Tales from the Wanted (no longer updated)

Chapter 4: Kelly Rowland

Warnings: this chapter deals with drugs and addiction

Kelly Rowland was attested in 1994 for possession of illegal substances. She spent 5 years in prison, and then went back to living her life. Since her release in 1999, no one has really heard from her. All that is really known is that she remained free of drugs, and that she wanted to be left alone. Her silence remained until 2017, when she decided to write a book about her life. What you are about to read is an excerpt from Ms. Rowland's book, "1994."

Chapter 2, page 23

I was arrested in 1994 - hence the title of this book - for possession of illegal substances. A neighbor had seen me on my porch. I was high, drunk, all that shit. The neighbor called the police because I was "causing a disturbance." Yeah. I was screaming, yelling, blasting music. Oh well, that's the past.

When the police got to my house, they realized I wasn't sober. After shutting off the music, one of the cops started to walk around my porch. He found all the loves of my life. Tiny bags of cocaine, half empty pill bottles, cigarette cartons. Probably more, but the memory is hazy.

I got arrested, of course. The drugs I had were illegal. And that's pretty much it. I don't have any "sad" background. I just got myself addicted to a lot of bad shit. I guess if I really thought about it, the person who initially got me started was my best friend. We roomed together in college, and eventually bought a tiny little house with our salaries combined.

She was an amazing person. She had just gotten accepted into medical school, and was leaving in about 2 weeks. We had made arrangements on how we would continue to pay the mortgage, pay bills, y'know, house stuff.

One night, she came home from the store, waving her phone in my face. "Oh my God, guess who's having a party?" she had announced. A friend of her's who was also going to med school. It happened to be her crush, too. She decided for the both of us that we were going, so we did.

Halfway through the party, she came up to me completely out of it. I was so confused, she had never drank or done drugs. "Come over here," she had said and pulled my arm. She took me into a room with a few other people in it. We sat down on some old couch, and she handed me something. A pill. "Take it, Kelly. Take it." The words that ruined my life.

So, yes. That's the story, I guess. I don't blame her for anything, though. I'm the one that took the pill, another, and another. I feel worse for her than I do for myself. She didn't go to medical school, she lost her job, and then overdosed and died in 1996. I didn't know that until I got out of prison.

In that moment, all I wanted to do was turn back time and stop her. Stop her from ruining her life. I wouldn't have taken that pill, and I would've gotten her out of that stupid party. But I can't. I have to live myself now. An ex-addict who went to prison for 5 years. Yeah, I'm doing really great.

I miss my best friend every single day of my life. I miss my old life, her old life. I envy everyone who's made it into the world, successfully and without the aid of alcohol and drugs. I envy everyone who's made it into the world even with alcohol and drugs.

And for the people that've fallen into the dark, dark world of liquid poison and pills, I hope that you can turn it around. It's obvious you can't ask someone to stop being addicted. It doesn't work. But you can be hopeful for them, which I am. Every day. Every minute. Every second. I've been in that world, and it put me in prison.

To everyone reading this chapter of "1994", I love all of you. No matter what situation you're in, there's always a way to make it better. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Prison is scary as fuck. Please remember that.