BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION...

TRUE LOVE BREATHES....

' Big bro? You came?'

Terrell held out his hand for him to dab and after a little hesitation, he dabbed him. Terrell was as short as his mother while Jabari was a giant like his dad.

' Just to hear her out. I'm not promising anything.'

' Well she just got back from chemo and resting. So you might have to wait a while.'

' Maybe I should come back tomorrow then.'

Terrell stopped him when he tried to walk away.

' You should wait. Tomorrow might not come for her.'

Jabari reluctantly sat down on the two seater that was in the room and soon he fell asleep.

' Jay,Jabari'

Penelope shook him awake. The sight of her made him shift back for a second. She looked nothing like the woman he knew and was very pale. She had a head bonnet on but he could see that there was not much hair left on her head. Her fingers which still held his arm were as thin as twigs and pale. She noticed him starring and quickly removed them, as not to make him mad. Thinking that his look meant for her not to touch him.

' When did I fall asleep?'

' I don't know. I saw you like that when the nurse came to check on me.'

She moved onto another seat so he could sit up. He noticed how she dragged her feet when she moved to the seat two feet away from him. If he had any doubt about her illness, today he confirmed she was telling the truth.

' Thank you for coming to see me.'

' Thank my wife, she tricked me into coming here.'

' Well you thank her for me. She's a good woman that one. One of a kind.'

' You would know what a good woman is right?.'

' I don't want to argue Jay. '

He scoffed but did not say anything. He wanted to get this meeting over and done with so he can say he did it.

' I know the last time we spoke it did not go to well so I am going to try to choose my words correctly.'

Jabari had come here to hear her apology and nothing else and did not expect a lesson in history.

' I want you to know that I did not drop you off at your father's because I did not want you or because I wanted to appease your step father but I wanted to protect you.'

' That's not what dad told me.'

' That's because I was ashamed to tell your father that Terrence was abusing us. I knew your father would kill him if he knew he put his hands on you -'

' So you were protecting your husband.'

Penelope sighed and took a sip of her water. Jabari was never a good listener when he was mad even as a child.

' I was protecting you and your father. I did not want him to go to jail because of me and I did not want to lose you to that man. Yes I stayed with him because of his money but I was used to that lifestyle and was not ready to downgrade. I know that sounds selfish and makes me look like a gold digger but it is what it is. I had a lifestyle to maintain.'