Down For You

Four

Marcus

"Chow time Tucker." Officer Nicholas called, interrupting me from the push-ups I had been doing.

Standing to my feet I dust myself off wiping my hands cleaning as I walked toward the cell door. I watched as they did their check before walking me out toward Chow Hall.

Walking down the hall I could hear the chatter of multiple inmates that sat around the tables talking amongst themselves.

I kept a mug on my face as I walked through the line getting my food. I looked each inmate in their eye that worked in the kitchen as they plopped the bland colored, flavorless food onto my tray.

"Nasty ass shit." I said, my eyes looking them up and down before walking away.

I found myself hanging with the older men or OG's that I call em, who had been locked up for years, some who been here even before I was born.

Walking toward where they sat near the exit I took a seat on the cold metal stool connected to the small circular metal tables. "Wasup young blood." TK greeted.

"Wasup wit it." I nodded, acknowledging everybody at the table as they did the same.

"Not shit, eatin this nasty ass food. I been in here fourty two years and you'd think I'd be use to this shit." TK said, pushing his tray away.

"You never get use to this food, this stuff they tryna kill us wit." Robert, another OG said.

"Man yeah, we ain't never gone have nun good up in here unless is commissary."  Percy spoke.

"Y'all can keep that shit, I jus gotta make it through this week and next and I'll be eating some home made food." I smiled poking the dark brown meat with my fork.

"Oh you getting out next week huh?"

"Yup! I'm outta here state got too much of my life in here."

"I hear that youngin, make sure you leave and neva come back. " TK spoke.

"Trust me, I won't."

"Good, I said the same thing and here I am serving a life sentence. "

"Trust me, I don't plan on ever coming back here, I'm ready to get outta here and see my family and my girl and eat shit that don't look like it'll crawl off this tray."

"Once you get out enjoy that life man, it'll take some time to get use to being back in the free world but you still young, you gotta whole life to live. I want better for you man." Percy nodded.

Nodding my head I continued listening to the OG's for the time being as we stayed in chow hall.

Tossing my tray into the trash I made my way back toward the cell.

"Yo Savage." Rashad, his cell mate called him by his nickname he had gotten since being in.

"Wasup?"

"You gotta letta ova there." He nodded his head toward my bunk.

"Aight."

"So you really leavin next week?"

"Mhm."

"Damn bruh, you all I know in hea."

"Well, guess you gotta get to know somebody else. "

Silence filled the room as I sat on the bottom bunk opening the envelope that sat on top of my bed. I felt a small smile on my face seeing a letter from my moms.

Flipping it over I slid my finger along the top opening the envelope. My eyes read the letter as my moms updated me about everything and everyone in the family.

I was happy to know this would be my last time getting letters like these and being able to see my people in the next few days. Tucking the letter away along with the others I had gotten over the last five years.

"Yo people sent you the letter?" Rashad asked sitting in the corner reading a book.

"Yea."

"Must be nice, since I been in I heard from my folks once and that was a year ago."

"Damn."

"Yeah, but it's whatever when I do get out I know them niggas gone show fake love. But it's all good I know how to make it on my own."

"Yeah, bein in here you learn a lot about yo self."

"Facts." Rashad nodded in agreement.

"When you gettin out?"

"Still waiting on a time, I don't even know, but I'm sure it's gone be a while since I offed a Nigga."

I shook my head looking at him. Rashad was skinny kid that looked like he wouldn't hurt a fly he was slim no taller than 5'5.

"Why?"

"Why what? Why I kill 'em?"

"Yea."

"It was my mama boyfriend, he'd been abusing her and my sister and brother and me, I got tired of the abuse. I didn't mean to kill him but at the same time I'm glad to know he's not messing wit them no more."

"Damn."

"Yeah."

Being in here, I've heard all sorts of stories about the crimes people in here did, folks were really messed up. It was nothing compared to sellin drugs and having a unregistered gun like I had.

My whole life I never had a good influence in my life, the man who I was told was my father came in and out of my life, but was more out than in leaving me to be raised by my mother who also had other kids to raise. Being the eldest I knew at a young age I had to be the man of the house. At twelve years old  I began selling to provide for myself and my family.

It lasted a while until one night everything went wrong, one day last me five years.  I served my time and now it was time for me to be free again.