Finally Meant (Book 5 of Series)

Rock

Cario

My dad called and said he was ready to have a grown man conversation and clear some things up. I was willing to talk but disrespecting Khi was off limits. He agreed.

He drives up to where I live. Khi agrees to take Tonio for the day, so it could just be my dad and me.

He's walking around my backyard. "You just pay for someone to take care of this yard stuff?"

"It's included in the rent." I hand him a glass of water.

"Thanks." He takes a huge gulp.

"Ma good?" I take a seat.

"You know she been given me hell since the family reunion. She said I need to be a man and fix things with my son before me and Allah get put out."

I laugh as he sits down too. "That's my mama."

"She was always protective over her boys. You'd think she made y'all all on her own." He stretches out his legs.

"She stepped up big time when you went away. In a way she was our only parent."

"I know and I love that woman like crazy. She was supposed to have a better life than the one I left y'all with." He places the glass on the table.

"Da, Khi here to stay. I love him."

"I know son, and that's your life and I love you either way. I also have somewhat of a confession. This is just between us."

"I'm listening."

"The fifth year I was in prison I was having a hard time with a gentleman named Ness. He was maybe a few years older than me."

I just sit there, occasionally looking at him. He never once looks at me.

"Then he just started being nice, kinda takin me under his wing." My dad seemed antsy.

I frown because where is this going. Older folks have to tell a three hour story to get to the point.

"We start spending all our time together. We even convince the warden to allow us to share a cell. I just saw him as homeboy. It was good to have a friend in there. The days was long, the nights longer." He sits up.

"I remember you always wanting letters and pictures of us."

"It helped me on them cold days." He smiles. "See, one day I was having a hard time. It was after GG was killled and yo mama wasn't coming to see me. I understood she was too broken to come. I never faulted her."

"I remember being mad at her for not taking me to see you. I had to start going with my uncle."

"Yeah." Whatever he was trying to say wasn't easy for him.

"Son, Ness climbed down into my bunk this particular night."

I tilt my head, even more confused.

"He um, he held me...like a man would a woman and at first I tried to fight him but I was so emotionally drained....I gave up."

"Wait...this wasn't just yo homie? It was more?"

He nodded. "W-w never had sex but he would hold me every night for a year, until it was his time to be released and son, it broke my heart to say goodbye to him. It was then I knew I loved him." My dads voice cracks.

"You loved him?"

"Yeah." He picks up the glass of water and finishes it.

"So, what happened? Y'all didn't keep in touch? I mean obviously I'm conflicted because my mom but you said y'all never actually had sex." I scratched my head.