WHAT IF?

Back Against The Wall 2

Author's POV:
Today was a great day for Malcom. He gets to visit his daughter, Tia. Malcom waited in the visitor room. Tia arrived with a baby in her arms. Malcom was speechless.

"Hey, dad. I want you to meet you grandson, Malcom Nicholas Bourgeois." Tia shyly introduced.
"Oh my god. You had a baby. Can I hold him?" Malcom asked.

Tia nodded her head and handed Malcom her son. Malcom' eyes watered up as he looked into his grandson's eyes. The more Malcom looked at his grandson, a question came to mind,

"What kind of last name is Bourgeois?" Malcom asked.
"It's his fathers last name." Tia answered.
"Why didn't you tell me you were in a relationship?" Malcom questioned.
"Because we haven't always had a good relationship. But I felt like you at least deserve to know you had a grandson." Tia explained.
"I want to change all that when I get out. I know I wasn't always there for you like I should have been. And for that ... I'm so sorry." Malcom replied.

Tia smiled with tears eyes. The guard yelled,

"Time is up!"

As the guard escorted Malcom out, Malcom yelled,

"What's his name?"
"Laurent." Tia said as she was being escorted to the exit.

When Malcom returned to his cell, Laurent was doing push ups.

"How was your visit with your daughter?" Laurent asked.

Malcom yanked Laurent off the floor and pinned him to the wall.

"Hey hey hey! What's wrong with you?" Laurent yelled.
"You son of a bitch! YOU KNOCKED UP MY DAUGHTER!" Malcom shouted in anger.
"I DONT KNOW WHAT YOURE TALKING ABOUT!" Laurent shouted and punched Malcom in the face.

Laurent charged at Malcom and pinned him to the wall. As they continued to fight, other inmates shouted and pumped their fists. Guards ran down the cell to Laurent's and Malcom's cell. Guards rushed into the cell and tore them away from each other. Laurent and Malcom was the hole. They sat on the cold floor. For a moment, they didn't say anything.

"What was that about?" Laurent confusingly asked.
"You got my only daughter, Tia pregnant." Malcom replied with his head down.
"Tia is your daughter? I swear I didn't know." Laurent said.

Malcom slowly shook his head in disbelief.

"Tia didn't tell me anything about you. Except the fact that you were in and out of her life. As far as I was concern, she didn't have a relationship with you. I don't know how you gonna take this. But I love Tia. There's nothing I wouldn't do for her. I didn't know she was pregnant until I was locked up. I'm a good man. You should know that much about me by now. I plan on being a father to my son." Laurent explained.
"How are you going to be there for my daughter and grandson if you're locked up? Tell me." Malcom sadly questioned.

Laurent was silenced and unable to give an answer. His eyes wondered about the dark walls.

"Listen, I know the kind of man you are. And I know I place like this can change for for the worse. I need you to promise me that once you get outta here, you'll never come back. There's too many black men in this world; locked away from their families. Our children need us to be there for them." Malcom said.

Laurent shook Malcolm's hand and replied,

"I promise."

Beyond the hole cells, a new inmate entered the cafeteria, Blaze and his crew watched him carefully. The man sat at the table with Loco. Blaze turned to one of them and said,

"He's got tattoos on his left arm. I need you to get a closer look. Be careful."

Blaze's man walked by the table and glanced at the arms. Then he came back to Blaze to report.