Chapter Seven Riot and Deadlock
Billy heard sounds of someone walking down the gallery toward his cell from the farthest side. A massive guard stopped in front of his cell. Dangled a massive set of brass keys. Before he reached forward to unlock the lock to his cell. First, he warned him to step back away from the bars. I have company for you kid say hello to your new cellmate Jeremiah Jackson. He has several years to do so make friends or live in a hole. Come on in mi casa es su casa. He stepped back away from the gate so he wouldn't try anything. A young black male stepped into the cell with an armful of clothes besides a cosmetic bag.
The guard locked the lock before he walked back down the gallery toward the stairs. He vanished after his footsteps fade somewhere in the cell block. That same guard that carried a shotgun walked by like, he watched inmates and expected a fight to break out. I am not going to be here very long cellmate. I have plans to reunite with friends of mine after I have been here, awhile. I am trying to get a cell with my cousin because he has big store and connections throughout this Prison. That is cool cellmate. I have a box of noodles if you hungry. I eat them when chow sucks. I can't stand that country breakfast biscuits and gravy stuff. I just can't stand it sometimes. What time do we go to yard? He dropped his personal items on his bunk first before answering. We have yard at 7 PM right after dinner. If I were you I would hurry. He hurriedly placed his stuff away before they call them for dinner. Billy climbed back into his bunk allowed his new cellmate to put his things away. He reached for a book that he brought with him which he left hidden underneath his pillow. All of a sudden he heard that same sound that woke everybody from their naps, chow time! That is us cellie it is time to eat. You have a few minutes to prepare before they unlock the locks. Billy remained in his bed. He waited until his sheet and his blanket covered the mattress. Billy then crawled out from underneath. He reached for his prison blues or they would send him back to his cell without chow. No prison blues or shirt and nobody ate at the prison chow. He grabbed both bars he pulled himself close so he could give his cellmate enough room to breathe. Another warning call alerted him that you have less than one minute before doors open. That loud metal clinging sound appeared. He slid his gate door open long enough to step into the gallery. Hurry cellmate or you might miss chow. I will see you there! He walked away he followed inmates that walked in front of him down the gallery toward the stairs. He noticed his cellmate had tattoos. Jail tattoos lot's and lot's of them. He had to be in a gang from the looks of it '' he thought '' anyway. Hopefully no one wanted to kill him so he wouldn't be in the middle of that. If they did I might get caught in the middle of another mess. He reached the staircase he followed inmates down the stairs to the main floor. He could see his cellmate on his way down. He talked to other inmates about something. He followed a prison guard toward the hall that tied in every cell house in the institution. This way gentlemen if you don't stay in line. Believe me you will be sent to the end of it. Last man is always the man who receives his food cold remember that. Inmates kept walking toward chow. Billy felt something that he felt only once in life, fear. Something bad, real bad was about to happen. He could feel it in his bones. He could sense it coming and it isn't far off. His spider senses climbed up his spine to the back of his brain and back down again. He could feel it he could not control this fear until he knew what it is that he is scared of. His cell block turned to the left. He sees a guard inside a tower that aimed an automatic weapon down at them. He knew you couldn't get away with too much with that guy watching inmates with a gun. Inmates stand in line after grabbing trays off a stockpile of plastic plates that stack up, high. Billy peeked once he realizes they we're having hamburger patties with mashed potatoes and green beans. Two cartons of whole milk besides 2 grapefruit containers. He is led into chow to face an assembly line that is filled with food. After he sat down he noticed that guard in the tower walk out into chow. His weapon is still in the tower '' he thought. He probably has to use the bathroom. His cellmate grabbed a seat in the same chow room after grabbing a tray filled with food. Billy focused on dinner he had less than 20 minutes before they would hurry him back to their cells. Then his cellmate rises to his feet, he held his tray side way He slammed it in the face of another prisoner that sat next to him. Then the entire chow hall exploded into a serenade of fights and stabbings. Since no one is inside the tower. There is no fear of anyone being shot to death. One guard radioed backup '' he shouted '' that we have a mess in chow. I have a riot '' he yelled! Billy started eating, he had to finish his dinner. When would he eat again '' he thought. If Prison went on lock down. He wouldn't see chow until who knew when that would be. He ate a warm dinner he crawled underneath a stainless steel table to hide from flying plates and trays. One inmate fell to the floor after someone stabbed him several times. Another inmate yells after his head slammed into a solid steel wall. Billy noticed that he died. His eyes were wide open, he looked like he died in pain. The expression alone told him that these guys were not playing any games. He remembered hearing gang names that much he could tell from his cellmate yelling. At another inmate that he sat with. After he slammed him with his tray of food. He fell to the floor on top of him like he stumbled forward. I better hurry up. I better finish my best plate in the joint.
Prison Guards did not appear for a while. They remain hidden until a swarm of them return together. By that time his cellmate is taken away in handcuffs and shackles. A serenade of Prisoners follow him. Now he would have the cell to himself. Which to him is alright? He felt he got used to that idea anyhow. Prison Guards swarm in on chow to take Prisoners to their cell. Several inmates did not go quietly. They had to have a little persuasion. They need their head busted besides placed in handcuffs before they were taken to a hole where his cellmate presently resides!
I got lucky again darn it '' he thought. I have a cell all to myself. Inmates that remain hidden from sight were taken back to their cell uninjured and unaware what to expect from there forth. One inmate whispers to Billy, I think we’re going on deadlock for a-while. If you’re lucky you have a cellmate. If you’re not it is lonely in there. The first thing that ran through his mind. What the fudge did that mean. He is led upstairs to the fourth gallery ordered to his cell unless he would like the hole, instead. This is alright Officer! I will take my cell after all this is why I am here to do my time for committing a crime, right. Only you know that kid no one here knew why you did it or what you did including me. Get in your cell before I bust your head or call backup and have you forced into your cell. Just kidding bub bah I am moving on. He stepped back into his cell to listen to the gate lock behind him. By the way kid will be back for your cellmate's stuff later. I will have it ready. And if I were you. And you have any contraband in there you better get rid of it before we get back. He yelled '' cell block E is about to be raided. If you have any shanks, homemade bats, you better get them into the gallery now. Or you will find yourself in the hole with a new case. You have been warned inmate.
Billy crawled back into his bunk. He lied down to face a steel wall in front of him which is where his cellmate used to lie. He looked at it this way at least my belly's full. I have something to smile at today. He closed his eyes. He knew it is almost 7 PM. It is the last time he would see another living person for how long? Now that he is on deadlock no one is going anywhere until that ends. His cellmate needed his things. He remembered that I better get his stuff together before they come back to get it. He jumped to his feet after he remembered that. He gathered his things piece by piece. Placed them in a neat pile before guards came back. He knew they could be upset if they had to do it them self. If you make them work extra hard unnecessarily. It could be the difference between life or life in solitary. Maybe my own time in the hole '' he thought. He placed his blanket besides 2 sheets on top of his bed in a very neat pile. This is when he felt his Son Billy. He could see him in his thoughts, he is alright. He hesitated for a moment to think it over he was alright. Again, he crawled into his bunk to lie down to face a steel wall in front of him. He turned his head to face that wall that separated cells from each other. He found enough writing to write a small book with. If they made any sense first of all. He read a few sentences to himself. He whispers them loud enough so he could hear them. When I Die, I want everything buried Deep or I will be back for you? Do we have a Guardian Angel that is appointed to us from Heaven? The Bible says that a handful of special People on Planet Earth have these Beings that are real and they do watch. They watch over certain humans who may have been touched by an Angel at Birth maybe, afterward. We may look at them as weak and uncaring. It can be what it is meant to be sometimes with the help of an Angel and sometimes by force. Since Humans take everything for granted. They sometimes overlook their own capabilities and forget who God is at times. Guardian Angels touch by an Angel that is also nice. The only thing that will get me out of here is a bazooka. You have one of those. He stares across at another wall. Then, that sudden case of tiredness that came over him that always does for some reason or another places him to sleep.
He closed his eyes he sees an Orphanage in his dreams. It is a big place from what he sees in his vision. Maybe it is just my imagination. Maybe it is where he now lives. He is supposed to be in a Church a place where, he is surrounded by a lot of Children. I think they we're Orphans unless I misunderstood. He placed his head in his pillow. He stared back down at his pillowcase. Then, another word that hid in a group of mixed up words that look more like mambo jumbo grabs his attention. Cemetery, he noticed one word that stood alone in his mind, why '' he thought. Did someone know my Wife Died? He could not think of anything else other than that so he turned his head yet again, it is gone. He does not see that word anymore. He searched the entire wall in search of that one word cemetery from foot to head. This is when it dawned on him that he missed his Wife Sissy which is her nickname.
He remembered dreaming one night about her after he Buried her. Billy held his hand once. They step into the cemetery which is where he remembered taking pictures. Yet there is something funny about that picture besides that entire day from what he remembered. After he parked outside, he remembered feeling that same old feeling that he had like he did during the riot, today. His spider senses started to act up. He felt something is definitely wrong. He could not put his finger on it, whatsoever. He remembered seeing a statue of an angel in a picture while he stood with his Son. He did not remember seeing that statue before not this time. It was not in the cemetery either it was the same cemetery now. He lowered his stare, he turned to face Billy where is it? Where is the statue? Where did it go? Billy slowly raised his head very slow. He stared up at the skies like he tried to tell him that he was an angel. A real Angel. We better go say goodbye to Mommy before they toss dirt over her coffin. Then we cannot see the casket in the ground.
He closed his eyes he visualized his dead Wife in a lace nightgown. That picture that he gave Billy that day. It had a photo of a cemetery, besides that, a statue of an angel. He remembered walking back into the street so he could get a better look at a face of that cemetery. It is the same cemetery. Where is that statue? Billy stood over there, right there. This is the same place where he stood last time. He made out one name on a headstone that remained behind the statue. His name is Bobby Caldwell. He walked over to make sure that the name that he read is the same name and that part is truly amazing!
Holy Mary Mother of Jesus. I do not understand what happened what is really going on. He entered the cemetery gate. He held his Son's Hand to the right. Gently, he pulled him toward his Wife's Headstone where her grave would now lie. A small group of people gather together near a grave where he believed she would be Buried and hurries.
That statue of an angel bothered him. Not for long. He believed someone removed it from the cemetery. Maybe because it was broken. He did not feel like turning back around to have a look at the ground for markings. Instead, he continued to search for that certain number in a grave site where she would go to be Buried Billy yelled '' look Dad crows, they're everywhere. He did not pay attention to trees in the cemetery just at the ground at his Wife's Body. Every time a car passed, he searched for someone that he might know. Then, a Priest stopped by to pull up behind him and beeped. Mister Seals I would like to have a word with you after you Bury your Wife if you don't mind. Of course Father I would like to have a talk with you. I think it would be good for Billy. Jump in Mister Seals, I can take you to your Wife's Final Resting Place. He allowed his Son into a minivan. He then followed him inside, himself.
He slammed the door closed after he climbed into the backseat with Father Domino. A Priest at St Williams Church where his Wife attended Mass on Sundays. His Son followed, he liked going to Church with his Mother which he loved for some reason or another. I was surprised that anyone liked Church when I was young Father. I was always too busy to go. I am sure you were Billy. You do not mind me calling you that do you? It is like I know you through your Family and your Wife especially. Yes Father it is okay. You can call me Billy if you like. If I come up with a shorter name. I will give you that too. He laughed at his own joke which he believed is funny. So he continued to drive toward his Dead Wife's Grave. Here she is '' he called out '' he removed a massive Black Bible with big Bold Gold Letters. Just before he pulled up next to a small group of people that wait nearby that look like they were crying besides her Mother who joined in by sobbing. Since her Father Died some time ago. She only had her Mother besides 3 Sisters Alive. Billy opened his side door. He allowed his Son outside on the cemetery hard sun dried ground. This way Mister Seals, I mean Billy. I am the acting Priest who will Pray over your Wife's Dead Body. Again, Billy noticed several trees overhead which were filled with black crows like they we're watching or waiting for a dead body that remained outside so they could eat.
Billy touched his hand I think you better come with me. I don't want you to get lost. If I lose you what would I do kid. I would not have anyone to yell at when I get mad. Okay Dad I am not going anywhere. I will be right here when Mom's gone. They both follow Father Domino into the cemetery where a small group of people, gather.
Father Domino found a place to Read from over a casket that sat on top of what looked like a stretcher. Ten to fourteen people gather close together especially Sissy's Mother who stared back at me like I killed her only Daughter. I did not kill her '' I mumbled '' she continued to look back at me like I am a murderer. I remember I tried to stay away from her so I did not have to look at her face or her stare, anymore. Father Domino continued to Read over her casket to Family and Friends. I just stayed away from the immediate area so my Son did not have to think that he sees her lying in her casket. As a matter of fact. I did not even feel like going to the Funeral to Bury her. I should have stayed Home. I knew her Mother would think I killed her. Ever since she phoned Police for yelling and threatening her. She would think I killed or hurt her baby. Father Domino finished Praying. He made the Sign of the Cross. He gave 2 Males that waited to lower her wood casket into the Earth the order that they needed. He also remembered he watched her Mother cry until her other Daughters carried her away in their arms.
Billy waited until his Wife disappeared in the Earth before he walked away to look for his vehicle parked outside the cemetery. Then, there is that statue that never left his mind that he continued to think about all the way to his Car. Another thought entered his mind. If anything ever happened to me. I want you to know that St Williams is your Mother's Church. I want you to ask for Father Domino. He is your Mother's Priest. He is that same Priest that Prayed at the Cemetery when we Buried your Grandfather Donald Flecks. There is a knock at the bars that startles Billy from his trance. He lost track of time. He thinks it has something to do with mail. It usually is passed around this time of night. Just leave it in the bars Officer. Anyway everybody, I know is either dead or in jail. It is a mailman. I want to know where your cellie's hiding. Billy turned around he knew something was wrong by the base in his voice. I don't know '' he called out '' before he had a chance to get a real good look at the male. He climbed to his feet, he sees 4 Black Males standing at his gate like gang bangers. One male exposed a shank that he hid in his waistband. You tell him I will be back for him when he leaves the hole and you to if you get in my way kid. Billy knew he was in big trouble. The funny thing about it he just got here. After he realized it. He stepped toward several iron bars where he watched 4 Males disappear down a gallery. He also wondered how they got out when no one else walked around. He knew these guys had connections in the joint because no one else is outside their cell. He raised his head he found that guard holding a shotgun right across from him with a smirk. Stay away from them kid. They will never leave this place alive. These Men are lifers. Nice place '' he thought '' lifers walk around like they own the place, damn!
He dropped his limp body down on his bunk. He knew he had problems if that guy came back from the hole. The best thing for him to do is to return to your own fault. Those guys did not look nice, whatsoever. They were as black as coal and awfully threatening. I felt that chill crawl up the back of my spine one inch at a time before I even realized what they wanted. It had to do with gangs his cellie had tattoos almost all over his body. It had something to do with that fight that took place in chow. His mind raced back to an inmate that tried to sell him a shank for his own protection. He remembered all he wanted were cigarettes. He remembered inmates took squares in place of money. I hope those characters never come back to look for him here. I really do not know him, whatsoever. He decides to lie down on his bunk, instead. He closed his eyes so he could return to a dream about his dead Wife Sissy and his Son. A sudden tear rolled down the right side of his face. He knew now that he would see them again if there is such a place as Heaven! Who knows maybe they will allow me visiting rights from time to time!