When you hate the world and have no way to express yourself because of the number on your back, you’ll do anything to disrupt the system. If I’ve got to endure this misery, most convicts think, then everyone else should too.
Only one problem: That elderly gentleman doing all-day (20-some years and “not” counting). He’s quiet. He’s polite. He’s articulate. He walks with a cane. He has my entire class on edge—killers, rapists, dope-dealers, and thieves alike.
“You’ve got to do something about him,” one of the younger inmates tells me in confidence.
“Why?”
“Why? You know why! He’s a predator!”
I must admit, he’s given me the heebie-jeebies more than once. The zippers running down the inner part of each pant-leg certainly are an oddity. I’ve been informed that he wears leg braces. Whether he needs these special pants, or the braces, I’ll never know.
When he enters the classroom, he hangs his cane on my filing cabinet near my desk, as if he’s marking his territory, then he walks across the room to his seat. The classroom gets quiet. No one dares steal his cane.
I confront him. “JR,” he says, “In here you’re either predator or prey. I’m a predator. You notice how no one bothers me.” His point is duly noted.
“Deal with it,” I advise a few of my students.
Their latest tactic, “He loves you JR.”
The hair on the back of my neck stands at attention. In prison it’s not a good idea to show your fear. I turn it into a joke. “As long as he does it from a distance, what do I care.”
This week I will advise him not to leave his cane hanging from my filing cabinet.
* * * * *
Tonight (after 8:00 p.m.) I will post my favorite entries from Jason Evan's "Ascension" short story contest. If you would like to read mine or view the vignette, scroll downward.
Tonight (after 8:00 p.m.) I will post my favorite entries from Jason Evan's "Ascension" short story contest. If you would like to read mine or view the vignette, scroll downward.
13 comments:
Wow. I couldn't help putting my father and his cane into your prisoner. Interesting bit about hanging the cane. I would love to know how it goes when you ask him to move it.
Oh, I love the photo and your little friends there. Are they real or did you make them in the computer? :-)
I'm left wondering how exactly he manages to instill such fear and apprehension.
I made those creatures on Spore. I call this species "Blood Clot."
:-) delightful.
Beth, I got the sense that his very presence instills the fear instinct, even in the worst of the worst!
I think I would make him my friend if I was inside.
Sounds like a fascinating character, but I'm rather glad to meet him through you and not in person.
What Charles said, absolutely. Though I wouldn't mind having the knack of inspiring some of that creeped-out awe. My obstreperous kids could use more fear-of-God.
Hey JR class is paying off already? Blood clots look interesting. Creat some hebeegeebees, and give em canes and zippers.. MW :)
I'd watch those gremlin balloons.
Never trust a naked gremlin.
Look where they want you to blow.
Personally I would prefer the cane be nearer my reach than his.
Sometimes it's the quiet ones that'll snap your neck when you're not looking. Gads, I don't envy you your job...
JR, I think his assertion of the cane where HE chooses is a control matter. I think YOU definatly should tell him where you want the cane kept.
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