Three weeks later, Freddy sat waiting in a chair that faced a two-inch-thick unbreakable glass barrier. This had been the first time that he was allowed to visit Lewis in the Cook County Department of Corrections facility.
Now, after writing Lewis half a dozen letters, apologizing to him for everything he had done, and begging to come see him, Lewis had finally agreed. He had called Freddy two nights ago.
“I’ll give you five minutes. After that, don’t contact me again.”
Upon arriving at the prison, Freddy was searched, then escorted into the visitation area and told to sit.
He had been waiting for fifteen minutes and could not help but think about all that had happened over the recent weeks. The day after Monica had found out about Lewis taking the money from her account, Freddy had gone to Nate.
“It’s all over. You going to transfer the new house into my name now?” Freddy asked, standing in Nate’s den.
Nate was writing something on a pad, then looked up and said, “You’re not getting the house, Freddy. Our agreement was that you not breathe a word of what was happening to anyone, least of all Lewis. You didn’t hold up your end of the deal.”
“But everything was done. I did what you told me,” Freddy said, worried. “You had the money. Monica found out, and the police have Lewis. It all worked out. I should get the house.”
“It just so happened to work out the way I wanted it to. But there was no guarantee of that. You telling Lewis could have ruined everything, could have negated all the work and planning I put into this. That was all because of you,” Nate said, rising from his desk and walking around it toward his door. “So you get nothing.”
“Then just give me the deed to the old house, what you promised me at first. That’s the least you can do, considering I lost my friend behind this.”
Nate stopped before opening the door, turned to face Freddy. “I sold that eyesore to a developer who’s made plans for new construction. I assume he’ll be notifying you as to when you need to vacate.”
“What!” Freddy said angrily, stepping in front of Nate.
“You heard me. I’m sorry, but those were the terms of the agreement.”
“What are you talking about, terms of the agreement,” Freddy said desperately, grabbing Nate by the shirt. “That’s my home. My father bought that house. It’s the only place my family has to live.”
“You should have thought of that when you breached our contract and informed Lewis of what we were doing. Now get out before I call the police.”
Lewis walked up behind the thick glass, wearing a baggy gray jumper, a serial number stenciled on his left breast. He sat down, grabbed the phone at his side, and waited for Freddy to pick up.
“Five minutes,” Lewis said.
“How you been doing?” Freddy said, smiling as best he could.
Lewis did not answer, just stared at Freddy, unblinking.
“Why you still in here? Thought you would’ve made bail by now.”
“No money, and Monica ain’t paying it,” Lewis mumbled, looking through the glass, not at Freddy, but past him.
“You shoulda called me. I would’ve given you—”
“Four minutes.”
“All right, all right,” Freddy said. “But when you going to court? I can be there. Be a witness. Tell them it’s all on me. It’s all my fault.”
“Court’s in three days, and I don’t want you there. There ain’t shit else you can do for me,” Lewis said, now staring directly into Freddy’s eyes. “You already done enough.”
Freddy lowered his head, ran a hand over the hair that was growing longer than he usually kept it. He looked up, changed the subject. “So what’s happening with Layla?”
“Monica’s got her. She’s trying to adopt her,” Lewis said.
Freddy felt bad for Lewis. Almost as bad as he felt for himself.
“We living with my uncle now. I know he don’t want us there, at least he don’t want me there, but he let us in, because we got nowhere else to go after that motherfucker sold my house.”
Lewis was looking at the dirt under one of his fingernails, as though none of what Freddy was saying made any difference.
“I don’t know if you know, but Kia left me. She…” Freddy pressed a fist to his mouth, coughing to hide the emotion in his voice. “She aborted our baby. She killed my child, Lewis,” Freddy said, quickly turning away in his chair, wiping at his face. He turned back, another weak attempt at a smile on his face. “But I’m gonna get her back. You wait and see. And I’m gonna still start that real-estate company, you know what I’m saying? Ford and Waters Real Estate,” Freddy said, holding his hands up before him, as if holding the sign. “No, Waters and Ford Real Estate. That sounds better, don’t it?”
“Your five minutes is up,” Lewis said, preparing to stand.
“Wait! Hold it, Lewis!” Freddy begged into the phone.
Lewis remained seated a moment longer.
“It wasn’t supposed to happen like this, I promise, Lewis. You my best friend. I never, ever meant this to hurt you like this. You got to believe me. He held my family over my head. What the fuck else was I supposed to do, man? What the fuck else?”
Lewis stared into Freddy’s face but still did not speak a word.
Freddy smeared the tears from his cheeks, and said earnestly, “But I’m gonna make this right, man. That motherfucker had me do this to you. He took away the only home I ever lived in, made me more of a disgrace to my moms, and had my girl leave me, made her kill my baby. Do you hear me, Lewis? I ain’t got shit to live for now, so that motherfucker is going to pay. I swear to God, on our friendship, on my moms and Kia’s lives—that motherfucker is going to pay. You believe me, Lewis? You believe me?”
Lewis continued to stare at him, then after a second said, “Yeah. I believe you. Good-bye, Freddy.” Lewis hung up the phone, stood, and walked away.