Episode 2- Accomodation
1195 Words
It was a September rainy afternoon when Bujor and Bear arrived to Prison. While Bear was very happy with the case being solved so fast Bujor (Peony) felt as if a large stone was placed over his chest, making breathing close to impossible.
Following protocol, the prison doctor is the one too see the captive first:
-Take a seat you animal and fill in the form or are you waiting for a secretary? says the doc sharply, his cold eyes never leaving his phone's display.
-Hmm,...I...
-What the f**k boy, speak up I do not have all day to pamper your broke ass!
-I only know how to sign my name..doctor
-Well if is not my lucky day, tutoring was not listed in the job description the last time I checked! he says, losing his temper and grabbing the sheet of paper, disgusted, scribbling a few lines and ticking others.
-Don't mess with our tight grip, we run this place sucker and you can only get out two ways from here- when it is release time, or if you get yourself killed! It is the first and time I am going to see you jailbird, fly away! the doctor concludes with a dismissive head shake.
This discussion doesn't affect Bujor( Peony), because even outside people treated him with contempt and, due to his modest upbringing, he had not seen a doctor since he was born, so hopefully he would not need one from now on.
Going out of the doctor's office, in a dim hallway, Peony spots an open window and takes the chance to escape.
-You lowlife, piece of s**t, grunts officer Bear, tossing his cigar and grabbing Peony by his shirt collar, hard enough to make him fall on his ass. I can't have a smoke break because of you but I'll make sure you get to the right place!
Instead of being taken to custody, where pre-trial detainees were kept, Peony, classified as a prison security risk due to officer Bear testimony, gets an upgrade straight to a prison cell.
It is here he meets Little One, who would later become his best friend. Little One was actually quite impressive as both stature and weight and neither employees nor the detainees gave him too much trouble, perceiving him as a very dangerous person.
-Hello, starts Peony reaching out for a hand shake and trying to sound as confident as possible.
-Get the f**k on the top bed and shut your trap! barks the brick wall not showing the smallest interest.
Starting to sink in the whole new scenario, the 48 square feet with dark, slimy walls, a rusted s**t pit and the aggressive mountain in the center of all, Peony feels past hope for the first time. Not wanting to poke Little One further or leave any room for defiance, he climbs the upstairs bed and starts crying.
It is laughable how remorse kicks in so futile. The first night in prison is Bujor's longest night. A monumental silence filled with thoughts of the outside world and how he could have done things so much differently if he had a loving family or go to school or..But too late for regrets, not knowing your father or having a dead mother were not good enough to get him out of jail.
When we are born, we are all equal but throughout life we take different paths. Being raised by his grandma, Peony had to take life in his hands at an early stage- he could have gone to school but kids there were well fed, nicely dressed, had the latest gadgets and bullied him merciless. How could he find his place when nobody allowed him to fit in?
On the other hand, what would a society full of priests or policemen look like? Who else would produce food? Every job is important and contributes to the society's smooth. Thus, Bujor embraced, without too much struggle, his criminal career.
The endless night was nerve wrecking. He had no mobile, no internet, only an envelope and a stamp, courtesy of the penitentiary to inform his relatives of his incarceration.
The Penitentiary staff could have cut him some slack and inform his family, but to keep the humiliations going, seeing he was illiterate, they mocked him with those pieces of stationary.
Who could he write to anyways? His only friend - lets just say they weren't currently on speaking terms and being arrested was not going to make things better.
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger! Peony keeps rolling this phrase in his mind until it imprints on his brain and gives him a faint feeling of stubbornness.
He tears the envelope apart, gnashing his teeth.
The infinite night finally passes with Peony getting just a shred of agitated sleep to wake up to a slap on the face.
-Wake up motherfucker! roars Little One. If I get ticked off because of you I swear you'll sleep on your stomach for the next week.
This is how Peony learns the first lesson in prison: every morning, at the crack of dawn, he must prepare for the counting. Prison guards enter the rooms and count the inmates, and the check that the cells are spotless, well as close to that as possible.
-Take this mop and broom and start your morning routine miss Sunshine! grins Little.
Peony hardly remembers doing some cleaning in his life but his roommate's icy stare is motivation enough.
-Attention! barks Little just when he was ready to relax.
-Stand at ease my slaves, Officer Bear ironically greets. How are you today?
-Sir great Sir, happy to see you this fine morning! shouts from different detainees fill the silence trying to flatter him.
Little One learnt soon enough that the officer likes flattery and that you could only gain from sweet talk.
The big guy had quite a reputation in the criminal world, but in front of the prison stuff he had to lower his head if he wanted to get home faster.
-Take you minion and introduce him to the art of detention Little, I know I can count on you to show him the ropes, Bear exits the cell laughing.
Little nods in approval, hardly waiting for the officer to get out.
In the following hours, the big guy briefly explains various rules of conduct, who are the big boys in the courtyard, whom should Peony avoid and how to behave so that he draws as little attention as possible.
Encouraged, Peony confesses him some aspects of his life but soon enough he is cut short.
Late in the afternoon, some rumors send detainees into a frenzy. It seems that there might be a possibility for early release after all.
A team of Russian scientists were looking for volunteers among the convicts to test a vaccine for a virus released from a laboratory and the prison would grant an early release to those willing to sign up for it.
Processing that info, Peony feels as if he could grow up wings and his mind starts to conceive all sorts of scenarios about what he should do once out of prison.
- Writer
