A Hustler's Wife by Nikki Turner Page A

real." Tears appeared in Yarni's eyes, but Des continued.
    "Baby Girl, please don't start that. Don't cry. But I've got to be real with you. I am getting too comfortable with you being here for me. I'm going to be here a long time. I know one day you may find someone else to be with, and he's not going to tolerate you coming to see me. Out of sight, out of mind. So, baby, for real, I would rather that you just leave me now verses five years from now." He felt too dependent on her and he didn't like that feeling.
    "Des, we made vows to each other. I know there were no legal documents involved, but we took an oath from our hearts, and as far as I am concerned, this is until death do us part. I don't want anybody else. Now stop acting stupid," She said while trying to hold her tears back.
    "Baby Girl, if you feel the need to be with other cats, then you are free to."
    "Yeah, I know that I am free to. You've made yourself clear.
    Now let me tell you, the only place I choose to be is with you in your heart." Yarni could not believe his insistence.
    "Look, we can still be friends. I don't need a woman while I am in here. I need a faithful friend more than anything. That's all any man in prison needs is a devoted friend. Don't get me wrong. Every man locked up wants a woman by his side for his own selfish reasons, but he needs a friend more. Now think about it. What does he need a woman for? He can't have sex with her unless he wants to degrade her and have sex with her in the visiting room, but is that really cool with people's children and other people watching? He can't parade her around town on his arm. He can't lay beside her every night in bed. So, on the real, a man incarcerated doesn't need the headache of wondering if she's laid up with someone else? I know I don't. I don't want to go through that whole shenanigan of why you didn't accept a call or why you didn't write back. Or even me calling to holler at one of my homeboys and he drops some news on me that he seen you with the next dude." Des was just as honest with Yarni five years down the road as he was with her on that first day, when she was just fifteen years old.
    "Oh, now I understand. All this is simply because I wasn't in my dorm room when you called last night. So now all you need is a friend? Okay I got your friend all right," she said sarcastically. Des ignored her sarcasm.
    "Yeah, all I need is a friend to talk to, listen to, laugh with, to joke with and to keep my spirits up. For real, Yarni, you can go your own way. We can end our relationship right now." He went back into his dorm frustrated with the whole ordeal, the legal system mainly, because he did not commit this crime.
    He was confused. He knew Yarni was most likely telling the truth, but at the same time, she's young, and if his appeal doesn't come through soon, how much time can she really do with him?
    He didn't go to dinner that night. Instead he went to a building to check on his money one final time, and when it was short, he asked why. When the dude said the wrong thing, he punched him in the face. He knew that it wasn't that serious, but he had to redirect his frustrations somewhere else. He returned to his pod, went straight to his cell, avoiding any of his homeboys he was cool with, knowing he may lash out on them too. The rest of the night, and well into the next morning, Des laid on his bunk wondering what he and Yarnie's relationship coming to.
    The following day, he got a letter from Weasa. He thought about how she would definitely be there for him, but at the same time. He knew Yarni would really fly the coop if she ever found out he was corresponding with Weasa. He evaluated the situation.
    After taking all those things into consideration, Yarni still knocked the doors down to see him. A few days later, she received a letter from him apologizing how he acted in the visiting room. She totally understood the mindset of a man incarcerated. People may think oh, what more do they want.