Today's events have been months in the making and, unfortunately, they weren't pretty. It all started when my last coworker quit working the library. when Ereman left, he took a Marvel Comics art book with the understanding that he would be bringing it back when he finished the drawing he was working on. For the past month I have been asking him to bring the book back, hearing that someone else was borrowing it, never a name attached.
Early this week a friend told me someone was trying to send out a Marvel book through the mail. When I went to identify it, the spine had our tape and the interior has the same smears. Unfortunately, it had been stripped of all ,marks that identified it with the library. A hold was still put on the book, though.
Today, someone brought in a stack of his books to be donated to the library and said that the one on top belonged to Ereman. I said he would have to bring us our book before he could take his. Even trade (except his is a $6 paperback and ours, the Marvel Comics Encyclopedia, is a $30 coffee table book.) Later, one of Ereman's coworkers in the commissary came to pick up Ereman's book.
I'm sorry he put you in the middle of this but Ereman has one of our books that he needs to bring back before he gets his," I explained. The guy sighed and shook his head before leaving as if to say "What kind of stupidity is this? Over a book?" Yeah, it is fairly petty.A few minutes later Ereman himself showed up for the book I told him the same thing: we need our book first.
"You either give me my book or get yourself in the hall so I can beat your a**, mother-f*****r.," he shouted in the crowded library while holding the door open. It seemed as if he was just trying to make a scene and a fool out of himself.
"Watch how you talk to my worker," came the command from my petite boss. Ereman then launched into a verbal assault on her before turning back to me and demanding his book again upon threat of a beating.
"Just give him the book," my boss sighed, ready to see Ereman leave.
I handed the book to him and watched him leave. Moments later my boss was on the phone calling in the incident. Two sergeants came to get the story form my boss before calling for Ereman to be sent tot the security office and getting my story in the hallway. Shortly afterward, I saw a cart with Ereman's stuff being taken to segregation to meet its owner.
I don't know what the end result will be, but I hope Ereman wakes up to his own short fuse and deals with it in an appropriate manner. A quick temper never leads to good places. I don't think we'll get the Marvel Encyclopedia back, but it is a small price to pay if Ereman is able to change. Please pray that the situation is redeemed according to God's will.
Man, I can't wait to leave behind me the absolute stupidity of this place.
There was a fight in the dorm - first one I've seen in some months - for the stupidest reasons.
A few guys were working out in the bathroom, two doing dips on the sinks and two doing pull-ups using a torn sheet and mop handle suspended form the ceiling. A lieutenant came in and gathered them in the bathroom, but one guy, Hank, said he wasn't using the pull-up bar, just doing dips on the sink - the truth. The lieutenant just took the torn sheet and left them alone.
After the lieutenant left, Temple, one of the guys doing pull-ups, was mad that Hank tried to leave, even though he wasn't involved. Then Temple got mad that Hank talked to the lieutenant. Hank tried to make Temple understand that what he said had no influence on what the lieutenant did. Then it got more heated and Temple started swinging.
Hank is in anger management class right now and I've talked with him a few times about how, as a Christian, I refuse to fight. I think it's affected him because he just put his hands up and backed away during the fight. Temple kept swinging until he realized he was in front of the camera, then he went back to the bathroom yelling insults at Hank trying to get Hank to fight. Hank kept saying. "Chill out. I don't want to fight you," but Temple just kept going.
A few minutes later it finally settled down and the spectators went back to playing dominoes, muttering how weak Hank is for backing down. In my opinion, it proved that Hank was the better man for not allowing a stupid situation end up in a case for both of them. Prison seems to be primal and backwards, very rarely making much sense. I'm just living the best I can until I leave.
"He that fights and runs away will live to fight another day." Demosthenes
Breakfast was crazy today. To understand what happened you have to hear about yesterday's rec. For some reason, an Hispanic guy fought a black guy and all their respective gang members started fighting to back their friends up. I wasn't at rec, but I heard everybody hit the ground and about thirty guys were handcuffed and taken to segregation.
Back to breakfast. I was eating my eggs and biscuits when I heard some scuffling behind me and all the black guys around me stood up. When I looked back I saw a really tall black guy holding an Hispanic guy at arm's reach while the Hispanic guy tried to swing, missing every time. One of the other black guys was telling everyone else to cool off. The guards were yelling STOP! STOP!
The tall black guy just turned to the guards, turned back, punched the Hispanic guy in the face three times to drop him, then laid down on the ground with his hands behind his back. The sergeant handcuffed both of them and led them out of the dining hall, the Hispanic guy with blood streaming down his face.
All of us were afraid that, with the fight yesterday and this morning, the guards would cancel our holiday meal. Really, after eating our Thanksgiving lunch, I don't know why we wanted our holiday meal so badly. We had one slice of turkey, one scoop of stuffing, some fruity Jell-o, a small piece of carrot cake, and a spoon of peach cobbler. My last incarcerated Thanksgiving meal had three meats and overflowing stuffing and cranberry sauce, and a tray full of desserts. Today's meal was only slightly more than a normal meal and, though it tasted better, it just wasn't enough to justify cancelling dinner and giving johnnies.
This is definitely my least favorite time of the year in prison because it's so tough being away from family and not doing the traditional stuff. In keeping with Thanksgiving tradition, here's what I'm thankful for: health, support from family and friends, school, books, and the love of Christ. Without those things, my time would be so much tougher.
