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- Huh. -Yeah. l met 'em at an EPA in Brooklyn.
And, you know, theywas doin' business and brought me home and stuff.
and the rest is what happened, man.
Yeah. That's when my life changed, Rube.
Hmm.Justyanked a brother up and took him up to Canada, just like that?
No, no. They asked my folks.
l see. So what they do?
Are they a religious group or hippies or a commune or--
No. They fix up houses and sell 'em. You know?
They'rejust people.
Just people.Just workin', eatin', livin' together?
l don't know. This is what they do, man. That's their thing.
What'd your folks say?
- Oh, my dad, you know, he's happy. He's glad for me. - Oh, good.
You see 'em much, your folks?
- Yeah, but sometimes it's hard though. - Yeah, well--
Yeah, it's hard.
You give them hope.
- Yeah, l guess. - You do.
You give 'em hope becauseyou have transcended, Lesra.
lt is vey important to transcend the places that hold us.
You know that? You've learned to read. You've learned to write.
Writing is-- It's magic.
You feel that sometimes?
-Yeah, l guess l do. - Mm-hmm.
When l started writing,
l discovered that l was doing more than just telling a stoy.
See, writing is a weapon,
and it's more powerful than a fist can ever be.
Evey time l sat down to write, l could rise above the walls ofthis prison.
l could look out over the walls all across the state of NewJersey,
and l could see Nelson Mandela in his cell writing his book.
l could see Huey. l could see Dostoyevsky.
l could see Victor Hugo, Emile Zola.
And theywould say to me, '' Rube, whatyou doin' in there?''
And l say, '' Hey, l know all you guys.''
lt's magic, Lesra.
They sure don't teach it that way up in Canada.
- Maybeyou could tell me some books to read. - l can do that.
But these people in Canada or an_here else, they can only teach you so much.
lt's up toyou. It's your search.
You gotta find out what's true foryou, what is true for Lesra Martin.
l ain't never met nobody likeyou before.
You think l killed those people, son?
- No, l knowyou didn't. - Howyou know?
l just know.
l'm so glad l metyou, Lesra.
Me too.