"…PRODIGAL"

Eighteen-year-old Airilyn Moran was dreading every minute of going downstairs. She didn't want to greet anyone—especially her sister-in-law Veronica. She sauntered about in front of her mirror, admiring herself and checking out her appearance. She was also daydreaming. I can't wait to graduate so I can get out of here, she thought to herself. Everybody all up in my business is too much for me. She often pondered this thought, whenever she was alone. She wondered what it would be like to be on her own, in her own house. She would definitely be free to do whatever she wanted without having to listen to her older brother Bobby and his wife yak at her about keeping out of trouble—ditching school and hanging out with the wrong crowd. It was this kind of trouble that got her kicked out of her Aunt Gladys's home and cooped up here with her brother, his wife, and their two-year-old son Isaiah. Now as she listened to Veronica impatiently yell her name to hurry up and get downstairs, Airilyn groaned to herself. Yeah…I cannot wait to finally get the hell out of here.

Miles away, across the state, a young man was preparing to re-enter society. A tall, stocky-yet-well-made man whose shoulder-length braids shone black against his light-brown skin, he strode down the long, narrow aisle, listening to the other inmates holler out well-wishes or catcalls. He kept his focus and looked straight ahead. At the process desk, the clerk in charge gave him the clothes he wore when he came to prison, a few other accessories, and a small envelope that held $200. "Name," he stated simply.

The young man signed his name on the outtake sheet that would allow his exodus from a two-year sentence. "Jimmy…Jimmy Moran."

"Don't be out with your homies, Mook," Veronica called out from the kitchen where she was making breakfast. "Jey wants you home, so you be here no later than 3:00."

Airilyn rolled her eyes. "And I'll bet you'll be here waiting with open arms," she said in a sarcastic tone. That angered Veronica, but she squeezed her hands into fists and did her best to compose herself. "Just be home by 3, ok?" she said. "You know Jey will be bringing your big brother home later on, and I'm gonna need your help with helping clean up."

"Look, I'll be home, Ronnie, so don't get started," Airilyn growled. "I'll be the perfect little good girl that everybody wants me to be so bad, and I'll be straight home to help cook, clean…and cater to you." That comment was too much for Veronica, and it instantly set her off. A chocolate-skinned, curvy young woman with deep dimples, Veronica was not accustomed to nonsense or back-talk—and she let her young sister-in-law know it. "Don't start no shit with me right now, Mook! Your big brother is getting out and I wanna have this house straightened up by the time the boys get here! You have your ass back here so you can help me!"

"Don't get all bossy with me! You ain't my mama or my auntie—just my brother's wife! I told you I'll be here and you still wanna trip out on me!"

"Because you lie, Mook! Remember the last time you and Tika took off with Jimmy that day? You ditched school after lying about where you were. Jey damn near called the police on y'all because you were out so late!" Veronica reminded Airilyn. She was referring to the time when Airilyn and her best friend Tika sneaked out of school and went to the movies and the beach with her oldest brother Jimmy. Jimmy had told the school that there was an emergency at home and that they needed to come home—even saying that Tika needed to come as well because Airilyn would not be able to function well without her. Once they were gone, the three of them went wild—going to the movies, to the lake, and to the mall. Unfortunately, their scheme was discovered when Airilyn's older brother (and legal guardian) Jey had called the school when she had not come home. As soon as the three returned, Jey and his wife Veronica were waiting—waiting angrily. Jey immediately laid into Jimmy for getting the girls to ditch school and then grounding Airilyn for a week. Of course, the girls knew that Jimmy had done it because he was soon to go to prison for his role in an assault case that found him serving two years.

In the upstairs bedroom of the house, Jey was standing in front of the mirror and listening to the women argue again. A lean, wiry, pecan-colored young man, Jey usually spoke softly yet exuded respect whenever he walked into a room. Right now, he was slightly in pain. The weather had become quite chilly, irritating his right leg. Bobby was used to it by now—it was the residual result of a military tour of Afghanistan where he served as a corporal in the Marine Corps. Listening to his wife and sister battle it out did not help. "I'm getting too old for this shit," he muttered to himself as he reached for his occasional companion—his walking cane—and headed downstairs.

Veronica and Airilyn were still arguing when Jey reached the kitchen. He immediately walked into the center of the two women, making himself known. "Alright now…I don't wanna hear all this damn fussing and arguing right now," he ordered. "Danny will be home this evening, and I want everything running smooth." He turned to his younger sister. "You be here now later than three, Mook. Ronnie needs you here to help her out…and I don't wanna hear no damn backtalk." Airilyn sulked and muttered under her breath, being careful not to let Jey hear her. Snatching up her purse and tote bag, Airilyn stalked out of the house to school. The young couple watched her go, Veronica shaking her head. "That sister of yours…" she started.

Jey held up his hand, clearly not wanting to listen to the latest diatribe about how disrespectful his younger sister is. But Veronica told him anyway. "Jey, you need to do something about that girl. I'm busting my ass around here, trying to get everything together for your brother, and all she wants to do is come in late and half-ass work. And I ain't gonna be getting disrespected in my own damn house, either!" Jey stepped behind his wife, wrapped his arm around her neck, and kissed her cheek. "I'll talk to her later, baby. Right now, I gotta get ready for work. The shop's going to be pretty full today, and I need to be there and get my customers taken care of if I'm gonna go and get Jimmy on time."

"She's working my last nerve, Jey," Veronica said, not letting Jey side-step the issue. "If we wouldn't accept this behavior from Isaiah when he'd be her age, then I'm not gonna put up with it now. But you're her brother, so I'm gon' let you deal with her." She finished breakfast and served her husband. "But if she gets up in my face again, I will put her on her ass." Jey shook his head as he ate his food. He didn't know what to do with this situation. His wife and his sister were always arguing over something, and it was getting on his last nerves, too. Maybe with Jimmy coming home, Jey might have someone to talk with about it.

Airilyn, was very excited about the news that her oldest brother Jimmy was coming home. "Tika! You comin' to Jey's house for our party Saturday?" she asked her best friend as they were walking home on a chilly Thursday afternoon. "Jimmy's coming home!"

Airilyn's 19-year-old friend Tika shrugged her shoulders, obviously not remembering who this brother was. Airilyn rolled her eyes in astonishment. "Oh my God—you remember Jimmy! Remember when he sneaked us out of school that one time and we went to the lake and the movies? Jey was so pissed at him." Tika smiled as the memory washed over her. Yes, Tika remembered alright. Her grandmother had grounded her, too because of that incident. Airilyn noticed Tika daydreaming and snapped her fingers loudly. "Yo! You still here?" Tika blinked and returned her attention. "Yeah…I'll be there. What about tomorrow night?"

"At the club? You know it's on, girl!" Airilyn laughed. "Come over a little later and I'll hook you up with some gear."

"I don't know why. They only be lookin' at you," Tika said quietly.

"Girl, don't I know it," Airilyn replied, stopping to open her compact mirror and fix her hair. "These niggas just be goin' crazy for the yum-yum, if you know what I'm sayin'!" She then looked at Tika and shook her head. "What you need to do is start going out more. There's more to life than school. I swear, I can't wait to graduate and be through with school once and for all. Damn teachers get on my nerves-and then to go home and listen to Ronnie bitch at me for every little thing."

Tika rolled her eyes because she knew that Airilyn did not get along with her sister-in-law Veronica-at all. Ever since she had married Jey, and had his baby, Veronica had been the proverbial thorn in Airilyn's side. Always on the look-out for any misbehavior, Veronica constantly argued with Airilyn over the usual topics-Airilyn's clothes, Airilyn's grades, Airilyn's fast ways with boys. More than once, Jey has had to separate the two in order to avoid a potential physical altercation. However, as much as she could not stand Veronica, she absolutely would not return to her mother's home. Yet it did not stop her from complaining. "Gets on my damn nerves, always trying to tell me what to do and shit," Airilyn continued. "My own mama don't tell me what to do, but she all up in my business." They soon reached Tika's home that she shared with her grandmother. The girls said good-bye, then Tika went inside.

That Saturday afternoon, Airilyn's backyard was filled with people who had come to celebrate Jimmy's homecoming. Jey and Veronica were hosting the party and serving the food, while Airilyn was playing the music. Jey was putting out more cold sodas and beer, when he noticed a buffed-out, fair-skinned man walk into the backyard with a young woman on his arm. Bobby recognized them right away. The young, brown-skinned, thin woman was Poochie, Veronica's high-school friend. The man was named Creole Red. Jey eyed Creole suspiciously, wondering what his business was. Veronica nudged him in the side. "Be nice," she warned him. "He's Danny's company, too."

"I ain't worried about what he'll do. It's what's going on in his mind that tends to give me pause." Jey watched Creole for a bit longer before going to play with his son. Veronica observed Creole and Jimmy talking and laughing, then saw Airilyn walking toward them. Veronica instantly cut off her path, sending her into the house for more refreshments. She was more tactful than Jey, but she wasn't foolish…she knew Creole's reputation with young, impressionable girls, too.

The guest of honor was sitting quietly at a table, separating himself from everyone else. Jey noticed Jimmy's reticence and approached him. "What's up, Bro?"

"Just chillin' in the cut, man," Jimmy replied.

"Hey, dude, this is your homecoming party—c'mon and have some fun," Jey said, trying to cheer him up. Jimmy nodded silently and waved him away. He watched Jey heading back to Veronica and winced at Jey's slight limp. If my kid brother can get around on a bad leg, then I can get my ass up, Jimmy thought to himself. He rose and stepped onto the lawn, only to be intercepted by Airilyn. "Hey, Jimmy!" she exclaimed, giving him a tight hug. She pulled Tika in front of her. "Remember her?"

Jimmy stared at Tika. "No."

"He doesn't know me, Airilyn," Tika whispered, about to leave. But Airilyn held fast onto her arm. "C'mon Jimmy, you know who this is! Remember that time you sneaked us out of school and Jey got pissed off?" Jimmy eyed Tika carefully, then snickered. "Oh yeah—now I remember." He looked Tika up and down. "You look different, girl—you done filled out."

Tika smiled weakly, knowing that Jimmy's words had a different connotation than what Airilyn thought. However, she simply greeted him and pulled a giggling Airilyn away to the music table. Jimmy remained there for a moment, still staring at Airilyn's friend. Yes, she certainly was different than the last time he had seen her. He had recalled her as being a bit on the skinny side, with long arms and legs and a body that seemed as flat as cardboard. However, this young woman that had caught his attention had clearly transformed—the reed-thin legs had given way to sleek, brown calves that went up to thick, graceful thighs. Her hips that swayed under the black-denim jeans were round and shaped like a ripened peach. As his observant eyes scanned her, he noticed that she no longer wore glasses and her skin shone golden-brown in the setting sun. She still wore her hair up, in an Afro puff that set off her almond-shaped face. The light purple, V-necked sweater that she wore draped slightly over her chest, vaguely contouring her quite-ample breasts. Jimmy felt himself smile and laugh to himself. Damn, she looks like Ronnie now! She done grew out—in all the right spots.

"Jimmy."

Jimmy turned to see his mother looking at him. His attention now off of Tika, he looked at her, eying her suspiciously, and saying nothing. "Hi, Mama. I'm home."

She simply nodded, not answering her son. Jimmy kept talking. "I'm going to work first thing in the morning. My parole officer talked with Mr. Dorsey and he said he'll give me a job down at the auto shop." His mother still didn't say anything and Jimmy was starting to lose his patience. "You're not gonna say nothing? I'm trying to straighten up, and you ain't got nothing to say?" His mother finally spoke. "Welcome home," she said, emotionless. Jimmy shook his head and went inside the house.