02 May 06

Hostage Situation (Part 2)

5:50am Should I get up? I thought. I’ve got to look out the window to see what’s going on.

5:52am Not a soul near Building 2. Good.
No kitchen workers in Yard 4’s chow hall. Bad.
Mixed signals. Are we still locked down?

6:01am Ah, two kitchen workers and a guard in the chow hall. A good sign. I’d better start preparing for the visit. It seems that things are back to normal. And I spent hours last night stressing out. What an idiot I am.

7:17am Why no stand-by for chow? The hostage situation seems to be over. Surely it’s back to business as usual? I hope there’re not going to punish us all by keeping us locked down for days on end. Here comes the nurse distributing meds - a good sign.

7:21am Kitchen workers started to deliver chow to Building 1.

7:30am “I’ve got a special visit today. Are we still on IMS?” I asked Officer Marquez.
“We are on IMS.”
“But the situation on Yard 2 is resolved right?”
“Yeah. But who knows if you’ll get your visit.”

7:36am Breakfast arrived. Tortillas, refried beans, shredded cheese, salsa, and applesauce.
“Do you think I’ll get the visit?”
“I dunno,” Officer Marquez said. “I can ask.”
“OK.”

9:00am Why haven't I been called out for the visit? Obviously, I’m not getting a visit today. If I miss one, it’s no big deal. There’s three remaining. Making four out of five wouldn’t be too bad. Perhaps they just need a day to get back to normal.

9:40am Two guards appeared. Trash collectors.
“I’m supposed to have a visit today with my family who flew in from England.”
“We can tell yer not lying. You’ve certainly got the accent.”
“I’m certainly not lying.”
“The DW's walking round right now. You’ll soon be able to ask her.”
The DW was outside Junior Bull’s cell, working her way around the run, coming in my direction.

9:45am “My family have flown from England, and I’m supposed to have a special visit today.”
“You won’t have it,” DW Wallace said.
“What about the rest of the week? That’s all we’ve got left before they fly home.”
“You’re gonna be locked down for a few days. I don’t know about the weekend,” she said and walked away.

I might not be seeing my dad and sister for a while. I don’t understand this. If kitchen workers can walk around, why can't I? If the situation is resolved, then what’s the big deal about letting me walk to the visitation area? Maybe my dad and sister will get a better opportunity than I did to plead our case. I'm sure they'll speak to someone here and try to get in somehow.

11:30am I wondered whether my dad and sister would be allowed in tomorrow.

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