“I hear you. Hey, pass the soap, and don’t drop it,” Errol joked.
I handed him a cake of thick yellow soap. “Ha. You’re not my type.”
He laughed.
We toweled down and headed to the yard. I rolled my shoulders back and forth to lift the pain. The shit wasn’t working. Austin recognized what it was immediately. “He get you, too?”
“Yeah, he did. What the fuck is his problem?”
Austin lit up a rare cigarette that he smoked from time to time. He offered me one. I refused. The sky was a little clearer today as I looked up and watched the wafting whites float by. It reminded me of my life and the way it had floated by here.
“The man is drunk on his own power.” Austin pulled a drag of his cigarette as the smoke wisps hit the air. “He ought to be careful, though. He’s got a few people riled up. There’s talk of a prison hit. He might not make it through the night.”
I put my large hand up to the left of my shoulder to self-soothe. It didn’t work.
“You’ll be all right, young man. I’ve had more than my fair share of blows. But he doesn’t mess with an old man like me anymore. I’m not news to him. He just likes to throw his weight around when he sees an opening.”
“Yeah, I noticed,” I mumbled. “Want to spot me? I want to push some reps out. It looks like the weight bench is free right now.”
Austin nodded. “No problem. Let me finish, and we’ll get to it.”
I watched the ash fall to the ground as I scanned the scene. Ten prisoners were gathered in the back corner. Nothing heavy, just the normal scene in the yard.
I dropped low and slid under the weight bar. Errol, who normally separated from me in the yard, came past mouthing something from the corner of his lips. “You need to be careful, my brother. There are a few guys in that group over there that know you’re getting out. They ain’t too happy. Stay alert.”
He smiled at both Austin and me then walked off. Austin tapped me back down under the bar as I tried to get up.
“Don’t pay them any mind. I know every one of those prisoners in the group. I’ve done favors for all of them. If any one of them tries it, they will have to answer to me. Now we got rep one on the same weight as last time. Let’s go,” Austin said firmly as he watched the group.
I got through my weight set with a sharp ache in my upper back. I’d endured a few fights in the yard in my time at USP, and I would withstand this one. I held steady and finished set one.
Austin looked down over the bar. “I heard you got your little problem sorted out.” He arched one brow at me.
I exhaled out as I lifted the bar back up towards him. “Yep. Frank got it sorted.”
“Good to hear. One more heave-ho to go. Let’s get to it.”
I pushed my muscles to the limit, and my biceps strained from the overload.
“You got it. Bring it up. Bring it up.”
I gushed out a breath and lifted with the excess anger stored inside.
“That’s it. I pushed you today to release that pain inside. Helps.”
I pulled forward and sat up at the bench. Austin caught a glimpse at the top of my shoulders as I did. “Thanks. ‘Preciate it.”
“That’s gonna turn up real nice in the next few days. Blue, purple, and yellow.” He laughed heartily.
“Thanks, old man,” I responded in a playful tone.
“Don’t thank me. You got Raymond to thank for that.”
“That I do.”
The bell sounded, and it was time to go back in. I made it back to the cell with no trouble. As my emotions settled from the hit, I heard my phone ring. I lunged for it so quickly that Errol did a double-take.
“Easy, brother.”
