Chapter 9

The next day, our lessons began. Bob wanted to learn how to read in a week. I explained to him that it would take much longer than that. After he got to know the alphabet, I told him we need to get some books from the library. We went to the prison library to find some learning books. We took the books to have them stamped out; the librarian tried to have a laugh at us for getting education books. I saw Bob put his head down to shame.

I said to the librarian, “Do you have the book ‘The English Patient’ by Michael Ondaatje.”

He tried to pronounce the author’s name with no success. Bob and I started laughing as we left the library.

Six months into my sentence, while Bob was reading a book, he put it down.

He said to me. “The reason I am in here is that I killed my step-dad. He kept on beating my mum and also abusing my sister. They were too scared to do or say anything. Until one day I had enough, I did something about it by beating him to death with a baseball bat.”

I looked up; he was just staring into space. That night I told him what happened to me. The lights went out. We talked until early morning. When we woke up after three hours of sleep, the first thing that Bob said to me was, “You need to start running again.”

Since the last outburst during mom’s visit, she and dad would only come together, not missing one visitation date. They were scheduled to visit that weekend, as it was a sunny day we had the privilege of sitting outside.

Just before they left, I turned to my dad saying, “Dad next time you come, could you bring me, my trainers, if it’s ok?”

They looked at each other, turned to me, and both said, “Yes Jack.” Their smiles were from ear to ear.

The following day I was doing some gardening when one of the guards called out to me. “Jack, in the warden’s office now!”

All the other inmates looked at me with a grin. One of them turned commenting, “What have you done Jacky Boy?” I ignored him while I walked with the guard, thinking has something happened to mum or dad?

I knocked on the door. “Come in”, a demanding voice said.

In the warden’s office, Mr Williams was sitting behind a big desk. My first words were, “Has something happened to my parents?”

“Relax Jack; your parents are okay.”

He then pointed at a box, which was sitting by the entrance of his office. “Your dad came late last night to drop that off for you. You know, I don’t give any inmates this kind of privileges, but what I’ve seen you do with Bob is remarkable.”