Love Locked Down

Light at the End of the Tunnel

"POWERS"

I looked up from the book Black Privilege I was reading, confused as to why my name was being called.

"Your lawyer has requested to see you, please follow me." The officer instructed.

I furrowed my eyebrows.

My lawyer?

I haven't seen him since my last appeal date. After three years  of trying to appeal my case and being denied multiple times, I finally gave up and decided to just serve my 15 year sentence.

"You're coming or not?" he interrupted me from my thoughts.

I kicked my legs off the edge of the bed and stood up and prepared myself to be handcuffed. I hate these heavy ass cuffs, it's bad enough I have to wake up everyday to this reality. However, having this heavy ass metal on my wrists and ankles made it all the more real. I feel like an animal in a cage.

Worst of all, I feel exactly how they painted me to be. A murder, a cop killer, a monster.

The loud clanking of the metal against the tile floor finally halted once I arrived in the private room just for clients and counsel. They freed my hands and feet from the shackles and roughly pushed me closer to the table. I mugged the officer and they slammed the door.

I watched my former lawyer as he shook his head at the action. He shouldn't be surprised, everyone knows how corrupt these goddamn pigs are. Especially to those who are labelled as cop killers.

During my first year here for some odd reason they placed me in solitary confinement without warning one day. I didn't receive mail, visits, and I was barely able to make any phone calls. The correction officers would shove my face in my food, push me around and it was one instance where they got a bunch of lackey ass niggas to beat the shit out of me to where I ended up in the infirmary for two weeks. I was used to being treated like shit here, that's why I just kept a low profile and kept my behind out of trouble, I was hoping to get released on good behavior, but due to the charges and the color of my skin... That was not possible.

"Mr. Powers, how have you been? It's been so long." He broke the silence.

I stared at his face, he has grown older in just these past few years, he had more wrinkles and his once salt and pepper hair was now snow white . Just looking at him in his name brand name suit, shiny cufflings, and his brand new Rolex watch that his wife probably bought him for their anniversary or some shit made me boil on the inside. Facing the reality that I was in an orange jumpsuit and it was partly because of him not doing his job made me want to lash out, but I kept my jaw tightened to keep the wrong things from being said.

"So how are you doing?" He tried to ask once again.

I leaned forward with my arms on the table "Cut the crap Jerry, why the hell are you here?" I wanted to get straight to the point.

He uneasily shifted in his seat and stared back at me.

"Keith I know you may be upset with me, but you have to learn how to take responsibility for your own actions."

"Responsibility for my own actions! Are you fucking with me man?" I slammed my fist on the table.

Watching the scared look on his face, made me retreat. Despite the way I felt and the thoughts going on in my mind, prison had changed me and I have thought about the role I played in my demise, but I have not fully accepted that I was the reason I am here.

"Listen Jerry, I apologize" I sighed.

"Look let's start over. I'm fine Jerry, but why are you here?" I asked getting straight to the point.