The One That Got Away
Perfect girl at the wrong time in life. It’s all about the timing!
Penny was my first true love. I was a decade older and much more experienced than she. Our first year together was the most romantic time of our lives. We just connected, deeply, and the memory of that year kept us together through the later years. We both thought we would go back to that special time, but we never did.
I was working with the Colombia Cartel when we met. To be honest, I was not supposed to fall in love. I had a plan. I was making a million dollars, then getting out. I should have known that would fail.
Penny eventually found out about my drug trade and, as you’ll read in the book, she accepted me for who I was.
She thought that after I finished as a CI (confidential informant) with the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) that our lives would be the same, but it wouldn’t, because I’m a marked man. We had a little girl to think of. I had to protect her and all of my children. I was afraid to even take them to the ice cream parlor for fear of someone taking a shot at me.
I wanted Penny and our daughter, Alexandria, to move with me far away from Miami, but Penny wasn’t mature to understand how deep and dangerous the situation was. She wouldn’t come. She said, “I am not leaving my family.” I thought I was her family.
Eventually, I had a breakdown, as I talked about last time, and I left Miami. It killed me to go, but if I had stayed in Miami, I would be dead.
Excerpted from my forthcoming memoir, The Baggage Handler.
Alex, all of this is Daddy’s fault. I’m totally responsible for not being in your daily life. I’m truly sorry, my angel, please forgive me! You’ll forever be my princess.
In honor and respect of my daughter, Alexandra, this blog is dedicated to her.
PS. That’s me in the picture. (JJ) The Baggage Handler!
