by Doris Miller
After Dana is sent to prison, her family and friends are all saddened and embittered by it. They all miss Dana terribly! Dana's family keeps her car while she is away in prison. They keep her car in her grandparents' garage most of the time. They drive it every so often. Dana's father David calls up the car dealer's finance and tells them that he will continue the payments for his daughter's car while she is away in prison.
Tony is alone inside his apartment. He is very sad and depressed. He misses Dana badly! He is suffering emotionally! He is losing sleep! He does not go to work. He doesn't go to work for a few days. His family becomes very worried about him.
Several days later, Tony starts to suffer physically! He is in his apartment alone! He starts to get pains in his chest! He calls up his family! They all soon rush over to his and Dana's apartment and quickly rush him to the hospital! Tony's family soon arrives at the hospital with him! The doctors then put Tony onto a stretcher! He is then carried off!
Tony's family stays in the hospital with him for a while. His family soon calls up Dana's family and notifies them of Tony being in the hospital. Dana's family all start to rush off to the hospital to see Tony! They all know how much he misses Dana. They all know how much he really loves and cares about Dana. They soon arrive to the hospital.
After a while, Tony's family and Dana's family all wait around the hospital to see what the doctors are going to do with Tony. The doctors come out to see both families. They tell both families that Tony is suffering from a nervous breakdown! The doctors tell both families that Tony's chest pains are being brought on by stress! The doctors say that Tony is suffering from a lot of stress and deep depression and say that they want to keep Tony in the hospital overnight to keep an eye on him. Tony's family then goes into the room to see him. He is asleep. He is hooked up to some tubes and monitors. His family stays there beside him for a while. They then leave the room so Dana's family could come in and see him. Dana's family soon comes into the room. They stay in the room with Tony for a while. After a while, they then leave the room.
Soon both families leave the hospital. They all stand outside the hospital and talk about how much they all miss Dana and how much Tony misses Dana. They talk about how much Tony really loves and cares about Dana. After everyone finishes talking, they all start to head for home.
The next day, Diane D, Michael, Teresa and Joseph all come to visit Tony at the hospital. They stay there with him for a while. They all can see how much he misses Dana. They tell Tony that they'll all be there for him. Tony's family soon walks into the room. They say 'hello' to everybody. Tony's mother Susan approaches him with a smile. They all stay with Tony for a while. Soon Diane D, Michael, Teresa and Joseph say goodbye to Tony, then leave the room. Everyone misses Dana's presence.
Missy has taken off work again. She has taken off work for a couple of weeks. She has not been to work at the school since Dana has been sent to prison.
Teresa still takes the bus and train back and forth to work, since Dana is still not around to pick her up and bring her home anymore.
Christine and her family members start to head back to Jamaica. She and her family members are very sad and depressed about Dana's incarceration. They sadly arrive to Kennedy Airport with David and some of the children. David and the children walk Christine and her family members to the departure gate. Before Christine and her family members go through the departure gate, Christine tearfully hugs and kisses her children goodbye. She then hugs and kisses David goodbye as her family members hug and kiss her children. Christine's family members then hug David goodbye. They and Christine then go through the departure gate. Christine turns to David and her children and tells them, "I'll call you all when we get home."
"Okay Christine," David says. "By now."
"By," Christine says as she and her family members start to walk down the corridor. David and his children watch Christine and her family members as they go down the corridor.
Two weeks later, Missy starts back to work at the school. As Missy comes back to work, there is still some tension between her and Raymond. Missy and Raymond still aren't on speaking terms. They still have bitter feelings towards one another for what Missy's family and Raymond's girlfriend Kathy has been going through. Missy and Raymond still don't take lunch break together anymore. Kathy continues to come around the school and waits for Raymond, but she does not bother Missy anymore.
One day, it is the end of the school day. Raymond goes to catch up with Kathy outside the school. Missy leaves the school building and starts to walk down the street. She walks right pass Raymond and Kathy. She gives Kathy a look. Kathy looks back at Missy. Missy continues to keep going, not saying a single word to Raymond or Kathy.
It is 4 months later now. Everyone is still sad and depressed about Dana's incarceration. Her family, her friends and Tony all miss her presence. Teresa is still catching the bus and train to work. She sits alone on the bus, sad and depressed. Everyone at the stockroom questions her once in a while about Dana, asking her how is Dana doing. Teresa tells them all that Dana is doing fine so far.
Missy still runs into Raymond once in a while at the school. They hardly speak to each other anymore. Then one day, Raymond sees Missy in the school hallway. He decides to approach her. He goes to Missy and says, "Hello Missy."
"Hello," Missy says.
"So how are you Missy? How's everything?"
"I'm okay so far Raymond."
"Oh yeah? That's good. How's your sister Dana doing?"
"Oh Dana is doing fine so far."
"Oh really? That's good."
"Yeah. I miss Dana Raymond. My entire family misses her. Her boyfriend Tony and my family take the long drive to the Upstate prison every month to visit her."
Raymond sadly looks at Missy.
One afternoon, Tony is sitting and riding on the city bus. He sits there in the seat alone. He hears the Classic Soul song in his head 'Love Will Find The Way,' by Lionel Richie. He starts to think about Dana. He starts to suffer another depression, thinking about Dana and the song. Tears begin to roll from his eyes down his cheeks. He starts to miss Dana terribly again. He begins to feel pains in his chest. He starts to hold on to his chest. The bus driver sees Tony in the rearview mirror. He stops the bus. He gets up and walks towards Tony and asks, "Are you okay Sir?"
"No," Tony tells the bus driver. "I have a pain in my chest."
"I'll call for an ambulance!" The bus driver then hurries away!
A short while later, the ambulance arrive. The paramedics go into the bus to take Tony out. They bring Tony out and put him on to a waiting stretcher. They then lift Tony into an ambulance and close the door. The paramedics then rush inside the ambulance and speed off! Tony is now being rushed off to the hospital!
The ambulance soon arrives at the hospital with Tony! Tony's family is soon called! His entire family shows up at the hospital again! After a while, Tony's family calls up Dana's family! Dana's family starts to rush to the hospital to see Tony! They soon arrive to the hospital! They go to the room where Tony is. When they enter the room, they see Tony's family members standing over him. Everyone sees how much Tony misses Dana! They all wish Dana could come home soon, so she can be with her family and get Tony out of his depression! The doctor tells Tony's family and Dana's family that Tony is suffering from stress again! The doctor tells Tony's family that the hospital is going to let Tony stay overnight to keep an eye on his condition.
It is now 7 months later. Tony is alone in his apartment drinking coffee. He has the radio on, listening to Classic Soul music. He hears the Classic Soul song 'I Miss You,' by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. He starts to think about Dana again. He starts to suffer another depression hearing the song. He starts to get pains in his chest again. He goes into the bedroom and calls up his family. He tells them that he has terrible pains in his chest again.
Tony's family soon arrives to his apartment, including his two little nephews who are around 7 and 8 years old. As Tony's family helps him out of t
he bedroom, his two little nephews decide to play around and jump on his bed. They jump up and down on the bed trying to do flips. Tony's father Larry yells at the two little boys and shouts, "THIS IS NO TIME TO PLAY AROUND YOU GUYS! TONY IS NOT FEELING WELL! WE HAVE TO RUSH HIM TO THE HOSPITAL!" The two boys quickly stop jumping on the bed. They then help the family with Tony.
Tony's family soon rushes him off to the hospital. When they arrive to the hospital, they call up Dana's family. Dana's family and relatives all rush to the hospital to see Tony! When they arrive, the doctor tells both Tony's family and Dana's family that Tony is suffering from a nervous breakdown again. The doctor tells both families that Tony is going to need a lot of rest. They say that Tony is going to need his mind occupied in some kind of activity, to get off his depression.
It is a week later now. Tony starts to get his mind occupied. He goes out with Diane D, Michael, Teresa and Joseph. He goes bowling with them. He goes to parties with them. He goes fishing with them. He goes camping with them. He also goes on long drives with them to The Mountains and Atlantic City, but he still thinks about Dana. He is still miserable of her absence. He wishes so badly for Dana to come home to be with him, her family and her friends, but he still has another 11 months to wait.
Another 6 months has passed. Tony is still miserable about Dana's absence. People around his neighborhood and at his job all see that he is very sad and depressed about not having Dana around. They all ask him how come he stays with a violent tempered person like Dana, especially after her many arrests! People tell Tony that there are plenty of fishes in the sea! They tell him that there are plenty of women out there who would love to have him! They all ask him why can't he just find another woman for the time being! They all tell Tony that he is a very handsome and decent gentleman, who can probably get any woman, but Tony doesn't want another woman, he wants Dana! Tony knows that there are plenty of women out there, but he knows that there will never be another woman like Dana. He thinks that Dana is one of a kind and that there will never be another like her, so he just continues to remain faithful to Dana and wait for her to come home from prison.
Chapter 9
Dana's Homecoming