Chapter 14

Time continued to do the bad thing—pass. It was 1994, eleven years inside. I was technically eligible for parole. But I didn’t even get a hearing, I did have the same lawyer I’d had from the beginning, and he was considerably more experienced than had been the case in the old days. But, not experienced enough to get me out. He did promise to keep trying. I knew he would. He was a good guy.

It was summer. I was hoping to get a visit again from my woman, but I hadn’t gotten my letter letting me know that she was coming up, not yet. She usually did come up each season. Kind of a date thing, the way I saw it.

I still had the picture she’d sent me back in the day, almost ten years gone. I’d showed it to a few guys over the years. They all told me I was crazy to think she was going to wait for me. But, so far, she had waited. She was the best. And when she showed up on her visiting days, I waved to the doubters and they universally scowled their disbelief; they couldn’t believe it. Hell, I couldn’t believe it. But then, she’d be across the table from me smiling and talking and sometimes laughing. I just laughed at them, the doubters.

Lea scolded me, told me I shouldn’t be rubbing their noses in it, said it was bad behavior. But fuck! This was prison not high school. Still, now, I was kinda concerned that she hadn’t sent me the letter, let alone shown up yet and it was almost fall.

“So, are you going up there or not?’ said Carlton.

“Yes, I suppose so,” she said without enthusiasm. It’s just, I don’t know, kinda getting harder. I’m lying to the man and that several times a year. I should try to get Anna to go up again. She went up a few years ago, as you know, but she said it was such a downer...”

“Yes, I talked to her myself,” he said.

“I feel like I need to go to keep up his morale at least until he can get paroled. I mean especially after I saw those pictures that James got for us. Jesus that was bad. And now ... he’s aged Carlton, a lot. Last time I was there he actually had white hair, not a lot, but it was noticeable,” she said.

“Do you know he uses that picture I sent him, the one I had done professionally, to show around and brag to the other inmates. If I stop going...”

“Yeah, the humiliation of them knowing he’s been dumped...” he said.

“Carlton please, I did not dump the man. Yes, I left him for you. I actually fell in love with you, almost at first sight, but I did not just throw that man or my memories of us, hm and me, in the trash. I didn’t,” she said.

“I know, I know. I misspoke,” he said. “And you did not dump him. Left him yes, for me. And I thank God for it. But no, you did not just dump him.” She nodded and went to him and hugged him, almost like for protection.

“Carlton...” she started.

“Yes?” he said.

“At some point we are going to have to tell him. And, Carlton—I’m afraid,” she said.

He took her in his arms again. “Honey girl. We will, and when we do, we will also tell him a few other things, including about the twenty million dollars he’s going to have to start his new life with,” he said. She pressed into him burying her face in his shoulder.

“And about Kari?” she said.

“Yes, and that could be a toughie. It doesn’t have to be. He’s still going to be her daddy. But she is used to this lifestyle. If he’s good with that, and can see that she is likely to be mightily confused...”

“The fly in the ointment ... well ... I guaranteed him that I would bring her up knowing about him, even while he was in prison. I have not done that. Not like I should have. And now she’s eleven and knows stuff. I’m going to have to sit her down and explain things. I mean...” she said.

“Yes, I guess it’s time or soon will be,” he said. “I’m going to talk to my man in the capitol. See if I can get him a parole hearing. Maybe his cellmate too. If they are actually friends like I’ve heard, that might be a carrot to bring him onboard.”