickly comes running with some. He rejects them from her, saying that “it hurts” (203). The tears and howling continue. Noodles takes the yarn to his brother and tearfully yells, “I’m sorry” (204), begging for forgiveness until Needles stops crying and accepts the yarn.

In the end, Doris agrees to let John stay at the apartment while he rebuilds his life. He gets a nine-to-five job even though he hates it. Needles and Noodles’s relationship improves, and Ali starts boxing in fights. Noodles even creates a new comic character named “Knit Man” whose superpower is knitting. Ali says things are “not perfect, but what is?” (205).