A young mother serves time in prison for a crime she insists she didn't commit. The crime that ruined her early 2000's love story and her daughter's life. Will she be able to pick up the pieces, gain back the trust of her community and face her BIGG...
This night, I cried all night. I've been waiting for so damn long. I've been through hell here, almost got killed four times and now it's over. Tomorrow I'll finally be a free woman again. My first few years have been tough. Every other woman wanted to get at me for getting pregnant by Devaun. Pure jealousy. Our times were the best times and these women couldn't handle it. I spent 5 years in solitary confinement for my own safety because of one of these women.
November 11th, 2016 The gate slid open before my eyes, and there it was. A piece of pavement. Never thought I would miss a fucking piece of pavement to step on. I had to find my way home since I hadn't told anyone that I was getting out four weeks early. I caught two busses and a train to get home. As I walked through my old neighborhood I was reminded of the last summer I spent here, even though it's winter now here in New York. Summer 2001 was the best summer. The weather was hot, so were the streets, and so was my love life. Devaun and me had been together for 3 years with a baby. I need to say that nothing has changed in the past 15 years. Not even my mother's brownstone that she loved so dearly. I rung the bell and heard feet shift all over the hard-wooden floors that I know my momma still got. The door opened and there stood a 67-year-old woman looking like she was in her thirties just like me. She had her afro tied up in a headwrap and she smelled like incense. She just stood there staring at me, trying to figure out if this was really happening.
"Ma, I'm home.." I said in a whisper. Tears started to fall down her face as she embraced me. "Thank you dear Orisha's, my baby is home!" She shouted.
We sat at the kitchen table and talked for a few hours. "When is she coming home?" I anxiously slid my hand over my cornrows. "She's going to be home in like 4 hours. She goes to dance classes, I told you right?"
"Yes momma, I'm so proud of her. I'm scared to face her you know..." I said as I played with my fingers on my lap. "You know she can't stand me."
She sighed "Riveny, this is going to be hard. It ain't nothing new. But this is something that has to be done. Ain't no way you could have prepared yourself for this over the past 15 years, but here you are and I'm here with you." She grabbed my face and looked my into my eyes. She always used to grab my face like this back in the day. When she was trying to talk some sense into me... and when I told her I was pregnant at 17.
"Momma could you fix my hair, Make me look good? I want to look good when I first see her. I haven't seen her since she was 9." I stood up and took a hard look at myself in the mirror in the hallway. I was 33 years old but I still looked fine. I haven't changed since I was 17 if you ask me. I still had the same long eyelashes, full but arched eyebrows, hips and ass for days, and the plump lips Devaun had fallen for 19 years ago.
"I'll tell you what. Let's get some quick shopping done." My mother said as she stood behind me in the mirror and held my shoulders.
Off we went. I picked out a nice light blue button up shirt, some tight fitting jeans and a pair of simple black heels. I picked out some other outfits and 3 pairs of sneakers as well. Then we went to the beauty supply store to get me some make up and hair products. I felt bad for having my mother pay for all this stuff, but she had the money anyway. She made clear that I could have everything I needed to get back on my feet.
We went home after a quick shopping spree. I tried to open the door to what used to be my bedroom, but it was locked. "Ma? Why is my door locked?" She quickly came down the stairs and unlocked it. "Sorry baby, I know you didn't like people in your room so I kept it on lock for all these years."
I was flabbergasted. It looked like time had been standing still only in this particular room. Everything was untouched after 15 years. I walked up to my desk where there laid a thin stack of papers written in my handwriting, dating back to september 23rd 2001. My walls were still covered in posters of Aaliyah, Craig David, Destiny's Child and, sadly, still R Kelly. My closed was filled with the hottest clothes from that time. I picked out my favorite top and held it against my chest. Tears started to form in my eyes. It all got real for me. I was just a nice young girl, who still had a big and fun future laying ahead of her, even though she made the mistake of getting pregnant at 17. "I can't believe I missed so much, ma." I got down on my knees onto the soft carpet that laid in the middle of my room and sobbed. My mother got down there with me and held me in her arms. After a good cry and a good talk I was ready to go take a shower. I took out my cornrows and washed my hair to leave my curls in their natural state with a product from the brand 'As I Am' that my mother showed me. I got back into my room to get dressed and put on some make up. My heart dropped as I opened the first drawer from my vanity. There was a photo of Devaun, our little girl Braye at 5 months old, and me. Our little precious family that got broken into pieces. I went through the drawer to find more precious photos from those times and little items that reminded me of Devaun.
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"Baby I miss you so much. And I know Braye misses you too. I think about you everyday" I cried as I stared at a photo of the two us. "I will make everything okay and get even." I finally put the photos back where they belonged and quickly got myself together. I couldn't have my girl see me for the first time in years looking like a mess.
After a few minutes I heard her enter the house. "Grandma, you got someone here with you?" Her sweet innocent voice sounded downstairs.
