My folks took the sentence hard, but my parents were proud that I’d protected Jelai. They made sure I was straight, and The Wilted Roses did too. While I was locked down, I never wanted for anything. There was always time on my phone card, my commissary was always stacked, and the MC made sure I stayed protected while inside, though I could clearly handle myself.
There were quite a few Outlaws incarcerated that thought they’d have an easy target in me, but they learned real quick that wouldn’t be the case. They felt like I’d killed Mario because he and his family were Outlaws, but I didn’t give a fuckwhohe was. The second I heard Jelai scream and saw him pushed up against her, I lost it.
Anybody could get it behind her with no hesitation.
I took in a few more deep breaths before I walked down the concrete path. As soon as I heard a woman scream, I smiled. Mama. My only request while I did my time was that she not visit me, and it was hell getting her to agree. We wrote letters often and I called her daily, but it was hard going ten years not seeing her in person or having her in my arms.
As soon as my eyes locked on her, they blurred with tears. I didn’t give a fuck about looking hard or no shit like that. All of my personal belongings dropped from my arms as she ran inmy direction. I held her close and tight as we both shed tears. When she kissed all over my face and thanked God I was free, I laughed. That’s when Pops decided he’d given her enough time with his oldest child and only son. I peeped that my baby sister was sitting in the car, but I gave Pops some love before making my way over. My spirit told me she was crying, and sure enough, by the time I made it to the back seat, Nadia’s face was covered in tears.
Sucking my teeth, I blew out a hard breath, trying not to get emotional again. I didn’t care if I did though. They’d be the only people who ever saw my tears.
“She missed class just to come get you,” Mama said as she and Pops walked over to her car. I was surprised Pops drove instead of riding his bike. I couldn’t wait to hop on one and just ride around the city for hours, even if I had to ride his Harley.
I opened the door and pulled my sister out gently. That was one thing I did regret—missing so much of her life. She was in college now, and I felt like I’d missed some of the best parts of her growing up. We were seven years apart, and back then, that age difference was vast. I was seventeen and she was ten, and we were often in two completely different worlds. One thing was for sure, though . . . I didn’t play about my baby sister, and she for damn sure didn’t play about her big brother.
“What chu crying for? I’m home now,” I teased, holding her as she clung to me and drenched my shirt with her tears.
“I-I missed you s-so much, big brother,” she sobbed, tightening her grip on me, and that made me shed a few tears all over again.
“We all did,” Pops added, patting my back before he opened the passenger door for Mama.
“I’m sorry for leaving you,” I told her.
“Don’t do it again!” she yelled, giving me a gut punch that made me double over and groan before I laughed.
For a while, I chased her around and we wrestled like we did when we were younger before we got tired and got in the car. I didn’t know where they were taking me, but a nigga was glad to finally be free.
Me not wanting a welcome home party didn’t keep my folks from throwing me one. The last thing I wanted to do was be around a lot of people, so thankfully, they limited it to just family and friends. I spent about two hours with them before I excused myself and went up to the room I’d grown up in. Crazy as it was, they’d kept my room the exact same way for the last decade. Stepping into that room made my return home real. It also showed me how time kept going even though it felt like it was frozen for me.
As I sipped my beer, the light tapping on the door alerted me of someone’s presence. I sighed and shook my head. I’d become too used to solitude for all this engagement.
“It’s just me,” Pops said, and that was the only reason I got up and unlocked the door to let him in.
He chuckled when he looked at me, and I could only imagine my expression. If I had it my way, I would have come home to a hotel room while I searched for my own home. While I was sat down, I was productive. I got my GED and business degree. I won’t suggest I was a complete angel while I was away. To make money, I sold drugs so I could buy a failing auto shop.
My goal was to create generational wealth that I could pass down to my children by investing in businesses and having a chain of auto shops all over the country. The first two businessesI invested in were for my best friends, Sonny and Cole. In exchange for my seed money, we agreed upon a set amount of time for me to receive 15 percent of their profit. Now that I was out, I planned to invest more and acquire my second shop.
Instead of building from the ground up, I wanted to buy another failing business and bring it back to life. Not only was that easier and less expensive, but it also allowed me to help the owner in the process. Though I had more than enough money to move into my own place now, Mama asked me to stay home for at least three months, and I agreed.
I appreciated my family and friends looking out for me. They’d gotten my sizes and made sure I had all the clothes and shoes I needed to start out with along with a phone. Once I got my bike, I’d be set.
“We gon’ leave you alone,” he said, following me toward the window. “You know you don’t have to sleep in here, right? Your mama wanted to keep this room like this because she’s sentimental, but you can sleep in any room in the house.”
I nodded my agreement as I stared out at the lake behind the house. It was one of my favorite parts of the neighborhood back in the day.
“Yeah. I’ll probably take the guest room downstairs.”
“I ’preciate you staying here. I know you could’ve gotten your own place, but it means a lot to ya mama to have you here. And I’d be lying if I said I won’t enjoy having you close too.”
“It’s all love, Pops. I ’preciate y’all welcoming me back home and holding me down the way y’all did. Everybody ain’t blessed to have their family’s support while they’re locked down. I’m forever grateful to y’all for that.”
When he sighed and planted his feet, crossing his arms over his chest, I knew he was about to say some shit that I probably wouldn’t like.
“Just so you know how to move, we’ve already gotten word that The Outlaws are keeping an eye on you.” Pops was now the president of TWR, so it didn’t surprise me that he’d already gotten this information on my first day out. “They still feel some type of way over Mario. Add to that the ongoing war over the years. We’ve maintained peace for the last two years, and I don’t want that to change. That means, steer clear of them . . . and that girl.”
My head jerked in his direction. He was out of his damn mind if he thought I wasn’t going after Jelai. I’d waited ten years to have my chance to be with her, and I wasn’t going to let The Outlaws or anyone else keep us apart.
“Respectfully, Pops, there’s nothing you can say to keep me from pursuing her. I done waited all this time to get my gal, and I ain’t coming up off her because of some war that ain’t got nothing to do with us.”
