Chicago Vacation Pt. 2

I didn't know that the last entry would be so long. Thanks for being patient to those who actually took the time out to read it. Well, where was I??? Oh yeah, the holding cell. I sat there for some time. I left my juice there when I went to court. When I came back, it was gone! Those heifers took my juice. I had drank most of it but it's the principle. After some time, a correctional officer came and got me to take me to yet another holding cell in the basement. I was thinking that they were just stalling time until 5pm when I was getting out. I was yet again the only female and they gave me this overly large holding cell to myself. I sat there watching the clock. Down there with me were several officers. One especially that I remembered was this playboy-type guy who was flirting with everyone. He was even humping the grandmotherly officer down there. When he saw me and paused for a moment. I avoided eye contact with him because I don't like guys like that. You all know the type - the Bretts, Martrezs, and Earls of the world. He kept looking at me and finally asked why I was in there. I told him it was a traffic violation and he looked puzzled. He then said that I was too pretty to be in jail. I mumbled a thank you and moved my seat. One thing I noticed was that these correctional officers had filthy mouths and violent tempers. They would yell and cuss at each other as well as the inmates. Every other word was 'mutherfu&ker' or 'b!tch'. There was this incident where this young guy beat the snot out of this old man. It sounded funny! They had to move the old man to his own cell. All you heard was the officer cussing somebody out and threatening with the physical. I sat in that cell until about 5:15pm. Then they came to move me. Another incident worth mentioning was the playboy officer talking to a female officer. The female officer told the officers that another batch of female inmates were coming in. He told her to bring all the ones whose tubes were tied down there for him. Ugh!

Anyway, they came to move me. I thought that I was going home. I leave my cell to run into a large group of guys being moved as well. The officer that was moving us was whom??? The playboy. I guess he could discern my discomfort because he told me to stick right underneath him. As terrified as I was, he was not my biggest concern. Those guys secretly criticizing me was my biggest concern at that time. We went through the rabbit's hole, passed the Land of Oz and ended up in the section of the jail where they had tons of inmates. I passed by a few cells and all I heard was "Ahhhh!" You know how nigga's sound when they're all trying to yell and talk. I felt faint 'cause I didn't know if they were saying "Look at that fat girl" or "Aye girl...what 'yo name be?" I passed by that scenario at least 5 times. Then I passed by a line of guys standing against the line and I distinctively heard their comments. They were like, "You better shake..." and someone else said, "Damn (sorry!) baby." This one guy said, "All I would need is one hug and I'd be done." Those type of comments were flattering and good. I didn't mind those at all. They take me past a cell of women and I hear someone say my name. I was startled and looked only to see the short divorced woman who was with me on 111th sitting in there. I had come full circle to the group of women from the 1st holding cell in Cook County. They took me to the back to a window. I'm thinking, "This is it...I'mma going home!" But NO...they processed me! They took my information and wrote some more numbers on my arm with a black marker. This number was my ID number: 0869. They had drug dogs coming in and out. I don't trust cops and I don't trust their dogs. They took my possessions: the string to my skirt and my class ring to file them. They then took me back pass the holding cell where my girls where at but they were gone. They took me back around the bend. We passed by the cells of those yelling inmates. I was getting annoyed 'cause I was ready to go! We got to this large hall and it was full of men. It was at least 150 mien in there standing in line. Y'all know I was trippin' right? They led me down this narrow lane to take my picture. All these guys were staring at me and I felt so vulnerable. You can tell from the picture that I was not having a good time. They they took me to this smaller room and I saw all the girls from the holding cell. They were asking me what happened in traffic court which told me that they talked about me when I left them that morning. In this room, I had to do an xray for hepatitis C. While taking the test, the guy who was xraying us asked me, "Carmen, what are u doing in here?" It felt comforting that he called me by name but that was just too familiar. I told him that it was a traffic violation. After the xray, they moved us to this other room where we were to get pap smears and health checks. By this time, it was around 7pm. I was itching to go home and I had to pee. I still hadn't eaten or drank anything. They tell us that they want urine samples from us. They take the women out 5 at a time. Needless to say, that took forever. I sat there and watched these crazy women act a fool. They complained and cussed about everything. They had two male cops watching us while the doctor prepared for the exams. She (the doctor) called people in to either give their medical history, see the doctor, or get a pap smear. The pap smear was to test for STD's only. I tried to tell them that they had nothing to worry about in that department since I ain't having sex.

So I'm sitting there chillin' by myself because I didn't have a chance to bond with no one. Some of the hypes kept asking me about my case. It's like they had short-term memory loss. So as these ladies are going to the bathroom, I am watching the clock like a hawk. One of the correctional officers told me that if my peeps did not bail me out by 9pm, I would have to wait until morning. I did not want to spend my birthday in jail so I started praying. I was trying to hold off praying because I had put myself in that situation. But now, I needed to get out! A correctional officer brought three other women into the room. One chick looked like she didn't belong like me. She kinda reminded me of a quiet tough version of Nova. The other two were junkies. The white junkie was high! She was talking out the side of her head. When it came time for me and the other three chicks to pee, a male correctional officer took us to the MENS bathroom. In jail, there is no door to the bathroom but doors to the stalls. The toilets were disgusting. As we are going into the stalls, a group of guys walk pass and start talking smack about seeing us pee. I couldn't believe it! They could just look right in and see us. It was crazy! One guy was giving shout outs as we walked into the bathroom, as if we needed a MC. He said, "I see u big girl" to me. I really hate niggas...and white girls...and Brian, but I digress. I really had to pee so as soon as I got my underwear down (which is a whole other story), I just started peeing. I filled the cup to the rim and had to pour some out while still peeing. It got all over my hands. It was so disgusting! After I peed and wiped myself with the cotton-candy tissue (because it disappears as soon as it is wet), I went to put the cup in the plastic baggie they gave us. I didn't know that it was a screw cap so I pressed it down and threw it in the baggie. The top came off and the bag began to fill with pee. I had to go back in the bag and screw on the top. While I am doing this, the other three chicks were finishing up and leaving. I had to hurry up and clean this pee mess. I come out the bathroom and can't find any soap. I am freaking out now 'cause I got pee on my hands. I find a small piece of soap and wash my hands once. The male officer yells for me to come out. I ignore him and wash my hands twice. He comes to the door and yells for me to come on. I look at him like he's crazy. I am in a floor length skirt that is tucked between my legs so it wouldn't touch the ground with a bag of pee in my wet hands. He rolls his eyes and wait until I come out. We go back into the other room and all the girls are gone but me and the new chicks. Me and the white hype get our pap smear together (divided by a curtain). I asked the doctor could I wash up since it had been about a day since I had done that and was soggy from not wiping myself with good tissue. It was disgusting...I can't stress that enough. It was disgusting. The doctor says that she understood and it would be alright. I noticed that she sprayed the air with some good smelling Bed and Bath spray after a couple of the women. I was hoping that I wouldn't be one of them. She tells me to get undressed and lay on the table. I feel so vulnerable and helpless. She swaps me and tells me to get dressed. I am quickly putting on my underwear trying to see if I smell the spray. I never did so that was good. I gave my history to another woman and she checked my blood pressure. She said that it was slightly high. I had her check my blood sugar as well and it was 76 which is perfect. I thought it was too low until she explained it to me. Isn't that what my doctor should have told me? Anyway, when I said that, they got real concerned and had 50 million questions for me. Where they concerned or was there something wrong with me? I talked to the head doctor and he gave me a prescription for high blood pressure and blood sugar. I was not in there to stay! He told me that I had until I was 40 years old to get my pressure and overall health together or it would never happen. So basically I got a few more years to get it together. The correctional officer take me and the other 4 girls back to the general holding cell. When I got in there, the girls told me that the bail lady came by looking for me. I got excited! Imma going home. I was going to ask one of the officers to find out what the situation was but they looked so mean and rushed. I figured that if they came once, they would come again.

We were just sitting around waiting for whatever came next. The same three hypes that were lying on the floor in the first cell were lying on the floor again. The white chick in the denim tube dress who sniffed the coke in the bathroom area apparently did not wear underwear. She laid on the ground and we could see everything. I asked if anyone had a sweater for her to use. She had no shame. She just sat up, pulled the dress down and laid back down. In the large holding cell, there was like 25-25 of us just chilling. I noticed that these two women looked alike, one looking older than the other. The younger one was so pretty and innocent looking. To find out, they are mother-daughter & the daughter was around 17-18 years old. I was trippin' cause I couldn't believe they were chilling in jail together. And to make matters worse, they weren't hanging together. If I were a teenager in jail with my mother, you couldn't pry me away from her. The youngest female in the cell was 17-years old. I hadn't been with them most of the day so I missed their stories. After some time, an officer came by and called for me and the short divorced lady. We were excited! We said our goodbyes and walked around the bend to the place where they give us our personals. The divorced lady went first. As I sat there, the chief of the jail told me that my paperwork was not ready and for me to go back to the holding cell. I was hot! Why wasn't MY paperwork ready??? I sat in an empty cell (for the fourth time) and waited. One correctional officer told me that I would leave in the morning. My heart sank, but I didn't believe her. I KNEW that my mom bailed me out. Two other women came in. One was young-looking and innocent. The other one had been in for some time 'cause she had the plastic bag. We sat there for about 20 minutes (but you know that felt like an hour) until they came for me again. I, once again, went around the bend the area where I get my personals. I had to fill out some paper and do fingerprints. They gave me two Cook County IDs to show to get out of there. I stood in a line against the wall with a bunch of guys listening to an officer give us rules. I was tired of hearing rules, trying to institutionalize me. I had to stop and show my ID at least 5 times. We finally got out the jail and into the lobby. I was looking around for my family but I didn't see no one. I was thinking, "How in the world am I getting home?" I could've taken the bus but I didn't have no money. We had to wait some time until the officers got our paperwork and gave us our release papers. I tell you: They are so SLOW in jail! It seemed like they took pride in being slow. I got my papers and walked out the door. It was like a ghost town out there. I didn't know what to do. Officers were walking pass me, not telling me nothing. The young chick who entered my empty cell asked an officer and he told us to go through this small building. As we walked towards the building, I noticed that the fences were like the ones in prison - barbed and tall. We walked through the building and was stopped yet again by some correctional officers. I was free...what the hell did they want?!? They asked to see my ID and personals. They then asked questions about me to see if I were who I said I was. I passed but the other girl didn't. It was sad. I was going to wait for her but I realized that I didn't know her so I left. I walked out the big gates and there were people everywhere just standing around. It kinda put you in the mind of being at a parade or the taste. That's how many people were out there. The other chick that was in the last cell with me who had a bag full of clothes asked for my transfer. I gave it to her because I didn't need it. I had a ride! I crossed the street just-a walkin', not knowing where I was going. I was just getting as much distance between me and 26th & California as I could. I then heard someone call my name. It looked like Maria so I followed the voice. I saw Darrence standing at the corner waiting for me. We went to the car and I got in. My mother, the twins and Christyn were in there. I thanked my mom for bailing me out and we drove home.

As we were driving home, I saw this one guy that I was diggin' in the joint walking home. He looked professional yet he was walking home. He couldn't find no one to pick him up? Oh well. My mom drove soooooo slow on the way home. You could tell that she had a headache but she wouldn't pull over for me to drive. She was in one of those "I'm-high-on-my-medication" moods where she wore dark shades and her lips sucked in. Her hands were glued to the steering wheel and she was a minute late with every response. When we arrived home, Candace was sitting in her car on the phone. She was on her phone 95% of the time I was home. I was offended but ignored her as she ignored me. I ate 4 or 5 hotdogs. I was starving. I called Tara and told her the story. I also told her that I would be there the next day. I went to bed early because I had to go to court that morning at 9am. The next day coincidently was August 10th...my birthday. This is the end of this entry...come back again for the rest. I promise you that it will be worth it. Good day...I said Good day!