Right Where You Left Me

jail again

nate

Sitting in a jail cell is extremely dehumanizing.

Wong hands me a bagel through the bars of the cell, along with a coffee that's not too hot but not yet cold.

"Have you ever considered that keeping me in this jail cell is impeding with my school hours and education, along with my mental and physical health?" I ask as I take a sip of my coffee. "I don't think my school administrators would appreciate you doing this very much."

Wong rolls his eyes. "It's only Sunday, Nate. You can make another call today."

I take a bite of my bagel. "You're arresting the wrong person," I say. "You have a knack for arresting the wrong people, Wong."

Wong opens his mouth to answer, but the doors slams open before he can speak. Standing in the doorway, clutching her coat, is Alex's mother.

"Where is that boy?" she says, and when she spots me she marches up to my cell. She turns to Wong. "Open the door," she demands.

He shakes his head. "Ma'am, I can't do that -"

"Open the goddamn door, Wong," she says, and he complies.

She walks up to me. Looks up into my eyes. Her eyes well up with tears and she wraps her arms around me. "You smart, strong, beautiful boy," she says. "Thank you for protecting my baby. Thank you so much."

She lets go of me and turns to Wong. "Why are you keeping this boy in a cage?" she questions. "He saved my daughter's life."

Wong massages his temples. "He hit another man-"

"My daughter could have died," she says. Clutching her purse, she pokes a finger in his chest and stares up at him adamantly. "Get this boy out of this horrible jail cell, and do the right thing."

Wong looks conflicted. He looks at me, then at the keys in his hand. Then he sighs and unlocks my door. "You're free to go," he says. "But I've got my eyes on you, boy."

"Noted," I say, saluting him and stepping out of the cell. Alex's mother looks at me anxiously and asks if I need a ride home.

I shake my head. "That's alright, ma'am. Thank you."

She nods at me once, smiling, and then gets into her car and drives away.

I shove my hands in my pockets and feel around for my cigarettes and lighter before I remember Wong confiscated them. I drop into a nearby convenience store and head inside.

I stroll down the aisle and grab a pack of cigarettes off the counter along with a lighter. I slip a pack of gum into my pocket and pay for the first two items. Then I leave and light the cigarette as I walk down the sidewalk towards the nearby playground.

When I get there, Adya is swinging on the swing set. Her curly hair is pulled back into two braids that messily sway back and forth. Her eyes are closed and her mouth is set in a straight line. I notice the bottle of wine in the wood chips at her feet, and I grin.

"Ahmed," I call as I cross the road and approach her. "Fancy seeing you around here."

Her eyes open in surprise and she skids to a stop on her swing, jumping off. "Nate," she exclaims. "Did they let you out of prison?"

"It's not prison," I tell her. "It's jail."

"Prison sounds cooler," she replies as she grabs her bottle of wine by the neck and takes a large swig. Although it's a chilly autumn morning, she's dressed in jean shorts and a Fleetwood Mac shirt.

"How's Alex doing?" I take a puff of my cigarette as I watch her jump onto a metal beam and walk the length of it, balancing with her hands out at her sides.