Written 12-30-14 (1 year prior to release)

“Lock Up, i’ll let you back out when you have to put in the next load.”

I comply. I’m the laundry worker.

The machine stops. I wait for the guard to return to tier on his every 15 minute tour. He comes 45 minutes later.

I tap gently on my cell door window.

“What?”

“Laundry please”

He puts the key in the lock reluctantly

“Hurry Up!”

“Sir with all due respect, what happened to you? You use to be so cool, lately you are mean. I know its none of my business but How come?”

“You workers are always standing around doing nothing.”

“We learned it from watching you guards.”

I smile. He doesn’t.

“Bernardi, you must have learned that from guards on TV, the guards at York do their job.”

We both chuckled, even he knew what he said was funny.