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Babe,
Today has beenthe longest dragging day. I’ve taken on a new case and it’s consuming so much of my day. Times like this make me question why I’m working when I don’t have to. Between my father and my brother plus what I make doing keynote speaking and writing law guides, I really don’t have to work. Well, I know why I’m working. I’m working because I love giving a voice to the voiceless and defending those on the wrong side of justice.
Mercedes told me about what you and Noah are doing next month. I think it’s pretty cool that you all give backpacks and supplies to children every semester and do food drives every other month. Why haven’t you mentioned that before? If there’s anything I can do, I’d love to help. Even if it’s just pack plates and baskets and hand them out. I know that would technically connect me to you and Noah, but I’m okay with that. If we’re going to be together eventually, I have to prepare for how that would look. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t care about the optics personally… but I do care about how that would affect my career and my cases.
We said we were going to use the next couple of letters to talk about our hobbies and interests and whatnot, and I’m looking forward to seeing if we have anything in common. It’s crazy that we haven’t discussed this already. I like that, though, because it shows our connection is based on a damn good vibe.
Okay! So, my hobbies and interests. Yoga, crocheting, and volunteering are probably my top hobbies. It probably sounds weird to consider volunteering as a hobby, but I love it that much. With this second wing of my life, God has blessed me with so much that I have no choice but to give back. When my caseload isn’t heavy, I like to volunteer weekly. If I can’t, at least twice a month.
I do love riding motorcycles and going to Betty’s cigar and cognac lounge every Friday as well. I said if I didn’t have my baby by next year, I’d buy a motorcycle. Should that be something we discuss as well? Before things got more serious between us, I told you I wanted to be pregnant by the end of the year. Do you want children? If so, how many and when do you want to start your family? If not… should we end things here? Because I doubt if you’d be comfortable with me going on with my plans, anyway.
My favorite movies are Matilda and Smokey and the Bandit. I watch 80s and 90s shows for comfort. My favorite color is rose gold. I love to swim. The instruments I can play are piano/keyboard, drums, and flute. A strange fact is that I don’t care to travel. My home is my favorite place in the world, so I don’t like to leave it unless I absolutely have to. Plus, I have a thing about germs and I’m very particular about the spaces I dwell in, even if temporarily. When I do travel, I love going to beaches and islands or places where I can shop till I drop.
I think my favorite place to go in the US is Sausalito. When I go there, I literally get a houseboat and spend days there, sitting on the water. I know it’s not the prettiest or clearest water, but there is where I always feel most connected to God.
What else can I tell you? I don’t want to be cliché and tell you what I want or need in a man. I would prefer to see if you are those things naturally and tell you when they arise. I don’t think you would try to finesse me into thinking you’re someone you aren’t, but that’s the safest way for me to know you are sincere.
I guess I’ll end the letter here, hoping I get to speak with you tonight.
twenty-five
Baby,
The first thingI want to address is the kids topic. I do want them, at least two. So much of my life has been spent doing things I was sure would take it away from me. Even now, passing this time behind bars, I wasn’t completely sure I’d make it out of here alive. Having power and connections mean nothing to a nigga that has hate in his heart with nothing to lose. The greatest of men tend to be taken away by the weakest of sorts. So I’m surprised that I’ve not only made it to thirty-seven, but that I’ve almost completed my time without someone in here trying to take my life. I’ve never been fearful, but I’ve always been a realist. Every man has a price, and for the right price, a nigga could have easily tried to slit my throat and risked his own life. I said all of that to say, when I get out of here, I intend to live… fully… and that includes starting my family soon.
I would like a period to get established and remind myself how to live freely while also traveling and enjoying myself, but God willing, a family won’t be too close behind.
It’s cool that you play several instruments. I play piano and drums as well. I’m self-taught and I never learned to read music, but I can play anything after listening to it once. Maybe we can create our own music together. You being an advocate for volunteer work means a lot to me, because I love giving back and helping anyone I can. I don’t do it for the recognition, which is why I hadn’t mentioned it to you. If you truly wanted to help, I’d love for you to join us.
The traveling thing caught me by surprise. I figured you’d be the kind of woman who loves to travel. Your reason for not wanting to makes sense though. To me, traveling is an experience… one that I get great pleasure out of. Hopefully, I can take you places that make you comfortable enough to enjoy yourself, because I’d love for you to experience the world with me.
I’ve already shared with you my love for cooking. I wouldn’t say that’s a hobby; it’s more like a passion. My sister has always been a supporter of me using my cooking to get out of the streets. She already has a million ideas of things I could do to keep myself busy enough to not go back to my old ways when I’m released. We don’t have the closest bond anymore, and I’m at peace with that.
Megan left Tennessee as soon as she became legal, and I thank God for that. I never wanted her to get caught up in our bullshit. She works for TSA now and lives a normal, healthy life. Because of her work hours, we don’t talk often, but that’s my heart and I’ll do anything to protect her. Just knowing she’s safe and loved gives me peace.
I admire how close you are with your family now. At one point, I used to have the same kind of bond with mine. I’m not sure how things will be when I get out. All my life, I lived to appease my parents, specifically my father. If I’m not bending to his will, I don’t know how he will respond to me. The average son would have his father’s approval no matter what, especially if he was trying to live right, but I can’t say that will be the case with Simpson Graham.
Hobbies… Your environment determines how you spend your time. My hobbies today aren’t the same as they were ten years ago, and I don’t know what they’ll be when I get out. I will always love reading and music… playing my instruments. Hanging with the guys. In here, I’ve started watching TV and movies more, and that used to be something I never did. Before I got locked down, I was a firm advocate in having several different kinds of rest and hobbies. I’m looking forward to learning you while I relearn myself.
twenty-six
This wasthe third time Tussi had called Yandi and gotten no answer. He needed her to have a virtual visit with him ASAP. A lot of things could be forgotten, but disrespecting him, especially in public, was not on that list. Londen had to pay, and he was going to use Lei to do it.
Tussi felt like a kid on Christmas when Yandi told him who Royalty really was. In seconds, he had a plan in mind. She was going to help him get an early release, then he’d work with the secret society under her father. Granted, Tussi was already looking at less time than most believed. His sixty-year sentence had been dropped to twenty-five because he’d given names of several dealers and locations of their trap houses along with evidence to tie murderers to victims. That information wasn’t on his file, so he never had to worry about an inmate getting a correctional officer to look up his record and see the drastic decline in his sentence.
Twenty-five years was still too long. Too much of his life to spend behind bars. There was no doubt in Tussi’s mind that Ace could help get him out, and he was determined to convince Lei to get him to do it. What Tussi wasn’t prepared for was for Londen to be attached to Lei. Niggas like him felt like they ran this shit, and to a certain extent… they did. That was the level Tussi aspired to be on, but his money wasn’t long enough, and he hadn’t put in enough work before he was locked down to make that happen.
If Londen had set a claim to Lei, no one else would have the balls to talk to her in the pen pal program. Unfortunately, there weren’t too many women of her caliber who signed up, and the ones who did always had weird fetishes and reasons for wanting to connect to a man behind bars. About a year ago, Tussi started messaging a millionaire who wanted him to break out just to kill her husband. He considered it, but with the deal he had set up, Tussi wasn’t willing to risk it.
Deciding to call Yandi once more, Tussi looked behind him to see if anyone was waiting for the phone… not that it mattered. He wasn’t getting off until he was done. After putting in his ID number, Tussi dialed Yandi’s line again. This time, she answered.
“Hello?”
“Set up a visit for Wednesday at two.”
“Okay. You good?”
“Yeah.”
