I was in prison for killing a guy who had abused my 14-year-old brother

I was in prison for killing a guy who had abused my 14-year-old brother. I served a 29-year sentence and finally got a release date. When I told my brother, he was so happy. I can still hear his voice saying, “I can’t believe it! I’m going to talk to my boss about hiring you.” Calm down, little brother, take it easy. I still have 16 months left. Anyway, eight months before my release, the captain called me into his office. It was full of guards. I was alarmed by how many there were. After a few minutes of them trying to convince me to sit down, I finally did, but only after they sat down first. They told me I could make a call.

I called my brother, but he didn’t answer. Then they told me my brother had died. I didn’t believe them. I called again, his wife answered, and she told me everything. I was devastated. They asked me if I wanted to speak with a priest, or if I wanted to go to a private cell. I didn’t. I went down to the courtyard and found a place where there was no one, and I started to cry. It was the saddest moment of my life.