4 Life

By Shelly LeAnne Sharp

Life behind bars isnt a picnic for David Taylor. David had always
been a good kid who helped his mother take care of his brothers
because of the accident that had left her a widow. He was
fabulous at sports and had a very good chance of going pro in football
or basketball. David had a wonderful girlfriend who would do anything
in the world for him and had actually found true love in high school.
Sometimes even the best of kids end up getting mixed up with the
wrong crowd. David meets Luke Hardy, Alan Roberts, and the other
4 Life members. Now all David can do is think of the mistake that he
made that brought him to prison. Will David ever be able to forgive
himself for what he did or will one mistake haunt him forever?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 22, 2012
• ISBN: 9781469162379

Shelly LeAnne Sharp

Shelly Sharp grew up in Breckenridge, Texas. She graduated from Breckenridge High school in 1996. She has 2 children Destinee and Korrissa Curtis and a step-daughter Haley Sharp. She graduated from TSTC with a degree in vocational nursing in December, 2004. She worked for TDCJ and learned about gang life from the offenders she met while working for the Walker Sayle Unit. She is praying that writing this book will help make a difference for at least one child and keep even one child out of a gang. Her parents Joe and Vicky Fisher were a huge influence on her life and she has one brother Steven Fisher. She now works for Breckenridge Medical Center.

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Copyright © 2012 by Shelly LeAnne Sharp.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

About The Author

This is dedicated to my girls Destinee, Korrissa, and Haley. I love you three very much, and I am so very thankful that God brought you all into my life. You are all precious gifts to me. Thanks for bringing me so much joy. Thanks to God for sending His son Jesus to die for us. Thanks to my parents for helping me so much. I don’t even know where or how to start there. I love you both. To Steven, you know I love you, and I am very glad you are my brother. To Yvonne, I am so thankful to have you and Robert! MaNell and PaBrax, I love you both, and you guys are the best grandparents anyone could ask for. To Darryl, for proving to me that nice guys still exist.

To Rex Boggs, for using his life to bring people like me closer to God, and to everyone who stood behind me through the best and worst times. To Terri and Robbie Dewberry, who believed in me more than I believed in myself and refused to give up on me when I was ready to give up. Jeremy, I am so lucky to have you as a friend. You are my favorite nurse-cop! To my aunts, uncles, cousins, and numerous friends, I am very blessed to have you all in my life. Mandi, Kevin, Chase, Kayler-Bunny, Kevin Junior, and Tyler, I love you all so much. I love my nieces Rachell, Zoe, Emma, and Catlyn. I love my nephews Ethan, Sean, Mathew, Tagle, and Christian. I am very blessed to call you nieces and nephews. Rest in peace, Jesse, you are loved. We will see you again in heaven one day! I want to thank David Jakabot for always being here for me and the girls, and I especially thank Mr. Weldon Edwards for always challenging me in English. Thank you for reviewing this book and pushing me to get it published.

Chapter 1

David awoke to feel excruciating pain running up his rib cage. He felt as if someone had beat him that night, but he knew it was just another one of the consequences of his actions. The only pillow he had was a wadded-up lightweight blanket. He felt his joints pop as he turned to get a glimpse of the clock. It was only 2:00 a.m. He still had two and a half hours till chow. He was confined to this small taste of hell for the next twenty years because of his actions. In the bed next to him was a guy convicted of child molestation, and the guy in the bunk below him had murdered the cashier at a convenience store for $47 cash. Of course, 90 percent of the people in his dorm were not guilty—or at least are not guilty according to their stories. He would do anything in this world to go home, but home was no longer an option. He had to be with these people. He was a criminal just like them. He prayed each and every single night. He prayed that he would live to see the morning light because he never knew if one of his neighbors would go off and he would be the target.

He changed position in the bed so that he could relieve some of the pressure off his right rib cage. How he longed to be home in his own bed, even if he did have to share it with his brothers. He was scared to death of this top bunk. Rolling the wrong way could be the death of him, but he had to accept it. He could hear his cellie snoring beneath him. He knew that he would not be able to go back to sleep. He could not believe that they expected anyone to sleep with all the lights on around them anyways. Every hour, they would wake everyone up to count them to make sure that nobody had bolted. He hated this place with everything inside him. Oh, how he missed his mama’s homemade cooking and the sweet sound of her voice.

He sat up and looked at the pictures in his property of the little boy that he would never get to know. The little boy that he had only gotten to see grow up in his pictures. He had beautiful blue eyes with dark, thick lashes and light brown hair with tiny curls at the bottom. Tyler looked just like his mama, but had his daddy’s smile. He looked at the pictures of Korrissa and him. She had been the only girl that had truly loved him and knew that she would never quit loving him. He looked at the child that he had never gotten to hold or even see in person. He was beautiful. He longed to hold his only son, but had told Korrissa that he did not want to meet his boy in prison and forbid her from bringing him inside the gates. She had come to the unit once with the boy, but the guards would not allow her to see him since he would not put her on his visitation list. He still could not believe that she had driven five hours one way just to see him in prison. He wanted to marry her. He would spend his entire life with her if he could just go back, but now it was too late. He could not blame her for going on with her life. Jake would take care of her and Tyler. Jake was a good guy, and he knew that his boy would be well taken care of, but, oh, how it hurt that his boy would be calling him daddy. Maybe one day, after he gets out, he can have some kind of a relationship with his son. He quickly pushed that thought out of his head. How fair was it to believe that Jake was his daddy his entire life and when he’s twenty years old, all of a sudden find out that Jake was not his dad. He would have to find out that his dad was an inmate. Why would his son even want him after finding out the truth? He would probably think that his daddy did not love him because he had told his mama that he did not want him to come see him. He did it for his son’s own good.

One horrible mistake was all it took. Two words that were entirely innocent by themselves kept coming into his mind. If and only were the words. They were little words that did not really have that much meaning. They were the most innocent of all words, but when you combine those two words, they tore David’s world apart. Six little letters tore David’s heart in two, tore his future apart, had taken him away from everyone he loved, and caused so much pain in his entire family’s life. Six letters took away his freedom and his ability to be the father he wanted to be. If only he had listened to his mom, aunt, and Amy. If only he had chosen Korrissa over his so-called buddies. If only he were with Korrissa, raising their child. Those words haunted David every single day of his life. He would give anything if he had listened to his family and Korrissa. His mama had gone as far as begging him to stop. Everyone in his family tried to talk to him. They told him that he was doing wrong and was going down the wrong track, but he did not listen. He did not care. He was a teenager that thought he knew everything. He would give his right arm to this day if he could go back again and know then what he knows now. He lay awake, and his memory drifted back in time to that horrible day, August 23, 2010, and all the events that led up to it.

Chapter 2

Today was the scariest day of David’s life so far. It was August 2009, and he was moving. He grew up in a suburban house in Las Vegas, Nevada, and was going to have to move from the comfort of his spacious four-bedroom home and into a tiny two-bedroom mobile home with his aunt and her daughter. Unfortunately, he was moving to what everyone considered the ghetto of Vegas. David’s family had always been well-off until the tragic day that his father’s life was taken and his mother had to become both mom and dad to him and his two brothers. David had to admit that his mom tried so hard. She did the best she could, but she did not make near the money that his father had brought home, and she just could not afford the house anymore.

David, could you please help me load Aunt Tammy’s truck? It was his mom, and he knew that they would have to be out of the house today, or they would lose all their stuff if they did not get it all out. The landlord had to tell them that if they were not out by today, that they could kiss their stuff good-bye because she needed to rent the house to someone else who could afford to pay. They were already two months behind on their rent so she had worked with them enough. David threw on a tank top and proceeded to help his mom move the furniture to the truck.

David was your typical sixteen-year-old. He was interested in girls, football, basketball, track, and on the swim team. On March 14, 2009, his dad was killed in a head-on collision by a drunk driver. He was an electrician and made enough to provide well for his family. David had gotten a job bussing tables at the Trucker’s Paradise Truck Stop, but even though he gave his mom money every payday to help out, it still was not enough to afford the house. David was 5'11, 175 lb., had beautiful muscles from all the athletics he participated in, and deep dimples on either side of his face. He had sparkling eyes of blue, brown hair, and a beautiful big smile. He flashed that smile for his mama, Laura, as she broke down and cried. David, I am so sorry, honey, I want to keep this house as much as you and your brothers do. Your dad and I raised you boys here from the day you were born, and I have so many memories of your dad that are in this house. I kind of feel like I am letting him and our kids down by leaving it."

David could see the hurt and pain in his mom’s eyes, and it broke his heart to see her hurting. His mom had been his hero his whole life, but after his dad died, she had really stepped up and showed strength that David never knew she was capable of. She worked full time as a CNA and part time as a waitress at the same truck stop David bussed tables at. David and his brothers were so lucky to have her. Mom, you are doing the best you can. I am not upset at all about moving in with Aunt Tammy and Amy. David hated lying to his mom, but could not stand to see her cry and hurting the way she was. He had no clue where they would all sleep in that little house, but he was willing to do whatever it took to keep his mom from crying. Laura hugged her son and reminded him that she loved him very much and thanked him for being so understanding. It was then that Bobby Joe, his twelve-year-old brother, and Jason, his nine-year-old brother, came out, rubbing their eyes. David loved his brothers so much. Bobby started whining again that he did not want to leave and said it was not fair because Aunt Tammy did not have a pool at her house, and they did. It amazed David that he could be so selfish and not even realize that he was hurting their mom. She flashed David an understanding smile, but his heart broke for her because he knew how bad she was hurting. Laura wrapped her arms around Bobby Joe and Jason and told them that Aunt Tammy lived two blocks from a city pool, and she would be happy to take them there sometimes so they would have the opportunity to swim.

Laura and David had the same big, bright smile. She was 5'7" and slender with blond hair. Her dark brown eyes still sparkled, despite all the heartache she had felt since the death of her husband. She missed Jackson so much. She wished he was still here to help her raise the boys, to help her with the bills, and there just to hold her again. She wanted to hear his voice telling her that it would all be OK and feel his loving arms around her again. She knew how lucky she was to have David because he did so much to help her with the boys though. He got them ready for school on the days she was working, cooked supper at times, cleaned the house, and did more than she would ever ask for; he was willing to do anything.

They finished packing around noon and moved all the furniture into a storage building because there would not be enough room at their aunt’s house, and they moved their clothes and the fewest possessions they could get away with taking to the house. Tammy met them at the door with a big hug for everyone. Amy had a decent-sized room and had to move in with her mom so that the three boys could share her room, and Laura was going to have to sleep on the couch. I wish I had a bigger place, but this little place is yours until you are able to get back on your feet and get something more suitable. Please treat my place like your own. I love you all, Tammy said to everyone in the house.

So are you ready to start a new school? Amy asked when it was just her and David. My friends are really excited about you coming. I told them that you are cute, and they can’t wait to meet you! David flashed Amy that beautiful, flawless smile that all the girls adored. Amy had brown hair and eyes. She was 5'2", had brown hair, brown eyes, and a pretty smile.

Thanks, Shorty. I hope that I like it as much as I love my school. I want to keep doing sports and everything. I was one of the most popular in my school, so this is going to be a culture shock for me. I will miss my friends, David told his cousin. He had hung out with the same group of kids since he was in grade school. They had grown up together, played ball together, and were his second family.

Shorty? I am not short, she said, grinning. I understand. Let me warn you, Jasper High School is a lot different than Vegas High. You have to really watch out who you hang out with because they have all sorts of people. I think you will be fine though since you are a jock. The jocks should take to you, and they are safe, but you do have to worry about gangs here. You have to worry about drugs here and stuff like that. You are in a whole new ball game here, cuz. Even some of the jocks do drugs though, so be careful, Amy told him.

David just shrugged it off, Amy dear, I am too smart for gangs or for drugs. You do not have to worry about me. I am a good kid. All I want to do is play sports. Just then, the phone rang and interrupted their conversation. It was Amy’s friend, so she took the call. David was so upset. How in the world could they make him transfer out of Vegas High? He was the captain of the basketball team. He was guaranteed a scholarship in football or basketball because of his athletic abilities. How could they force him to start attending Jasper? He was in a different district, so Mr. Jones, the principal at Vegas High, told his mother that he would be forced to transfer upon moving. Mr. Jones was not happy that David was leaving. He was his best student. All his friends were at Vegas. Everyone knew him there. Everyone respected him there. What would this new school be like? Gosh, this place was small. How was he and his two brothers going to share this tiny room? Poor Amy had to give her room up and move in with her mother in order for them to even have a place to stay. He wanted to smack himself for thinking like that because it was so selfish because his mom was trying so hard. He had seen her struggle and should not have let those thoughts enter his mind.

His thoughts were interrupted to the sound of his mom’s voice. I gotta go to work, guys. You guys don’t get into trouble, and do not give your aunt a hard time. I want you all in bed by your bedtime, nothing changes since we are here, understand? Both of the younger boys looked up and nodded to their mom. She gave them all a hug and kiss, grabbed her keys, and headed out for a twelve-hour shift full of cleaning up the elderly that was no longer able to care for themselves. David got busy and helped his brothers to get ready for school, helping them pick out their clothes, get their shoes and socks ready, and their backpacks together. He then gathered the laundry and started a load.

The next day, the kids awoke to their mom coming in and telling them to get up and get ready. Aunt Tammy was already up, cooking breakfast for the crew, saying that every child deserves to have a healthy breakfast before school. She was a cosmetologist and worked at a local salon. She was able to make her own schedule so it made it easy for her to be home with the younger kids and be at all the sporting events. David had picked out his blue Aéropostale shirt and blue jeans for his first day at this new school. He studied his reflection in the mirror and thought about whether or not the kids at Jasper would like him. He, like most kids his age, just wanted to fit in, and transferring to a new school in the middle of the year was not going to be easy. Come on, guys, Laura called out to the boys. She was going to drive them to school to get them all enrolled, and they would start riding the bus with Amy that afternoon.

He was informed in athletics that he would have to try out for the team. Dang. An hour later, David walked into English 2. He was a sophomore and always made very good grades at his other school. The teacher was a middle-aged man who introduced himself as Mr. Baxter and told David to have a seat in the empty chair toward the back of the class. Luckily for him, Jasper was behind Vegas High academically, and he was able to keep up with the workload. He worked diligently until he was finished with all his work. The whole day was horrible for David. Amy was the only one who bothered to talk to him. Everyone treated him like he had an infectious disease until seventh period, history. Hey, man, I’m Luke Jordan, nice to meet you, man. It was the guy sitting next to him. He was dressed in baggy jeans and a yellow pullover. David was happy to have someone acknowledge his presence finally.

Hey, dude, I’m David Taylor, how’s it going? David said, stretching out his hand. Luke took it right away, and David noticed he had a very firm handshake. So what’s there to do around here, man? Are you into sports? David asked him.

"Oh no, I don’t play any sports. A bunch of us get together every day after school and hang out at my friend Alan’s house. Some of the guys shoot hoops, but we mainly just hang out. We have a