Part Two
He could only
compare it to holding your breath under water and then finally
heading up to the surface. Your heart rate speeds up. Your chest
feels like it might explode as you get closer and closer to surface.
You're both anxious and excited. Once your head pops out of the water
and you take that first breath in again, it's like being reborn.
That's how Antonio felt as he was being discharged. Freedom was right
in front of him and sun light broke through the prison doors like
God's unwavering hand was reaching in to guide him out.
“Alright!
You are free to go.” the officer said behind the counter. As
Antonio grabbed the bag of his belongings the officer reached forward
and grabbed Antonio's wrist. Squeezing tight, he grinned at Antonio
with crocked, coffee stained teeth.
“If you come back, I'll make
sure you never leave again.” he told Antonio.
Antonio fought the
urge to knock every brown and yellow tooth out of the officer's mouth
and simply nodded. The officer released his grip and pushed a button
to open the doors.
“Hey, Antonio!”
Jude called out from his 1969 Dodge Challenger. “You like it in
there or what? Speed up!” he yelled.
Antonio smiled from ear to
ear. His friend from since he was sixteen had changed so much. Jude
was once the stud of the gang. He always had girls fighting over him.
However, his salt and pepper hair, wrinkled skin, and beer gut had
probably changed that now. Clearly time had captured his youth.
The twenty foot
high fence, topped with barbwire that kept Antonio trapped for all
those years, finally slid open.
“Free at last!” Jude said,
approaching his friend with a big hug. “Dang man, I didn't think
you'd ever get out.” Jude told him.
“Let's go before
they change their minds.” Antonio said, stepping away from the hug.
“Yeah. They don't
look too happy to see you going.” Jude said as he and Antonio got
into his Challenger.
The motor rumbled and shook the car. Rocks and
dust were kicked up as Jude pealed away from the prison. Antonio sat
back in the passenger seat and stared through the side view mirror.
The prison got smaller and smaller as he realized more and more that
he was free. What was in front of him was barely even noticed. All he
could see was the prison disappearing as the car sped up. For a second Antonio thought that the jail might grow legs and chase after him.
“Look
ahead, brother!” Jude said trying to yell over the car's loud
engine.
For once Antonio
sat back and relaxed and once he did he was amazed. He was amazed by
little things, things that would seem so stupid to other people, like
television sets. When Antonio first went to prison, television sets
looked like big, black boxes and they were heavy. He remembered when
it would take about four or more people to get a big screen TV into a
house. Now, as they drove past a store on their way back to Las
Vegas, he saw a small woman lifting a 50in TV into her SUV. What
surprised him even more was the fact that the TV and box it was in,
was about as wide as a two by four. Jude had told him that those
were called “Flat Screen TV's.” All of the new technologies
nearly brought him to tears. It was a new world for him. Antonio had a lot to learn but at least
he was learning it outside of the prison.
(To be Continued)
Copyright © 2012 by April Thompson
All
rights reserved. No part of this writing may be used or reproduced in
any manner whatsoever without written permission from the Author.
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