Loves Redemption

prostitution were the norm for us. We never really had too many ‘frills,’ you know. We had the basics, and sometimes not even that. We were forgotten most of the time and seen as a burden all of the time. Ally wanted a lot of things she’d been denied all her life and finally saw a way to get some of them.”
She blinked her eyes several times in an attempt to hold back the pain of her childhood
memories.
“I loved Ally. She was my little sister. I know she was only a couple of years younger
than me, but she always seemed a lot younger. She only wanted the same things her friends had, and she thought this was the only way to get them.”
Left unsaid was the guilt she felt. She believed Ally was her responsibility, and she’d let her down by not forcing her to stop her destructive behaviors.
“When was the last time you saw your sister, Maya? Did she continue living with you, or
did she move out on her own?” As she’d been battling her personal demons, she focused her
attention back to Mark.
“After I completed my Bachelor’s, I received a full scholarship for grad school at UTA.
By that time, Ally was 19, and I didn’t want to leave her on her own; she was too young.”
“You were young yourself. Did you ever get tired of the responsibility of having to care
for Allison? It seems as though you had the responsibility of her care for a long time.” Although he asked the question bluntly, she didn’t feel as though he were judging her.
“I never felt she was a burden. We looked after one another. I couldn’t imagine leaving
her, because I knew she relied on me. Besides, I didn’t like the crowd she was hanging with, and I thought a new environment would be good for her,” she insisted.
“Was it? Good for her?”
“At first. But within a few months, she’d found a similar crowd, and things escalated.”
“How so?” Mark placed his pad down and signed the waitress over to order sandwiches
and more coffee.
“She started smoking pot and drinking. I tried to talk to her about it, but she wasn’t about to listen to me. By the time I’d finished graduate school, she was barely speaking to me, and I had no idea what was going on in her head.” She ran frustrated hands over her face.
“That had to be tough,” he murmured in sympathy.
“It was. She decided to move out, and I didn’t see her for two years, and then one day she
showed up at the help center where I was working.” Maya tried to collect herself, but not before several tears had fallen unchecked down her face.
When her gaze eyes met his, raw emotion shone starkly in her eyes. “She looked awful. It
hurt to look at her. Her hair was stringy and dirty. She was so thin, her bones looked like they were poking through her skin. She had a long red razor mark stretching across her face. I
couldn’t believe it was my Ally.” She clenched her teeth together, her nostrils flaring, as she remembered the way Allison looked. She took a drink of her coffee before she picked the story up.
“I noticed right away she was talking really fast. She couldn’t stay still, and neither did she keep eye contact with me. I knew she was high. She said she needed money, and wanted to know if I had any to spare.”
After she paused, Mark prompted her, “Did you give it to her?”
“Yes,” she admitted simply. “She told me she was staying with friends. I invited her to
come home, but she wouldn’t. She said she needed a little money to tide her over.”
“Did you see her regularly after the two of you were reunited?”
“Unfortunately no. One of the last times I saw Ally was about two months ago. She said
she wanted to clean her life up and was tired of living the way she was. That’s the last time I spoke with her.”
She wondered if she hadn’t giving in and given her money, but had instead pressed the
issue, could she have convinced Ally to give her program a chance? Unfortunately, she would never know if Ally had been serious. Considering the circumstances she died under, she doubted Ally had been ready to take that first step.
Signaling the waitress to bring the check, Mark reached in his jacket to pull out his
wallet. “This is on me, please Maya.”
She noticed for the first time how dark it was once they left the cafe. After he’d settled
her into her seat and he’d gone to the driver’s side, she turned in her seat to face him. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to go home. I’m not really up to seeing anyone tonight. I think I need some time to myself tonight to take everything in.”
After they’d driven away from the café, Mark reached a stoplight. The light cast a
crimson glow on Maya’s face, highlighting her fatigue. “Of course, just give me your address.
How will you get to work tomorrow? Do you live close to Imani House?”
“Not too far away. It takes me fifteen or twenty minutes on the loop. I live in a converted older home with two other units. My neighbor, Dalia, is also my assistant at Imani House. I can get a ride to work with her in the morning,” she told him, after giving her address.
“Why don’t you relax for a minute and close your eyes. The traffic is kind of heavy; it
may take us a while, and you should rest. It’s been an emotionally draining day for you,” he said as he turned on the radio. He immediately turned it back off.
She reached over and stalled his hand. “No, leave it on--it isn’t bothering me. Music is
soothing to me.” She adjusted her body into the soft leather seat and closed her eyes,