B4/U/NO/IT

       

     The first time Anthony came to visit me in Strafford he picks up the phone and asks me through the glass:  "Daddy, when are you coming home?"  " Oh, before you know it," I said.  "No Dad,  I already know it."  That's when I realized what I was dealing with.   So I decided to put all the cards on the table and while I watched other guys at Fort Dix filling their kids with bullshit in the visiting room: "Daddy we're so proud of you! When can we see the plane you fly?"  I decided throughout this bid I would always tell Ant and Kyera the truth about my exploits and answer honestly any question they had.

     Now Anthony's almost ten and when my sister Tricia brought up the idea of home schooling I was very busy in the SHU (Secured Housing Unit / Solitary Confinement  / the fucking hole for Chrissake)  where I had gone from running court rooms to running lines of ripped bedding around the cell to provide a little privacy.  At the time my cellie was D'Ablo,  a leader in the El Salvadorian gang  MS 13.  He was a nice enough guy, covered in prison ink and machete scars.  Yet, because of the language  barrier I never did figure out exactly why he removed the blades from the shitty two inch razors they gave us twice a week  and stored them between his cheek and gums.   Day after day I remained in a state of heightened  alert.  At night I slept with one eye open.  Looking back I can't say I  ever relaxed, but was able to lower my guard when he was snoring, or on the other side of the curtain engaged in a marathon masturbation session. 

     In the SHU we were allowed just one phone call a month.  And for that we needed to keep track of the days then beg the C/O to roll the mobile phone booth to our cell and feed the receiver through the slot.  Segregated, and sleep deprived,  it was hard for me to express how I felt about the home schooling situation.  I had complete confidence in Tricia,  but couldn't help being worried whether Anthony would learn in this environment.  That was until last Saturday, when my concern was extinguished entirely.   
     "Hey Dad, What are we going to do today?"  "Do?  Why we're going to be Responsible, Honest, Willing, Open-minded,  Caring, Objective, and display Humility and Gratitude;  aren't we?"  I was just playing around with a little lingo from RDAP.  Nevertheless,  Anthony only paused a moment before looking up with budding sarcasm and spitting back at me:  "No Dad, I think I'd rather be Irresponsible, Dishonest, Unwilling, Closed-minded, Selfish, Partial, and a Conceded Ingrate."  (That's my boy).  "Take it easy there killer,  you don't wanna wind up in the SHU."