Southern Hospitality Book #1: Speed & Sin

The echoing of the keys on the Correction Officer's key ring traveled powerfully throughout the entire area of the unit's cell block. The thudding sounds that were made as the man walked, came to a halt as he did in front of the red steel door marked "C-14" in faded and flaking white paint. The CO retrieved his flashlight from a holder on his work belt and used the back of it to begin pecking loudly against the fiberglass making up the small window of the incarcerated man's cell. The man that had made this cell his home, for all intensive purposes, suddenly jerked awake, startled by the aggressive pecking on his cell's window. "Lane Woodard #1488935?" the guard asked, through the crack of the door. Lane's reply, his voice sounding of half sleep and the other half aggravation replied," Duh, of course it is. Can't you see the copy of the ID card taped on the outside of the door? Hell, obviously your momma didn't teach you to read or to use manners seeing the way you went and ruined my damn nap!" "s**t Lane you ain't gotta go jumping on me now, I mean I did wake you up, but I think that the reason I did you will find more than reasonable." After lightly chuckling to himself, Lane said" Alrighty there porkchops. Let's hear it then, I ain't got all day and you're cutting into my beauty sleep" With a small grin lazily spreading over his face as he spoke the guard said. " Well the warden himself just sent word down that all your files and records have been reviewed and after some discussion the decision was made to grant you your good time and the time off your sentence you were eligible for from all them classes you took. They said to let you know that you are a free man now....that is only if you wanna leave?" Lane stood there frozen like the statue of one of Medusa's lovers wondering if he had indeed heard correctly, and if so if he was even really awake from his nap, or if he would open his eyes to find himself laying in his bunk with his blanket and uniform still loyaly there. He didn't even realize that he had become engulfed in his own mind and was lost in space until he was brought back to reality by the CO's voice saying, "Woodard did you hear me or are you just so used to being here with us that you don't wanna part ways?" "f**k you pork chop!" Lane joyously yelled over his shoulder as he made quick work of snatching up all his belongings. With all he had to his name held in his arms, not even taking up both arms fully, Lane heard the loud click of the locking mechanisms on the Heavy steel door of the Maximum Control Prison cell door go off as he thought to himself. "God, I don't know if you're out there and listening. If you are, you most likely are gonna stop once you know it's me. That being said, if you're real and are all that people say you are, then please, Just one man to another, let this be the last time I gotta hear these damn prison doors in my life." Once the door has came fully open on its tracks the air pressure in them blew off all the pressure and the slow plopping of Lane's white state issued shoes reverberated throughout the entire cell block as he made his journey to the main pod doors and out to a free man's world. The process of getting to that free man's world though was a vexing test on Lane's patience and temper as he walked to, walked from, sit there, signed this, waited that long, and finally had all the legalities and paper trail in which the government required to give a man his own life back to himself. After hearing the final gates and fences clang shut behind him, Lane slowed to a halt a couple feet from the end of the sidewalk. He looked up into the sky, took in a long deep breath, held it a couple of seconds, then exhaled it. Lane mumbled out loud to himself, "Well I guess what Joe had always said before makes perfect sense to me now; "The air, sky, and wind are damn sure a hell of a lot better outside the walls" " Lane attempted to eagle eye the parking lot areas as he scanned for his little brother Joe's grey and black striped 1987 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck. He could feel his stress levels mounting as he was almost completely through his second scan of the parking lots without seeing Joe until he was interrupted by a birage of a vehicle horn rapidly honking and loud voice whooping and hollering along with it, nearly in unison. A gigantic grin engulfed Lane's face as he headed towards his younger brothers truck. He hadn't saw, heard from, or spoken to his brother for nearly 4 long years. As he came closer to the S-10 he could hear the thumping of the antique trucks updated sound system as it proudly blared out and declared the song, "White lightnin by George Jones" The driver's side door to the truck shot open and Joe stepped out of the truck lurching to the very full height of 7 foot 4 inches. Lane couldn't help be feel the happiness and feelings of gratitude that washed over him as he noticed all the small little details of his little brother that he had never even knew he noticed or even cared about for that matter, until this time spent apart during his most recent incarceration. He took in the whole picture and effects of Joe from his greasy and naturally curled orangeed hair that was stuffed underneath a stained and blackened John Deere ballcap, to the seemingly extremely old family hand me down glasses that would closely compare to the thickness of a vintage Coca-Cola soda bottle. Then of course the frayed and faded blue victory brand bibbed overalls with the white tshirt beneath and pair of scarred and scuffed brown cowboy style working boots. Lane threw his few belongings into the passenger side floorboard of the truck as he hopped in. "Long time no see , huh lil one" Lane jested at his brother. " Hell if I didn't know you like I do id think that almost sounds like you saying you missed me" "Shiiiittttt" Lane blurted out as he playfully but with force hit Joe in the shoulder as he continued on" I didn't even give you or seeing you a thought until I started trying to figure out why my life was so much better one day, then it dawned on me, I wasn't around or having to deal with you so of course it damn sure has to be" The brother's both busted out in laughter as Lane carried on," Besides I've wondered since I saw ya and just gotta know. What in the f**k have you been eating to have put on the size that you have with being as big as you already were?" Just eating a lot of pinto beans, cornbread, and p***y" Joe answered with a snarky grin on his face. "Ahhhh!! Now you quit that damn lying, everybody done knows you ain't had any p***y since p***y had you" Joe lazily snapped his arm out and gave Lane a fairly solid punch to his thigh and replied," You always been a few apples short of a bushel you dumbass, you ain't even on the same level as I am with how many chicks we done took a roll in the hay with" There was a brief second of silence which was interrupted not by voice and word but by motion as Joe handed Lane a rolled blunt that was a close resemblance to one of King kings little fingers. Lane didn't have to think or even hesitate and without missing a beat took the lit blunt and took a long but slow pull off of it feeling the relaxing and peaceful haze engulf him as the weeds smoke entered his body and he could feel the hours, days, months, and years of stress from the slammer begin to fade away.