The Package of Tobacco

We met in a holding cell and were transported to Her Majesty's Penitentiary together, along with a few other troubled souls. Our cells were adjacent to each other in reception and during our two-day stay there, we were analyzed, categorized, assessed, processed and eventually shipped out to a minimum security prison farm, the Salmonier Correctional institution.

My cigarettes ran quickly short and out during those two days, on the east wing bottom, and he supplied me with some of his tobacco for to make “spit lickies.” We shared our thoughts, of his year already served and of my three months sentence as well as other things while we smoked and amused each other's minds.

His tobacco ran short at the prison farm and by this time I was in a position to supply him with some TMs. purchased through the canteen (one of only a few privileges you are afforded when your freedom is taken away). He had said that his girlfriend was to have put some money into his trust account but that she couldn't come up with the cash. Unbeknownst to him, he ordered some tobacco and a few Pepsis but they didn't arrive. So I continued to share my TMs and gave him some of my Pepsis which he reluctantly took, vowing to repay me as soon as he could. He rolled up four and a half packs of cigarettes for me from my tobacco and talked of Kim, his beautiful and precious Kimmie, as he did so.

His Kim, she was having her share of problems. She was trying to deal with having little money, his absence, their dog being nabbed by the catcher and other things. But she was coming to visit, the very same evening that my wife was coming to visit. I recall thinking how wonderful it would be to see Marg. My heart ached for her and I did miss her so very much.

In the bunkhouse, we shined ourselves up and I gave him a package of the rolled cigarettes and we were escorted to our visit. We both had letters which we gave to the guard for him to okay and made our way through the crowded visiting room to our respective tables. I just knew it would be a nice time together.

During his visit, he learned from Kim that she didn't have the price to buy cigarettes for herself. He felt humbled at the thought of not being able to provide for her as he always did. At the end of the visit he gave the package of rolled cigarettes to the guard to give to his lovely Kim; it broke his heart to see her without.

“I'm not use to giving cigarettes out to a visitor,” replied the guard. “Usually it's the other way around.”

My cell mate continued to Kim's car and tied up the broken handbrake cable that the newly licensed Kim had inadvertently pulled on. “Be careful. I love you with all my heart and don't forget that handbrake cable doesn't work.” He called after her...

We then returned to the van to be escorted back to the inmate quarters. The guard handed him a package of tobacco that Kim had purchased with her last cent, for him. He rolled that tobacco with a special tenderness that night, his fingers caressing each strand. As I watched, he talked of her long lovely flowing locks. When he finished, he handed me back the cigarettes I had given him.

By: Paul