Chapter 8

The HM Mount Prison was about a forty-five-minute drive from Cheshunt. Five other guys and I were taken there by a prison bus. On arriving, the driver stopped in front of two big gates. The guard sitting next to him grabbed his radio to speak to someone. Then a few seconds later the gates started to open.

On exiting the bus, we were all put in line then taken to a room where an older guard explained to us the prison rules in a secure, orderly way. The guards took us to another room where they issued us prison uniforms. Our clothes plus belongings were taken from us for safe keeping until the day of our release.

I had the letter in my hand and said to the guard. “Can I hold onto this?”

He looked at me then left the room. When he came back, the older guard was with him.

He came up to me, looked at his clipboard and said, “My name is Mr Williams. I am the Warden here. Jack, I’m not going to have any trouble from you, am I?”

“No sir,” I replied.

He held the envelope in his hand tapping it with his other hand. Then he handed it to me.

We put on our uniforms. Then we were taken to a big hall where all the other prisoners stood around waiting to see the new inmates. As we walked with the guard in front showing each person his cell, all eyes focused on us. Then I heard a voice as I was walking. “What are you looking at?” I looked up, one of the inmates was staring at the guy behind me. I quickly put my head back down and carried on walking.

Entering my cell, I found an empty bed on the right. On the left was a guy lying on the other bed, holding a copy of the Bible. I put my things on the bed, sat down, took out the envelope and just stared at it. I felt a tear run down my cheek.

Then my cell mate spoke, “Here, wipe your eyes. Don’t let the others see you like this.”

He threw me a box of tissues. I whispered, “Thank you.”

That is how my prison sentence started. Bob, who is my cell mate, and I hardly talked. Only ‘Good Morning’ and ‘Good Night’. He always seemed to hold that Bible close to his heart. Not one time did he open it while I was present. We were like this for a couple of months. During that time, mum and dad visited four times. They wanted to come every week, but the prison only allowed the same visitors twice a month. Tyrone was in the country. He came to visit at the first opportunity he got.

I had a visit from mum. To my surprise, she came on her own.

“How are they treating you in here, son? Are the guards and other prisoners ok? Are they teaching you anything?”

I looked at my mum and asked in return, “Why hasn’t dad come.”

“Your father could not make it because he was out of the country for work.”

I said to her angrily, “I am learning to do some gardening; I like to be outside in the fresh air!”

“Why are you talking to me like that, Jack?” she exclaimed as she started crying.

I banged my hand on the table shouting, “It’s Sunday, mum. You’re telling me dad is on a business trip.”

Crying she mumbled, “It’s killing him, Jack, seeing you like this. Have you seen yourself lately, Jack?”

I just stared at her for a few seconds, got up, walked to the guard and asked him to let me out of the room.

That night just before the lights went out, I was lying on my bed looking at the envelope and replaying the last words my mum said, “Have you seen yourself lately Jack?” Was I becoming like Mr Giordano? Then something happened that changed me overnight. Something that gave me a purpose in here.

Bob asked, “Can’t you read?”

I turned, looked at him and shouted, “Yes, I do know how to read!”

“Why don’t you open the letter and read it?”

I just threw it on the floor while I turned towards the wall. I heard the springs on the bed make a noise I recognised the sound. It was the sound Bob made when he got up.

“Teach me? Teach me how to read please?” he asked.

I turned and saw in his hand the envelope. I took the envelope, put it in the waste basket, then looked at him and smiled. “Yes, Bob I will teach you, not only how to read but to also write. Lessons will start tomorrow.”

He smiled back and said. “Thank you.”