“That’s why I’m calling. I haven’t heard anything yet. I don’t know what day or time it is. They don’t tell us shit until the very last minute.”
“Dang, Monica. I thought they said they would let you know that no one can find Jenette, not the state, me, or Mom. It’s as if she dropped off the face of the earth. Ain’t nobody around the way seen her since the night Dennis got killed, and you know they needed her to sign all those papers. A lot of people are looking for her for some reason.”
“So what does that mean? I’m confused. What, he can’t be buried?” Monica started to feel a chill go throughout her entire body. The cold concrete walls that surrounded her small body started to spin.
“The state stepped in and took control. They paid the funeral home that’s up on Dexter Avenue to hold the service. It’s tomorrow morning, at ten o’clock sharp. I thought you knew. My mother called the prison two days ago, and the chaplain explained the process.”
“What?” Monica screamed out. “At ten tomorrow? They ain’t told me shit. See what I’m talking about? If I hadn’t called you, they would have shown up early as hell, no warning, and my hair would have looked like hell on a stick.”
“Listen, Monica, I don’t know if—” Before Kanina could get her words out, the phone went dead. “Hello, Monica? Hey, girl, can you hear me?” Kanina tightly closed her eyes and lay back in the chair she was sitting in. I swear to God I hope she can call back.
Monica was left on the other end of the line, still holding the phone in her hands. “What the fuck? What happened?” She was frantic as she looked up at the guard who was standing in the doorway mean mugging her. “Why you do that? I wasn’t done yet!”
“Shift change, Howard. You know the rules. Hurry up and get back to your cell for count.”
“I didn’t realize it was so late. I’m trying to get some information about my brother’s funeral service. I need about five more minutes of phone time and I’ll be done,” Monica pleaded.
“Listen, Miss Thang. I know all about your circumstances, but rules are rules, and I’m not about to risk losing my job for you or your dead brother. Now move your ass!” The guard placed her hand on her stick as she seemingly dared Monica to challenge or oppose her orders.
The outrageous and insensitive comments struck an already-tender nerve and Monica couldn’t resist. It was on! “Who in the fuck are you talking to? What’s your problem?” Monica lunged toward the burly guard and tried to damn near smack the taste out of her mouth. “That’s my fucking little brother your ho ass is talking about. I should kill you.” Monica was out of control.
She and the guard began a short-lived battle. Monica was, without a doubt, outsized and completely overpowered. Even with the rage that filled her spirit, she had no win. The guard threw Monica around the narrow room without even breaking a sweat.
“I think that I had about enough of your little ass.” She laughed while pulling out her baton and putting her tactical training to use.
Without any remorse or sensitivity to the situation at hand, the guard struck Monica across her forehead, causing her to fall against the wall and become unconscious. The callous guard reached down on her waistband and grabbed her radio to send for assistance, as she kicked her young, immature attacker once in the stomach. When help finally arrived, they found Monica, delirious, bleeding from an open cut and spitting up blood. She was taken to the prison clinic in handcuffs, open wounds and all. Monica was roughly handled by all the guards on her way.
* * *
Almost three entire days passed since the time the battle had taken place. Monica regained consciousness and was back in her right mind. She had been transferred to the state hospital for observation. Not only did she suffer a busted lip and a severe concussion, but Monica had missed her brother’s funeral. When that reality set in, that’s when her real pain began. She felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. The girl, once strong and confident, was now reduced to constant tears and thoughts of suicide. Monica felt that if she could have just controlled her temper, she would have been able to at least say good-bye to her only brother.
Kanina and her mother were allowed twenty minutes to visit Monica before she was shipped back to prison. Upon entering the hospital room, Mrs. Cooper was astounded to see Monica handcuffed to the tiny bed’s steel railing.
“I can’t understand why you need to go to these extremes. This doesn’t make sense. You act as if she’s an animal.”
The day nurse shrugged her shoulders as she went on performing her daily duties. “Listen, lady. I don’t make the rules for the way they choose to treat unruly and hostile prisoners. I have a job to do. Now if you will excuse me, I have to continue with my rounds.”
Kanina and her mother were left standing dumbfounded and confused. What did the nurse mean by unruly, let alone hostile? That wasn’t the Monica they both knew.
Monica turned her head toward her two visitors and let out a sigh of relief as they cautiously approached her. They had no idea what to expect. Kanina was shaking. She didn’t want to see her girl with any bumps or bruises, looking wrecked. Monica had been waiting to apologize to her extended family for letting them down and not being able to stand by Kayla’s side at the funeral. She tried her best to look her visitors in the eyes, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. The shame took over, and the tears started to pour.
“Listen, sweetheart. Please don’t cry. I’m so sorry about what happened. We tried everything in our power to find your mother. Kanina and I searched and searched until the very last minute. These heartless prison officials wouldn’t budge one inch on their so-called rules.” Mrs. Cooper was overly apologetic as she rubbed Monica’s forehead.
Monica sat up in the bed. Squinting her eyes, she dried tears that had soaked the thin hospital gown that draped over her body. “I don’t understand, Mrs. Cooper. I’m the one who couldn’t keep my temper under control. I know I messed things up. It’s my entire fault. I don’t know what happened. Things just went haywire. I’m sorry.”
Kanina came in between her best friend in the world and her mother. “Monica, I was trying to tell you, but the phone went dead, and you never called back. The next call we got was from the ho-ass warden.”
“Kanina, watch your mouth,” Mrs. Cooper was also definitely pissed off, but she didn’t condone using profanity under any circumstances.
“Sorry, Mom, but I’m mad,” Kanina continued as Monica remained in the dark. “I was trying to tell you, girl. Without your mother’s signature on Dennis’s burial paperwork, the stupid warden refused to grant you a temporary release.”
“He refused? What do you mean he refused?” Monica was livid. “I can’t believe that bullshit.” As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she quickly turned toward Mrs. Cooper. “I’m sorry, but I’ve been lying in this bed night after night, chained up, depressed, ashamed, and blaming myself, and all along the warden was the one who stopped me from going to the funeral? I can’t freaking believe it.”
“I tried to tell you, Monica. I promise. I swear to God, I looked all over town for Jenette.” Kanina held her head down. “She finally showed up at our door a few days after the service, drunk as hell and high as a kite, asking for the obituary and a couple of dollars. Kayla went to the door and gave her one before slamming it right in your mother’s face.”
Monica hated to hear her mother still hadn’t changed one little bit since she had been away. Jenette was destined to be nothing more than a piece of shit, and Monica was now ready to completely shut the door on her just like her little sister had done.
“Kanina and Mrs. Cooper, I wanna thank both of you. Thanks for always being in my corner and especially for taking Kayla into your home.”
“It’s our pleasure, Monica. Kayla is so smart and sweet. We love her. She’s just like part of our family.” Mrs. Cooper was beaming with pride as she spoke about Kayla. “I always wanted another daughter. Now I have three: Kanina, Kayla, and you.”
All three of
them talked and made plans for the future until the nurse came back in the room. “I’m sorry, ladies, but you have to bring this visit to a close.”
“Okay. Can we maybe have one more minute to say good-bye?” Mrs. Cooper was now being polite to the nurse.
“Sure. Let me give this other inmate her medication, and that will give you a few more minutes.”
The three of them decided that from that point on they wouldn’t shed any more tears. After a couple of minutes, the nurse returned and escorted Kanina and Mrs. Cooper from the room. The remaining days Monica spent in the hospital sped by, and she was soon returned to the prison.
Chapter Eight
“I missed you, Monica.” Sandra wrapped her arms around her small friend, welcoming her back. “I know this is no place a person wants to get used to, but I’m still glad to see ya ass.”
“I’m glad to see you too. The hospital was quiet, and a chick definitely got a lot of rest, considering the circumstances, but I was lonely.” Monica broke loose from the brief embrace and stared Sandra directly in her eyes. “Listen. You know all that stuff that you were trying to teach me? Well, I’m more than ready to learn. I want to get back out there and really do my thing. I want to dominate all they asses.”
Sandra was a little taken aback, to say the least, by the sudden change in Monica’s normally meek personality. “Damn, baby girl! That bump on the head must have really knocked some sense into you. If you gonna be out there, you might as well hit ’em hard.”
“I’m gonna pay attention and study your every move.” Monica kicked off her state-issued shoes and got relaxed.
Sandra smiled as her young protégé reached for a pencil and got ready to take notes.
* * *
After what seemed like an eternity, Monica was less than thirty days away from freedom. She had managed to keep her temper in check and not to get any more bad behavior tickets. Sandra had schooled her on everything she needed to know. Monica and she practiced eye contact with the salespeople and security guards. They practiced how to give off the appearance of belonging in your surroundings. Sandra wanted her student in crime to completely grasp the importance of fitting into any crowd. She explained the art of shoplifting as if it were a science, and to Sandra it was. Every ingredient that Monica learned was combined in one master plan after another.
“All right, Monica. I’m gonna demonstrate once more. Now pay careful attention to my eyes and my hands.” Sandra briskly moved past the magazine table in the day room and smiled at Monica. “Did you notice?”
“Notice what? What did you want me to notice?” Monica sat up in her chair with a puzzled expression on her face.
Sandra started to laugh out loud at her confused young friend as she raised her sweater. “Did you notice this?” She slid one of the magazines that was just on the table out from her side and threw it on the empty chair next to Monica.
“Damn, your ass is quick. I didn’t see that shit. How did you do that?” The questions kept coming.
All of Monica’s praise and compliments added fuel to the seasoned criminal’s ego. “Listen up, youngster. Remember what I told you when you first came in this rat hole. All that smash-and-grab, ‘shoot ’em up, bang bang’ shit don’t do nothing but increase your chances of getting knocked and catching another case. Real bad boys always move in silence. Be confident, not cocky.”
Sandra hated that her cellmate would soon be getting paroled, but she was dying to see if all her late-night lessons in thievery would pay off. If they did, great! Monica would be off and running and would soon be able to make a new home for her little sister Kayla. If they didn’t, she’d see her little friend back behind the walls. Only time would tell.
* * *
One day and a wake up, Monica thought as she brushed her teeth and looked into the foggy mirror in the huge community bathroom that she and the entire cellblock H used. She finished her daily routine and made her way in line with the other inmates. The first thing on Monica’s agenda once she was free would be to lock herself in a bathroom and take a nice, hot bubble bath for at least an hour. Taking a semi-warm shower in a huge, open stall that fit ten prisoners at a time was starting to get on her last nerve. Monica failed to understand how some women seemed to love being incarcerated. Forget this mess! No privacy and no peace of mind? They can have this bullshit!
When Monica and Sandra got back to their cell, they decided to skip breakfast and go over the various skills that Monica had acquired. Besides, Monica was much too anxious to eat.
“Well, little one, I ain’t gonna lie. An old lady like me didn’t think that you could go the distance, but you ended up doing it like a champ. I’m proud of you.” Sandra was tearing up as she spoke.
“Don’t cry, Sandra. You gonna mess around and make me cry too.” Monica tried not to look her bunkie in the face. “You’ve been just like a mother to me. You accepted me for who I am and not once did you try to change me. I appreciate all the knowledge that you have given me, and I swear to God that I’m gonna make you proud.”
Sandra refused to hold back her tears any longer. “Monica, let me try to explain something to you. I am a bona fide thief. That’s all I know, and nine out of ten times, that’s all I’ll ever know. I don’t want this life for you. I love you like my own daughter, and I pray to God that you don’t come back here.” Sandra took a small balled-up tissue out of her worn sweater pocket and blew her nose. “If I thought for one half of a second that I could point you in a direction other than stealing, I wouldn’t hesitate in doing it. You are smart. Your mind is sharp, and you could do so much more in your life than taking a chance with catching another felony charge.”
Monica never had any one person care about her so much or even put the notion in her head that she could do better. From the beginning of life, she always held herself down. “Sandra, I know what—”
Sandra cut her off in the middle of her sentence. “I know that at this point there’s no reasoning with you. That’s why I gave you the only gifts I could: technique and a method to all this madness. I only want the best for you.” After Sandra finished her heartfelt speech, both of them were crying.
“I just want you to know that I will never forget you. As soon as I get something going on, I’m gonna look out for you, Sandra.”
Monica meant every word that was coming out of her mouth, but Sandra was a jailhouse veteran. She knew that out of sight always meant out of mind, but it didn’t matter. She still loved Monica unconditionally. They had formed an unbreakable bond.
The two women decided that there would be no more long good-byes and that when the morning came, it would be a happy occasion and not sad. They spent the day packing up some of the few things that Monica wanted to take home, including her letters from Kanina and handmade cards that Kayla had sent. The rest of her belongings she gave to Sandra.
Daybreak came, and both Sandra and Monica slowly got out of their bunks. They quietly gathered Monica’s duffle bag and bedding, which had to be rolled up and turned back in at the front intake office. She’d received it from there more than a year ago.
Sandra was only allowed to the inmate contact door and had to say her good-byes at that point. “Don’t forget everything that you’ve learned.” She placed her hand on Monica’s shoulder.
Monica dropped her bag on the ground and hugged her cellmate, her teacher, her friend, and her substitute mother all rolled tightly into one. “I love you, Sandra. I promise that I’ll write. I’ll never forget about you. I’ll be waiting for you on the other side when you get released.”
With all that being said, the guard opened the heavy black door and ushered Monica through. She glanced back one last time and waved at Sandra as the door slammed shut. After a few more doors being opened and closed and a couple of long hallways, freedom was close. When they got to the office, Monica had one last taste of prison life. While a part of her was more than ready to leave, part of her was scared to death of her new life on the other side of the wall
.
The guard at the front desk was the same one Monica had fought with and lost to. Of course, it goes without saying there was no love lost between the two.
“Well, I guess we won’t have the pleasure of your company anymore, huh?” She was being a real, true smart-ass, sloppy bitch.
“Naw, sorry about that, Guard Shit Bag! You won’t be able to watch my pretty, young ass take a shower no more.” Monica smirked. “It must be extra hard being old, fat, and out of shape. Your man must really love you.” The once-cocky guard’s jaw dropped to the ground. Monica had obviously struck a nerve. “I guess it’s true what they say. Words do hurt, don’t they?”
Monica made sure to give the guard the finger as soon as she got on the other side of the gates and felt freedom kiss her face. She took a deep breath and looked across the street. There sat her girl Kanina flashing her lights. Monica dashed over to the car with her bags and jumped inside, smiling from ear to ear. It was like Christmastime.
“Okay, let’s hit the mall,” she teased.
“Dang, girl, I missed your crazy, silly ass being free.”
“I missed being free. I ain’t never going back to that motherfucker. I put that on everything I love. Now, chick, put me up on all the four-one-one that I done missed.”
The entire ride back to the city limits was consumed with gossip and conversation about everyone and anyone Kanina could think of. Monica lay back and enjoyed the scenery and the contentment of just being free. She had the window down, and she tightly closed her eyes as the warm wind blew on her face. After months of sleeping with one eye open, Monica could finally relax.
Soon all of Kanina’s words were lost as Monica dozed off to sleep. She and Sandra had been up for two days straight, and it had taken a toll on her. Monica dreamed that Dennis was still alive and she was braiding his hair in a new style that he had seen in a rap magazine. They were laughing and joking just like old times. She was so happy. It all seemed so real, so true, until Kanina pulled into a gas station and woke her up.
Girls from da Hood 13 Page 5