New and unusual
friends in the Watch-House
An excerpt from Treasures of Darkness:
When
it was my turn, I contemplated the little room. Metal walls with a filthy
little metal shelf moulded in the corner, presumably for my towel and clothes;
and some little bumps in the metal floor to prevent slipping. No taps, just a
shower rose and a button. I pressed it expecting cold water to spray me or a
tiny trickle to dribble down the wall. I was surprised to have a proper shower,
until it stopped automatically after 3 minutes. I dried off and dressed in the
same shorts and T-shirt that served as underwear and pressed the button to be
let out again.
Ill-fitting
replacements weren’t issued until Sunday. It was the only change of clothes we
were given in the 6 days we were there.
A
small rectangle of polished metal was screwed to the wall above our basin to
serve as a mirror. It was so high we had to stretch to see a cloudy image of
our faces. I don’t remember if we were issued a comb. We had nothing for our
skin.
Six
days without moisturiser in air-conditioning takes its toll. By the time I got
to the prison my face was tight and my lips were so badly chapped that pieces
of hard, broken skin were standing up like razors. Both sides of my mouth were
split.
It
was Friday, and a new member was introduced to our pod.
Bernice
was a large, foul mouthed young woman with long, thick hair, very pale skin and
rotten teeth. She sailed in, announced she was having withdrawals from heroin,
went straight to the other cell and lay down to sleep. My first close contact
with what was obviously a “hardened” criminal!
Amanda
and I looked at each other and wondered what we were in for when she awoke. The
reading I had done regarding withdrawals painted a frightening picture of
screaming pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and
flinging oneself about for several days.
Our
next guest arrived and we pointed to the cell where Bernice was sleeping.
She
looked frightened, and asked us anxiously, “Will she attack me?” Not having a
clue, we answered, “No, you’ll be safe, she’s OK.” We did our best to reassure
her but we weren’t the ones sharing a cell with Bernice!
Francis
was a young woman with big curls, a baby face and sad eyes. She had worked in
the payroll office of a supermarket. She was also a gambling addict. Her job
provided her the opportunity to misdirect funds she could then use to gamble
with. She is still amazed at how easy it was to create fictional employees.
Francis
came from a blended, yet respectable home. She didn’t drink much or do drugs.
However, she had begun buying scratch-it cards as a lonely young teenager,
quickly becoming addicted. She was to serve 14 months.
In
the afternoon, an uproar of catcalls arose from down the corridor. As we craned
our necks, we watched in awe as a young wild-haired Indigenous woman strode
towards us. With blanket and towel in one hand, the other flipped “the bird” to
the male prisoners as she swept past them.
Sophie
entered our pod like it was her lounge room, dumping her gear, flopping down
with a big grin and a string of profanity.
We
liked her instantly.
There
was something reassuring about her confidence. I was fascinated. She had got
caught with drugs at Southbank, a popular city play area where families gather
and security is greater. Cops can generally tell when someone is suspect, and
she and her boyfriend just looked, well, suspicious. Giving cheek is a quick
way to get more attention from the police, too, even if you are not doing
anything wrong.
Sophie
was familiar with a variety of watch-houses. She claimed to have miscarried in
one due to a police beating. I didn’t know if she was telling the truth, but
from what I have heard and observed since, it wouldn’t surprise me. There are
many stories from Indigenous women about police brutality but they are
difficult to prove.
People
like me are not normally bothered by police. As a well-mannered, well-dressed,
white woman, I have “respectable” written all over me. By comparison with many
women, I have nothing to complain
about. In prison I made a point of being polite to everyone, especially
officers, regardless of how they spoke to me. I carefully worded my requests,
so they would respond favourably. I didn’t feel like a criminal, I didn’t see
myself as a criminal, so I didn’t talk to them like I was inferior. This didn’t
always endear me to some staff, but those stories will come later...
Trish is participating in the John 3:16 Marketing Network book launch. See entry details here: http://john316mn.blogspot.com/2013/09/john-316-marketing-network-book-launch.html
About
the Story
FREEDOM
ON THE INSIDE
Prison was not on the “Goal Chart” of
entrepreneur Trish Jenkins. A breach of the Corporations Act meant losing her
multi-million dollar portfolio, including her family home.
It also meant Trish served 8 months in prison.
Isolated from her husband and 3 little girls,
living among Queensland’s most dangerous criminals, Trish could have succumbed
to despair.
But
treasure is found in dark places.
Refusing to give in to self-pity, Trish answered
a new calling to make a difference in the lives around her. In doing so she
found a different kind of freedom and healing.
Real and raw, these pages are better than a
memoir; made up of letters, personal journaling and hindsight.
“I assumed I would be a model prisoner because I
was a Christian. So how did I get into so much trouble, so often, yet with the
best of intentions?”
Like when she was reported escaped…
Or setting the alarm off in the officers’
quarters…
Or having to explain why the woman she prayed
for fell to the floor…
Be
Inspired
You’ll laugh, cry and shake your head at
hilarious stories, tragic circumstances, discouragement, hope and ever present
faith.
“You may have no razor wire around you, but you
may feel more like a prisoner than me! Let me share my keys to freedom with
you.”
Novelist Elaine Marie Cooper is the author of The Road to Deer Run, The Promise of Deer Run and The Legacy of Deer Run. Her passions are her family, her faith in Christ and the history of the American Revolution, a frequent subject of her historical fiction. She grew up in Massachusetts, the setting for many of her novels.
