Imagination

“He never had much of an imagination.  I’m not surprised he got caught.  I knew it, I just knew it…” As I listened to Marley ramble on about our brother, Ryan, I tried to tune her out.  I knew my brother and I knew why he had gotten into trouble.  I knew why he had gotten arrested. 

Ryan was his own person and being his own person meant he would do exactly what our parents didn’t want him to do.  He was the ‘rebel’ of the family and he was constantly pushing their buttons.  But this time I knew things were different.  What Marley didn’t realize was Ryan was in jail because if he wasn’t, she most likely would be.  Or worse, dead. 

As wild as Ryan could be, Marley was the exact opposite.  Innocent and naive, Marley got herself into perilous situations without even realizing it.  Her current (and hopefully soon to be ex) had put her in a position that she didn’t realize was even dangerous.  Which was where Ryan stepped in.  Marley’s boyfriend had been on the verge of stealing her entire life savings as well as her house.  Solely so he could invest in his human trafficking ring.  Which was where Marley would have been headed if not for Ryan.