“Barney? What are you doing here?” I ask as the guard walks me into the visitor’s room.
A lot of people end up with shitty attorneys, but I got lucky. He’s a good egg, even if he is a little twitchy.
“You’re getting out this afternoon,” he says, grinning wildly.
Wait, what?
“How? Why? What did you do?”
He shakes his head. “I didn’t do anything. You’re being released due to overcrowding and good behavior. Dr. Barlowe apparently gave a strong recommendation, and the warden signed off on it.”
“Really? Why didn’t he tell me?” I ask, still confused.
“Yes, really. And I don’t think he was allowed.”
Huh. No wonder he insisted I polish up my résumé and apply for jobs. Sneaky bastard.
“Holy shit. What do I do now?”
He walks me through the procedures and waits for me as I make my final walkthrough. I ask a guard I trust to give my commissary balance to someone who needs it, and I further entrust him to pass on some of the items that mean more on the inside. This all feels fucking surreal, but I can’t stop to take it in.
“Barney, I’ve got to type up this résumé. Can you help me get to a library or something?”
Hell, where am I going to sleep tonight?
“I can do one better,” he says, walking me to his car.
Barney takes me to his office, where he sets me at a computer to type up the résumé and email it out while he orders pizza.
Before I type up the résumé, I email Dr. Barlowe.
Dr. Barlowe,
I got out today, and I hear you’re the person responsible. So…thank you. I won’t ever forget our sessions. I’m just sad I couldn’t thank you properly for everything you taught me. I don’t have a phone yet, but I have this email account. If there’s anything I can do for you out here in the real world, just let me know. I’ll do anything you want me to.
Ignacio
I type up my résumé and send it to the email provided. I refresh the inbox about a million times before the pizza arrives, but I don’t get a response from Bram. He’s probably already gone for the day, so I grab a slice and focus on the things I should be doing, namely, getting a job and getting out of town.
I take a bite of hot pizza and…fuck, it’s the best pizza I’ve ever tasted. A reminder that I can build a life full of simple, amazing experiences.
After we’ve devoured the entire thing—to be fair, Barney only had two slices—I get an email from Jason Jennings asking if I can come in for an interview tomorrow morning. Not wanting to ask Barney for anything else, I take a chance and give my mother a call.
Dr. Barlowe wanted me to have a post-jail plan that put some distance between those who wouldn’t support my new goals and me.
He’s right, of course. As much as I never want to return to jail, I’ve only started believing I can create a better life for myself. I’m not strong enough to resist my family if they want to guilt me into helping with the family “business.”
“It’s just a few packages, primo.”
Spoiler alert: It’s never just a few packages.
Which means I’ve got to make this quick. Honestly, I’m surprised by how proud she sounds, and when she insists on lending me her car, I tear up.
“I can’t take your car, Mamá.”
“I don’t drive it anymore. Take it. Go where you need to go. Sell it if you need the cash.”
I check my email one last time before we leave Barney’s, but Bram still hasn’t replied.
