Prologue
Brooksville Psychiatric Center is where I live. It is early Saturday morning and I’m lying in my bed thinking of nothing in particular. Perhaps what kind of slop they are going to feed us for breakfast this morning. I hate the food here, but since I’m locked up, I guess I have no choice.
Suddenly my room door opens and it’s my nurse. She’s a pretty black lady. She’s also pretty nice. She doesn’t talk to me much, but she always has a smile on her face. I wonder if she is really happy or is it an act.
“Surprise Keona, a letter came for you today. You haven’t gotten any mail for a while have you?”
I reached for the letter. A letter. I hadn’t gotten as much as a hello from anyone since Cain had me committed. I feigned a smile and reached for it. “No. Thank you.”
The nurse turned and left the room. I looked at the envelope to see who it was from. It was a letter from Cain. Turning over the envelope, I opened it. As I unfolded it, I couldn’t help but wonder where he’d been. I hadn’t seen my one and only friend in months. The letter smelled of the cologne he was wearing the night he brought me here. I was excited to see what was going on in the outside world.
Keona, I’m sorry I haven’t come to visit in a while but business has been great. I’ve gotten out of Harlem and moved to lower Manhattan. I now live in a seven-room penthouse with everything I’ve ever wanted. The East River is so soothing at night. If I were there right now, I would give you a big hug and say thank you. After all, it was because of you, Leon’s territory came into my possession. I should’ve let you kill yourself because it would’ve been easier than writing this letter, but I didn’t want your death on my hands. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to visit you for a while. I need to give you some time to heal. Let’s see, that should be in about three years. Thanks for betraying everyone for me. Have a nice life! Cain.
Thinking back on that night, I remember it being one of the most horrible moments of my life. How could I let him just trick me like that? I wasn’t in my right mind then. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever be right again. How in the world did I let myself get put in a crazy house? I lay back on my sterile white sheets and thought about it.
