FICLET: Letter from California

[cmk418]

Written for ofmyself's prompt for the 2010 OZ Free for All Kareem Said/Tricia Ross - Kareem gets a letter from California

Major angst ahead. Don't say I didn't warn you.



The postmark showed the letter was from California. The name on the return address was “T. Ross”. It was a letter that should have been destroyed immediately, but some things needed to be dealt with and he wasn’t one for shirking his responsibility.

My dear Kareem,

It seems like a lifetime since we last saw each other, but I still remember your quiet strength and your smile. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about you. I know you’d like me to say that I’ve prayed for you, but I can’t bring myself to do that, not anymore. Without you in my life, finding my own faith has been very difficult.

These past few months, I’ve been working at the Center for Prison Reform. It’s partly because of Scott but mostly because of you that I do this. I don’t know what would have happened had I not met you. All that violence. If there hadn’t been all that violence, we wouldn’t have met. It’s something that I think about every time I turn the pages of your book. I know the reasons for the violence, for the riot, and if I can prevent it from happening somewhere else, I will. There are too many brothers, too many husbands, too many loved ones locked away for them to suffer the injustices of the State.

You must be smiling now, thinking that I sound like you when I go on like that. And maybe I do. It’s not a bad thing to sound like you, I think. Or to want to see you again.

Every day brings you one day closer to parole. Now that you know where I am, will you come here once you are free? I can see you in this place, at my house, not far from the Pacific, enjoying the sunlight that’s been deprived from you for so long. I want to be able to touch you, to give you back everything that you’ve given me.

Please say you’ll think about it. And pray for me. I know you will, Kareem. You have faith and I have love enough for both of us.

Yours,
Tricia

Sighing deeply, he placed the letter back in the envelope and penned a reply.

Dear Miss Ross,

I regret to inform you that Kareem Said was killed January 19.

Please accept my condolences for your loss.

Sincerely,
Leo Glynn
Warden, Oswald State Correctional Facility

Comments

[michele659.livejournal.com]

I had an uneasy feeling that the end was going to have something to do with Said's death,but it still really hurt to read it.
That was a beautiful letter,and I'm sure if Said had read it he would've been touched,and then gone and done his best to try and dissuade her from her fantasy.
But it was a lovely,loving fantasy,and I could imagine Said accepting her offerfor a moment,finally able to forget his guilt and enjoy his life.

[cmk418]

I figured that had Said actually received the letter that he would have felt that he needed to stop her fantasy before she could continue with it. And then the romantic side of me kicks in and thinks... well, maybe. So this, while not exactly being kind to Said or the relationship, leaves it open to whatever Said's response would have been.

Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!

[myhappyface.livejournal.com]

This absolutely crushed me. Awesome job.

[cmk418]

Apologies for the heartbreak. I'm glad this struck an emotional chord with you though.

Thanks so much for reading and commenting!