"God, You can blow my mind
'Cause eyes haven't seen
Ears haven't heard
The kind of blessings
The kind of blessings
That's about to follow me
'Cause victory is here
It put defeat at the door
God's doing a new thing
A brand new thing
I'm ready for overflow."
Tasha Cobbs Leonard ft. Nicki Minaj "I'm Getting Ready"
Dave
"Are you ready, David?" My eyes connected with the prison warden, Mrs. Parker. I could see through the metal bars that her hair was different today. She usually has her hair up in a high, sleek ponytail, but she switched it up to a jaw length bob with flipped out ends. I'm used to seeing this look with a swoop bang.
It was a popular style that my Momma recreated for some of her clients when they came to our house to fix their bird nests. Every female in our neighborhood came to her because she was the best around. Despite the fact that her hands and back ached at the end of the day, and some of those broads tried to cheat her out of her money, Momma kept pushing through. Even though it was the only way she put food on the table, hairdressing was her passion and she worked hard until she was able to get her own shop.
Momma forced me to come straight to the shop after school to keep me out of trouble. At first, I didn't like the idea of hanging around all those ladies and doing chores around the shop, but I changed my mind real quick. I got to see beautiful women of all shapes and sizes every single day. I also used my charm and good looks to get some free candy or pocket change from them. Life was so good for Momma and I. That was until she got sick. That's a story for another day.
Mrs. Parker has on a black suit over a light pink blouse with some black pointed toe flats. Even if I wasn't lost in my thoughts, I probably wouldn't have heard her coming to my cell since she's not wearing heels anymore. She stopped wearing them once her belly grew to a certain point. She did say that she's expecting one baby, but she might be having twins because she already looks ready to pop.
"Am I ever?" I got up from my bottom bunk bed. I shook my head as I looked over at the empty top bunk.
Curtis still isn't back from the infirmary after that scuffle he was in three days ago during breakfast. I hope he isn't dead. His big mouth landed him in that grave if he is. He is usually a chill dude, who is always cracking jokes, but I guess he just woke up that day and chose violence. This other guy, Jeffrey, was talking about his girl and apparently Curtis was messing with her before he got here. I tried to tell him to shut his *ss up, but Curtis kept on talking smack about how Jeffrey wasn't man enough and that's why his girl came to him.
I didn't believe him at first until he started to describe her tattoos and their specific locations, which made Jeffrey even more angry. Jeffrey is the leader of one of the biggest gangs in prison and on the streets. Everybody knows not to mess with him. I'm surprised Curtis was still moving after the beatdown he got from Jeffrey and his goons.
I made sure to remove myself from the vicinity of that altercation before the guards could accuse me of fighting or instigating that brawl. I didn't want my release to be delayed. I need to get out of here.
Having the cell all to myself these past few days didn't help me sleep any better. It was like having butterflies before the first day of school because I was nervous and excited at the same time.
I stepped out of my cell and right before the guard could put the handcuffs on my wrists to escort me out, Mrs. Parker stopped him.
"It's okay. Let's go." He nodded and followed behind us as me and Mrs. Parker walked side by side. While I was being processed, I was given a change of clothes: a plain white tee and a pair of Khaki pants. I also had to sign some paperwork promising to be a good citizen upon my release and to report to my parole officer within 10 days. After a short time, I was officially checked out of this place. All I need to do now is to step outside of the prison gates.
Once we stepped outside of the building, I felt the wind blow across my face. It was almost as if the sun was shining down on me. I missed being outside. I thought I was going to cry from the wave of emotions I was feeling because there were times I thought I was never going to be released as we walked down the path to the entrance gate.
"So, what are you going to do now that you're free?"
"Pick up the pieces of my life and live right."
"Just like the meaning of your name David, you are dearly loved. God loves you and he will always see you through every challenge as long as you put your trust in him. There is at least one person out there who cares about your existence. So please, try not to push them away. Listen to their advice and appreciate them before it's too late."
"I will. God is honestly the only reason I made it in here. There were some nights where I was ready to end it all, while there were other times when I was ready to start a war, but that mini pocket size Bible you gave me helped keep me sane. The visits from my uncle and his wife also helped."
"I was once like you. I thought the fast life was fun and worth it before I found myself behind bars."
"Really? What happened?"
"When I was in middle school, I thought hanging around with bad boys who were older than me was cute. There was this one guy, Jason, who took interest in me and I was so head over heels in love with him that I would do anything for him to keep claiming me as his girl. During school hours and after school when I was supposed to be focused on my academics, I was busy delivering backpacks full of drugs in exchange for money that he gave me peanuts from. One night, I snuck out to hang with him and his friends. They stopped at a corner store and had me wait in the car. The way they quickly hopped back in with a stash of money, cigarettes, and beer didn't alarm me until a fleet of cop cars chased after us as my boyfriend drifted in the streets. When we were finally cornered and arrested, all of those cowards put the blame on me. Since the owner was attacked mercilessly, the charges were supposed to be severe. However, I wasn't seen on the store's cameras, so I was charged as a juvenile and sent to a juvenile detention center until I turned 18."
"Damn, that's crazy. You were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. What did you do after you did your time?"
"When I got out, I got my act together. I was able to get my GED when I was locked up and I wanted to pursue my education. I wanted to be able to get a degree that would enable me to have a career where I could make a difference in the prison system because what I went through was hell. It was hard getting a job to pay for school , but I fought through all the trials and tribulations. My record was expunged and sealed when I turned 22, which improved my chances of getting this job when I was done with school. I'm thankful for how far I've come and thank God everyday for my life. I believe you can get that breakthrough as well."
"I hope so." We stopped right in front of the gate and I could see my uncle standing right beside his car, waiting for me. "I guess this is it." I turned to look at her. She held out of her hand and I shook it.
"Good luck out there and be safe."
"You too. I wish you and your baby boy a safe delivery."
"Thank you. I can't wait for little David to get here." I smiled when she revealed the name she chose as she rubbed her belly.
"Maybe we'll meet again."
"Maybe, hopefully not in the same circumstances. I don't want you coming back here."
"Yes, ma'am. Neither do I." I nodded at her as she waved.
"What's up, player?" Radric dapped me up.
"A n*gga is finally free." I grinned.
"Free at last. Come on. Keyshia can't wait to see you." We hopped into the car and took off. After driving for nearly an hour and a half and talking about old times, we turned right onto a road that led to a gate. The security guard let us in once he saw Radric.
"Are we visiting somebody?" I asked him as I studied the large landscape that was surrounded by a lake. I could see a big mansion in the distance with a huge fountain in front of it.
"No, we're not."
"Then, where are we?"
"This is my house." He parked the car right next to the front steps of the house. I was in awe, looking around the compound and admiring the house. I also noticed the security men walking around. They got money.
"Y'all are really living in luxury."
"It wasn't easy, but we went from rags to riches." We exited the car, and then entered inside the house. I thought the exterior was beautiful, but the interior was out of this world. The first thing I noticed was this huge portrait of Radric and Keyshia hanging right by the staircase. I recognized it from the wedding pictures he showed me at one of his visits two years ago.
"Even Stevie Wonder could see that." I mumbled.
"I promised God that if he saw me through my time in the box, I would change from my old ways. Keyshia held me down while I was away and flipped the drug money into capital for businesses that are still thriving today. I also became loyal to Keyshia. I regularly donate money to charities and pay my tithes. God truly multiplied everything for us."
"David!" Keyshia rushed down the stairs before she jumped into my arms, embracing me in a tight hug.
"Good to see you too, Keyshia."
"I visited you not that long ago, but you look so buff now." She stepped back to get a good look at me from head to toe.
"I started playing basketball recently to add to my normal routine of staying fit. I guess I missed my old roots."
"That's great. True talent never dies."
"We'll see about that. We can play one on one at our court in the back. I could teach you a thing or two." Radric suggested.
"That's what's up."
"So, do you want to eat something now or do you want to go rest in your room?"
"I'm not really hungry, so I might relax for a bit."
"Okay. Radric will show you up to your room, so you can get comfortable. I'll get started on dinner and we'll celebrate your return later. Any special requests?"
"No, I trust that whatever you make, I'm going to love. I remember how you used to throw down back in the day."
"You are so sweet. Welcome home, David."
"Thank you."
"Come on." Radric led me up the steps and we walked down the hall until we reached the second to last door on the right. He opened it, and my jaw nearly dropped to the floor.
"This is my room?" I couldn't believe it as I looked around. It also smells good in here. It's like a mix of lavender and peach.
"Correct."
"This is like a whole apartment. Are you sure?" It was so spacious with a king size bed, a bathroom with a jacuzzi, a big walk in closet, and a whole gaming system set up topped off with a huge flat screen tv.
"Yeah."
"All of this for only me?"
"Yes, si, oui. Now stop asking. The dressers, closet, and bathroom are already stocked with clothes, shoes, and everything else you need. Just take your time and I'll come scoop you up when dinner is ready."
"Cool, I appreciate everything you guys are doing for me."
"You don't have thank us. We're family." Radric left the room, giving me some privacy. First things first, let me take a shower before I lay on these nice sheets.
A couple hours went by before Radric came back to my room. He gave me a grand tour of the house as Keyshia put the final touches on dinner. They have a pool the size of a tennis court, a basketball court, and a fully equipped gym. Soon after, we made our way to the dining room where a banquet was set up.
"You didn't have to do all of this, Keyshia."
"Yes, I did. You deserve it. Plus, I've been waiting to use this fine china for a special occasion like this." She made our plates and poured the drinks. When she sat down, Radric said grace and then we got our grub on.
"Oh, congrats on the baby Keyshia. Radric told me on the way here. You should have seen how he was cheesing."
"Thank you. I can tell how excited he is when he talks to my belly even when the baby hasn't even developed ears yet."
"The baby may be in the early stages of development, but you're already putting me through it with your cravings. If you see her constantly running to the bathroom, eating weird sh*t, sleeping all day, or going through mood swings, it's just the pregnancy doing its thing. I think the mood swings been around way before this, but she begs to disagree."
"Radric!" She gasped, hitting his arm.
"See what I mean?" I laughed at them. "Now, I know you haven't gotten any in a long time. You plan on going out to get some for just one night?"
"You are so nasty. David, don't listen to him. You need to focus on yourself right now. Later on, you can find a nice girl to settle down with instead of messing around with these walking STDs."
"You're right, Keyshia. I'm not really steering my attention towards women at the moment. I want to get back on my feet and get in a stable place before I think of all of that."
"Well, if you end up changing your mind, let me know. I could hook you up with someone." Keyshia nearly snapped her neck, turning to look at him.
"Who is that?"
"Keisha."
"Keisha Thomas, who owns the beauty salon?"
"No. Keisha Watkins, she's the daughter of Joy who runs the church's bake sales."
"Oh hell to the no. David, stay away from that girl. She is a schemer. She drugs men, takes them to a hotel, empties their pockets while they're asleep, then dips. The only reason she's not behind bars is that none of the guys can prove it. She thinks we're stupid and believe that her job at Papaya got her that Benz she's driving around town."
"Damn, how do you know all that?"
"My question exactly." Radric inquired, crossing his arms.
"At Keisha's salon, you'll hear all the dirt you need to know on anybody."
"That's why I don't like you going there."
"A little gossip won't hurt no one."
"Well, when you hear something about me, don't say I didn't warn you."
"What is that supposed to mean? Don't play with me." Keyshia glared at him, pointing her knife at him.
"Damn, I was just playing."
"Better be."' She grumbled, going back to her food.
" I love you too." He chuckled. I shook my head. These two have been together forever and are still crazy as ever. I think I'm going to enjoy my time here.
I'm ready for whatever comes my way. I am going to accomplish anything and everything I want because I know God is watching over me, and I have the support of some of the realest people I know.
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