A week later and I was still sitting in jail. I felt a little better since I knew my probation officer was coming to see me soon. Ty told me about the meeting they had with him not too long ago. I don’t know what the hell Courtney was there for since it was her fault I was sitting in here. Tyra didn’t even need to be there since she seemed to be on Courtney's side all of a sudden. I planned to check her ass too, whenever I called my mama’s house. Being in here wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Quan and Lil Mike kept the action coming all day, every day. I saw that clown Bentley all the time, but he made sure to stay out of my way. I was focused on getting out of here as soon as possible so he was the least of my worries. I sat on my bunk waiting for the guards to call us to go to the yard. I went on the yard every day to play basketball with my cousin and some of his boys. That made my days pass away a little faster. After a few hours of that I didn’t want to do nothing, but take a shower and eat. It didn’t matter if I stayed in or went out since it was hot as hell in both places. I saw Quan and Lil Mike headed my way with a few other dudes so I figured it was time to go. “What’s up lil cuz?” I asked as he approached me. “Nothing, but check it, you need to stay inside today,” he said whispering in my ear. “Why, what’s going on?” I asked, looking at him and Lil Mike. “Just trust me fam. One day inside isn’t going to kill you,” he said with a smirk. “We got this, just trust us,” Lil Mike piped in. “Man, y’all lil niggas always into some shit. Don’t get caught up while y’all playing with these people,” I said. Punishment in here was worse than actually coming here. We called it the hole because that’s what it felt like, the bottoms. They put you in a small concrete room with nothing but a toilet, sink and mattress for twenty three hours a day. That alone was enough to drive anybody crazy. “I’m going to play cards. I don’t need any parts of the bullshit y’all got going on.” I was trying to get out of here and I didn’t need anything holding me back. I walked over by some of the older men and sat down with them. They never got into anything because they played cards all day. Maybe if I stayed close to them I wouldn’t get into anything either. I watched as Quan and Lil Mike, along with some more inmates, made their way to the door that led outside. Bentley walked past me preparing to go out as well. I wanted to change my mind and go out there since he was going, but I listened to my first mind and decided to stay put. I wanted that nigga to taste his own blood and I was itching to make it happen. “He not even worth it,” Duke, one of the older inmates said. He saw the looks that Bentley and I exchanged. “I already know. I’m letting him do it. I got more important shit to worry about,” I replied. “He’s confused and this place is consuming him,” he said shaking his head. I wondered what he meant by that, but I didn’t ask him. “Alright, let’s get this card game going. I’m ready to whip somebody’s ass,” I said laughing. “It’s on then,” Duke said while dealing the cards. The dorm was fairly quiet since most of the inmates went out on the yard. We sat around playing cards and talking shit for a few hours. We were about to get another game started when the yard alarm started blaring. A few correction officers ran past us with their guns drawn. A few minutes later we saw uniformed police officers along with some members of the infirmary running past. We were told to line up against the wall until they gave us the okay to move. It was hard for me to stay still. Quan and Lil Mike were on the yard and I needed to make sure they were alright. “Damn man, my lil cousin and my boy out there,” I told Duke while we stood on the wall. “Don’t worry about them, they can handle themselves,” he said. That was true, the two of them could make it through anything, but something didn’t feel right about this. Every time the door opened I tried to peek outside to see if I could see what was happening. I really started to panic when I saw two ambulance workers rushing through with a gurney. I sat down on the floor to calm myself down. I said a silent prayer for Quan and Lil Mike and hoped for the best. A few minutes later the door flew open and they were rushing through with somebody strapped down on the gurney. I jumped up to see if I knew who it was. I had to do a double take when I saw Bentley lying there unconscious. His face was swollen and covered in blood, but I still could tell that it was him. One of his eyes was swollen shut and a huge knot rested on his forehead. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Quan and Lil Mike had gotten to him on the yard. Now I knew why they wanted me to stay inside. I was pissed that they did it without me since I was the one who really wanted him the most. “Damn, they fucked him up. His girls’ gon’ be mad now,” Duke said laughing. Everybody fell out when he said it, but I was confused as hell. “What girls?” I asked, looking at him like he was crazy. The only females in here were a few busted ass correction officers. “I’m just fucking around,” he said with a smirk on his face. I guess it was an inside joke, but I didn’t plan on staying around long enough to get it. I sat back down on the floor and waited until they gave us further instructions. I felt a little better knowing that my people were most likely okay. After waiting for over an hour, we were finally given the green light to move around the dorm again. The inmates that were outside were being led back in by the officers. I spotted Quan and Lil Mike coming through the door and made my way over to them. “What the hell happened out there?” I asked in a low tone. “That nigga got dealt with, plain and simple,” Quan whispered back. “Nigga I hope nobody didn’t see y’all. You know not to trust nobody, especially in here,” I told him. Both he and Lil Mike started laughing when I said that. “I don’t see shit funny,” I said, getting pissed off. I did a lot of dirt in my life, but I never got caught for most of it. That was because I did it alone and didn’t tell anybody about it. “Man, calm your ass down. We didn’t touch that nigga,” Lil Mike said. “Well, somebody touched his ass, judging from what I saw when he got wheeled in here,” I replied. “I didn’t say nobody touched him, I said we didn’t touch him. Let’s just leave it at that,” he said walking away. “It’s all good cuz. Nobody saw nothing and nobody gon’ say nothing. That nigga had a lot of enemies in here so they don’t know where to start looking anyway. That’s why he got transferred over here in the first place,” Quan said. I really didn’t give a damn that he got his ass whooped, I just didn’t want them getting in trouble behind my beef. “Man, it’s whatever. I don’t feel sorry for his ass. I just wish y’all would have told me what was up since I’m the one who got a problem with him. I wanted to get at him myself,” I said. “I know you did, but there’s a certain way we have to move around here. You gon’ see that nigga on the streets again. Especially if he still fucking with Tori,” Quan said. “I’m going to finish my card game. You niggas need to stay out of trouble,” I told him as I walked off headed back to the table. That was easier said than done with him since trouble always seemed to follow his lead.
*****
It was after a little after one the next afternoon when one of the officers called me from the dorm for a visit. It wasn’t a visitation day so I knew it had to be Mr. Gibson, my probation officer. I was kind of nervous about seeing him because I didn’t know if the news he was delivering was good or bad. It was like he held my freedom in the palm of his hands and that didn’t sit too well with me. I walked in the room escorted by the guard and was instructed to take a seat at the table. “How are you Mr. Carter?” Mr. Gibson asked while reaching his hand out to me. “I’m good under the circumstances,” I replied shaking his hand. “I understand, and I might be able to help you out with that,” he said. I sat up straight in my chair, anticipating what he had to say. It almost sounded like he had good news for me. “I’ve been meaning to come see you for a while now, but I had to research some things before I came. I found a rehabilitation center in your area that I want to enroll you in,” he said looking me in my eyes. I thought he was joking at first, but he didn’t crack a smile. He really had me fucked up if he thought I was going to some damn rehab. Besides weed, I never touched drugs a day in my life, unless I was selling them and I never had to touch it then. I would do my whole two and a half years here before I let that happen. “Are you serious? I ain’t no dope fiend. Why would I want to go to rehab?” I said, getting upset. “Just listen for a minute before you get upset,” he chuckled. I didn’t find a damn thing funny about him trying to send me to a “crack-be-gone” facility. “The facility is not just for drug addiction. They offer anger management, parenting and computer classes as well as many other classes that I think would be beneficial to you. It’s another alternative versus you staying in here. The program lasts anywhere from three to six months based on your progress,” he said. After he explained it to me, it seemed like a good idea. I had to admit that anything sounded better than being in here. “So if I agree, how soon can I go?” I asked. “Well, there is a short waiting list, but if you agree to go I’ll put you on it now. The wait is usually one month or less. The name of the facility is, A New Beginning. You’ll have your own room and you are allowed to bring your own clothes and a television. A phone is not allowed, but you can use the facility’s phone during certain hours. You can have visitors and occasionally you are allowed to leave for a limited amount of time.” This was starting to sound better and better the more he spoke. I was sold. “So is that something you would be interested in?” He asked. “Hell yeah!” I replied excitedly, “You can sign me up right now.” If I could leave this dungeon now I would. Mr. Gibson laughed at my response, but I was dead ass serious. “Good, I’m glad you accepted. Just know that you will still have to report to me for the remainder of your probation. This does not mean that you are excused from doing so,” he said standing to his feet. “I understand. Thank you, I really appreciate everything,” I said sincerely. “No thanks needed, your father did most of the work. He was adamant about you not being in here. He actually recommended the facility to my supervisor and me,” he said. Hearing that made me smile. I knew my dad would never give up on me no matter what the circumstances were. He told me he was looking into some things to get me out of here, but he never said what it was. I wish I didn’t have to be confined at all, but at least I wouldn’t have to be in here for the next two years or longer. “Alright Mr. Carter, I’m going to make that call as soon as I get to my car. I’ll be in touch with you when I have a definite date,” Mr. Gibson said. I stood up and shook his hand before he knocked on the door alerting the guard of his departure. Once he left, I was escorted back to the dorm. I was sleepy before I left, but I was wide awake now. I had to keep telling myself that it was only a matter of time before I would be rolling up out of here. “What’s up fam?” Lil Mike asked when I got back to the dorm. “Not a damn thing, what’s good with you?” I asked him. “Going to get in on this card game,” he said walking away smiling. That was where I was headed before he said that. Lil Mike was a gambler at heart, but he was also a cheater. There was no way I was getting in a card game with him playing. I made a U- turn and headed to the phone banks. My dad really came through for me and I wanted to call and tell him how much I appreciated it. My brother Ty was making sure my businesses were running smoothly too. He used the money that came from that to make sure the bills were paid and my kids were straight. I had a lot of unfinished business to take care of starting with getting a divorce from Courtney crazy ass and I was definitely getting a paternity test once she dropped her load. I’m sure she thought that having a baby would change my mind, but she was in for a rude awakening. We were through and there was no coming back. I also wanted to see what was up with Beyonce. If she thought I was going away just like that, she had another thing coming. I wanted her to look me in the eyes and tell me it was over instead of running like she always did. The possibility of seeing her again made me smile. I just hoped she felt the same way.
