by Mark Porto
Allison takes off her glasses; she realizes these events have caused him to feel slighted by those in authority, but at the same time, she feels he needs to be treated in order to stay out of trouble. She suggests therapy, once or twice a week for the next couple of years.
He asks her how this would work. She explains all he would have to do is to come into her office. In these sessions, they would talk about how to deal with the past, how to avoid harrowing situations and he possibly might need psychiatric treatment.
Johnny slaps his hand on his knee wanting to know why he would have to undergo psychiatric treatment. “I don’t think there is anything wrong with me.”
She wants him to let her explain, as he listens, his legs cross while scratching his chin.
“I think since you feel less of person if you can’t stand up to the bullies.”
“Wait a minute, Doctor! Are you going to give me the old argument that it takes more courage to back away from a fight than it does to engage in one? I’ll tell you this, if you don’t in prison, you become a victim.”
“I want to talk about your childhood with Dr. Kimball.”
After Johnny is escorted back to solitary by a prison guard as the psychologist writes a report to submit it to Dr. Kimball. He read it to two other colleagues, after the consultation, they made their recommendations to which Kimball concurs.
Upon reviewing the report later on, Dr. Kimball sits at his desk in the white and mauve colored office in the Correction Department office outside of Albany as Dr. Benjamin was standing in front of her superior. “Allison, I’ve known you ever since you taught psychology
classes at a local university. However, I don’t believe you are correct in your assessment of this young man.” He says leaning back in his chair.
She stands straight to illustrate Johnny Bellow doesn’t belong in prison. “There is nothing pathologically wrong with him. All he needs is treatment!”
He agrees, but states Mr. Bellow belongs in an institution, “He’s obviously paranoid.”
Dr. Benjamin’s face and mouth freeze as do her erect arms, a colleague; Dr. Herd came in hearing the conversation. He initially agrees with Dr. Kimball on Johnny’s assessment. She maintains they’re erroneous in their judgment, Allison maintains her composure, but when she leaves, she slams the door behind her.
Two weeks after the interview, Johnny is taken from his solitary confinement by armed guards with shackles through the corridor.
As take him outside, he sweats because the day is humid for a late spring morning. The grass contains dew, which forms amid the clear skies when Johnny slips into a white van with two guards, dressed in white, who are sitting on either side of him with a locked door.
The prison officials drove him to a facility in Van Gogh, which is about twenty miles from Black Meadows. He arrives through the main entrance in a wheelchair.
After he has an examination by a psychiatrist and a psychologist, before he is taken to a cell in the violent ward.
Johnny is dressed completely in white. The cell is consisted of a padded floor with the walls having doors made of iron with a small slit that had an opening, which allow guards and doctors to supervise him. It also provided the slot in order to have his meals submitted.
At night, Johnny sits in the dark; he wasn’t able to see a tear flow his eyes. The only activities he has are to either ponder his thoughts, gaze into space or onto a restless sleep.
At intermittent times, a nurse would administer a sedative to him; he didn’t resist the attempt, but observed the nurses’ actions. When she left, he spits out the pill putting it in one of his pockets.
His days are spent in therapeutic and psychiatric sessions. The was one psychiatrist whose mustache overlaps his upper lip with long blonde hair, he tells Johnny he was a disturbed individual who would never amount to anything. He justifies this assessment by saying he had to stop claiming people are plotting against him. “I think you’re paranoid.”
Johnny is stoic regarding his feelings, at night particularly, he prays for guidance and composure in the face of such ignorance, especially since he was never permitted visitors.
He looks through the slit in the door contemplating various angles as well as the schedules of the nurses, guards, and doctors.
As Johnny endures another day of psychological mumbo-jumbo ejaculating from the mouths of educated idiots, when he sees the weather outside through a window in one of the rooms, noticing various trees swaying in the breeze, he was gripping the arms of the wheelchair gritting his teeth. He knew he had to act fast or he’d be stuck in this other hellhole.
However, after the sessions and lunch, Johnny sits on the padded floor in the cell when two men dressed in white burst into the room; one was a tall, white man with a cheerful, but cunning smile, accompanied by a not so tall, black man with a miscreant smile.
The tall man, who name is Gregory Lawler, stands first in the room; telling him he wasn’t being a cooperative patient.
Johnny stands erect with his nostrils flaming like a bull. “What the hell are you talking about? Was that psychiatrist put you up to this?”
Cecil Chambers, the other man speaks in a nasally voice. “The psychiatrist believes you’re paranoid, he’s decided to administer shock treatment to you. Didn’t you have a relative who had shock treatment? Insanity must run in the family.
Johnny says he didn’t know either one of them knew such big words, “The only reason why you got hired is because both are related to Senator Croydon.”
Cecil’s face crinkle, when suddenly takes a hypodermic needle that contains a powerful sedative; while Lawler holds a strait jacket.
All of a sudden, Cecil charges Johnny with the needle. Johnny gives him a swift kick to the groin which was followed by a karate chop to the back, enabling Johnny to hurl Cecil against the wall, making him disoriented.
When Lawler attempts to seize Johnny, he grabs his right arm to catapult him out the door. Lawler was moaning in pain on the corridor floor, the metal door became disconnected and came crashing on the floor, emanating a loud thud.
Without wasting any time, Johnny ran out of the room, but is confronted by three formidable orderlies. As they to apprehend him, he knocks them out of the way; one of them was thrown through a glass barrier that was adjacent to the door to the outside. While the two others land on their buttocks, Johnny twists one of the man’s arms. He ran down the maze of corridors, looking feverishly for an exit to meet up with Manny at the end of one of the hallways, who whispers he had a truck.
However, near the main exit were a few security guards, along with Dr. Kimball. He says with his arms folded holding a file, “So, you think you can escape?” He yells at the top of the lungs, pointing at the two inmates. “Get them!”
The irascible looking guards lunge at Johnny and Manny, but they fight their way out of the facility through the fists with other martial arts maneuvers. Johnny drives off asking him how he got out of prison.
Manny says when he got out of solitary, he learned of a lawyer who had to perform pro bono work to keep his license. “He managed to get my conviction thrown out.” He’s laughing. “It must’ve ticked off Judge Courtney.”
Johnny asks him how he knew he was at Van Gogh.
Manny explains when the psychologists were examining him he knew he wasn’t returning back to his cell, left alone the prison. He says he knew about Dr. Kimball and his shenanigans. “He pulled those tactics on a friend of his when he first entered prison.”
At the security gate, Johnny speeds to over seventy five miles an hour, bursting through the fence as sirens were blaring. The gate flew into the path of two county sheriff’s cars, as Manny kept watching them from the back, he tells Johnny to go faster. Manny knew of a hideout.
Johnny speeds to over a hundred miles an hour, despite the constant rhythm of the sirens. They lose them about twenty miles west of Van Gogh. His face and hands are sweaty as he saw out of the rear view mirror the state police barrelin
g down the pike.
“Just keep driving!” Manny shouts while looking for roadblocks, “Don’t worry, we’ll lose them, the place isn’t that far away.”
Johnny continues to drive fast as long as the fuel lasts; they find a little known road with what appears to be an abandoned cabin. Manny tells him to hide the truck behind the thicket of trees. The cabin is surrounded by continual growth after not being there for several years.
Manny purchased the cabin about a couple of years before he landed in jail; his brother who lives near Albany agreed to take care of it in his absence.
Upon walking in, Manny turns on the lights with Johnny laying eyes on an array of weapons: there are several assault rifles, handguns, shotguns and rifles. He looks at them asks where was the ammunition. Manny tells him it was located under a trap door in the middle room in case the authorities decided to ever storm the place.
Johnny asks him where he got all these weapons. Manny smiles telling him he was asks too many questions, but remarks he got them from various gun shows and stores. Johnny’s stomach growls wanting to know if there was any food, Manny comments it was mostly dry stuff, because certain food spoils; this supply should last them a couple of weeks. “What then, suppose they don’t find us, we need a plan.” He says in viewing the items.
The cabin was built with logs and consisted of three rooms. Manny gives him a pair of binoculars telling him to watch out for the police. For the rest of the day, they see lush trees and a hill out yonder, which was part of the Catskill Mountains.
For the first few days, the duo were cooped up, suddenly while Manny is on watch, he sees a series of police and other law enforcement officers carrying automatic weapons who were in the process of surrounding the dwelling. Then, a staunch state trooper came out of the car with a haughty gait with a bullhorn, yelling. “Hey, Bellow, Manfred, we know you’re in there, you’ll surrender immediately or we’ll storm the place!”
Johnny got a bullhorn to shout obscenities at the troopers; Manny immediately grabs it from him telling him he was crazy to provoke them. “I don’t care; we’ve got weapons and ammunition to wipe them out! These people want to drag me back to that hellhole, prosecute you for helping me, I don’t know about you, but I’ll be damned, before I allow these toadies to send me back there!”
Manny takes a deep breath as he wipes the sweat off his face. “Look, man, it’s not a good idea, because they’ll call out the National Guard, I know the mentality of these people in law enforcement.”
Johnny holds an assault rifle wondering what to do about the cops outside as Manny rubs his chin telling him how not to deal with them. In the meantime, he whispers an idea into Johnny’s ear. Johnny gets on the bullhorn tells the officer he’ll surrender if he is given a deal. When the officer inquires why, he tells the trooper he wants a new trial with a change in venue. The trooper however shouts he won’t give him a deal ordering him to surrender. “Why not, I need to talk to my family.” He screeches.
The trooper howls he belongs back in prison. “Fair or not, those are my orders!”
Johnny stomps his feet. “All right, I want to speak to my parents, my attorney and my priest or they’ll be no deal!”
When the trooper doesn’t budge, Johnny tells him to go to hell. The trooper retorts he either surrenders or they’ll storm the place.
The duo discusses what their next move is going to be, he says his requests weren’t unreasonable. “I think this guy wants an excuse to take us out.”
Manny illustrates with his finger. “I don’t put it past this guy. He’s ambitious in that he wants to become a member of the governor’s security detail.”
The trooper, in the meantime, roars. “Are you going to come out, Bellow, or do we come in blazing?”
Johnny is steadfast in unless his demands are met, there won’t be any surrender.
Officers in combat fatigues were pointing their weapons at the cabin and their fingers on the trigger ready to strike, but the trooper’s superior halted any attempt to storm the cabin, they were told to negotiate with Bellow regarding his conditions.
The brawny trooper, during the exchange called Judge Lexington to tell him of the events. Lexington explodes demanding to know why he didn’t storm the cabin. He continues to roar, “What the hell does it take for you people to do anything?”
The trooper’s superior overheard the conversation, got on the line explaining to the judge that storming the cabin would have resulted in unnecessary bloodshed. He further tells him that Mr. Bellow’s demands were alongside in complying with his constitutional rights. “Sir, he requested his attorney, family and priest, if that’s done, they’ll be a peaceful surrender.”
Lexington breathes heavy sighs roaring with an abominable ferocity, accepting those terms to the point where he slams down the receiver.
It took another day or so before Johnny’s parents, attorney and priest to arrive; they each got on the bullhorn motivating him to surrender. Johnny is insistent that there be a change of venue or he wouldn’t negotiate.
Fredrick Menden was pulling his hairs out of his head, explaining he would try to get it for him, but a new trial with a change in venue would take time. “You’re not the only one on the docket.”
Johnny demands to be let go into his parents’ custody, but Menden remarks he was asking way too much. However, he reiterates his threat not to surrender unless all his demands are met.
Mr. Menden’s hair is frazzled while the wrinkled suit fades in the sunlight. As a state trooper gives him a telephone to make the necessary arrangements, he manages to arrange a deal whereas, Johnny would surrender. He would be given bail, pending an appeal of the manslaughter and excessive force charges and face charges of escape, since he left the correctional facility without permission along with assaulting the staff, “I’m sorry; it’s the best I can do.”
Johnny demands that the agreement be in writing, Menden was exasperated, but shows him a paper with such an agreement. Upon seeing it through the binoculars, he agrees to it, drops his weapons and comes out of the cabin with his hands up. He was allowed to sign the paper, before being put in handcuffs.
Manny was arrested for aiding and abetting an escaped felon, both men were arraigned before a local town justice. The district attorney recommends that bail be denied, considering the nature of the crime(s). Mr. Menden argues since his client was illegally incarcerated in a mental institution without to his civil rights.
There was arguing between the two lawyers until the town justice posted bail at $25,000. Sal Bellow, as in the first arraignment put his grocery store up as collateral in lieu of bail and Johnny is released. However, as a condition for a release, he had to remain within the boundaries of Tappan County, with the exception of legal and hospital visits. But he couldn’t be in possession of any firearms.
Manny secures his release on $10,000 bail; putting up the cabin as collateral.
That October, Johnny was retried in Londonderry County Court before retiring Judge Harry Hopkins. The trial lasts two days with Johnny being acquitted on the manslaughter and weapons charges, but was convicted of three-degree escape from a penal institution.
Judge Hopkins gave him a deferred sentence requiring. It required Johnny to check in with a probation officer for the period of six months. Upon completion of such conditions, if the officer felt the requirements had been met, Johnny would not have a criminal record.
After he and his family left the courtroom, Johnny, though happy he was released from prison, was now bitter he was convicted in the first place. He broached the subject of the possibility of suing for false arrest, false incarceration, wrongful conviction and cruel treatment.
His parents remind him that life sometimes wasn’t fair, it would wiser if he might just have to accept this experience as a terrible point in his life.
Johnny rejects that premise telling his parents not to worry about the money since he has saved up some money from working and time in the service. “You have to understand
why I must pursue this; you don’t know what happened to me in those facilities.”
Anita tells him she really doesn’t want to know, while Sal echoes his wife’s remarks, although, he does tell him in private, since it is his money to do what he wants.
CHAPTER FIVE
The Bellow family met with Mr. Menden while sitting on a bench near the elevator, waiting for the door to open. Johnny notices a young woman sitting next to his attorney. He walks over to talk to her, but she only smiles when he asks her name.
She remarks smiling, saying he was being fresh; telling him her name is Doreen Maureen Norman. Her long blonde hair bounces off her shoulders. She faces him wearing a tan suit, leather boots with a blue scarf around her neck.
Johnny asks her standing next to her desk, if she was from Black Meadows.
She is from Georgia, New York. Doreen interrupts to hand her boss a pouch. She started working for him about a month ago. They talk until Mr. Menden calls him over for his participation concerning a lawsuit. Johnny politely excuses himself concluding it was nice to meet her.
As everyone enters the elevator, Johnny asks her if she would be interested in going out with him. She remarks what a handsome man he is thinking it would be nice. He asks her out for a cup of coffee as she is standing up, throwing her purse strap across her shoulder as more people enter the elevator.
Johnny and Doreen walk into a coffee shop located down the street from Menden’s law office. They sit by a window as the sunlight pierced in; her radiant blonde hair develops a bright glow while she initiates the conversation.
While they’re talking, a former boyfriend struts over to her laughing aloud while stumbling on a stool. She tries hard not to watch him by placing her hands in front of her face. He looks with a leer at Johnny, “What the hell are you doing out of prison?”
The guy puts his hand on her shoulder and the smell of beer permeates the area. “I just conned the parole board.” he laughs aloud. “What are you doing with this loser?”