"What made you drink in the first place?"
"Uhhhh... I um..." She smiled before handing me a box of tissues. I laughed weakly ta keep from cryin.
"Take your time sweety." I nodded and blew out a breath.
"My wife was taken from me and sold inta sex traffickin'. She was out of ma life fa 2 an a half years- uh I'm sorry." I wiped my eyes and nose.
"It's okay."
"I couldn't deal with da fact she was gone from me. The whole time she was out of ma life.... I thought... I thought she was... Was.. Uh dead. I drank and drank till I couldn't no mo. But even then I still drank. I didn't leave ma house. I closed maself out from ma family. I felt like the air I breathed had been snatched from me. I wanted ta die but I neva was bold enough ta kill ma'self." I don't wanna relive that feelin but I gotta let it go.
"How did you find her?"
"My family barged in one day and got me togetha. They had babies and all dis stuff and I missed it all because I was so depressed. They told me ma brother and his girl was gettin married. And they wanted to do it in mexico fa some reason. Our friends Tia and Chris, her boyfriend at the time, were walkin in the beach and bumped inta ha. She had escaped from the guys who bought her, along with some otha girls; and Tia used them as their wedding gift."
"Them?" I wiped ma face again.
"Yeah.... She had ma baby girl while she was down thea'. She's the mos' beautifulest little thang God eva created. I'm in love with lil girl. She just the best thing ta eva happen ta me." She smiled and wrote things down again.
"So after you found them what happened?" This sick feelin' hit me.
"They came home wit me of course... I would watch em as they slept at night because I didn't wanna miss a moment. She told me bits and pieces of what happened to ha; and it upset me not only because of what happened to ha but I missed almos' 2 years of ma daughta's life." She nodded and sat ha notepad ta the side.
"How long and how close are you and your daughter?"
"Uh I say about 10 months now. She turned 2, almos' two months ago. That girl is the reason I do what I do. She makes me wanna be a betta person."
"Do you think drinking is making you a better person?"
"Na. Not at all." She nodded and crossed ha legs at the ankle.
"So how do you think your wife feels?" A cold feelin rushed ova me as I thought about all the times I made ha cry.
"Horrible." I closed ma eyes and took a breath.
"Would you like the tables to be switched?" The mo' she spoke the sicka I felt.
"Hell no."
"Then I want you to do something for me." She leaned in and grabbed my hands. "I want you to put yourself in your wife's shoes. Every time you do something think about how your wife would feel." I nodded and wiped my eyes some more. We stood up and she walked me ta ha office door.
"Okay August I want you here at least twice a week for 30 minutes." I nodded and gave her a hug.
"Thank ya".
"No problem sweety." I threw the tissue in the trashcan before I headed back ta ma room. I laid on my bed on ma stomach.
I miss ma family. I'm not allowed ta have no phone no iPad no nothin'. We have a TV in the group room and everybody hea' is eitha' someone's crack head auntie or they abusive ex con daddy. So we always watchin' dog the bounty hunta'. Like nigga please change the channel.
Chapter 12: Getting It Together
Start from the beginning
