Chapter 7: Lisa's Amazing Choice

After an early breakfast, the prison governor escorted Mr Griffiths into his office. He pointed to a low lying block near the perimeter and explained that the punishment cells were located there. Soon the door was opened and two guards came out, carrying the remains of Lisa's breakfast and her reply to the letter. As soon as the letter arrived, the Governor handed it straight to her father, without so much as a glance at it.

"According to the rules and regulations, to which we poor officials pay our humble obeisance, I ought to read it first, but here you are, my friend!"

And John Griffiths read his daughter's astonishing letter.

"Darling Daddy

How lovely to hear from you. I am crying now for the first time since I came here! I hope I don't smudge this letter too badly with my silly tears, which I do faithfully and truly assure you, are of joy rather than sadness! I assume Mummy and George are both well. I hope so and DO be sure to send both those precious people my love!

I hope you will NOT (underlined) repeat NOT use your influence to get any part of my punishment lifted. I have thought long and hard about this during the past months and I know I deserve it all down to the last tiniest segment of time. Don't get me wrong, Dad! It's worse than awful to be in this little cell and I wouldn't put my worst enemy in here even for a day! I solemnly affirm that I am not mad and no sane person would like being here! I don't want to spend an instant longer in this incessant horror than I have to, but I won't accept a second less than my due punishment either!

You have always spoiled me, darling old Daddy, and you shouldn't have! You really shouldn't! If you had been as free with your belt on my posterior as you were with it on George's, I would be all the better for it. As it is I have grown up to be a spoilt brat who thought she could always get what she wanted by fluttering her eyelashes and pouting prettily. Well, I have learned that life in the real world isn't like that and it's a lesson I'm glad to have learned, even if it has got me into this hell-hole! I am figuratively getting my belting every day, Daddy! And it's right and proper that I should! The more I think about it the more I know that there is nowhere else I wish to be right now than here. I MUST be here for the time it takes me to complete my punishment successfully.

I should never have come out here alone at my age, a silly little girl still wet behind the ears. It was asking for trouble and, by Heaven, did I ever get it! But I'm not complaining, Daddy. I am angry at whoever framed me, but a hundred times angrier at my own youthful arrogance. As for my being here, that is dreadful, but the rules are the rules. Under the regulations, I deserve all my time here. And that includes the extra sixteen weeks which I so nearly got poor Sandra to serve. Before they put me in here I made a brief statement, saying I accepted my punishment as just and fair, and promising to be a model prisoner or face the consequences. I have never regretted or ceased to stand by a word of that!

Not all the women here have influential parents who can pull strings. Any of them in my position would have to do the whole stretch and have no hope of any remission. And what is good for them MUST be good for me too!

And now for a few words about me as I am now! You could see how I have kept my body in good shape. And I can assure you that my mind has not deteriorated either! I won't let it! I'll explain myself when we meet again back home in Wales. But I have put these months to good use!

So there you are, Dad! I am not the silly girl I was and I never will be again! I'll never come to you expecting you to let me have anything I want. From now on I make my own way in life, although I'll always love you desperately. And making my own way starts with this spell in solitary, which is a debt I owe and wish to pay in full.

I'll ask one last favour of my dear Daddy! Just imagine me making eyes at you as only I can! Feel my arms round your neck and the sweet wet kisses I cover your dear old face with. Imagine my soft cheek against your stubbly face as I wheedle yet another concession!

This is the favour, Daddy! Just go straight home and get on with your life. We'll be together again soon enough. I'm not letting this beat me and I'll survive! Don't try to get my time in solitary reduced. And as for clearing my name - let ME set about that after I get out - if I find it worth the trouble. Frankly I am half inclined to let the true culprit stew in her own guilt and leave it at that! Because I know I was innocent and so do all the people in my life who mattter! Just go home and let me finish doing my time! I want to see dear Samantha after I get out of here AND spend some months getting to know her better. I've never met a girl I took to so quickly and she likes me just as much. She will always be a dear friend even if I never see her again. So there's definitely got to be no hurry to get me out! End of request!

I hope they let you reply to this, just so as I know you're being a good boy and going home, leaving me to clear up my own mess, which is what I should have been made to do long, long ago!

Your ever loving and very grown up daughter

Lisa.

PS If you are able to see the CCTV monitor at nine tonight, I will look up to where I imagine the camera to be, wave, blow you a kiss and give you my sweetest smile!

L

Mr Griffiths wiped away the tears which were flowing down his face. He handed the letter to the Governor.

"You might like to read it now. It is your job and I don't want you getting into trouble, especially after drinking your excellent malt last night!"

The governor took the letter and read it. There were tears in his eyes as he handed it back to a proud father who would treasure it for the rest of his life.

"Quite a woman, your daughter. You are a lucky man! And you may reply. And we will be here tonight to see her wave to you! Then I take it you go home?"

"Then I go home. I hope you will keep me informed from time to time?"

"Every week, Mr Grifiths!"

Her father's reply came at nine o'clock. She opened and read it.

"Dear Lisa

I will grant your last favour! And make sure it is the last, because I'm going to hold you to all your good resolutions!

Your ever loving and very proud

Daddy"

She looked up at the ceiling and put her hand to her lips before waving it in the general direction of the camera. She smiled a smile which had nothing forced about it and revealed in its tenderness all the love she felt for him. Then she turned away and ate her meal - only just in time!

Realising that Lisa would not be looking up again that night, the governor and Lisa's father repaired to the governor's house. It was arranged for Potts to come and pick Mr Griffiths up at noon next day.