Odell’s childhood is horrible: his father beats him and leaves him with uncles; his uncles give him marijuana; his mother vanishes periodically. Sent to a school for kids with behavior problems, he does well but goes back to drugs. He quits school to work, gets involved with Loretta who cannot be faithful and they come and go in each other’s lives. He loses his driver’s license, goes to jail and there a man comes and tells him about Jesus. Put on probation, he tries to stop sinning then gets angry at God when Loretta again fails him. The first part ends when his mother commits suicide and with Loretta expecting his child.