My Name is Sharon

THIS STORY CONTAINS SWEARING, VIOLENCE AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE

The clanging of heavy doors and raised voices woke Sharon, my head; she whispered bringing her hands to her ears. The room slowly came into focus and all of a sudden she was wide awake despite the throbbing of her head and the ringing in her ears, oh shit not again she said swinging her legs over the edge of the bunk until her feet touched the cold cement floor. The ugly faded green walls and the thick grey door with the tiny window had not changed since she woke up in the same room less than two months ago. She put her head in her hands looking down at her bare feet, where the hell are my shoes, she wondered trying to remember what she might have done  to end up back at the police station this time. What day is it, what time is it? The room spun around throwing her off balance as she tried to stand, causing her to fall to the floor, catching her shin on the edge of the bunk bed, that’s going to leave a bruise she said to herself rubbing the sore spot that was quickly starting to swell, I would give my left kidney for two aspirins and a strong cup of coffee she said out loud. She got to her feet while holding onto the edge of the bunk to steady herself. She walked to the door and tried to look outside. The glass was so thick and so dirty that she could barely see anything. Hello she shouted banging on the door, ouch she mumbled holding her throbbing head in her hands, and this feels like a tequila headache, why do I do this to myself? I wonder what the rest of the gang feel like. A wave of nausea suddenly hit her and she lunged for the metal sink in the corner just in time to throw up. Yip tequila, She washed her face after rinsing out the sink while taking small sips to rinse out her mouth, I hope I don’t get Salmonella poisoning from this water. Sharon sat down on the bunk bed again trying hard to remember last night’s party. She must have fallen asleep again because the sound of a heavy key turning in the door of her cell woke her. Rise and shine sunshine the Police officer said putting a stainless steel tray down on the bunk next to her, fancy meeting you here again, eat up you only have another 10 minutes before you have to leave your private suite and join the general population, Sharon vaguely remembered meeting the Officer before. She looked down at the contents of the tray to find what looked like some kind of porridge, a slice of bread with some orange looking jam on it and a metal cup half full of a brown liquid. She picked up the metal cup, while pushing the tray to one side; I am not hungry enough to eat whatever that is she said sarcastically. She took a gulp of the contents of the cup, gross, cold tea; I hate tea she said to herself. The police officer returned and swung the door open a second time, who do I need to speak to get a hot cup of coffee around here Sharon asked her, Sorry we are fresh out the Police officer replied but best you go to the toilet before we move you as I am sure you can remember from your last visit to our esteemed establishment you have to pee in front of an audience or hold it in until you make bail. Suddenly she remembered the bladder infection she got the last time she was here and the anti biotic she was on for 5 days, but the no alcohol rule for those 5 days was a bit ridicules. When do I get my phone call she asked and where are my shoes, 6 inch heels are considered a deadly weapon around here the officer said to her , so next time  I suggest you wear flats.  They came to an abrupt stop at a desk with a telephone on it, number you want to call, the officer asked and Sharon quickly wrote down the number and the officer handed her the phone on the first ring. Hello, Hey Sis it’s me, Sharon said, were are you Tracy asked, your boss is looking for you, sorry Sis Sharon said not letting Tracy finish her sentence I am at the police station can you come and get me please, There was a long pause on the other end of the phone, Sis are you there, I can’t bail you out again Sharon, Tracy said in reply , I promised Warren that I would not bail you out again, not after the last time, oh come on Tracy ,  no Sharon, you are out of control, and like Warren says I need to stop enabling your bad behavior,  you could have killed that guy you ran over last night and you did not even stop. If I keep bailing you out you will never take responsibility for your bad behavior. Sharon rolled her eyes before saying Ok sis look I am really sorry, get me out of here and we can discuss my bad behavior over a greasy breakfast and a bottomless cup of very strong coffee OK? See that’s what I mean Tracy shouted into the phone have you heard a word I’v said, I am so done with you and the line went dead. Sis, Sis, Tracy are your there.......come on Tracy......I was only joking...... hello.....The officer took the phone away from Sharon and placed it back onto the cradle. I got disconnected Sharon said can I please call her again, nope said the officer you only get one call, let’s go she said maneuvering Sharon away from the desk towards the office door,  wait, wait Sharon pleaded we were disconnected by accident, that’s not my fault, please please let me call her back. The police officer paused for a moment and turned her around heading back towards the telephone, you are lucky I am in a good mood today she said dialing the number again. Sharon waited for Tracy to pick up but the call went to her answering machine, Sis Sis it’s me please pick up.........ok ok I get it you are angry with me I am really sorry, really I am Sharon said and she paused, waiting for her to pick up but still nothing, look I am at the West End Police station please come and get me, I promise that this will be the last time.....Sharon  pause again hoping that Tracy would pick up the phone.......still nothing...... please Tracy pick up the phone.  That’s it the officer said wrestling the phone out of her hand, took her by the arm and forced her forwards through the wooden door. She is most probably on her way Sharon said My, big sister Tracy has to make sure that I learn my lesson right? The officer turned a big key in the lock of a large holding cell, shocking Sharon back to reality. All the women in the cell turned to look at the door, fresh meat ladies said the scariest looking women Sharon had ever seen, her thick arms were covered in tattoos and her smile revealed three gold teeth. Oh shit  the police officer said, I thought that she had been bailed out already, listen honey, be very carefully  Shaniqua is a nasty piece of work so put away your snooty attitude, pick a spot in a corner and stay there until your sister comes and I hope for your sake she will be here soon because Fridays are the start of a very busy weekend around here and if your sister does not come you will be here until court opens on Monday and a weekend in jail with Shani is not something I would wish on my worst enemy. Wait......... What did you say Friday Sharon asked, yes Its Friday Bitch said the large tattooed women looking Sharon up and down, and the courts close in 30 minutes so I guess you and I will be having a sleep over this weekend, welcome to my place and what I say goes. Language Shani qua said the police officer. Nice to meet you ladies Sharon lied holding out her hand, don’t be a smart ass bitch Shanique growled slapping her hand away with such force that Sharon winced in pain, play nice Shaniqua the police officer said, we don’t want a repeat of last time now do we.  Sharon walked over to a corner of the cell while Shaniqua was distracted by the police officer leaving and took a look around. There were about 6 women in the cell with her, she assumed that at least three of them were hookers by the skimpy clothing they had on, Shanique and another women with just as many tattoos as she had stood together, great there of two of them Sharon thought to herself.  Way in the far corner from where she stood was a middle aged woman in what looked like her pajamas, and it looked like she had been crying for hours. Wonder what she is in here for Sharon thought to herself. Her tummy rumbled and she regretted not at least eating the slice of bread she was offered earlier. Shaniqua and her side kick stood off to one side whispering to each other while the other three ladies took a seat on one of the long benches next to each other, safety in numbers Sharon guessed. She had another look around; there were three long benches all in a row and a stainless steel basin and toilet in the corner. She stood up and walked towards the basin and bent over to take a sip of water, someone grabbed the back of her jacket and flung her across the room she hit the floor sliding across it smashing her face on one of the legs of the benches bolted to the floor. She lost conciseness for a second, did you ask me if you could have a drink of water bitch Shaniqua snarled bending over her, Sharon tried to sit up and was sure she could taste blood in her mouth like I said earlier I run this place bitch, did you ask me if you could have a drink of water? Shaniqua was so close to her face that she could smell her bad breath , causing Sharon to gag, I am going to be sick she said in a whisper, can I have a drink of water please, what’s in it for me Shaniqua asked , what do you want asked Sharon wiping the spray of spit out of her eyes, that’s  a nice jacket you have on she said, so that’s why her side kick was wearing a dressing gown in a jail cell and Sharon took a guess as to who she had taken it from, she slowly looked at the women dressed in her pajamas still crouched down in the corner of the cell. Sharon looked down at the jacket that she was wearing, it was her favorite one and she had paid a fortune for it, the women in the corner looked back at Sharon , shaking her head slowly back and forth trying to warn her  looking up just enough for Sharon to see what looked like dried blood just under her nose. Sharon held her breath while taking the jacket off, her arm still hurt. There was no way either of them were going to fit into the jacket but Shaniqua and her wing women stood in the middle of the cell arguing over who was going to get to keep it, shit Rene you got the dressing gown, this one is mine Shaniqua said in a raised voice tying the jacked around her waist stretching the sleeves as far as they would go to make it fit.

Sharon was suddenly starting to become aware of how cold it was without having her jacket on anymore, and she wrapped her arms around herself to try and keep warm the memories of last night’s party at the Saints club were slowly starting to return, she was finally having her first drink inside the  Saints Club after being on the waiting list for the 13 months , and just in time to surprise Jacqui on her birthday, the look on her face was priceless when all the ladies in the gang were whisked past security and shown to their table without having to stand in line. How did I get from one of the best cubs in town to here..........Sharon knew she must have been beyond drunk, black out drunk in fact. It had happened a few times before where she could not remember doing any of the things that her friends told her she had done the next day, dancing on the bar, kissing random guys and getting slapped by jealous girlfriends. She could not even remember the bitch fight she had been arrest for the last time she was here, OK maybe hitting her with a beer bottle had been a bit excessive and the assault charge brought against her was a bit harsh it was self defense right?, her assault case was still waiting for a court date but she was not fazed at all, surely the judge would see it as self defense right? Suddenly Sharon’s blood went cold Had Tracy mentioned a guy getting run over last night? The sound of the key in the cell door brought Sharon back to the future, Dinner time ladies said an unfamiliar Police Officer carrying a stack of metal trays. Shaniqua walked towards the officer taking all of the trays, why thank you kind sir, she said sarcastically. Nobody else in the cell moved. The Officer locked the cell door and disappeared back behind the wooden office door. Sharon walked towards where Shanoqua and her wing women had taken a seat crossed legged over one of the benches, what you want Bitch Shaniqua said, I want my food please Sharon asked, I have not eaten all day and I am starving. Shaniqua and her side kick continued to empty the food from the all the other trays onto the two trays directly in front of them, can I have my food please Sharon asked again, Shaniqua turned her head to look at her, can’t you see that we are trying to enjoy our food Bitch, the middle aged lady in the corner got up and walked towards Sharon taking her by the arm trying to pull her away. Sharon shook her arm free, oh hell no she said at the top of her voice first you take my jacket and now my food, who do you think you are, what gives you the right to take our food??  Sharon regretted what she said almost immediately after saying it but it was already too late. Shanique slowly got up out of her sitting position and turned to face Sharon, what did you say BITCH, It was just at that moment that Sharon swore that Shaniqua's eyes turned pitch black. Shaniqua took a step back and swung her left fist hitting Sharon square in the face following it up with a blow to the jaw with her right fist. Sharon fell to the floor the last thing she remembered was Shaniqua kicking her on her left side followed by a cracking noise and the most excruciating pain. Sharon woke up to the sound of beeping and bright lights, everyone was dressed in blue wearing masks, Sharon  can you hear me, she tried to speak but her mouth would not move, Sharon you are in the emergency room, you have a broken nose, a broken jaw and your lung has collapsed. We need to insert a chest tube into your side to release the trapped air so that your lung can re-inflate and it is going to hurt.

It was a beautiful sunny day, the wearer birds were making nets in the nearby trees, she could watch them for hours. The garden had come alive with beautiful flowers blooming after a night of gentle rain. Sharon’s thoughts drifted back to the last three months of her life, her nose, ribs and jaw has healed well but they still ached when it got cold. The pedestrian she hit that night had also recovered but she still had some of his medical bills to pay. She was still dealing with the pain of causing her sister Tracy so much guilt for not bailing her out straight away. She was still getting used to using the public transport system after the courts took her driver’s license away.  She had pleaded guilty to DUI and leaving the scene of an accident but her lawyer had managed to get her a plea deal which included booking herself into a rehab center for at least 60 days as well as 180 hours of community service. Not one of her so called friends came to see in her in hospital or at court but Jacqui had called her to ask for her money back after being left to pay the bill that night. She heard the door of her room opening, Sharon it’s time for group, thanks Jill I will be right down, she stood up walked into the little bedroom, closed the balcony door, walked to the closet, took out a grey hoodie and walked out of the room down the stairs and into a small hall were 7 people were sitting in a circle, she took her place at the front of the group saying Hi she said my name is Sharon..........and I am a alcoholic.