Chicago Vacation Pt. 1

My vacation was a trip!!! My plans were to leave on Saturday night and be there for church on Sunday morning. But that didn't happen. I had to go get my tire and car checked out which took several hours. I was also planning on cleaning my house and taking pictures. By the time I got home, it was around 6pm and the house was an absolute mess. I wasn't packed or anything. Now I could've left the house nasty but I didn't have any clothes prepared. Besides, I wanted to take pictures for everyone to see. Takeyla came by and that pumped me up to clean. It took all night but I finished everything but the bedroom. I mopped, dusted, put together the entertainment center, lamps, and etc. By the time she left, it was around 3am. I went into my room and got real tired. I told myself that I would sleep for 4-5 hours then get up and clean. When those hours passed by, my body told me to stay sleep. I didn't wake up until like 3pm. I cleaned up real good and finished taking the pictures. I dressed and left around 8pm. I had on my favorite brown peasant skirt and a tight low-cut tank top. I must admit that it was extremely revealing, but I was going home!

The drive home wasn't bad. I thought that it would be super hot but it was actually really chilly. Once I got into St. Louis, a truck broke down on the ramp that takes one to I-55. I decided that I would turn my car off since we were there for at least 5 minutes. I sat there and chilled for another 10 minutes. A line of cars began to pile up. Then they started to move. I quickly went to start my car and....IT WOULDN'T START!!! I began to panic. I didn't have a cellphone to call Progressive and I was on the expressway. There were no close exits to walk to a payphone. It was around 4am and pitch dark. I was right there in the middle of the ramp. The trucks and cars maneuvered around me and kept going. No one was stopping to help me. I was contemplating on pushing my car to the side of the expressway but there was no shoulder. As I sat there with my mind running 100 mph trying to figure out what to do, I see cars and trucks coming towards me and quickly swerving to not rear end me. These cars are going at least 70mph in the dark. I was so frightened! I put my foot on my brakes and turned on my hazards so they could see light in the distant as they came up on me. I was praying like I never prayed before. At least three cars in a row came up on me and nearly missed me. After they passed, I broke down and started crying hysterically. My nerves were on edge. This one black guy stopped his car and asked if I needed him to call for help. God bless him! A few minutes later, the road assistant people came to help. They said that they were going to push me across the river. I was thinking, "Across the river?!? What the hell?!?" And he said that it would be hard to steer and stop my car. I was really nervous then cause I was going across a river on a bridge. What if I couldn't steer my car correctly and I went over the bridge and into the river??? So as we get to going, I realize that we are going down a slope and I got to push with ALL my might onto the brakes to keep the car from just flying. At that moment, I was glad that I didn't put my car in neutral and push it to the side of the expressway by myself. I wouldn't have made it. The car could have just gone off the bridge or even ran me over! As we kept going, we had to go up a ramp. My car stopped and the truck had to ram into me to get me up that ramp. Once we got over the river, he started to give me all types of diagnosis for my car. I had a full tank of gas so he couldn't say that it stopped because of that. After he gave me a jump, my car started right up again. I sat there a few minutes after he left and let my car run. I began to thank God for sparing my life. Just then, the prophesy that Brad spoke over me last year. He said that he saw me driving home and a truck driver falling asleep. I would go right under the truck. He didn't say or I don't remember if I would die or be seriously injured. But that word came to my rememberance. Here's the kicker: I tried to praise God like I used to but there was a block. All I could do is say 'thank you, Jesus' in a semi-dry manner. I put in my worship CD and worshipped. But as I tried to worship God, I felt dry and forced to do it. That concerned me but I figured I would work all that out on the retreat. I sang the entire ride home. By the time I made it to Chicago, my voice was hoarse.

When I got home, I walked right through the front door. It was 8am and the front door was open. As my mother would say, "Anyone could come through the door and slit their throat." Reese was up and watching television and Candace was on the floor sleep. I was watching television and laughing. After 20 minutes, Arthur and Kenny came upstairs 'cause they heard my loud laugh. We were watching "Mean Girls". After a while, I fell asleep and was dead to the world. By the time I woke up, my parents were gone so I hung out with the kids. I later found out that everyone was surprised that I was home. I had been talking about coming home for several weeks. That showed me that either they didn't pay attention to me or they didn't remember. As I'm chilling watching television, Candace comes flying in the house saying that she has 30minutes to get packed and to the airport. We live around 20minutes away from the airport. So we jump into the Hummer and gun it to the airport. As we're driving, I find out that this girl has NO hotel reservations, NO money, and NO plans. I gave her all the cash that I had and told her to call me when she got there. Later on that night, she called me telling me that she was going to sleep a bench in CALIFORNIA. California is full of crazy people and she had on a VERY short mini-skirt with her belly hanging out. What the hell?!? So I am rushing to make reservations when she gets a call from Prophet McGhee's sister (I think) so she roomed with them. Thank God! The next couple of days were cool and laid back.

On Wednesday, I went to Bible Class. No one knew I was in town and I didn't call anyone because I didn't have anyone's phone number. I wanted to call T-Wi but remembered her number wrong. I noticed that my attitude was out of sorts but tried my best to fit in. I hung out with Dellah and Tara for the 1st part of that night getting retreat stuff together. I was also trying to put together my presentation about the Power of the Cross. I got my mom to promise to do the vocals. She seemed excited about it. In Bible Class, alot of people were not there. It started raining real hard as we were driving home. I guess I am getting paranoid in my old age 'cause I was so nervous about my dad driving in the rain. I was tense and moaning the entire ride. I felt that he was driving too fast (he was doing around 55mph) and Arthur was doing around 70mph. My dad kept getting in front of the Hummer to slow Lil' Art down. All I could think about is someone losing control of their car and run smack into the back of us. Once we got home, I felt so much better. The rest of the week was cool. I didn't do nothing but work on the presentation and the rest of the retreat stuff.

Something weird was going on with the retreat. Nothing was put together. People were dropping out. We put Bonnie on the program and she never came to us to tell us that she wasn't going. It was lots of new people going this year. The regulars such as: Tanisha, Gary, Gloria, Tammy, Bonnie and Sarah weren't going. It was crazy. So we're struggling to find people to fill these slots and find out that Brad did not have his topics! So I am racing to type them up to email to Stephanie. Then I find out that Dellah has recruited me to be on the praise team. I figure that I didn't mind doing it if everything is put together. Then later that night, I volunteered to do a seminar for the singles. I was put off a bit because it seemed like Tara didn't trust me to do it. She never asked me. She's naming off all these other people. Then when I said that I would do it, she kept grilling me about what I was going to talk about. Did she ask other people that? Did she ask Dellah what songs she had planned for the retreat? Of course not! But I will talk about that later. To be completely honest, I was upset that she didn't ask me to organize the praise team. I have experience. I thought up the idea of a praise team. That is my passion. But I figured that she prayed about it and I wasn't spiritually ready to that yet. It ain't like I am sturdy in my relationship with God. I know that I was wrong to be upset but that was what I was...moving on!

That Saturday, Clarycia and I went to get our hair done at Tameka's shop. I was just soupped to get my hair done finally! As you may or may not know, I colored my hair about three weeks previously. It was a dark auburn...very sexy and pretty. I was stoked about what I was going to look like. As Tameka is perming my hair, she says that there was something on my hair...something purple. I couldn't even imagine what that would be so we just dropped it. Once I get back in her chair for her to blowdry me, I find that my color is GONE!!! Gone?!? I went to Walgreens and paid for it. My hair is the same light brown with orangish-red streaks. Ughhh! Now here's the kicker: While I'm there, Tameka starts talking about Candace. I'm used to it 'cause she always does that when I get there. The problem was the shampoo girl, Monica. She starts in on Candace and you can tell that she does not like her. She said something like, "I used to hate to see her coming. I would be like, 'Here comes that girl with those stupid stories!" I didn't say nothing but she was getting on my nerves. Then Candace's whatever came into the shop. He acted like he didn't see me or know who I was. I actually blame Candace because she was the one who told this man that I didn't like him. I don't even know him...why in the hell would she tell him that? But it makes no nevermind 'cause he don't matter to me. I ain't gotta deal with him. When it comes to pay for my hair, I realize that I left my money at home. I was so embarrassed so I promised to meet Tameka and Monica at Old Navy in River Oaks to pay her. I get home barely 'cause Candace's car was on Empty. I trade cars (I take the Hummer) and people ( I take Christyn) and go to Old Navy. As we're pulling up, I see Monica and Tameka standing outside. They said that I barely caught them 'cause they were going to another store. When I pulled up in the Hummer, Monica's face dropped. She was green! She asked me in this nasty tone, "Is this your car?" I downplayed it but she was still jealous. Christyn and I hit up this bookstore and stayed in there for a while looking at books. I got me, her and Reese a book and we started a book club. We promised to read everyday for at least 2 hours. So far, we haven't done that completely. Later that night, I told Candace what happened at the shop. She was clueless that these people talk about her behind her back. It's just amazing that she can go off on people that love her and take crap off of people that don't even like her. When we were kids, we used to accuse Daddy of that behavior. Seems like she is doing the same thing.

The next day is Sunday. I get up early to go to church with my dad. But I can't get into the service because he wants me to make copies for him. When I get into the rectory, I find that the copier is broke. So I spend the next hour trying to make copies for him. Finally, we use the fax machine. I get into Sunday School and I feel like a stranger. The lesson is about demons. You all know my stance about this. I talk about this every chance I get especially since I work at this prayer tower. I wanted to debate but I didn't want to disturb the class. Later on, my dad said that behavior brings excitement to the class. Oh well, maybe next time. I sat in the back corner during afternoon service. Then I found myself critiquing everything. I have noticed something else about me: I complain and find fault with alot nowadays. I know exactly where I got that from: Takeyla! She complains and comments on everything. I need to stop doing that. I sometimes have to remind myself that I can't talk about people that are out there doing something when I ain't doing nothing. Something is better than nothing, right?? Throughout the entire service, I just sat there like a bump on a log. I felt spiritually dead, but I figured that I would work that out on the retreat. After service, Tara and I took monies for the retreat. It was amazing how everyone had stories about how they needed more time to gather the money. I know that money is tight but this date has been written in stone for several months. But anyways, during that time, the church was taking pictures of the different auxiliaries. I didn't know we had that many auxiliaries! If all of those people worked, then we could move forward! Because we took the pictures, Bishop canceled afternoon service. Aw shucks! That night, we ate Lems (YES!!!). I took a nap 'cause I was tired and mad at Pop. He was acting stupid...yelling at me & getting in my face 'cause I asked him a question. I understand that it was his blood sugar but I'm a grown woman! It was uncalled for.

The next day is when all hell broke loose. Why? 'Cause Candace came back home! I ain't lying! That morning, I took my mother to the doctor to get a shot for her migraines. Then we went to lunch at TGIFriday near Midway. Then we picked up Candace. She has her belly hanging out with these super-short shorts on. She then proceeds to tell us that this guy who works with her on the IPYPU committee was sexually harrassing her. Who wouldn't sexually harrass her dressing like that??? It's unacceptable as a woman of God. So we get home and she falls asleep. Later on, she and my mom get into it because my mom decides to tell Candace about herself. I didn't like the way that she was talking to my mother but I didn't get into it. Candace had to go to the church for a meeting. I was going down there, too, but I didn't want to deal with her so I told her that she couldn't ride with me. I wasn't going to deal with her attitudes! So I get down to the church to practice with Dellah and Rhymn's wife. We were the praise team. I get there and Dellah said that she had 3 songs picked out. 3 SONGS?!? We were doing Morning Glory everyday, bringing in worship for evening service and 2 independent worship services....3 SONGS?!? Then we started to practice the songs. We didn't sound good 'cause people, namely Khadejah, couldn't keep her tune. She can sing but she was not trained. She was everywhere. By the end of that night, my head was pounding. I was trying to stay open-minded but it wasn't organized. I was going to complain to Tara later that night or the next day. I was too worried about my presentation. My mother was dragging her feet to help me do this. I know that she wasn't doing it on purpose but it's still frustrating that I can't depend on her for this type of stuff. Now don't get me wrong 'cause the rest of the story will prove that I can depend on her but for the little stuff like school plays, homework, etc. is out.

Here's the big story: Wednesday! Tara and I were down at the church finishing plans for the retreat. We had some problems because the supplies did not arrive. That meant that we had to go to the store to buy the supplies. Then I still hadn't done my presentation yet. I planned to do the presentation that night but forgot my computer at home. Candace was being a beast so I couldn't work on it on the computer. I was so frustrated! I went home with my parents and told Tara that I would meet her at Office Depot to buy the supplies. Then I would work on the presentation myself and then practice with Dellah and Khadejah. My night was booked. When we got home, my father wanted to go to Wal-Mart to get supplies. Me, Reese, and Dad went and bought up the store. We picked out some outfits for him and other retreat supplies. We went home and I got my car to meet Tara at Office Depot. I was running late so I decided to take Kedzie all the way to 95th St. Once we got to 95th & Kedzie, I saw a police car. Naturally, I got nervous but that's because I didn't have on my seatbelt. So I turn right onto 95th Street and headed towards Western. The cops followed me for 1/2 a block and passed me by. I felt relieved and arrived at the Plaza. I park my car and start to look for my purse. That's when I feel someone over my shoulder. I look back and see a police officer standing there being nosey. He says, "Can I have your driver's license, please?" I pull it out and asked him why he was requesting it. He told me that my sticker on my license plate was expired. I didn't even see them pull behind me. I actually saw them drive past the plaza and turn left onto Western Ave. But anyways, I digress. So they are running my license and I am gathering my stuff to go into the store. When I get out the car, one cop jumps like I'm about to make a run for it. I stare at him like he's crazy! They come back to me and ask me to come to the back of the car. Then they tell me that I had an outstanding warrant and they had to place me under arrest. I am floored! I knew I had the warrant but today of all days to take care of it. One cop puts his hands on me and I snapped! I was tired, frustrated and mad! I looked him in the eyes and told him to take his hands off of me. I was not afraid that he was a cop...he was a White man touching me! Also, they are asking me a whole bunch of nosey questions about me and my business. They ask me who Reese was. They ask me what I was doing at the Plaza. WHO THE HELL DID THEY THINK THEY WERE?!? I told them that Reese was my baby sister and she was 12 years old. Later, he asked me if Reese would take my car. HELLO...DID I NOT JUST SAY THAT SHE WAS 12-YEARS OLD? I told them that I was not going anywhere until I found out what was going to happen with her. The same cop that put his hands on me said that he would drive my car with Reese in there to the police station. I said, "Are you crazy? Hell no! I don't trust you to be in the car alone with my sister." He looks at me like he wanted to kill me but I was in a Black community with Black people standing around. There was nothing he could do. The other cop who looked to be Spanish said that she could ride in the back with me. The White cop was still talking about taking my car. I didn't trust him. He could've planted something in my car without me ever knowing and I would've been in deep trouble. Thank God that my car did not start. He had to leave it there. Reese grabs my purse and gets in the back seat with me. I did have some words with the Spanish cop but he wasn't listening to me. I HATE COPS!!! They are so condescending!

So the drive there, they're asking me questions. They didn't read me my rights so I wouldn't answer. They kept asking me and calling me by my name. By this time, I'm pissed! I can see how people could attack cops. They take me all the way to 111th Street on the East side. This place is some time away. When we pull up to the station, I start to pray. I asked God what I should do and he said be nice and complying. Ugh. The cops didn't help me out the car and it was hard to get out. My hands were behind my back and I had on my floor-length skirt. Everytime I went to stand up, I stood on my skirt and it would pull down. All I could do was laugh my anger away. They take my sister and sit her in the front of the station. She keeps my purse and keys which is a good thing. They place me in a small room and handcuff me to a rail. I was in that room forever. They kept asking me questions. I apologized to the spanish cop and calmed down. They were waiting for my information to return to them. After about 40 minutes, I asked if they called my parentals to come get Reese and the white cop is dismissive. He doesn't answer me. The Spanish cop seems aggrevated so he asked the cop and he was like, "Oh, I was supposed to do that?" Ugh...I asked if she was ok and he mumbled that she was fine. After another hour (I am exaggerating about the time. One minute in jail is like 20 minutes in realtime), my mom comes and gets Reese. They wouldn't let me talk to her. The White cop asked me what I had to say to her. As if it's his business. So we're still waiting for my info to come back. They start small talk by asking me what I study in college. I told them Psychology and they looked at me crazy. The Spanish cop said that it was an expensive field to study and asked why I would choose that field. I told him because there are many people in world that need help. That stumped him. I guess he thought I was going to mention money. I continue to sit there and this Black undercover cop walks past and looks in. He comes back and asks me what I am doing in here and that I didn't belong in there. I was agreed with him. He goes away and the Spanish cop asks me if I knew him. I told him no. I was just being friendly. Then they brought in a female cop to search me. She was nasty at first then after a few minutes, she asked me what I was doing in there because I looked to innocent to be in there (yeah right!). I told her and she gave me some good advice and told me not to tell anyone that she told me. What did she tell me??? Only me and Ta-ta-licious knows that ;).

So they book me, still not reading me my miranda rights, and search me again. As I'm standing in line to be booked, I noticed that I was the only girl back there. I felt funny because I had on a low low-cut tank top. The guys were looking and wondering what I did until they saw those tickets in my hand. They rolled their eyes at me and said, "She in here for traffic." It was amazing how these people knew the system. I personally don't think that there should be a set system because people learn how to work around that system. Justice does not prevail with systematic procedures. It becomes a game of chance. And people don't learn their lessons. They pay the price for being caught and go right back to doing the same thing. And if they continue to get caught, they pay with the rest of their lives. Only the taxpayers are paying the real price 'cause we're paying to keep them in jail. A female cop takes me in the section for females only. She tells me that I must cut the string on my skirt. I was hot! Then she says that in order to make a phone call, I must have my own money or do it collect. I ain't calling my house collect so the advice that the other female cop gave me was not used. She said that I should call my people and tell them to call back and find out if I could be bailed out that night and I could go home in a matter of hours. They take my picture and do my fingerprints. Everyone was nice. The female cop then tells me that it was freezing in the holding cells and I should have someone bring me a sweater. I told her that I would be alright 'cause I usually get hot in the middle of the night anyways. She tells me to grab as much toilet tissue as I want to use as a pillow, to wipe myself, to wrap myself in, etc. I grabbed a handful and she takes me to my own personal holding cell. It's a small cell with a steel sink/toilet. There is a slab of painted concrete bench in the wall for sitting and sleeping. In Kankakee, I had a mat and blanket to use. So I sit down and wait. Like I said previously, 1 minute is like 20 minutes so I am tripping after about 1hour. I am standing at the bar with my face pressed against it. The female cop walks pass and looks back. She comes back a few minutes later and asks me if I'm alright. I say that I am. I was bored out of my mind! If they gave me a book, I would've been cool but to sit there and look at a wall for several hours in the freezing cold with no human contact is punishment enough. She says that it looks like I am about to have a panic attack and for me to sit down and try to fall asleep. Whenever my eyes closed, I am thinking about all the things I didn't get to do in regards to the retreat. After a while, I fall asleep for about 10 minutes. It was so cold and uncomfortable that you couldn't sleep long. The female cop came back later and quietly gave me a sweater and shirt for me to put on. She was not allowed to do that but she was nice.

Several days, I mean hours, later, they place this girl in the cell with me. She was on 10! We talked until she left. That was refreshing. She was arrested earlier that day and she told the cops that she was pregnant. They took her to the hospital and found out that she was lying. She then said that her stomach was hurting so they kept her there all day. She said that she was watching movies and chilling. She then tells me, "I got my cellphone in my pu$$y." I was floored because I couldn't believe she would tell me that. She oddly reminded me of Kamiel. She pulls the cellphone out and starts wiping it off. I was laughing on the inside 'cause I couldn't believe that she was going to put that phone up to her face. She starts making phone calls and telling me about her life. She was with this guy who abuses her but she loves him. It was several weeks when she heard from him. He was in jail and wanted her bail him out. She asked him about his ex-girlfriend and he said that it was over with her. So she was gathering money to bail him out when the ex-girlfriend calls and tells her to leave him alone. She threatens to beat the girl up and waits for her boyfriend to call her. She tells him what happened and he said that she should leave her alone. She starts tripping 'cause that proves that he still loves her. He eventually gets out and threatens to beat her if he don't come see him. He even left her a message on her phone that day. She let me hear it. As I look back on the situation, I realize now that MY face was on that phone. Ugh....I also found out that she just graduated from High School. She said that I looked familiar to her and we find out that we both live in Hazel Crest but that can't be where I know her from. I don't hang out there, especially with high schoolers. She offers to let me use her cellphone but I turn it down. It was tempting but I didn't want to take advantage of her. Besides it was around 3:30am. Who would be up around that time? After a while, she is bailed out and I am once again alone. Then I feel my bladder get full. I had to pee! I didn't want to use that nasty toilet but I had no choice. Anyone walking past would've seen me in all my glory. Thank God I had on a long skirt. The tissue was like cotton candy - it evaporated at the touch of wetness. So needless to say, I was soggy. Double ugh. I fell asleep a couple of more times until they came for me. I was relieved! Time to go home! The cops said that court was at 8am. I figured that they would see that I took care of the situation long time ago, grant me "TIME SERVED" and get me out in time to go on the retreat. But that scenario was for La-La Land. Me and 4 other girls were placed in another holding cell until the pattywagon came for us to take us to 26th & California.

The girls were just a-talkin'. We all introduced ourselves to each other but I forgot their names. There was this one chick who was saying that she was set up by the cops. They pulled her and her husband over and found drugs in the car. She said that it wasn't theirs so she was confident that she would be going on that same day. She looked like a beat-up hoodrat...skinny, tall, bad teeth, and talked loud with an opinion about everything. The next girl was pretty. You could tell that she had a hard life. She was in there for beating her sister up. She said that her younger sister was living with her and that she was triffling. She wouldn't clean up after herself. She didn't buy her own feminine supplies. So this particular day, the girl in jail had a day off from work. She wants to chill in her house but can't because it's so nasty. She starts fussing about cleaning up and her sister is getting flip. So they start fighting. The sister calls the cops and the girl in jail lets them in so they can take the sister out the house. They get indignant with her and she starts arguing with the cops. They arrest her for resisting arrest and domestic violence. She had court at 9:20am downtown. The next girl was around 5 feet tall. She was newly divorced and planned on "partying" when she was picked up on an old warrant. She said that she had been clean since her daughter was born who is 4 years old. She said that the cops followed her from her house for several miles. The last girl was pretty-ish if she were feminine. She was butchy. She was pulled over with several bags of weed on her. Big bags but it was her first offense. So we are all in this holding cell vowing to stick together once we're on California. They place us in the wagon and drive like a bat out of hell to get this one domestic violence chick to court on time.

They then take us to Cook County and unload us. We are surrounded by men! It was so intimidating to me. They search us again and write some stuff on our hands with a black marker. Everyone's code were like F16 or F8 and mine was F/T1. We passed two holding cells full of guys. I tried not to make eye contact because I was intimidated. For those who know me, I am extremely intimidated by guys. We get to the female holding cell and there are women laying on the floor. I start to stand but my girls bully a place for me on the painted concrete slab on the wall. There are two Black drug addicts/prostitutes all hugged up on the floor. There was a White drug addict/prostitute with a denim tube top laying next to them. She then gets up and asks for a dollar. I'm thinking, "There ain't no vending machines in here." She gets the dollar and goes to the bathroom area which was hidden by a see-through divider. She comes back and gives the dollar back to the woman on the floor. I then realize that she had some crack hidden on her body and she just sniffed it. The women in this holding cell were so bad looking. My heart went out to them but not completely because I was in there with them! The cops come by and do roll call. They then ask if they missed anyone and I say that they missed me. They call me out and say that I got to go to traffic court. I pass by the male holding cells and they tell me to stop. I am feeling light-headed and things are a blur because I am standing in front of over 60 men being critiqued and looked over. I don't think I heard any comments but I know they were being made. They take me on this journey through the jail to another holding cell. In there were two women laying around. They had food. I realize that it's been around 15-16 hours since I've eaten or drank anything. I was dehydrated and sleepy and hungry. I heard the story of one woman who just got out of prison and was back in there for the same case. I thought that double jeopardy would prevent that but who knows? The other lady reminded so much of Joyce. She was a family person who kept getting in trouble. I didn't witness or minister. I just listened. I'm sure each and every one of those individuals knew about Jesus. The one from Hazel Crest said that she had never been to church before. I don't know how to talk about salvation and Jesus without feeling like I am pushing it on them. In my evangelism class, I learned that we must love everyone and eventually they would be drawn to the Jesus in me. But what about the people that you interact with for only a few minutes??? How do you evangelize to them? Especially when all they see is destruction and doom and jackleg preachers? Or they have the new-age spiritualism mentality? Some people in church have that mentality as well. Like the chick who said that she was innocent said that God was on her side. Is he when you're cussing up a storm and not going to church? Or better yet, not having a relationship with Him? I hate to hear Black people say that and use scripture as motivational tools in natural life instead of spiritual life! So after sitting in there all that time, a lawyer come to tell me that I would have to pay a fine and go to court but it would be alright. I wouldn't have to do any time. I fall asleep and enjoy that sleep because it is warm! Some time after that, I go into the courtroom and stand before the judge. They talk amongst themselves and I have a seat in the courtroom. I am glad not to be in the holding cell so I absorb the environment. After some time, I notice that the correctional officers are brutal. I am watching this one officer cuss at the male inmates. I guess he didn't like me watching him so he takes me back to the holding cell. I sit there for a while and they give a salami sandwich with a 25-cent juice. SALAMI....I hate salami. It smelled soooooooooo good but I didn't eat it. How can a sandwich smell good??? Maria comes to see me. I was surprised to see her. She gives me the LD on my case. She said that my mom found me and was going to bail me out after 5pm when the place opened. It was already around 2:00pm so all I had to do was wait until 5pm and I was free...or so I thought. Until the next entry...enjoy freedom! It is underrated!