Following an unexpected turn of events during his sit-down with prisoner Wesley Gilmore, Special Agent Cameron Rowell is thrown further into a world of confusion as he tries to piece together the network of conspirators responsible for various attac...
Ουπς! Αυτή η εικόνα δεν ακολουθεί τους κανόνες περιεχομένου. Για να συνεχίσεις με την δημοσίευση, παρακαλώ αφαίρεσε την ή ανέβασε διαφορετική εικόνα.
I was slightly nervous as I entered the United States Penitentiary, Pollock federal prison in Grant Parrish, Louisiana. Raevon Wilkes, or Raheem Saadiq, had reached out to me to let me know he was safe. As the only survivor from the group of men from Kappa Sigma Phi that attacked Tommy and wreaked havoc on my life years before, Raevon bore the weight of having to make amends for what he and his fraternity brothers did. I'd forgiven him for his role in it all but I realized that for him to truly make amends, he needed to be in a place where he actually could make a difference while still being a prisoner for the rest of his life.
"You had me moved to minimum-security, didn't you?" he asked with a smile. "Thank you, my brother. I am grateful and forever in your debt."
"I was going to do this over the phone," I told him, "but since I was heading back from Texas anyway, I figured I'd stop by here and actually speak to you in person while you were working on your assigned work detail."
"I'm glad you did. How have you been?"
"I've been great. I've been busy with work but I finally came into some free time. I just attended a weekend-long family reunion with my husband and his family. While I had a great time, I did get a chance to reflect on life and just how precious it is. Rae...I mean, Raheem, I forgive you for what you did. I admit, I didn't believe there was a shot at redemption for you or any of the others but now that it's just you, I have faith that you can make amends for all the wrong you've done. I don't know what it will look like but I have faith in it. I have faith in you."
Tears fell from his eyes and he wiped them as he told me, "You have no idea what that means to me."
"So, what do you do in here?"
"I put together a weekly newsletter for all the minimum-security prisoners about upcoming events, our meal schedules and other things. As you can see, I have to do it by typewriter."
"I see. I've never seen a see-through typewriter before."
"Yeah, they won't let me have a standard one because they're afraid I might hide a weapon or some other kind of contraband inside it. This thing gets the job done though."
"Are you liking the transition from maximum-security to minimum?"
"Yes, I like it a lot. They actually have a room for those of us who are Muslim to pray and celebrate our traditions."
"What made you turn to the Nation of Islam?"
"The community I became a part of isn't homophobic, if that's what you're thinking."
"I'm not here to judge you, Raheem."
"I turned to them because they saw me. They saw the real me through whatever barrier I'd put up. Cameron, I had some serious personal issues that fueled my past homophobia. I was...I was molested almost daily from about age six to age fourteen by an older male relative. I had this view of gays that wasn't based on reality and was only based on what I'd experienced. I've made my peace with what happened to me and I now view homosexuality as a natural and healthy bond between two people of the same sex. I know the Nation isn't quite the right platform to be a part of if I'm open to that type of inclusivity, but as I've said, the community here at this prison doesn't practice homophobia. We practice love of everyone."
