Edward's Dilemma Read Online Free Page B
Author: Paul Adan
“down-and-outers” to their house to do chores. He’d pay them minimum wage, and also provide them with a hearty lunch. In exchange, they’d help Edward’s dad with things like mowing the lawn, trimming bushes, and weeding flowerbeds.
Edward took a big bite out of the banana, and discarded the peel.
In disgust, he continued to look out the window. He was somewhat bothered by the presence of yet another of his dad’s charity cases. His dad would argue that he was doing the “Christian” thing by helping these people. The way Edward looked at it, his dad was trying to assuage a guilty conscience. Besides, in spite of the fact that his dad had met them at church, there were some – like the guy outside – who didn’t seem to be trustworthy. Edward thought his dad was, in this respect, a little naïve.
When he was done eating, Edward got up from the table and plopped himself down on one end of the couch. His brother, Thomas, was already sprawled out on the other end playing Nintendo. He watched the game for a while, but then grew bored.
Edward got up from the couch, and headed towards the stairs. As he did, he glanced out the front window. In the driveway, there were two cars ; his family’s familiar station-wagon, and another car with a broken side-view mirror. He surmised that the other car belonged to the guy who was doing yard work. He briefly looked at the car before he proceeded up the stairs.
Upon entering his bedroom, Edward sat down on his disheveled bed. He wasn’t happy; for some reason his tooth was bothering him. I can live with it , he thought. Ignoring the pain, he picked up a book and began thumbing through the pages. Suddenly, a jolt of pain shot through his mouth, and he awoke from his sleep.
♦ ♦ ♦
Stuart Co. Jail, Tank2C
10 August, 10:14 AM
AFTER ENDURING his toothache for what seemed like a long time, Edward approached John Bakerly – who had also moved into Tank 2C. John explained to him that there were other alternatives. The best option was to buy the Ibuprofen from the commissary, if Edward could wait that long, and if he had some money on “the books.” The second option for Edward was that he could trade something that he possessed with another inmate who already had the pills.
This second option, according to John, was inherently risky. Since Edward possessed nothing other than what he’d been issued by the jail, he’d have to save a leftover food item from a meal in order to make a trade. This was a problem because food items, such as an orange or a bread roll, were considered contraband. Making matters worse, any pill not in a store bought package, or in a package supplied by the clinic, was also considered contraband.
In spite of the risk, Edward chose option number two; his tooth was hurting like crazy, and he felt he couldn’t wait until commissary day. To get the ball roll’n, John said he’d introduce Edward to his “good friend,” Marco. At the time, Edward had thought the decision was a no-brainer. Two weeks later, he’d come to regret having ever laid eyes on a man named John Bakerly.
CHAPTER THREE
Stuart Co. Jail, Tank 3WestB
10 August, 1:45 PM
JOSH HAD only spent a few hours in the Intake Unit before he was transferred to an area of the jail referred to as the “Old Jail.” Here, he was housed in a tank which was comprised of two tiers – upper and lower – with eleven cells on each tier. Each day, on a rotating basis, the inmates from one of the two tiers were released from their cells for a few hours so that they could spend some time together in the common area. The rest of the time, they were confined in two-man cells which contained nothing more than a single bunk-bed. It was a Spartan existence, to say the least. There was no TV or sink in the cells, and just going to the bathroom involved pushing a little button on the wall to alert the CO to open
Edward took a big bite out of the banana, and discarded the peel.
In disgust, he continued to look out the window. He was somewhat bothered by the presence of yet another of his dad’s charity cases. His dad would argue that he was doing the “Christian” thing by helping these people. The way Edward looked at it, his dad was trying to assuage a guilty conscience. Besides, in spite of the fact that his dad had met them at church, there were some – like the guy outside – who didn’t seem to be trustworthy. Edward thought his dad was, in this respect, a little naïve.
When he was done eating, Edward got up from the table and plopped himself down on one end of the couch. His brother, Thomas, was already sprawled out on the other end playing Nintendo. He watched the game for a while, but then grew bored.
Edward got up from the couch, and headed towards the stairs. As he did, he glanced out the front window. In the driveway, there were two cars ; his family’s familiar station-wagon, and another car with a broken side-view mirror. He surmised that the other car belonged to the guy who was doing yard work. He briefly looked at the car before he proceeded up the stairs.
Upon entering his bedroom, Edward sat down on his disheveled bed. He wasn’t happy; for some reason his tooth was bothering him. I can live with it , he thought. Ignoring the pain, he picked up a book and began thumbing through the pages. Suddenly, a jolt of pain shot through his mouth, and he awoke from his sleep.
♦ ♦ ♦
Stuart Co. Jail, Tank2C
10 August, 10:14 AM
AFTER ENDURING his toothache for what seemed like a long time, Edward approached John Bakerly – who had also moved into Tank 2C. John explained to him that there were other alternatives. The best option was to buy the Ibuprofen from the commissary, if Edward could wait that long, and if he had some money on “the books.” The second option for Edward was that he could trade something that he possessed with another inmate who already had the pills.
This second option, according to John, was inherently risky. Since Edward possessed nothing other than what he’d been issued by the jail, he’d have to save a leftover food item from a meal in order to make a trade. This was a problem because food items, such as an orange or a bread roll, were considered contraband. Making matters worse, any pill not in a store bought package, or in a package supplied by the clinic, was also considered contraband.
In spite of the risk, Edward chose option number two; his tooth was hurting like crazy, and he felt he couldn’t wait until commissary day. To get the ball roll’n, John said he’d introduce Edward to his “good friend,” Marco. At the time, Edward had thought the decision was a no-brainer. Two weeks later, he’d come to regret having ever laid eyes on a man named John Bakerly.
CHAPTER THREE
Stuart Co. Jail, Tank 3WestB
10 August, 1:45 PM
JOSH HAD only spent a few hours in the Intake Unit before he was transferred to an area of the jail referred to as the “Old Jail.” Here, he was housed in a tank which was comprised of two tiers – upper and lower – with eleven cells on each tier. Each day, on a rotating basis, the inmates from one of the two tiers were released from their cells for a few hours so that they could spend some time together in the common area. The rest of the time, they were confined in two-man cells which contained nothing more than a single bunk-bed. It was a Spartan existence, to say the least. There was no TV or sink in the cells, and just going to the bathroom involved pushing a little button on the wall to alert the CO to open
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