A Hustler's Wife by Nikki Turner Page B

They have three hots and a cot, but she understood just how hard it was on the inmate mentally to be away from his loved ones.
    There would be no holidays and no family gatherings, except for the corny ones that the institutions put on once a year.
    Joyce finally came around. She realized that Yarni did have good intentions where Des was concerned. Eventually, she also grew to have a lot of respect for Yarni. It had even gotten to the point where they would sometimes ride together to see Des.
    When Des told Joyce, Yarni had the flu and Gloria was out of town, Joyce showed up on Yarni's doorsteps with orange juice and all kinds of flu medicine. Then a month later, Joyce had to go to the hospital and have surgery on her foot. Yarni was beside her the whole time. She went over to cook for her and checked on her everyday.
    Joyce and Gloria hadn't spoken in over two years. Joyce even called Gloria, leaving her a message on her answering machine.
    "Gloria, this is Joyce, I'd like to apologize for the way I carried on. I've actually grown to really love Yarni and I am so glad that she's a part of Des' life, as well as mine. I never got the opportunity to tell you how much of an outstanding job you did with raising Yarni. You see, I couldn't understand why Des loved her so much. I never took the time to try to understand either.
    He'd been with so many other girls in his day, and this young girl came along and just swept him off of his feet. You know how it is; the ones we love never love us back. I didn't want her to hurt my son. See, before Yarni, he'd never, I repeat, never loved any of those hos. The bottom line is Yarni and Des have made it very clear that they're going to be together whatever the weather is.
    So there is no need for us to hold ill feelings against each other.
    I guess what I am trying to say is, "I surrender." I don't want war with you anymore. Gloria, please call me when you get this message. 777-9311."
    Gloria heard the message. It takes a big woman to surrender, that's for sure, and to fess up to her shortcomings. Shoot, I realized a long time ago that Yarni and Des were going to be together no matter what. I guess I could at least call her back. I will, but I've got to hype myself up. I hope she doesn't want to meet for lunch or anything.
    Everything was going fine until one Saturday when Yarni was visiting Des and he asked her to make the ultimate sacrifice. He wanted her to put her freedom at stake. He asked her to smug-gle heroine into the prison to him so he could sell. He said she could do it one of two ways. She could put it in her panties or put it in balloons and swallow it and she could throw it up in the bathroom in the visiting room. She felt like the sharpest knife ever had just stabbed her through the heart.
    How could he ask me to jeopardize my freedom? Why does he want to break the law still and risk running up his time? He isn't starving for anything in there. His commissary stays stacked.
    He was a good dude from the street so somebody is always sending him some money. On any given day I could see somebody who knew him from the street and they'd give me a $100 to send him. Shit, why he ain't tell his mother to bring it? What, she too good? Damn, and I am supposed to be the one he loves? Yo, he straight violated.
    She didn't have any type of understanding. As she left the penitentiary, she had so many thoughts going through her head.
    She felt like the one who she loved with all her heart had just crossed her, and she didn't know what to do. She didn't even know how to approach this situation. She didn't want to tell him no and let him down, but at the same time, this one time, she had to think of herself first. She was so confused. For the first time in almost five years, she avoided him. She thought maybe she needed to stay away a little. She started going out, hanging at all the happening places, and meeting other guys.

THE JOKE'S ON YOU, BOO
    One evening Yarni and her girlfriend, Sophie,