“The one he left me.”
She recovered quickly.
“He was old.”
“He knew exactly what he was doing.”
“Rebecca.”
“No.”
I had spent eleven years being interrupted by guards.
Lawyers.
Judges.
Prison officials.
I was not going to be interrupted on my own land.
“You sold the house.”
“You kept Lily from me.”
“You never visited after the second year.”
“You never told me Granddad left this.”
“You let me walk out of prison believing I had nothing.”
Elvira looked uncomfortable.
“We thought the property had been lost.”
“Who is we?”
She did not answer.
“My brothers?”
Silence.
“Do they know I’m out?”
“Yes.”
“Did they ask about me?”
My mother looked away.
That answered enough.
Then she said.
“You cannot live in a cave forever.”
“I don’t plan to.”
“You need money.”
“I have some.”
“You have nothing.”
I almost smiled.
“That’s not true anymore.”
Her face hardened.
