Doreen
Doreen May Anderson was born to Alan Joseph Anderson and Alice Louise Anderson on February 19 1960. Doreen had blond hair and blue eyes when she was born. She looked just like her Mum. Alan was mean, he bashed Alice all the time, and began bashing little Doreen. When Doreen was four, Alice went away, Alan felt sorry for her and gave her the only toy she would ever get, a yellow teddy bear. She named him simply, Teddy. Alan lived at the horse track, little Doreen was cared for by various people. Alan would get drunk and get violent with Doreen, She and Teddy would hide under the stands.
When Doreen was eleven, Alan's sister Jesse had Doreen move in with her and her uncle Jeff. Doreen adored the farm and her auntie and uncle. When she was twelve, she got sent to boarding school. Doreen loved school. When she was sixteen, she met a boy named Peter, the two fell in love. A few months later, Doreen became pregnant, Peter had moved away. Doreen gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She was too young to care for the baby so she gave her up for adoption. She was allowed to see her daughter through the nursery window only once. Doreen was heartbroken.
Soon after she left the hospital, Doreen began stealing things, first food and lollies from milk bars, then she stole a ring and necklace from a jewelry store. She was sent to spend eight months in Wentworth Detention Centre in Melbourne. She met the prisoners. Bea Smith, a woman that killed her husbands lover, and Marie Winter, a double murderer. When Marie told Doreen "I'm top dog little girl! You'll do what I say." Doreen burst into tears. Bea took her under her wing, she was her daughter Debbie's age. She also met Lizzie Birdsworth, an older woman in for poisoning ten shearers. She also met the screws, officers in the prisons were called screws.
Meg Jackson a blond, green eyed woman, she was in her early thirties with a husband, Bill who was the prison psychiatrist they had a young son named Marty. Joyce Barry and Vera Bennett. Vera was tall with red golden hair and green eyes. Joyce was shorter and had brown hair and hazel eyes, and she also wore thick prescription glasses. After Doreen left the prison, she was thrown out of her aunties house. She then began forging checks, she also met a woman named Frankie Doyle.
Frankie Doyle was twenty-years-old. She had short brown hair and green eyes, she told Doreen that she was gay, at first, Doreen was terrified of Frankie, but later on, after she knew that the woman was not going to bother her, she teamed up with her. Frankie was abandoned by her Mother and Step-Father. Her mother married her step father when she was five-years-old, right after the birth of her baby brother Gary, or Gazza as he was nick named. Gary was a cute little boy with red curly hair and bright blue eyes. From the time Frankie could remember, she was left in charge of the care and feeding of Gary.
When the children were twelve and seven, their step father, who was an alcoholic began bashing Frankie, her Mum and Gaza. The children were placed into foster care. By the time Frankie was thirteen years old, she and Gaza had been removed from four different foster homes. The last one they had been to, a ministers home was the nicest one they had been in. The Mister and his wife were kind, they had a daughter named Molly who was three years younger than Frankie. The children all got along together and Frankie and Gaza were finally filling out from good, nourishing food. When Frankie was thirteen, she began secondary school.
She was walking through the garden of the school when an older girl, dressed in blue jeans and tee shirt with a pack of cigarettes rolled up in her sleeve bullied her. Frankie hit the older girl with her fist. Later on, after school was dismissed, Frankie was going back home when a trio of girls approached her, one of them was the younger sister of the girl she had bashed that afternoon. They took Frankie behind the bushes and molested her. Frankie was sickened by this and ran toward her foster home. Molly had saw the whole thing and asked Frankie, "What was that girl doing to you Frankie?" Frankie's green eyes glazed over with fury, "I'll show what they did!" She forced Molly to perform a sexual act on her. Later on that evening, after tea was over, Molly tearfully informed her Mum what happened. Frankie was confronted by the mister. Frankie began screaming, yelling and threw the missus hundred or so salt and pepper shakers she had been collecting since her childhood and smashed them into bits. Frankie then packed her bags and climbed through the window. After two days living on the streets, little Gaza found her. The two children lived in abandoned buildings.
Frankie found work in a factory at age fourteen and saw Gaza through school. When Frankie was only sixteen, one of her co-workers wanted to take her on a date, she went along with him, after buying her a Coke, Frankie got sleepy, but the soft drink was contaminated with a rape drug, Frankie was raped by the man. Four weeks later, Frankie began getting sick in the mornings, she was pregnant. Eight months later, at the welfare hospital, Frankie gave birth to a seven pound, seven ounce baby girl. She gave the child up for adoption.
Frankie changed after this, she preferred women to men and began dating other women. This was done in secret of course. By the time Frankie met Doreen, she had been jailed for theft and break ins. When Doreen was put into Wentworth for the second time, Frankie was there for robbing a Milk Bar. One afternoon, Frankie was put into solitary confinement, the reason was two new women were brought into the prison. Lynette Warner, or Lynn was brought in sobbing. She tearfully told the two screws in charge, Meg Jackson and Vera Bennett "I'm innocent, I didn't do anything!" Lynn was accused of burying a thirteen-month-old baby boy she cared for, the other women was Karen Travers Lynn was only nineteen with golden blond hair and blue eyes, and Karen, twenty-three. Karen was a primary school teacher, she had black hair and dark brown eyes. Karen stabbed her husband after she caught him having an affair with another woman, he had forced her into getting an abortion.
Frankie was sitting in her cell when Karen was brought into her cell. Frankie looked at Karen. "What's your name?" Frankie asked "Karen Travers." Frankie smiled "You're beautiful." Karen told her right away, "I'm not that kind of woman." Frankie laughed and told her, "We're going to be in here together for years." She then kissed Karen on the face. Karen angrily slapped Frankie, she went ballistic and Karen told her she was an animal. Karen begged to be moved to another cell. Later on that night,, the women were in the recreation room, Vera came into the room and told Frankie she was going to be moved to another cell, away from Doreen, Frankie went ballistic and destroyed the recreation room.
Frankie was put into solitary confinement. Later on, Vera came and opened the spy hole, "Calmed down yet Doyle?" Frankie spat out "Yeah I'm calm," Vera grinned meanly and said "I'll bet you're dying for a cigarette." Frankie had been without a smoke for three hours. "Sure, give me one?" Vera said meanly "It's against regulation." Frankie replied to that. "Hey Vera, I just heard the others call you a new name. It's VINEGAR TITS!" she then laughed raucously "Bea Smith made it up! " Frankie pretended to grab someone's breasts and laughed nastily. A furious Vera , slammed the spy hole door shut and left.
A few months later Gaza came to the prison, now sixteen, he told Frankie he was getting a job on a farm, "I'm going to buy us a farm when I make enough money Frankie, then we can live together again. Frankie loved her little brother, he handed her a piece of paper, Frankie never learned to read properly so she just smiled and told him, "That's nice Gaza. I'm going to straighten up and fly properly." Later on, Frankie began getting kinder toward Doreen and the other women. One afternoon, a telegram came to Frankie.
"Doreen I have something in my eye, so how about reading this to me." Frankie gave the telegram to Doreen while rubbing her eye. Doreen glanced at the telegram, She said "Oh Gary's doing great Frankie, he says he's making money now." Frankie smiled, then left the room. Karen saw the worried look in Doreen's eyes. "What did it say Doreen?" Karen asked. Doreen replied, "Frankie's brother was hurt when a tractor fell on him, they have him in hospital he's in a bad way."
Karen walked to Frankie's cell, she was sitting on the bed smiling. Karen asked her "Can I see that Frankie? There's no need to be ashamed that you can't read." Frankie handed the telegram to Karen. "Frankie, this telegram says that your brother's hurt very badly and that you need to get to him in hospital as soon as possible." Frankie's eyes filled with tears. Vera and the Wentworth Governor, Mrs. Davidson took her to the hospital. When they arrived, the doctor told her the grim news, Gary died about thirty minutes ago.
When they arrived back at the prison, Frankie went into the rec room, she then began screaming and wailing, the others ran out, Frankie destroyed the recreation room, she broke the television, she ripped the posters she destroyed all the chairs, the games, then landed in a sobbing heap on the floor. Doctor Miller gave her a shot. That night, she sat in her bed in the dark, sobbing quietly and holding Gaza's leather jacket, remembering him as a baby, a child, then as a handsome young man.
It was a Sunday morning, the women were at church services, Karen didn't go, she was walking in the warm sunny garden when she looked up and saw Frankie, perched toward the edge of the prison roof. She quickly ran up five flights of stairs and up a ladder to the open roof, where Frankie broke the lock. She slowly walked toward Frankie. "Lovely morning isn't it Frankie." Frankie looked at Karen, "Rack off Karen, leave me alone. Karen said to Frankie, "No I'm not leaving you to take a trip off the roof. It's a long way down." Meanwhile the women were going outside before lunch, Vera spotted the two up on the roof.
"Travers! Doyle! Get down from there at ONCE!" Vera and Meg ran to the roof, Karen had finally talked Frankie off the edge, she broke down and sobbed in Karen's arms. They took her to her cell. A few days later, Frankie asked Karen to help her learn to read. She obliged and gave her primer books that she had brought in from her old school. After about a week, Frankie was reading very well, one afternoon; Frankie was reading about a little boy named Tom, it was his birthday. "They gave Tom a party," Frankie read. She stumbled on a word and Karen asked her "Would you like me to read to you for a while?" Frankie nodded and Karen began reading.
"Tom's mother and father gave him a cake, they all sang Happy Birthday, even Jip the dog got a piece of cake." Frankie leaned over and gave Karen a kiss on the cheek. Karen slapped Frankie. "You tricked me! I was starting to believe you when you said you were going to help me!" Frankie ran from the room. She went into the recreation room. Earlier, she told Doreen that she would like to escape. "Hey Doreen, want to escape like we were planning?" Doreen smiled and said "Sure Frankie, lets go now." They sneaked a pair of wire cutters and a ladder, then they went outside and walked to the fence.
Mum Brooks, a woman in her fifties was weeding the vegetables, she watched in silence as Frankie, along with Doreen and Lizzie Birds worth all climbed over the fence and began running. They only made it a few seconds when Lizzie turned pale and stopped, grabbing her chest, "Oh Lizzie! What's the matter?" Doreen said, Frankie angrily went toward the older woman. "What's the matter? Are you crook?" Lizzie was even paler, "It's my ticker!" she gasped "I need to go back." Lizzie walked back to the main gate and was let in by a guard. When it was almost nightfall, Doreen tricked a young boy out of a bag of fish and chips and she and Frankie shared it.
The next morning, after they slept in a clump of bushes, Doreen announced that she was starving. Frankie found some clothes on a line that would fit them, they dressed in civilian clothes and walked to a diner. When they went inside, Doreen ordered her food. "I'll have eggs and sausage, pancakes, a pot of tea, a banana split, and a piece of apple pie." Frankie ordered her food. "I'll have steak and eggs, some tea and a package of cigarettes." After they ate Doreen stood up and announced "I'm going to be sick!" She gagged and ran out the front door. "Mable's pregnant, she's got morning sickness, I better go see if she's okay."
The man that owned the diner said "Wait a minute, you're not trying to get away without paying the twelve dollars and thirty seven cents." Frankie took off, the man cursed and went back inside. Doreen was throwing up in the alley. "It's your own fault Doreen, you ate like a cow." Later on, Doreen tried to find a job. She returned five hours later. "They tried me at a packaging place, boxing fruit, but I fouled up by eating some apples and they sacked me." Frankie rolled her eyes.
Five days later, hungry and cold, Frankie and Doreen were going to rob a hardware store. They saw a policeman and began running, Frankie had stolen a gun from a house and she pointed the gun at the policeman and fired, hitting him in the arm, he fired back, hitting Frankie in the chest. Earlier that day, Frankie visited a church that she knew about, it was the Mister's old church when she and Gaza were fostered out to the family. She sat down and listened to the minister talk about life and death.
"Death is just a breath away, so is life, did you know that God knew you before you were in the womb? He also knows the day you'll die." Frankie listened as the minister also told about the abominable sins that only God and Jesus could forgive your for, one, to her horror was homosexuality. "I'm sorry , but they say you're born that way, but I'm telling you right now that's NOT TRUE!" With tears in her eyes, Frankie thought back to when she was only thirteen and those girls molested her, then in turn, she molested Molly, her foster sister. It made her sick to her stomach to think that a girl could actually do that to another girl. Then she thought about the young man that brutally raped her and had gotten her pregnant.
She carried the baby to full term, then had her, she held the beautiful baby in her arms, even giving the baby a name. "I'm naming her Julie." she told the nurse that signed the birth certificate before she was given to her adoptive parents. It was then that she decided that being with women would save her from pain. The minister asked his congregation if anyone would like to be saved and give themselves to Jesus. Frankie then stood and the minister told her what to say. As Frankie lay on the ground three hours later, she looked up toward the sky.
"Doreen! Frankie gasped, I see Gaza! He's in a beautiful light, he's in heaven Doreen, I'm joining him there! I'm forgiven for my sins. Gaza! I'm coming little brother, I'm coming." with those words, Frankie let out a deep breath, and died. Doreen began sobbing, "Frankie, NO! Please don't die." Doreen kissed Frankie's cheek and ran away sobbing. She made it back to Wentworth an hour later. Doreen was very upset and very angry, the first thing she did was slap Karen Travers, then she began baiting the other women, calling Lynn Warner 'Wonky" This went on for a week, Doreen refusing to wash her hair, it was oily and stank. Mrs. Davidson, the Governor, talked to Doreen.
"Doreen, I don't understand you, You used to be a very sweet young lady, everyone loves you, You have got to change back into the person you were." Doreen burst into tears and sobbed in Mrs. Davidson's arms, then told her. "Please forgive me, I'm sorry Mrs. Davidson. I want everyone to like me again." After blowing her nose and drying her face, Mrs. Davidson gave her permission to shower and wash her hair. Doreen smelled and looked better after her shower. She asked Lynn and the other women her forgiveness. They all accepted it and Doreen became her old sweet self once more.
After Lynn Warner left, due to being innocent of her crime, and Karen Travers also got a reduced sentence, because her Mum proved that Wayne Travers, Karen's husband was brutal to her, bashing her and forcing her to get the abortion, the judge declared her innocent, by reason of temporary insanity. Karen married Doctor Greg Miller and the happy couple moved to Queensland. Through letters and pictures, the women were informed that Greg and Karen had two beautiful sons two years apart. Anthony James, then Steven Matthew. The boys had their Father's brown hair and their Mum's brown eyes.
That was about the time Doreen was released from prison, she' along with Lizzie stayed at the half-way house. But it didn't take long for old Lizzie to be put back. She went inside a liquor store and tried to steal three bottles of Scotch, As Doreen followed behind to stop her she slipped two bottle of the Scotch into her pockets and a policeman saw her. Doreen was re arrested also. Before this happened, Doreen got a job in a packing house and met a young man, his name was Kevin Burns, he was handsome with blond hair and blue eyes.
Kevin went to the half-way house later and was told about Doreen. He went to Wentworth and Doreen tearfully explained what happened, Kevin forgave her and he proposed to her, the two were married by a Justice Of The Peace in the prison garden. Doreen spent only five hours with her new husband and was then sent back to Wentworth. One afternoon, something wonderful happened, Doreen met her Mum, she had found Doreen through a search. After seeing her Mum again they reunited, but only a little while, Alice was dying and soon passed away, Doreen was devastated, Alice gave Doreen her home. One afternoon, a new prisoner came inside, an older woman in her early forties, her name was Judy Bryant. Judy was an American, with light brown hair and brown eyes, she moved to Australia the year that Doreen was born. Judy had fallen in love with a woman, her family disowned her. She originally came to the prison to see her girlfriend, Sharon Gilmour, a young girl of nineteen. She had curly brown hair and brown eyes.
Sharon caused trouble for Judy, getting her in trouble and hitting the woman. Judy was in the garden with Doreen one afternoon when a little dog, dirty and hungry came through a hole in the prison fence. They heard the whining and saw the little dog they went to the dog and Doreen smiled and said "Oh! Aren't you a handsome boy." Judy smiled also, "Hey Doreen, it's a girl." Doreen laughed, "She needs a bath and a good feed Jude." They sneaked the dog inside and fed her some leftovers, Meg, who was the nicest screw at Wentworth saw the dog, she told them they could give the little dog a bath.
Bathing her brought out the true beauty in the little dog, Vera saw her and remarked to Judy and Doreen, "That's a pedigreed dog, she probably has an owner that's frantic for her return." Vera was going to call the RSPCA and they could come and take her. Lizzie heard this and sneaked the dog into her cell. The next morning, the little dog had peed in the floor, Vera stepped in it, and told Lizzie to give her the dog. "Fair dinkum Miss Bennett! Please let me keep her." Vera said "You know pets aren't allowed here Lizzie."
As Vera was leading the dog away from the prison, Lizzie screamed "DOG KILLER!" Vera went straight to a pet store and bought the dog a bed, food, a collar, a leash, and was going to keep the beautiful little dog. Vera told Meg, "I'm going to name her Lady, she's actually a King Charles Spaniel." Lizzie overheard this and quickly knitted Vera a cardigan for the dog. Lizzie proudly gave the cardigan to Vera that evening before she left. "Here Miss Bennett, this is for Chips." Vera told Lizzie that she was naming her Lady, but Lizzie said "But she looks like a Chips to me, and Chips goes well with Vinegar." Vera almost laughed but kept it inside.
For three days, Vera walked the beautiful little dog and she was smart, she was already housebroken, could shake hands, speak on command and could sit pretty. The next evening, the two of them were in the park, "STRUDEL! Here girl!" The dog turned her head and began barking wildly, Vera let the leash off and the dog ran to the man, jumping on him and licking him. "Strudel! You're here, Thank you for taking care of my Strudel miss, She jumped out of the car a week ago and the wife and girls were heartbroken." After giving Strudel to her owner, Vera went home and cried. She sadly told Lizzie the news about how Strudel had been reunited with her owner.
A month later, Sharon Gilmour had been found dead on the bottom of a flight of stairs, Judy knew who did it. A new male screw named Jock Stewart did it. She had overheard Jock slapping Doreen when she refused to sell her Mums home. Jock was fired and taken away to prison. Mrs. Davidson announced one afternoon that the women would be going to a factory to sew clothes, Doreen was one of the ones chosen, along with Margo Gaffney, Judy Bryant, Pauline Trapp, or Mouse as she was nicknamed, and Bev, and Lil. Bea was too much of a flight risk. They began going and met the man in charge, Tim Poplin an overweight man that was also a letch. Three weeks into the job, he forced Doreen to have sex with him, she was sickened by this and begged Vera Bennett to let her shower when they arrived back at the prison. Vera refused.
A few weeks later, Doreen tried to get him to give her husband a job at the factory, he refused and she tried to get him to change his mind by having sex willingly with him. A few weeks later, the job stopped and the women once again went back to their regular work in the laundry. Doreen felt sick in the mornings and at night, she also began gaining weight, a trip to the sister revealed that she was pregnant. She tearfully told Bea what had happened, The man came to the prison and the women attacked him. Doreen had to tell Kevin about her pregnancy. He heard and was happy at first, then she told him the truth, he was furious and hurt, Doreen went into a depression and tried to hang herself, Vera found her and saved her life.
Lizzie and Bea supported Doreen . "It's going to be our baby we'll all love the little babe." Lizzie told Doreen. One afternoon about three months into the pregnancy, Doreen felt pains not very severe, that evening, she was awoken with severe pains, she sobbed as the pains tore through her lower body. That morning, she lost her baby. Mrs. Davidson transferred her to the maternity. She met Chrissie Latham's beautiful baby girl Elizabeth. One afternoon Chrissie and another woman named Helen let a stray cat into the maternity section. Doreen told them the cat might have worms and needed a bath, later on, As Doreen was walking into Chrissies room the cat was lying on top of Elizabeth, the baby was wheezing and gasping for breath, Doreen ran over to the baby who was turning blue, threw the cat to the floor and gave her mouth to mouth. Doreen saved Elizabeth's life.
Doreen was scheduled leave the prison. Mrs. Davidson arranged her to work in the children's ward at the hospital. She was going to train to be a nurse. Doreen went back to her Mums home and happily went to work. She read, sang rocked and patted the children. One afternoon, A familiar child was there, Elizabeth Latham was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia. Doreen made a snide remark to Vera Bennett. Later on, Doreen was told that she was going to be transferred to another section. That evening, Doreen overheard two of the nurses talking about Elizabeth. "That Latham baby needs to be taken away from her Mum." Doreen listened in panic, she thought about taking the baby home with her until Chrissie got out of the prison, after all, Elizabeth was going to be one-year-old three weeks later.
It was a horrible rule that all babies born to a woman in prison had to surrender her baby when he or she turned one. Chrissie was scheduled to leave prison two months after Elizabeth's birthday. Later on, that evening, Doreen wrapped Elizabeth in a blanket and went home with her, before she took the baby, she had bought nappies, bottles, milk, baby food and a few clothes and toys for the baby. Two days later Doreen had to rush the baby back to the hospital, she had a high fever and was wheezing and coughing. Doreen was immediately returned to Wentworth. Chrissie was ready to hurt Doreen, but Doreen tearfully told Chrissie what she overheard and burst into tears herself, she hugged Doreen and forgave her.
That evening, Vera Bennett walked into the recreation room, she was walking and talking strangely. Her hair, usually in a tight bun was loose. To Lizzie's amazement, Vera got a pack of cigarettes out of her skirt pocket, a lighter and lit one "Streuth! She's smoking a fag!" She took a few puffs and then told the women, "Clean up this place, it's filthy." with that, she ground the cigarette into the floor. Bea looked at the way Vera walked and whispered to Lizzie, "Go over to Vera and ask her a question." Lizzie sauntered over to Vera, asked her about something, Vera replied. Lizzie grinned and went back to Bea, "I could let her breathe on me forever! She's been drinking, and not the cheap stuff either." The woman poured mop water on Vera's skirt, then stole her keys.
Later on, Vera frantically ran around the prison, she shined a torch onto the cells, Bea, Doreen and Lizzie pretended to be asleep. Chrissie came from the maternity section and they opened Judy's cell. Together they walked toward the officers lounge. Vera was in there talking to Meg on the telephone, begging her to come help. The woman surrounded her, along with a bottle of scotch that Lizzie had snitched from Mrs. Davidson's office. Bea grabbed Vera by the nape of her hair, pulled her neck back and forced her mouth open, Then poured the bottle of liquor down her throat, then all over her uniform.
Later on, the women ran to their cells, were locked in by Chrissie and then Chrissie ran to the maternity section, locked herself in, and threw Vera's keys down the corridor. Meg found Vera passed out in the officers lounge. After getting coffee in Vera, she tearfully told Meg and Colleen Powell, another screw with blond hair and green eyes what happened. The next morning, Erica told Vera she was going to get some help from a doctor and was made to take off a few days. Vera tearfully told Mrs. Davidson she needed this job. Vera was all alone, she had lived with her Mum, the woman was cruel to Vera, she constantly told the pretty young woman that she was dried up and homely, that no man would have her.
Mrs. Bennett died from a heart attack at age 49. Vera was only twenty-nine years old, that had been three years earlier. The day after Vera had to take her leave of absence, she went into a liquor store and bought scotch and brandy, as she was walking out of the store, a homeless woman asked her for something to eat, Vera took pity on the woman and took her home with her. Later on, she convinced Vera that she was going to fix them some tomato soup and toast. Vera passed out before the woman got the food prepared. When she woke up, she saw her wristwatch and her Mum's money and some things were missing. After contacting the police, Vera went into her kitchen and dumped every drop of the liquor down the sink, Vera stopped drinking forever. Meanwhile, a new woman had been put into prison, a neighbor of Meg's. It was a twenty-five year old woman named Gail Summers. Gail and her husband had three small children, a five-year old daughter named Katrina, a three-year old bundle of energy named Jason, and an infant who had just turned one-year old named Steven. Jason was always screaming in pain and misery, so did baby Steven. One afternoon, Gail came screaming to Meg's flat, "Jason's broken his arm, he's turning blue too!"
They rushed the toddler to the hospital, he had a broken arm and bruises all over his body. After talking to the doctor, a person from child protective services paid a visit to the Summers house. After confronting Jim Summers he denied hurting the little boy. "I might smack the little fellow sometimes, but I never hurt him." Gail burst into tears and sobbed, "It's ME! I'm the one hitting Jason, he cries and cries and I can't make him stop." After she arrived, Gail was sobbing into her pillow and Lizzie took pity on her, she dried Gail's tears and talked to her gently. Gail accidentally told Lizzie what she did. The other women were told and they constantly baited the young Mother. Gail tearfully told the woman they could do what they wanted to her, that she deserved it. They took pity on her then, they all got cross with their children from time to time, and half of the women were in Gail's situation, they had either an absent husband or boyfriend or no husband at all. Meg got in contact with a woman from Parent's Anonymous.
Meanwhile, Jim Summers had gotten a friend of his, a young woman named Nancy Gavin to come in and help him with the children. Meg was coming home from work one afternoon and Katrina was in the streets, she walked up the three flights of stairs and saw the Summer's flats, door open. When she walked in, the radio was blaring, ,a pan of porridge was burning and was almost on fire on the stove, and baby Steven and Jason were sitting on the filthy floor. The flat was freezing and Nancy was nowhere to be found. Meg walked over to the two children, "Jason where does Nancy keep Steven's nappies?" She picked up the baby, he was dirty and smelled because his nappy was dirty from urine and poo.
Meg told him, "Well young man, you're wet from head to foot, come on I'm taking you over to my flat and bathe you, come on Jason, I'll bathe you too. Jason was wearing dirty trousers and a shirt, he had wet his pants. As Meg was about to walk out the door, Nancy came staggering in with a paper bag and a cigarette dangling out of her mouth. "What are you doing with my kids?" she drunkenly asked. "I happen to be taking them over to my place, you left them alone and the pot of porridge was burning, the handle was turned toward the outside and Jason could have accidentally knocked it over and burned himself, and the baby needs a bath and a nappy change and Jason needs a bath also.
Nancy grabbed Steven out of Meg's arms and screamed "Get out of here!" Meg immediately went to her flat and called the child protection service. The children were immediately taken to Jim's Mum's home. Gail was released from prison and went to stay at a half way home and was reunited with her children six months later. A new women was admitted to the prison, her name was Tracey Morris, she was taken into custody at the airport with a suitcase full of cocaine. "I thought it was gold," the eighteen-year old girl with dark blond hair and blue eyes sobbed to Erica. Tracey's father, Bob Morris, forty-years-old, with brown hair and blue eyes began seeing Tracey, he fell in love with Meg, nine months later, the two were married.
That summer, the women at Wentworth had a Panto, it was an Australian version of a children's play. They were doing Cinderella. Doreen was the star, Bea and Judy were going to be the step sisters and Lizzie was going to be the fairy Godmother. Heather Trapp was going to be character named Charlie. Lizzie had found a book on Wentworth, It said the prison had an underground wine cellar in the olden days. They got Heather, or Mouse, to go down inside and look. "It's really dark and damp down there but I walked all the way to the end, there's a drain leading to a way out. This gave Judy, Doreen, Mouse, ,and another women named Irene an idea to escape.
Went worth also had a prisoner named Anne Griffith, this woman was unhinged, she told the women she had a friend named Megan that had her imprisoned, then she says she had a daughter named Megan. When Chrissie Latham's baby girl had to go away, Meg took pictures of her with her Mummy, Anne held the baby in her arms and told Chrissie that Elizabeth was her baby. Then she took the pictures and tore them. Chrissie sobbed into her pillow. Anne saw the women going into the drain and covered it up with the cover and then with dirt. "I'm burying her Megan darling." she talked to herself. Meanwhile Irene knocked over a metal pole and sent the wall crashing down, she died right away, Mouse and Judy had already escaped to the other side, but Bea, Lizzie and Doreen were trapped on the other side. They stayed there for over twelve hours, Mouse was caught the next day, she told Erica about the others getting stuck inside the drain. They were rescued. Anne was diagnosed with Multiple Personality Disorder and taken to Ingleside Mental Hospital.
Soon after this happened, Bea Smith was transferred to Barn Hurst prison. Then three weeks later, she was supposed to return. Meanwhile, a new male screw joined the staff, his name was Terry Harrison. Jim Fletcher the Deputy Governor, a handsome man thirty five years old with brown hair and blue eyes. Talked to Terry, he was also a handsome man with brown hair and brown eyes. "You ought to go out with Vera Bennett." The two went out on a couple of dates, Vera fell in love with him. Bea Smith, on her way back to Went worth was knocked unconscious after the van taking her back was crashed. She awoke and walked down the road. She remembered nothing.
Two days later, she, along with Mum Brooks were returned to the prison. Mum was taken and charged with aiding and abetting. When they got there, Bea was scared, she called Vera Miss, when they were assigned to the laundry Margo Gaffney, a thin woman thirty years old with short light brown hair and hazel eyes began baiting Mum. Bea attacked Margo, seeing a woman in the back of her mind, she was choking the woman, then she saw Margo losing consciousness. Bea screamed "NO!" then ran down the corridor sobbing. Terry found her on the floor sobbing and saying "What's the matter with me!" She talked to Meg and she told Erica that she thought Bea had amnesia.
Three days later, Bea could remember again. Doreen was as surprised as the rest of the women. She was also surprised to see Vera happy. She didn't know that Terry had proposed to Vera. Before any of this had taken place, Vera poured her broken heart out to Meg. "My Mum was a mean woman, she never loved me, my father died when I was only seven-years-old. My Gran took care of me when I was a baby because Mum was sick," Vera also told her "My Dad died and then my Gran died. Then I found a dog and hid her from Mum, then she found her and took her to the RSPCA. I started to cry and Mum laughed at me, she told me I sounded like a sick elephant." Meg listened in horror "I was a very good artist, but Mum wouldn't let me draw or paint, I was very smart and got a scholarship to Uni, but Mum forbid me to go, that's when we moved here and I got the job here at Went Worth." Meg listened "Then only two years ago, I got my first boyfriend, at age twenty-nine. Graham Lang, remember the policeman? " Meg smiled. "Yes I remember him." Vera continued. "He was the first man to make love to me, hold me and call me beautiful, then he left me." Meg told her "Yes I remember that. Vera talked again, "Then there was George Lucas. He done me the same way, then tied me up like a turkey and left me for dead." Vera burst into tears at the memories.
Vera's happiness soon turned to tragedy. She got the position at Barn Hurst, then as she and Terry were leaving the prison after she told him the news. He got angry at her and she told him she wanted to put off the wedding for a while, while arguing, a shot rang out and Terry died in Vera's arms. Vera' in shock told the police and Jack Grace, a detective. She then calmly went to Meg's place. As she was telling Meg about Terry, she shook, "Oh Meg! Terry's DEAD!" she burst into tears, in hysterics she sobbed out her pain to Meg "Terry loved me, we were going to marry!" Meg comforted her as good as she could, she finally called the doctor and he came over and gave Vera a shot, she fell asleep in Meg's guest room.
The next morning, Doreen and Mouse and Lizzie gave her their condolences for Terry, later on, before she left. Mouse and Lizzie were genuine in giving Vera their farewells, Lizzie especially, a few months earlier, Lizzie collapsed on the recreation room floor, she died, Vera gave the sweet old woman CPR and brought her back to life. Later on after leaving the hospital, Lizzie went into a deep depression, Colleen Powell found her next door neighbor, an elderly widower named Sid Humphries a job at Went Worth as a handyman. He was fixing their broken television and met Lizzie, the two fell in love.
Sid got Lizzie out of her depression, then a few months later, Sid had a stroke and Lizzie got him out of his depression. Erica let Lizzie go to Sid's to care for him. One evening, Sid, who was very sick died in his sleep. Lizzie was heartbroken, she told Vera on her last day, "I know how you feel Miss Bennett, I loved Sid as much as you loved Mister Harrison." Vera smiled and told her "Thank You Lizzie, I will miss you,"
Later on, Doreen got another teddy bear, a few months later a handsome new male screw came in, his name was Steve Falkner he was twenty-four years old with brown hair, brown eyes and deep dimples. He was as nice as Jim was. One afternoon, they got two brand new prisoners, Sandy Edwards, twenty- two years old with black hair and brown eyes, and Kate Peterson, thirty with blond hair and blue eyes, she was a doctor with a three-year old son named Gerard, her Mum Louise was caring for the little boy. Sandy was in prison for murder, Kate was there for medical malpractice.
Meanwhile a sixteen-year-old girl was brought to prison, her name was Susan Driscoll, blond and blue eyed, she was there for trying to escape a home for girls, she was just like Doreen was as a teenager. She put on a brave front for the women, but she sobbed herself to sleep. Lizzie felt sorry for the child, so did Colleen Powell, "My daughter Jennifer is only a year younger." Before Susie, as she preferred to be called came, Colleen was getting mean to the women, she screamed at one of the prisoners named Alison Page.
Alison was in prison for shoplifting, her husband was all alone in trying to raise their two children, Christopher, fifteen, and Susan, age nine. One afternoon her husband Don was injured and her children were about to be taken to a home, Alison was lying in her bed crying, Colleen told her to get up, She told Alison with a mean look that her husband was in the hospital and they would probably take her children away, Alison became upset and pushed Colleen, she went straight to Erica. The women put Colleen in Coventry, a term used to completely ignore someone they were angry at. Doreen warned Colleen that if they kept on doing the ignoring, they would probably send Colleen to Barn Hurst. "Then you'll be under Miss Bennett again." Colleen withdrew her statement that Alison attacked her.
Alison was released fro prison to care for her children, Colleen turned back into her kind self, soon after she was elected Deputy Governor. Jim Fletcher left Wentworth for a position, he was going to be the head master of a boys military school in a nearby town. The women cried when Jim left, they really loved him. Meanwhile the women were liking Steve too. Another young woman came to the prison as a screw, her name was Janet Conway, she had dark red hair and dark blue eyes, she was twenty six. She bought the women their first color television they had since Frankie destroyed the last one.
Kate Peterson was beginning to act strangely, one afternoon she went ballistic after someone said something to her. The women told her they were going to take care of her problem their way, she got scared and confronted Sandy in the garden, Sandy disappeared, they thought maybe Kate killed her. Meanwhile Janet fell in love with a new man that came to the prison to put a newspaper printer in the old unused machine shop. His name was Robert Francis. Love turned to marriage and the two were married and moved to Adelaide. Six months later, a beautiful baby boy was born to the happy couple, they named the child Gerald.
One afternoon, Lizzie came into the recreation room. "Something's wrong with Mrs. Powell, she's sitting in the staff room sobbing her heart out." Unknown to the women, Colleen's fifteen-year-old daughter Jennifer was taken away from a man, he forced his wife Carol to lock the girl in a bedroom, Later on after she tried to call the prison, he found out and beat Carol to a pulp, she lay unconscious in the floor, then he went into the bedroom and brutally raped Jennifer. Later on the two of them took Jennifer to a hotel with another man. The man reassured her he wouldn't harm her, they heard a shot, Carol murdered her husband.
Colleen and Patrick got a message that Jennifer was in the hospital, they found out the girl was raped, they went to the hospital to see her, then went home and cried in each others arms. After this happened, Carol was brought into the prison. An angry Colleen made life hard for the woman, Until Jenny told her that Carol kept her safe from her husband except the time she was unconscious, Colleen went to her trial and got her released.
One afternoon, the prison got a new screw, her name was Joan Ferguson, and she came from Queensland. Joan a very tall woman with brown hair and green eyes was introduced to the women, when a very familiar face came back, Chrissie Latham went back on her prostitution game and tried to take her little girl Elizabeth to Sydney, the little girl was now two years old she had blond curls and sky blue eyes, As Chrissie walked into the airport with the child, her sister-in-law called the police, Chrissie was arrested and a crying Elizabeth was handed to her Auntie Brenda. Soon after Chrissie was admitted, Joan cornered Doreen in the corridor, to her horror, Doreen was told to lift her arms. Joan had a pair of black leather gloves, Joan then felt Doreen's breasts, and privates, she thought she was going to throw up. She tearfully told Bea and Lizzie.
A few days later Chrissie tried to get Joan to give her neck a massage, the real reason was that Chrissie wanted to get hold of money. Joan began bashing the woman, kicking and punching her and screamed "Damn you Latham! You made me lose my temper!" Chrissie was severely bruised and bleeding, she spent over a week in the prison hospital. Joan also got Lizzie drunk with three tiny bottles of whisky. The women were making homemade liquor from a still the women turned an old boiler in the boiler room, which supplied the women with heat in their cells. They wore cardigans year round because the concrete blocks and cement floors kept the prison at about sixty degrees year round, even in the heat of summer.
After Lizzie drunkenly told Joan where the still was it was, broken down. Kate Peterson was getting worse, suddenly one afternoon, Meg and Steve heard Judy screaming and choking ,they ran to her and saw Kate Peterson with a crazed look choking Judy, they pulled her away and Judy gasped and sobbed. Kate screamed "Conrad! Get away from me you little worm!" She kicked Steve in his privates, and then tried to attack Meg, together, along with Mrs. Bar field, they managed to put Kate into solitary confinement.
In the middle of the night, they heard Kate screaming. Meg and Steve went to the solitary cell, Kate was talking to no one, saying "All the time I hear a clock inside my head, It's going tick, tick ,tick, tick, tick, tick, TICK, NEVER STOPPING, NEVER STOPPING, EVER!" She threw her cot at the spy hole. The next day, they opened the door to feed her lunch, she was sitting in the cell talking to no one, "I want you to take this three times a day, Okay I'll see my next patient." As the cell was opened, Kate smiled and said "I'll see my next patient now." Meg told her Kate, you're going to go to the hospital." Kate smiled and said "Oh good! I need to get back to work." The prison van drove Kate to a prison for the criminally insane. Her little boy Gerard would never see his Mummy again.
Doreen was finally getting out of prison. She happily left and stayed at Driscoll House, the half way house Judy Bryant started after she left a few weeks before Doreen. After staying a few months, getting a job at a shoe factory, she left for New South Wales. When she arrived, she found a rooming house to stay at, then scanned the newspapers to find herself a job. She found one, Wanted, full time woman to care for two-year-old boy in home, call 543-0976. Doreen called the number and a familiar voice answered the phone, She told Doreen to come to the address and get interviewed.
When she arrived, the woman opened the door, "Doreen Burns? I never would believe it's you." It was Vera Bennett, at her hip, she was carrying a beautiful little boy, he had red golden hair and sky blue eyes. "Hello Miss Bennett. I can't believe you have a little boy." Vera smiled warmly and told her, "Yes, this is my son Joseph, he's Terry's son." Right after Vera left for Barn Hurst, she found out she was pregnant, she told the doctor this baby was her gift from God. After he was born, she began attending church, she was baptized and the baby was too. She gave her life to Jesus and dedicated her son's life to him also.
Vera was a changed woman, she no longer drank, or smoked, or berated the women at Barn Hurst. Doreen was hired to care for Joseph. The little boy was sweet, he was getting toilet trained, he could talk like a bird, sing like an angel and his Mummy was trying to wean him off his dummy. After being patient and kind, Joseph finally gave his dummies to the babies in heaven, Doreen put them into a plastic bag and put them in a tree branch before Joseph's bedtime. After he fell asleep, she quietly threw them away.
After about a week, Joseph was completely toilet trained, "No more nappies hurray!" Doreen and Vera sang out to Joseph. Doreen took the child to the park, the zoo, and to children's movies, he loved Pooh and Tigger and watched them on television, children's music filled the air from the records. Doreen also taught Joseph his numbers and letters, at age three in February, he was beginning to read a little. When he was four, Vera came home one afternoon and told Doreen "They brought Chrissie Latham to the prison, this officer at Wentworth went over Mrs. Davidson's head and sent her here. Now she'll not get to see Elizabeth "
Chrissie had six more months to her sentence and it would feel like a lifetime since she wouldn't get to see her beautiful little girl who had turned five recently. Soon after Vera told Doreen about another familiar face. Bea Smith had been transferred. Joan Ferguson did it she told Doreen. She told Vera what kind of woman Joan was. "She's a bent Screw Miss Bennett, she's a lesbian and does body searches on all the women, it's discussing." Vera shuddered at the thought. Doreen continued to live with Vera and Joseph, the little boy began Kindergarten and Doreen drove him to school every day. He was the smartest boy in the class and already had a few little girls eager to hold his hand at recess and going to lunch. He was a sweet little fellow and loved all the children. The three of them were in church every Sunday morning, evening and Wednesday.
One afternoon, while Doreen was watching her soap while Joseph was still in school, an announcement interrupted the program. A riot had broken out at Barn Hurst, two women died and they prison was torched. One of the women was Bea Smith. Doreen was heartbroken. She also heard that Vera was injured, She took Joseph to the hospital to see Mummy. Vera was bruised but not badly injured, she returned home three days later. "I want to quit my job there Doreen. every time I go through the doors when they rebuild I'll see Bea there."
After she fully recovered, Vera went back to school and got her teaching credentials. She was going to be a primary school teacher. One afternoon, another familiar face came to the door. Jim Fletcher, he was on holiday and saw Vera in town, she asked him to stop at her house and see Doreen. He told her "I'm looking for another job, My heart just can't take looking at the boys." His wife and two sons Matthew and Andrew were killed five years earlier. He soon got a job as the Governor of Barn Hurst. He came to Vera's and a friendship between the two of them blossomed, then turned to love. Joseph also loved Jim, calling him Daddy.
The two of them married and he adopted Joseph. Later on they were surprised to find out that they were going to become parents. Eight months later, on a beautiful day in December, a little girl was born to them, she weighed seven pounds, seven ounces. They named her Elizabeth Josephine Fletcher, she had her Dad's brown hair and her Mums green eyes. Doreen had two children to care for now. She loved every second of it. Like her big brother, Elizabeth was toilet trained by age two, learned to read by age three, sang like an angel and Elizabeth also could draw. "Look Doreen! I drew a bird and a pussy cat." Doreen smiled and said "They're lovely sweetie, you're a very bright girl."
One afternoon Doreen was taking Elizabeth to the doctors for a well checkup. When she arrived, she saw another familiar face. It was Kevin. He told her he moved to NSW and got a job there in construction. She told him that she was working for the Fletchers and Elizabeth smiled at him. He asked her out on a few dates. They fell in love all over again. Kevin proposed and the two were remarried in the Fletchers church. Doreen still cared for Elizabeth and Joseph, but she lived three miles away with Kevin in a nice flat.
One afternoon, Doreen felt sick, and tired too, she went to see her doctor, he told her she was expecting. She practically danced home to tell Kevin after he got home from work. The two of them laughed and cried. Jim and Vera gave Doreen a baby shower and in September, Doreen gave birth to a six pound, three ounce baby girl. They named her Julie Marie. She tearfully told Vera and Jim she wanted to quit to care full time for Julie, they tearfully accepted and she was given a party by them, Both Joseph and Elizabeth sobbed because they loved Doreen. "I'll come see you all the time. I won't let you miss me." She told them. Doreen kept her promise.
Through letters from Judy Bryant, she caught up on the rest of the women. Lizzie found her youngest son Arthur, he reunited with her and she moved in with them. She was still going strong at age eighty. Judy had a grandson David, he was four and was completely deaf, his father Geoff had German measles and it made the child born deaf. He attended a school and could talk with his hands and read lips. The prison had a new governor, her name was Ann Reynolds, she was a sweet woman forty five, with brown hair and eyes. Colleen Powell suffered a horrible tragedy, her entire family was killed, She stayed at Went Worth for a year, then left for a round-the-world trip.
Hazel Kent died of a brain tumor, Judy gave her a bottle of pain pills and she died from an overdose. Judy was returned to prison. While there she met another young woman, her name was Pixie Mason,