Mr. Wrong After All 2: Second Chances by Hazel Mills

Author:Hazel Mills [Mills, Hazel]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Urban, United States, African American, Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction, Women's Fiction
Amazon: B015545GQI
Publisher: Mahogany Red Books
Published: 2015-09-08T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

NIKKI

I wonder why Shannon insisted on seeing me…without Aliyah. She knows how much Aliyah looks forward to their visits.

As I went through prison security, my mind replayed my last conversation with my sister. Shannon wanted to see me and only me this time and she didn’t offer an explanation as to why even when I pressed the issue.

Does she want to finally talk about her illness? Maybe after all these years, she wants to talk to me about what went down between her and Ahmad. Or, perhaps she wants to have a candid conversation about what our father did to us when we were kids. I can’t imagine anything else being so private that she doesn’t want Aliyah around.

“I’m glad you came,” Shannon said, sitting down in front of me.

“You knew I would.”

“Was Aliyah upset when you told her I only wanted you to come this time?”

“I didn’t tell her.”

“Where does she think you are today?”

“I told her there were some issues with the lot where our old house used to be.”

“Did she believe you?”

“Yes. I hated lying to her, though.”

“I know and I’m sorry but there’s something important I want to discuss with you and I thought it would be better if she wasn’t here,” Shannon said.

“Okay. What is it?”

“I have my first meeting with the parole board in two weeks.”

Parole board?

“Really? I didn’t realize you were eligible for parole,” I responded, trying not to sound too stunned.

“I am and I’m scared.”

“Scared? Why are you scared? I would think you would be excited at the possibility of getting out of this place.”

“That’s what scares me so much, Nikki. What am I going to do with myself out there? I’ve spent over a decade behind bars where I’ve been told what to do and how to do it, managing to stay out of trouble because there was always someone watching me. The fact that I could be released and expected to be responsible for my own life is something I’m not sure I can handle. You know the mess I made of things before. Where will I go? How will I take care of myself? No one will be falling over themselves to help out an HIV positive ex-con,” Shannon explained, her voice trembling at times.

“You’ll be fine.”

“What if I can’t do it and I end up back on the streets, back in here or worse?”

I saw fear in my sister’s eyes as she spoke about the uncertainty of her future and I completely understood that fear. Although I wasn’t sentenced to a physical prison, my marriage to Ahmad felt like incarceration at times. Now that I had finally made the decision to break free from the prison of his adulterous manipulation, I was worried about how my life would change.

“You have me, Shannon,” I said, “And I’ll be there to help you with the transition.”

“After everything, I can’t ask or expect you to…”

“Do what? Be there for my sister when she needs me?”

“I haven’t been a good sister to you, Nikki.

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