Crimson Footprints (44 page)

Tucked away in Deena’s
wallet was a family portrait from the year before. In it, she and
Tak sat side by side, her in a simple cream sweater and slacks for
Christmastime, him in a white button-up and blue jeans. His hair,
of course, tousled just right. Before and between them was Mia,
black hair braided in zigzags before flowing free into two
bountiful pigtails. Her
ojiichan
kept her in runway best, so on this day she wore
her favorite Burberry romper accented by a Tahitian pearl long
since lost to a sandbox.

Deena wasn’t sure why she’d
sent the picture to her mother, or why she’d gone to the trouble of
restoring the one of her parents and including it, as well. Two
portraits, palm-sized, in a single white mailer to Gloria Hammond,
care of Broward Corrections. No letter inside, no
explanation.

When she received a letter
back, with that telltale prison stamp, less than a week had passed.
Deena took it, and placed it with the others, unopened.

Not yet, she
thought.

Not yet.

About the Author

Shewanda Pugh is a native of
Boston’s inner city. She has a bachelor’s degree in Political
Science from Alabama A&M University and a Master’s in Writing
from Nova Southeastern University. Fueled from a young age, her
passion for crossing societal boundaries like race, class and
culture, is the inspiration for both her cluttered bookshelf and
her writing. When she’s not busy obsessing over fiction, she can be
found traveling, nursing her social networking addiction or
enjoying the company of loved ones.

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