Part
One
When I
Lie in Bed at Night
The sound of an
alarm and the old rusted metal bars groaning as they slid open meant
freedom. That sound was the most beautiful sound Antonio had ever
heard. He heard it before when other prisoners would be released but
it sounded so much better when it was just for him. “Hey, Tony!
Tell my old lady to come see me!” one of the prisoners yelled.
Antonio smiled and gave the prisoner a gesture to assure him he'd
pass the message on.
“Almost out.”
he thought as he walked down the corridor. The florescent lighting
bounced off of the white floors. The smell of the tightly packed
bodies drenched in sweat from exercise and fear mixed with the smell
of food from the cafeteria, was enough to make him never want to eat
again. However, there he didn't have the choice to just go without
eating. If he refused they would lock him in solitary confinement and
put him on suicide watch. They didn't want him to die. Especially not
after the crime he committed. No. Death was too easy for Antonio
Grant. They wanted him to live for the rest of his life and suffer
every minute of it. That was the main reason why they sent him to the
worst of the worst prison in California. During his twenty years he
had been stabbed and beat into the infirmary. Even though he went
through a lot, he gave as much as he got. He couldn't afford to be a
pushed around there, not if he wanted to survive.
“It's all
justified.” the Warden had once told him after he was attacked. If
they knew the truth, they'd think differently. The under cover cop
that put him in prison in the first place was worse than most of the
men Antonio ran with in his uncle's biker gang. The cop wasn't just
pretending to be bad, he actually was. If Antonio didn't do what he
did...it doesn't matter anymore. Although the real truth wasn't out,
he was. Antonio was going home, back to his family and back to his
bar. That was all that mattered.
Two correctional
officers guided him on his way to the front of the prison. He was led
through a crowd of cheers and threats. Over the years he had made
friends as quickly as he made enemies. For every enemy he made,
Antonio would find new recruits for his gang, even though he didn't
want to be a member of it anymore. When he was young he thought it
was fun, but after spending half of his life locked up, it all seemed
so dumb. The fights, drugs, and robberies weren't worth it. In prison
he used his reputation to stayed alive, but once he stepped out of
that prison he was done, hopefully.
Antonio stared at
the men in the cell block as they stuck their hands through the cold
bars and either waved, threw peace signs or flipped him off. It was
understandable to be met with hatred on the day he was to be
released. He had cussed out and flipped off many men who threw their
freedom in his and the other prisoners faces. Now it was his turn to
be screamed and cussed at. Right or wrong it felt good to be
belittled on his way out. “On my way out.” he thought with a
grin.
(To be Continued)
(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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