New Life Pt.6 The Yard 1
The yard was a place of mixed emotions. In my old life , life outside, I was what some might call a gamer. I didn't go outside very often is my point. But in this new place being outside more than ever was a privilege. To see the sun was a blessing that felt overwhelming. The prison didn't have a problem with lighting but there were hardly any windows. For so long i took for granted how easy it was to feel the warmth of a sunny day only to be caged and told I would only have access to it for 45 minutes a day. 45 minutes, that's how long the prison system decided was necessary for a person to have access to sunlight in order to stay well. 45 minutes was hardly enough time to watch a TV show worth anyone's time. 45 minutes and it was back to the cold concrete prison that was prison itself.
The yard wasn't very big , it took up the space necessary for at best three basketball courts. One section was a basketball court, another was chairs and tables that had been bolted to the ground and the last section was an assortment of weights.A high fence with barbed wire and cameras made the perimeter of the yard. There were also 5 guards , one at the entrance to the yard , and one on each fence of the rectangular enclosure, all clearly carrying firearms.
Until my time in the yard I had yet to come to a realization. Most of the inmates of my cell block were of a similar age as my own. There were older characters but few to be found.
It wasn't until maybe a year later that I was informed that my cell block existed for criminals of a young age tried and convicted as adults that which judges deemed rehabilitation was likely. If not for that special cell block I would have been placed on death row. I would have been in a solitary cell with no access to other inmates or the ability to ever leave my cell at all.
My first time in the yard I had only one thought, avoid Box and Savage. They left an impression on me earlier that day that made it clear I should steer clear of them. But the universe has a strange way of drawing you to the things you fear the most.
I tried to hide behind a group of guys siting at a table when I felt a taping on my shoulder. I turned around and before my eyes could process who it was savage lifted me off the ground by the neck of my jumpsuit.
Box- we've been looking for you
Savage- we don't like having to look for people
Box- were you hiding from us
Savage- do you wanna know what happens when you hide
The guys siting at the table quickly got up and ran away. Though it was sad no one would help me in the end their leaving took away the cover from the guards thus forcing Savage to set me back on my feet.
Michael- I wasn't hiding, I just wanted to look around before I found you
Box- sure you did , well anyway white coat we need to have a talk
Michael- about
Savage- business
Box- your new here so we thought we'd let you in on how things work around here
Michael- what do you mean
Savage- shut up and maybe we'll tell you
Savage put his arm around me and made me sit with him at a table, Box sat to my other side.
Box- you see there is an order in cell block J , a peace, we don't have many conflicting gangs and its rare that anyone has a problem that leads to dead bodies , but that order, that peace is very fragile , how fragile you might ask
Savage- like a glass pipe bout to hit a concrete ground
Box- my self and my partner Savage here act as .... protection
Michael- protection?
Box- yes protection, we protect the inmates of cell block J from themselves, if you have an issue
Savage- you come to us
Box- if you got a problem
Savage- you come to us
Box- if you want to kill the new guy while he's taking a shower
Savage- you come to us
Box- you come to us and we tell you if its OK , kinda like an Inmate court house where I'm the judge, the guards here don't need to know about everything that goes on and god knows if they did we'd all suffer for it, so if there is ever a dispute a problem or you just get in a stabbing mood
Savage- you come to us
Michael- that's all
Box- well , if anything that effects the life of cell block J happens without us finding out about it before it goes down whoever is responsible for fucking up everyone's day will eventually
Savage- come to us
Box- and we will make sure they leave Cell block J
Savage- in a body bag
Box- and all we ask in return for our services that keep the life of Cell block J so happy and at peace is a small fee
Michael- what kind of fee
Box squeezed my cheeks almost the same way as my grandmother did as he continued.
Box- well assuming you get a job , when you start getting paid we get 30%
He stretched my cheeks in an irritating way and just as I reached my limits he slapped my face before he and Savage got up from the table.
Box- oh and one last thing, just out of the goodness of my heart , I'd suggest you sleep with an eye open your roommate is a special kind of crazy , what he did to his own brother
Savage- Im not even that fucked up
They left me alone for the remainder of the 45 minutes.
Box and Savage didn't seem like the type to care for keeping the peace but I could believe they were doing it for the money and control.
Jack- those guys give you they're speech
I was so lost in thought I didn't notice this guy walk up to me. He was a kangaroo , much taller than me with a faded red and green mohawk .
Jack- name's Jack
He sat beside me and made himself comfortable.
Michael- I'm Michael
Jack- oh I know , everyone knows, your the new guy and your in the cell with the... um never mind , but B and S gave you the speech right
Michael- yea they gave me the speech
Jack- those Russian fuckers showed up one day and just decided to make themselves the law keeps of the place
Michael- it could be worse
Jack- yea maybe, you know they don't even do shit , they just like knowing when someone is gonna get a knife to the gut so they can see it
Michael- how often do those happen
Jack- what, a knife to the gut? Not often , but fights are regular
Michael- oh
Jack- yea you get used to it , its like the weekly entertainment
Michael- I prefer to game
Jack- we don't have many games here , we got plenty of fights books and Inmate drama though
Time in the yard was almost up.
Jack- so I been waiting for a good time to ask , did you do it
Michael- did I do what
Jack- it , you know ...it....
Michael- I don't know what your talking about
Jack- see everyone always says no they didn't and that's understandable but I heard your whole court case on the radio and It sounded like you got a bad lawyer, bad judge, bad trial to be honest so did you do it
Michael- no I didn't do , is that really something people in here just ask upfront
Jack- yes sir it is , everyone is in here for something and you don't really know a man in here unless you know what got em here, I myself ain't ever raped or murdered no body so I'm proud to be a cut above some of the rest of these folk
Michael- what did you do to get here
Jack- robbed a back stole a car and shot a cop, but I didn't kill em , the fucking prick is the one who caught me too , ain't that some shit
Michael- yea
Jack- but I knew you didn't do it , that means your like me
Michael - but I've never robbed a bank or stolen a car
Jack- and we both ain't never killed nobody ether , murder is a com on crime in cell block J , in the whole prison come to think of it
The guard blew a whistle, it was time go back inside.
Michael- well thank you for.... um ... the company
Jack- any time Michael, you and me gotta stick together, our kind the none killin kind need one another in this place, and I imagine with who they got you sleeping with you gonna need more support than anyone