𝐖𝐓𝐃𝐑.

096.

WELCOME TO DEATH ROW.
( CHAPTER NINETY SIX ! )
LIFELESS.

VERNON, CALIFORNIA.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH, 1996.

• • • • •

"Hey, Mika this is Misa. I know it's been such a long time since we've talked, but you've been on my mind a lot lately. I don't know how you're holding up but I can only imagine that you're being the strong woman that I know that you are--" Mika pressed the button, listening to the other voicemails that came through.

She heard more than a thousand messages, and that was no exaggeration at all. So many people sent their condolences to her, but it did absolutely nothing to put her at ease.

After the memorial the day prior, she flew back home to Los Angeles. She and Afeni drove to a hill where they spent their time reminiscing on certain memories and scattered some of his remains there before Afeni went back home to Georgia where she scattered the rest in her garden.

The house was now silent and the life that was once there, was nowhere to be found. Cara and Amara went out to get fresh air, but Mika declined the offer. She stayed on the couch in the living room, refusing to sleep in the bed that they shared together.

She kept her eyes placed on the answering machine before the phone began ringing, nearly frightening her. Her arms wouldn't allow her to grab a hold of it and it continued ringing until finally coming to a sudden halt.

"Meeks, it's Nasir. I wasn't expecting for you to answer but I wanna make sure that you're doing good. I haven't heard from you and I want that to change--" Mika found herself picking up the phone, placing it to her ear.

"Yo, Mika. Is that you?" The raspiness of his voice filled her ears. She wanted to respond but the words just wouldn't come out. She remained still before immediately placing the phone back on the hook. She was finally able to breathe, not even realizing she was holding it in.

She rushed towards the restroom, her body making it difficult for her to move as fast as she wanted to. Once she made it, she lifted the toilet seat up, quickly releasing all of the contents from her system. She felt soulless.

No word was able to describe the pain that she was enduring. Even with all the support she was receiving, she still felt alone. Her other half was gone and he wasn't coming back.

She didn't know what to do, she was lost and had no direction. She couldn't find it in her to do anything. She was losing her grip on life, and no matter how much she wanted to be there for her daughter--it was starting to become so hard moving forward.

And what killed her the most was that people were going to eventually get over this, and she was going to have to learn to get adjusted to a new life. A life that didn't involve Tupac.

She rested her back against the wall and closed her eyes, hoping that she could wake up from this nightmare. Even if it was for only a few hours.

She finally made it out of the restroom after cleaning up, dragging her feet back into the living room where she laid her back against the couch. She reached over for the remote, turning on her radio.