Slush

Eight

"Yo, tell me about Ms. Vicky."

"Fine, ain't she?"

"I mean, yea but she's...too nice."

"That's her defense mechanism. Officer Glover treats her like shit and I think she's stressed from home, too."

"Ah, I see."

"Yea, but she's cool. Don't give her any trouble. She got mad respect out here. You will get fucked up, Macky. "

"Aight, man."

"Yea, just give her a chance. You'll like her."

*

Vicky was going to each cell, handing the inmates their mail that they had received. Very few had many letters but most people had at least one.

"Macky, here you go..." She reached through the whole in his cell door and handed him his letter.

He got up from his bed and reached out his hand to grab it from her. His hand touched hers causing a chill to go down her back. Macky noticed and scrunched up his face.

"You ok, Ms. Vicky?"

"I'm fine. Enjoy your letter." She said and quickly walked away. Macky shook his head and returned to his bed. He looked at the letter to see that it was from his mother.

Dear Thomas,
Hi, son. I want you to know that I love you no matter what and that I miss you. I don't know how long you're going to be away but I'll write you until you come back. Zariah misses you, too. She keeps looking at the drawings you gave her and she will not put that damn doll down. Monica came by and left some of your things. That girl was never any good, anyway. I want you to write me back, ok? Even if you don't have anything to say. Draw me one of those beautiful pictures. I can't lose both of my sons. I love you so much, Macky.

Sincerely,

Mama

Macky wiped away a tear that fell from the corner of his eye as he laid back in his bed. He sat up and grabbed a piece of paper to write back with.

*

"Terrance and Macky are doing laundry today." Vicky read her clipboard.

"Who the fuck is Macky?" Hillary turned her nose up.

"Oh sorry...Thomas." Vicky corrected herself and looked back at the clipboard.

"Anyway, and Steven and Franklin?" Hillary said rolling her eyes as she went down the list.

"It looks like....mopping. Then after mopping they have kitchen duty." Vicky read as Hillary checked off the names.

"Alright then, are you going to go tell them or is that too hard of a task?" Ignoring her, Vicky grabbed her clipboard and made her way to where the inmates were.