THE TWINKLING

CHAPTER 7

Something terrible was going to happen to me in that place! Oh God, I couldn’t go in there, I might die!

Officer Buffalo dashed back and grabbed me. “Jade! What’s wrong?”

I wanted to tell him, but I couldn’t, because I had never had a premonition before. It frightened me in ways I could not describe. Managing to speak after several moments, I pleaded, “Bosey…oh God, please don’t take me in there! I think someone is going to die in this place tonight, and it just might be me! I don’t want to go in there. Please don’t make me! Please!” Hysterical, and past the point of no return, I gasped desperately, “I’ll do the three days, really I will! Just not here . . . in this place! Anywhere, but here!”

He held me and tried to comfort me. Holmes and White walked out. Seeing the position we were in they gave each other more suspicious looks. Holmes bellowed, “Look, we don’t really want to break up this love thang, but we’ve got to get her signed in and we’d like to do it tonight, if it doesn’t inconvenience you guys too much!”

White added, “Yeah, we really wouldn’t want to do that, now would we?” They laughed like hyenas.

I was more depressed and frightened than I had ever been in my life. What those idiots thought meant less than nothing to me.

Officer Buffalo looked at them with a disgusted expression, and said, “Give us a minute.”

They turned as one and walked away still giggling. Holmes said, “He probably wants to get in one last kiss.” Another burst of laughter followed. A shutting door extinguished the sound.

Officer Buffalo held me in a crouched position against the car. He smoothed my hair, muttering words of comfort like, “It’s alright. Only three days. You can do it.”

Still in shock, I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I knew it would be a horrible life or death experience.

Finally, he said, “Jade, we’ve got to go.”

I got up, wiped my face, shook my head to clear it, and reminded myself I was a Stillwater, and I had to show some backbone. I walked toward the second door; putting one foot in front of the other until seventeen steps later I was inside the prison proper. The doors closed with a loud clang! It was the worst sound ever invented by mankind. Yes, the loneliest, most depressing sound in the entire world, and I knew I certainly was not in Kansas anymore.

As soon as I walked in I saw two female Correctional Officers working in an office. One of the women looked up and saw us; she asked Officer Buffalo. “Is she a new arrival?”

“Hey, C.O. Jenkins. Yeah, she’s only here for seventy-two hours. Is there somewhere you can place her where she can be alone? I don’t want her in general population, if possible.”

Giving me a look of sincere empathy, she said, “I’m sorry, Officer Buffalo, we’re so crowded in here, that we’ve got a lot of them tripled instead of doubled back there. But, I’ll try and find her someplace as nice as possible. Okay?”

Officer Buffalo gave her a smile. “I’d sure appreciate that.”

“Come with me,” C.O. Jenkins said.

I started after her, but Officer Buffalo grabbed my arm. “Jade, remember what I said. I’ll be here to take you back to court.”

I managed a small smile, “Is that part of your usual duties, Officer, or are you going out of your way just for li’l old me?”

Officer Buffalo looked at me strangely, and then he put his hand up as if to play with my hair. He stopped short, suddenly remembering where he was. “I’m so sorry about this, Jade. I really wish I could take you home right now, but I can’t. It’s my job.”

Another small smile lit my features. “It’s just my luck to find the one policeman who’s true to his vocation.” I let out a sigh. “Bosey, this isn’t your fault; don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Will you keep your promise to me?”

He asked me in a husky voice, “Which promise was that, Jade?

“You said that I could call my family, once I got here.”

He nodded. “Yeah, sure. C.O. Jenkins, can you make sure she gets to make a call to her family, please?”

The C.O. nodded and continued walking down the hall.

Officer Buffalo took out a pad and pencil. “Jade, what’s your attorney’s name and number?”

“His name is Gene Silverberg, 215-555-3900. Why?”

“I’m going to call him and help him straighten this mess out. The more people on it, the quicker you’re outta here.”

Tenderly taken aback, I wanted to kiss him. Instead, I moved quickly to catch up with C.O. Jenkins who was in a room about halfway down the hall. When I walked in I noticed several things, there was a shower on one side of the wall, and the C.O. stood next to a small pile of clothes that looked like yellow Asian style pajamas. Next to the p.j.s there was a bottle that looked like bug spray.

C.O. Jenkins said, “You have to take a shower, honey. It’s regulation.” I began to undress, she ran her fingers through my hair and said, “Your hair is really thick, no weave that’s good.”

“Are the women not permitted to wear weaves in here?”

“Oh no, braids aren’t allowed either, we have to cut them out. Thank goodness most of them use glue. It makes it so much easier.”

“C.O. Jenkins, if you don’t mind me asking; why? I mean what are they going to do, strangle someone with a length of hair?”

“Yes. You’d be surprised what some of the women come up with around here.” She handed me a bar of soap as I walked into the shower. She told me the spray was for killing lice, but I didn’t need it. Being spared that tiny bit of degradation was enough to cause tears to slide down my face. While washing, I noticed C.O. Jenkins picking up my clothes and touching each item carefully. She felt around the cups and sides of my bra.

From the shower, I asked, “Looking for something?”

She smiled and said, “They don’t allow underwire in here. Some women bring drugs in their under things.”

“Officer, when can I call my family?”

“As soon as you get dressed, we’ll finish your paperwork. Then I’ll take you to medical, and after that you can make your call.”

Trying not to be self-conscious, I stepped out of the shower. I moved toward my clothes, but C.O. Jenkins stopped me, pointing to the yellow pajamas and saying, “You have to wear these.”

After donning the pajamas and continuing my fight against tears; she then took me to the office where I signed all sorts of papers. I think I even signed papers saying I knew who killed Jimmy Hoffa and where his body is hidden. We went into yet another small room where I was told, “Wait here while I check with medical to see when I can bring you in. If they say it’ll be a while, I’ll let you make your call. Okay?”

“Okay, thanks.”

C.O. Jenkins returned several minutes later saying, “It’ll be about a half hour to forty-five minutes before medical can see you. Come on, I’ll let you make your call.”

I whispered, “Great.”

She led me down a long hall, where I saw men dressed as I was except their pajamas were blue. We went into yet another small room. This one had a bench and a pay telephone on the wall. Once she left I sat there trying to compose myself. I didn’t know what I was going to say to my mom, but I had to call. The call had to be collect because the county couldn’t have prisoners using their dime, well, fifty cents today.

An automated voice asked my name and told me to hold, I heard my mom pick up. She screamed, “Yes!” when asked if she would accept the call. Then Mom, obviously stressed, was on the line saying, “Jade, Jade baby?”

I immediately began to cry. I couldn’t even answer, I was so upset.

“She’s crying! Oh Lord, my baby’s crying! If they hurt my child, I’ll . . .”