Prison Break

Jailhouse Johnson was feeling overwhelmed. No one told him life outside of prison was so difficult. In San Quentin he was told when to get up, what to wear, what to eat and when to leave his cell. He didn’t have to pretend he was happy and smile. Now, people expected him to make eye contact when they were talking to him but that was way too risky. He wanted to hide out from the world. He had to push himself to go out for groceries or even walk up the hall to the bathroom. His friends, Big Jackson and Jimmy Breeze had come to his room a couple of times but he pretended like he wasn’t in.

House called out to God, “Where are you? What am I supposed to do now?”

The only answer was the rumble of a garbage truck as it trundled up the street. He didn’t know what else to do so he just stayed in his small room. He started drinking again and hoped that would help keep him sane, but it wasn’t working. His life consisted of drinking until he passed out and then coming to feeling sick and more anxious than before. He stared at the water stained ceiling and mumbled to himself, “I don’t get it. I must have been absent on the day the rules for life were passed out. How do people deal with all this stuff?”

He decided to forget the whole thing, it was time to let loose and have some fun.

“Let them send me back to the pen, I don’t care.”

He headed out to his old stomping grounds in the tenderloin and stopped in a steel gated liquor store for a bottle of Old Tennis Shoes. A woman standing on the corner grinned at him seductively and suggested he rent a room.

“I know just the place, follow me.”

She slipped her arm into his and they strolled up the urine soaked street to the Gimcrack Hotel. The desk clerk was staring at his phone as they walked in. He didn’t bother to look up.

“Thirty-five bucks.”

Jailhouse slammed the money on the dirty wooden counter and the clerk managed to pass him a key without taking his eyes off the screen.

“Number twenty-seven, two flights up, first door on the left.”

Jailhouse snatched the old brass key, took his date by the hand and headed for the room. They strode their way up the creaky stairs following the stained carpet.

He inserted the key and turned the filthy doorknob. Paint chips fell to the carpet as the cracked door creaked open. The room had a small brass bed, a yellowed sink and reeked of flea bomb.

Jailhouse grinned at his date in anticipation.

“What’s your name sweetheart?”

She fluttered her eyelids and grinned back.

“My friends call me Mel, but you can call me Melrose. What’s your name big boy?”

Jailhouse started unbuckling his belt and sat on the bed.

“My friends call me House.”

He slid off his dull black work boots and lowered his pants.

Melrose giggled and said in a very loud voice.

“Here, let me help you with that.”

She slid the frayed jeans off his legs and held them up. As soon as she finished there was a knock on the door.

House pushed a cockroach off his foot and shouted at the splintery door.

“Whaddaya want?”

Someone replied in a sing-song voice. “It’s the bellboy.”

“Bellboy? Get lost who ever you are.”

Melrose slid up to him and whispered. “Better get it, I think it’s my dealer with some crack.”

House eased the door open and was met with a face full of pistol. Melrose pushed by him and ran out the door with his pants in her hands. House heard the two of them laughing as they sprinted down the stairs. He shot out the door and rushed down the stairs after them. Someone tripped him as he rounded a corner and he crashed down the dark stairwell.

House came to with a throbbing bump on his head and rug burns on his bare legs. He decided to go back upstairs and drink his bottle of whisky.

“Might as well not be a total waste.”

The next morning he came to in a puddle of vomit still clutching the bottle of cheap whiskey. He downed the last three slugs from the bottle and stumbled out the door.

A dark figure barreled into him as he emerged into the early morning light. House staggered up the street and weaved through traffic.

He woke up standing in the middle of a hectic intersection screaming at the top of his lungs. Horns blared angrily as cars flew by sending him into a spin. He shook his bleary head and wondered how he got there, where were his pants and why was he waving a pistol?

The bewildered drunken man heard sirens approaching so he dropped the gun and stumbled up the street. He turned up Antonio Street and ducked behind a rusty dumpster. He found a clean piece of cardboard and plopped down onto the greasy concrete to wait it out shivering in the dank alley.

House thought about the last week and realized he needed more help than any living man could provide. What was he thinking when he went to a room with a prostitute? He was overwhelmed with shame and tears started rolling down his cheeks. He whispered a prayer of repentance to his Lord, prayed for Melrose and thanked God for protecting him from doing anything worse.

“Jesus forgive me, I blew it again. You know I can’t do it on my own. Please help me to overcome my addictions and fears. I love you and want to follow you more than anything else. At least, Lord I hope I do, please show me the truth about myself.”

House saw that his love of God was imperfect but that God understood and loved him anyway. He fell to his face on the cardboard and cried tears of joy at what the Lord had shown him.

His head cleared and his hangover disappeared so he crept over to the drop in center at Larkin Place. He hoped his friends were there and he could get a pair of pants.

Big Jackson met House as he tried to sneak through the door to the center.

“Whoa House, what happened to you? You look like you fell down a flight of stairs and why are you walking around in boxer shorts?”

House blushed and sidled up to Big so he could speak in a low whisper.

“I’m in trouble Big and I don’t know what to do.”

Big nodded towards the back of the center and they both strode quickly to a private room in the rear.

“Wait here House, I’ll get you some pants, and you could use a shower too. You smell like a cheap saloon.”

As soon as Big left a thin man dressed all in black bolted into the room and whipped out a pistol. He shut the door behind him and waved his gun. A thick dark beard spilled out behind the N95 mask he was wearing.

“Don’t make a sound cheeseball or it will be your last one. Just tell me what you did with the pistol.”

House said a quick silent prayer for help then looked up at his assailant and shrugged his shoulders.

“What pistol?”

Black beard cocked the revolver and pointed it at House.

“Wrong answer Sunshine. I’ll ask …”

He was interrupted by the doorknob rattling and pounding on the door.

“House, let me in.”

The black wearing bully jerked the door open pulling Big into the room and causing the large man to slam into him. He dropped to the floor then jumped up and sprinted out the door. Big ignored him and rushed over to House.

“Are you okay, amigo?”

House shook his head and waved his trembling hands.

“Not really, I blew it bro. I know God has forgiven me but I am just holding on by faith in him, and even that is not so strong.”

Big paused and wondered how he could help his troubled friend.

“Okay, We need to talk. First you show up looking like warmed over death and wearing no pants and now some guy is coming into our center with a revolver. What the heck is going on?“

I’ll be glad to tell you but first I need to get dressed. Give me a minute here.”

He slid into the baggy jeans but there was no way his skinny body could hold up the worn pants. Big chuckled and handed him a faded black belt. House cinched it around his scrawny waist. Big handed him a pair of clean white socks and waited while his friend slipped his feet into his old black boots.

The unlikely pair ambled over to the Dilly Diner and sat in a booth. House ordered ham, eggs, pancakes, a bagel and coffee. Big ordered a San Francisco omelette, home fries and coffee.

When the food arrived House took a long drink of his coffee and sighed.

“Nice to sit down and share a warm meal with a friend. It has been too long.”

“Me too, It’s so good to see you again. I thought we had lost you.”

House took a deep breath and silently asked for help. This was his best friend Big and he couldn’t bring himself to lie.

“It’s been a rough go. Too many unfamiliar things for me to deal with, you know what I mean?”

He told him about being overwhelmed by every day decisions and responsibilities that he didn’t have in prison.

Big reached out, and touched his shoulder.

“No worries, you know I spent my time in the joint too. It has taken a long time but I am slowly learning to live on the outside.”

House smiled and shook his head, “Thanks bro, sorry about avoiding you while I freaked out and got drunk.”

“Okay, so you messed up, started drinking and it blew up in your face. What’s done is done, but the real question is what are we going to do now? Did you know the cops think you took a shot at the District Attorney? If they pin this on you they will lock you up for good.”

“What! This is getting crazy, I don’t even like guns and I have had them pointed at me twice in the last 24 hours. Now, the cops think I took a shot at the D. A.”

Big shook his head and smiled at House, “I know you have issues House, but I also know you are not normally a violent man. No way you would shoot at someone.”

House stared out the window looking for answers.

“I need to find out what happened between the time I was knocked out and when I came to in the middle of the street holding a gun.”

Big jerked his head towards the door when he heard it open. House saw him breathe a sigh of relief and turned to see Jimmy Breeze rushing towards their table.

“House, you need to lay low for a while. Shortly after the guy with the revolver left, the cops came by the center looking for you.”

Before anyone could respond Big jumped up when he saw the thin, bearded man rush by the window.

“Speaking of which, there goes our friend with the gun, let’s go after him.”

He slammed a few bills on the table and they all charged into the street just in time to see their target zip around the corner onto O’Farrell.

Jimmy Breeze took off like a shot outrunning Big and House with ease. The two friends turned the corner to see Jimmy tackle their lean assaulter to the sidewalk. Big rushed over just as the guy shook Jimmy off. He grabbed the bearded thug and slammed him into the wall of the Super 8 Hotel before he could pull out his gun. Big slammed him again and growled in his face.

“Who are you and why are you threatening my friend?”

Pistol boy tried to knee Big in the breadbasket but the big guy turned sideways. Jimmy Breeze rushed up and kicked the guy where it would hurt the most and Big slammed his captive against the wall again. This time his head pounded against the brick wall behind him. Jimmy stared at the guy and frowned.

“Well, if it isn’t Shoelace Pedrinsky. You always were a jerk and it seems you haven’t changed.”

Jimmy reached into Pedrinsky’s jacket and pulled out a gun.

“Oooh, look what I found. Let’s see if this thing is loaded.”

He held the pistol up to Pedrinsky’s head and pulled back the hammer with a click.

Pedrinsky tried to back away from the gun but Big held him in place.

“Okay, okay don’t shoot, I’ll talk.”

Jimmy backed the gun off a little and waved it in his face.

“Alright, start talking.”

“That revolver your friend was holding is a civil war antique. It is worth about three hundred thousand and I wanted it back.”

Jimmy shook his head and glared at him.

“Oh really, where did a punk like you get a valuable pistol?”

Pedrinsky raised his hands up in surrender and sighed.

“I was pulling a job last night at some rich guys house and he had it mounted on the wall. I grabbed it and took off but the house alarm went off. The cops were chasing me when I crashed into Jailhouse and shoved the gun into his hand.”

Big gave the guy a hard shove and he landed on his back.

“Well, we don’t have it now so lay off.”

Pedrinsky looked over at House who had been standing silently the whole time.

“I know, the cops just found it and now they are looking for you House.”

Jimmy looked down the street and saw a cop car. He started waving his arms frantically to get their attention. Pedrinsky tried to run but Big tackled him again. The car cruised over and the passenger door flew open. Officer Gonzalez stepped out and quickly drew his own pistol when he saw Jimmy holding a gun. The drivers side door flew open and officer Chow jumped out and drew her own weapon.

“Drop the gun Breeze! Do it now.”

Jimmy gently set the black pistol down on the concrete and then raised his hands. Gonzalez stepped forward slowly.

“What are you three dopes up to? And who are you manhandling Big?”

Big gave Pedrinsky another shove.

“This guy stormed into the center and pointed that gun at House. He says he stole a valuable antique pistol and was running from the cops. He slammed into House shoved the gun into his hands then ran off.”

Chow walked over to the curb and stared at Big and his prisoner. A smile broke out on her face.

“Oh yeah, that’s Shoelace Pedrinsky, we’ve been looking for you wise guy. Next time you break into a house and fire a shot at the district attorney don’t turn around and smile at the security cameras. What, you think you are a movie star or something?”

She strolled over to Big and snapped a pair of cuffs on Pedrinsky.

“Come along little fella, we want to talk to you.”

Gonzalez put on a pair of gloves and carefully picked up the pistol that Jimmy placed on the ground. He put it into an evidence bag then smiled at the three stunned men.

“Okay, relax fellas. You can put your arms down Breeze, we know you’re not a threat.”

He pointed to the evidence bag in his hand.

“Wanna bet that this is the gun Pedrinsky used to shoot at the D. A.?”

House stepped forward with his hands out ready to be cuffed. Gonzalez chuckled and patted him on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry House, you may be stupid but we know you didn’t steal the pistol. You look terrible, by the way. I hope you are not going back to using and drinking. You’ve been doing so good lately. Be careful will you.”

Officer Chow was reading Shoelace his rights while she was shoving him into the back seat of the patrol car. She shut the door and looked over at the three tenderloin residents with a head shake.

“You three gorillas, look our for each other, okay. I’d hate to send any of you back to jail. That goes for you too, Jailhouse.”

The two cops drove off and House, Big and Jimmy Breeze just stared at each other for a moment. Big was the first to chuckle then Jimmy joined him. It wasn’t long until Jailhouse Johnson realized he wasn’t going back to prison and started laughing too. The three of them stood on Jones Street and started thanking Jesus in loud voices. People passing by wondered what had happened to the three men who they used to avoid.

Jailhouse Johnson still couldn’t wrap his arms around how everyone else managed to thrive outside of prison but he knew he had two friends that truly cared about him. The realization made him think about how much God loved him despite all the times he struggled with things that everyone else took for granted. He said a silent prayer and asked God to use him to help others who were having the same struggles as him. He laughed at the garbage truck as it trundled up the street. God sometimes answered prayers in very unexpected ways.