Wrongful Conviction

Headed Home

"Are you kidding me?" She heaves a great sigh, feeling lost and defeated. Her basement is now fully flooded up to her bottom stair and she is now fully incapable of removing anything. She calls a contractor who agrees to fix the water damage at a decent rate per hour, and agrees to have it done in a week. After all the phone calls are completed, she makes one last call to an old friend in her hometown four hours away.

"Ma! Hey! Do you think Jarred and I could come visit for a week?" She asks, fingers crossed. She had no plans of staying there while the contractors rooted around her basement making ungodly racket throughout the day and possibly night, as she had been warned.

"Sure! The boys are home on vacation, though." She chuckles off the woman's warning. She had hoped to hear that.
"Great! We'll be there tonight! Thank you ma. I love you." She smiles, leaning against the wall, a huge weight lifted off her shoulders.

"I love you too, dear. I'll tell the boys to get the house cleaned up. See you in a few hours." With that, she hangs up and shoots a quick text to Jarred, that they would be spending a week at her ma's house while the contractors fixed up the basement. Packing seemed to take seconds as excitement jolts through her. She hadn't seen her ma or brothers in almost a year, as she was so busy with the house and her job, she hadn't a spare moment. Now, with her training complete, she worked exclusively online, making adjustments to the website as needed and being the only customer service representative for the company keeps her pretty busy.

"Honey! You can head out! I'll be a few hours behind you." Jarred enters the room, messenger bag slung over his shoulder, and his soft blonde hair tousled, a little piece hanging in front of his dark grey eyes.

"Oh? What's keeping you over?" She asks, pulling her suitcase out to the living room.

"Work. The boss wants these all in the mailbox before tomorrow morning. I'll just finish them up and head over there. Don't you worry, babe. I'll be there before you know it." He kisses her forehead, trading his bag for her suitcase, he packs it into her trunk, along with her cosmetics bag, her eases her into her seat. "I know you wanted to stop by the hospital to see your cousin before visiting hours are over. I know you wanna see him. Petey, isn't it? I don't want him to be sad that you don't stop by, Hun. Go on and have a few hours with your ma and brothers before I get there. Alright?" She nods, still so excited she can hardly hold it in. With a kiss and a goodbye, she is off to see Petey before her ma and brothers.

Her ma was Petey's real mother, and his brothers were his biological brothers, she called her ma as her biological mother was an alcoholic who didn't know how to parent. Ma had taken her in and raised her up with her own boys, Peter, Ross, and Jackson, all three professional or semi professional surfers, but Peter had been caught in some crossfire and was currently serving time in the state prison for robbery.

Hours pass like days, but she finally pulls into the prison parking lot, ready to see Petey. She had gone a month ago, as she didn't want to frequently visit, as it would draw Jarred's attention. Making her way inside, she is met by a guard and an office.

"I'm here for my visit with Peter Mohuna." She states, pulling her ID out of her wallet and sliding it through the little slot in the bullet proof glass window that separates herself from the rather manly looking woman guard at the counter, giving her a sad stare.

"I'm sorry. He's declining visitors." She grunts, sliding Aisleigh's ID back out to her.

"That can't be right! I was just here a month ago. We talked on the phone two weeks ago, we both agreed on today. There's gotta be some miscommunication. I'm here for--"

"Peter Mohuna, I know. He's declined all visitors and phone calls for the past week. I'm sorry." She calls to the next person in line, and Aisleigh stands to the side, staring blankly at the white brick wall. She hadn't felt so hurt in a long time, but Petey denying her broke her heart. She considered yelling at the guard but decided it to be a useless act. She dragged herself out to her car and cried for a few moments, to let out all the anger and hurt, before starting her Hyundai and heading to her ma's. She supposed she'd talk to her about it. She couldn't seem to focus on anything other than driving; which even driving felt like an automated switch had been flipped. Time seemed to pass as it was, not fast nor slow, it just passed. She pondered and pondered why he would have denied her until she pulls into the driveway at sunset. Hoots and hollers echo through the air as the boys come rushing out of the house, basketball shorts on and beaming smiles on their faces. Jackson yanks open her door and Ross unhooks her seat belt and pulls her out of the car and into his arms. They surround her in warm hugs and sweet croons of how much they missed her and how they planned to go see Petey later on that day.

"Don't bother with Petey. He told them he didn't wanna see me today when I went in." She grumbles, looking down at the ground through their feet, feeling anger and sadness well up in her again.

"I mean, he doesn't really wanna see anybody. But we aren't really giving him a decision." They herd her into the house and grab her bags before leaving her there with her ma to go see Peter. Hugging her ma, she feels the tears well in her eyes as all these emotions bubble up at once, overwhelming her senses, and she starts to cry.

"What's the problem my sweet girl?" She coos into her ear as she sits them on the couch.

"I-I missed you and the boys, and I missed Petey, and I figured if I stopped to see Petey before I saw you guys it would be like a whole family reunion, but Petey declined me. The guard said I couldn't see him, and it hurt so bad. I've gone to see him a few times and he always seemed excited, but now he won't even talk to me? It hurt, ma. I miss you all, and now he won't even talk to me." She sobs as her ma rubs her back and kisses her forehead. Slipping from her grip, ma makes some hibiscus tea and grabs some crackers from the cupboards. A soft knock catches her attention, and she wonders who it could be as her ma grabs the door with a huge smile on her face.

"Hi dear! I've heard a lot about you. Come on in! Your room is up on the second floor across from the bathroom. Aisleigh's things are already there." Jarred steps into the quaint little house, a beach hut vibe as he spots Aisleigh sitting on the sofa, cup of ruby red tea in her hands.

"You okay hunny?" He asks, concern furrowing his brows as he notices the tear stains on her cheeks. "Is it your cousin Petey?" He asks, and her eyes grow wide as they flick back and forth between her ma and Jarred. Her ma gives a chuckle as she heads into the kitchen.

"Uh, yeah. He's not feeling any better. They say they're releasing him tonight. He won't make it 'til morning." She sobs, hugging Jarred's neck. She makes quick eye contact with ma, and composes herself, sending Jarred upstairs with his suitcase.

"In the hospital?" She asks, eyebrows raised in question.

"I told him that because if he knew half the things about Petey he would've never agreed to let me see him those few times. I'll tell him tonight, I swear. I just need a little time. He's grown up so fortunate that he doesn't understand the less fortunate side of things." She grumbles, looking at her bare feet on the hardwood floors, her freshly painted toes contrasting beautifully with the oak underfoot.

"Whatever, dear. It's your story, my sweet. I understand, but Petey isn't a good influence. He's a prisoner, a thief, and a murderer, and you shouldn't bog yourself down with him. You deserve to live a beautiful life."

"I'm sorry? You seriously think he did those things? The ones they convicted him of? That he would be capable of doing half those things? You're crazy! He'd never hurt anyone. So he stole trivial things from Jackson and Ross, and the neighbors, but he returned them. He apologized and worked all summer for the Muranda's. He may be a lot of things, but he is none of what he was convicted for. Don't you ever believe the news or police." She growls, shaking her head. Her ma smiles, giving her a hug.

"I don't believe them, but still three years later you remain unchanged of your opinion of him. That's a good thing." With a smug look on her face, ma goes to the living room, leaving Aisleigh in the kitchen confused by the whole conversation that just occurred, not understanding what she had meant, or why she had been tested.

"Dear, the boys called, they said they'd be back in a few minutes. I guess Pete wouldn't let them see him either." She grumbles, giving her a sad look after hanging up the phone. Nodding and curling up on the couch with her tea, Jarred comes down the stairs in shorts and a tee shirt sits next to her and rubs her back with small soothing circles.

Ross comes in out of breath, and grabs Aisleigh's hand. "Hurry! Jackson got hurt messing with this knife he just bought!" He cries, and her heart thunders. She and Jarred take off out the front door, sprinting up to the car.