On the Monday after Barbara was freed on the Friday, Karen came to work with a sinking feeling. It centred on Sylvia. She had prevailed on Frances Myers, wing governor of D wing, to take on Sylvia until the end of Barbara's trial. She had argued loudly and all too reasonably that why should she take on a total reject from another wing, and especially Sylvia? Frances had solidly hammered her team together with her own drive and determination and was justly proud of the fruits of her hard work. Karen had patiently reasoned with the rather fiery Frances who had finally given way. Now that the trial was over, Karen felt compelled to transfer Sylvia back. The problem was that Nikki, as a new wing governor, had carried Sylvia on her overloaded shoulders and Sylvia had been disgraced herself to all and sundry, including Helen. Nikki hadn't been there at the time, but it was certain that her sharp ears would have heard every detail of what had gone on. After her third cigarette had been stubbed out into her ashtray, her mind was made up. She had to call a meeting of the two wing governors, and thrash the whole matter out. Quite what she was going to say to them both, God only knew.
She decided to move the chairs around, and group them in a circle with a coffee table at the side for drinks. She could do with every prop she could lay her hands on, to take the edge off any confrontation.
"It's not every day we get a chance to meet up." Frances said jovially enough to Nikki.
Nikki's smile was wan and her reply common place enough, as they entered the room
together. She knew exactly what was in store for them and, already she was getting tense.
"Come in, both of you and take a seat." Karen offered with what sounded, to her
hypersensitive ears, as forced cheerfulness." Do you want a drink?" she offered.
"A cup of tea please, Karen." Nikki said politely. What seemed like a lifetime of working
in clubs paradoxically impelled her to restrict daytime drinking to the minimum. On
Frances' following suit, Karen raised her eyebrow, and asked her secretary to assist.
Personally, she would have preferred something stronger.
"I thought I'd call you both in to discuss the matter of what's going to happen to Sylvia
Hollamby."
"I would have thought that's obvious." Frances replied with lightning speed ahead of the
other two." She clears out her locker and moves back to G wing as soon as"
"Hold on a minute, Frances, let's not rush matters. How do you feel about the matter,
Nikki"
Nikki's mouth was dry and she hesitated for the whirling mass of words in her head to
assume a coherent shape.
"It's no secret that conflict between Sylvia and I goes back a long way. When I took on
this job, I knew very well what I was taking on and just about managed to stomach her. I
had her and Di Barker to deal with for my first five months till Di got the push and
another month later, last December, Sylvia was taken off my hands. It has been total bliss
since then to have that woman out of my hair and a wing full of decent prison officers. I
know just how much I've been putting up with the day I saw the back of the pair of them.
I really don't know how I'm going to deal with her being back again, especially with the
way she messed up at Barbara's trial."
"Nikki, you're sometimes too polite. Sylvia's a bigoted witch who has been allowed to get away with murder for years. She's prejudiced against every minority that you care to name. It's only her stupidity and her cowardice that kept her within limits."
Karen felt impatient with Frances's remarks, and frowned at her. It was obvious to her that Nikki had been making an effort to restrain herself. Frances was stating the obvious very simplistically and it provoked Nikki to speak her mind.
"Of course, the solution is obvious. I inherited her in the first place, so I take her back.
She was taken off my wing when it came out that she would be a hostile witness at
Barbara's trial. Now that Barbara got her freedom, the necessity of her being off the wing
has ended. Therefore sensible Nikki will do the reasonable thing, and take her back on G
wing. The only thing is that it doesn't feel right for me. I tell you straight out that I heard
about every word that that evil, twisted woman said. I cannot stomach the presence of
that woman back on my wing when my instinct is to throttle her. On top of that, I'm
expected to be the responsible wing governor and get everyone to leave her alone when
Bodybag simply doesn't deserve it. There are limits to what I will take on. I know only
too well that I'm backing out on the deal I made. This goes against the grain. I'm making
this one big exception because of the way that she mouthed off in court. If I take her
back, I swear that I'll swing for her"
"I would expect to hear an ex con talking that way, but not one of my wing governors,
Nikki. Just think exactly of what you're saying." Karen cut in sharply with a warning.
The force of Karen's reprimand totally scrambled the other woman's emotions for a
minute as she struggled for reflection. Unlike previous scoldings down the years, Nikki's
head engaged with the content of it, and she had to admit the justice of the remarks.
Feelings of remorse damped down that outbreak of blind anger. Karen deserved to be
treated better by her. In those few seconds, she became a wing governor once again.
Frances said nothing, as she didn't know what to say. She had felt Nikki's anger boil over
and, for a hard woman, it made her feel uncharacteristically uncomfortable. She had
come up against every variation of 'hard man' talk in the met, both the villains she'd
nailed and her fellow policemen, and had learnt to discount and despise it as so much
cheap talk, but Nikki's outburst was different.
"I'm sorry for the way I spoke, Karen. I was out of order." Nikki murmured, her eyes
downcast.
"Thanks, Nikki." Came her heartfelt reaction. The situation was knife-edged and Karen
thanked God that no one could see her own vulnerabilities, which she felt prickled up all
over her skin.
"Hang on a minute, just how old is Sylvia?" Frances's voice broke out of the silence as
she sought to make up for her earlier insensitivity and try and be constructive.
"Her date of birth is July 14th 1946 and her sixtieth birthday is the fourteenth of July this
year." Rattled out Karen, without a blink.
"How do you know that one, Karen?" Nikki asked in amazement.
"Because I have been counting down the years as to when she draws her state pension,
and prison service pension and can piss off and bully and harass her next door neighbours
as a full time occupation." Replied Karen dryly.
"That's the answer to our prayers……" began Nikki.
"Hold on a minute, Nikki. She doesn't have to retire at sixty. She could work up to sixty
five if she wants to"
"You can't be serious, Karen?"
Nikki's face was a picture of horror, contrasting with her previous expression of dawning
inspiration. Not for the first time, she wished that she had the power to simply give her
the sack as she had done to barmaids who had incurred her displeasure. She cooled down
as she realised that these rules and regulations served equally to protect the innocent
victim of bullying from above as much as the crafty malingerer who knew how to 'play
the system.' She knew only too well that, if Sylvia had one talent, she had that knack of
self-preservation.
"I'm afraid so, Nikki. Of course, she has to keep herself up to scratch. Both of you will,
of course, have your round of annual appraisals to do this April and whoever gets to
interview her might find that a useful time to sound out her intentions."
Nikki looked at her feet. She could sense the way the conversation was drifting and half
of her could see the logic of it but still her obstinate will resisted it.
"Look at this way, Nikki. You remember Helen's time as wing governor better than I did.
The picture I get was that Sylvia and Fenner ruled the roost and Fenner had a hotline to
Stubberfield who always took his side in any difference with Helen. She was caught
between two sides and had a hell of a time. It's a wonder she lasted as long as she did.
You have so many advantages over her. You've got my support, the other wing
governors, and prisoners and officers alike. All the cards are in your hand if you care to
play them"
"I can help you out, Nikki, in nailing any lies that Sylvia may come up about how
different and better my wing is. She's bound to do it to use something against you. We
can get in there first"
"You know that my door is open at any time, Nikki. You should remember that you don't
have to carry all the world on your shoulders"
The voices had been flowing round her, over her head, unseen and something that she felt
only halfway part of. It was only when Nikki looked up, she saw the faces of the two
women, smiling kindly at her. She started to feel less alone, and that feeling of panic
started to subside within her.
"If you feel that you can take her on again, you have every right to tell her to keep a low
profile, to pull her weight and to turn over a new leaf. For a start, this is the last time that
Sylvia is ever allowed to give evidence in court. Two high court judges have told her
never to set foot in court if you need any backing. You would have every reason to tell
her that, and that she'd be marked down on that at her appraisal. You would have the
unenviable job of keeping everyone off her back but you would be in a position to force a
lot of concessions from her. She would have to dance to your tune. At the same time, you
would have to hold out something positive to her that if she changed her act, she would
eventually get her reward once she got people's trust. I am asking you to take her back
on. I ask you to believe me that, difficult though it might be, it is impossible only if you
make it so inside your own head"
"I must have a bit of a walk round, Karen, while I get my head round this one"
"Whatever you need to do, Nikki"
The two other women watched with intense sympathy as Nikki reached for her cigarette
packet and paced around the room. She moved with fast, almost jerky movements as she
smoked. In a few minutes, Karen was delighted to see that Nikki's physical movements
started to become more relaxed as she fought for control of the situation. Suddenly, she
took a sharp turn and dropped back in her chair.
"OK, you win. When do I take her back"
"Next week, if you want it"
"Make it now. I'd sooner not sit around stewing. I'd sooner do it now while I'm good and
ready for her." Nikki replied abruptly.
"Whatever you say."
"Come in, Sylvia." Nikki said to the other woman who peered round in a suspicious fashion. All she knew was that Madam wanted to have a word with her and was told to report to the woman whom she hated more than any other. She had got more or less used to that jackbooted Frances Myers. At least she wasn't an ex con.
"I'm here to tell you that, as of now, you are transferred back to G wing and will be working under me. As you will remember, you were only transferred off my wing until Barbara's trial was over when you were known to be a hostile witness at the trial. The move was designed to ensure your own safety."
"If it's all the same to you, miss, I would sooner stop where I am. My seniority and experience is more appreciated where I am." Came the sulky reply.
"Sylvia, it is not all the same to me," Nikki answered in a harder tone instead of correct efficiency." You time has come up to return here. You don't have the choice on this one."
"Don't I get any rights? The way you put it, I've just been shunted from pillar to post like in a game of pass the parcel. All this when I was just starting to get used to a new wing. At my age in life, I don't find it easy to deal with constant change."
"No Sylvia, you don't get any rights on this one, not after I've gone through the
conditions of service handbook from cover so it's no use complaining to your General
Secretary. Right is on my side." Shot back Nikki in steely determined tones before
pausing to resume in a gentler, more persuasive manner.
"I won't pretend that it will be easy for you to come back as your conduct at the trial
hasn't done much to endear yourself to your fellow officers and prisoners, or come to
think of it, me. I'm here to ensure that you return on terms that will work out best for
everyone. I shall call a meeting on the wing and I'll insist that you be accepted back onto
the wing with good behaviour on all sides. Needless to say, this applies to you. Before I
announce this to the wing, I demand assurances from you that you behave yourself in a
professional fashion. That way, I don't have a riot on my hands. You stick to your side of
the deal and you'll undo some of the damage that you'll have done to your reputation
ready for your appraisal with me this April"
Nikki's casually uttered final words brought Sylvia up short. Memories of fractious
appraisals with Madam contrasted with the way that Mr Stubberfield treated her so kindly
and generously. She was sure that she would have no mercy from the woman whom she
remembered only a few years ago, she was accustomed to lock up in a cell at nights. The
years seemed to fly by and none of them got any better.
"Is that a deal, Sylvia?" Prompted Nikki with a hard edge in her voice.
"Seems as if I have no choice"
"You're right. You don't."
"There's something going down here, Ju. I could have sworn I saw Old Bodybag
sneaking in to the wing but she ran away without so much as glaring at us. She couldn't
be coming back here"
"No, Ju. You must have been imagining things. Next thing you're going to say is that
you've seen Fenner on the wing"
Julie Johnson visibly shuddered at the very idea and of the very bad memories it conjured
up. She carried on at the servery, cooking sausages for the communal breakfast.
"Can I have your attention?" Nikki called out, in her carrying voice from the top of the
staircase to the 'two's.' She looked down at a sea of faces below her who looked on
expectantly at Nikki and wondering what development was in store.
"I wouldn't normally announce the arrival of an extra Prison Officer to the wing, as I
would sooner let that person find their feet in the normal way. I am making an exception
here, as the prison officer is Sylvia Hollamby who is no stranger to G Wing. I ought to
make it quite clear……" Nikki continued raising her voice to carry over the intensity of
murmurs of suppressed anger that rippled round the wing. The expression of distorted
rage on Denny's face and self-satisfied contempt on Natalie Buxton's face caused Nikki's
gaze to flicker and her voice to hesitate before she found her nerve to plunge on.
"…..that my interest is as always, that everyone should be treated fairly on the wing and
justly and that there is good order."
"So why was she booted off the wing, Nikki?" Denny interrupted.
"It's no secret that there has been a history of ill feeling between Barbara and Mrs
Hollamby. When it came to my ears that Mrs Hollamby was going to appear in court as a
hostile witness, I decided to separate them to prevent any trouble……"
"What sort of trouble do you mean, miss?" Natalie interrupted with the most
misleadingly innocent expression on her face that roused Nikki's anger.
"You work that out, Natalie. Everyone else can join up the dots for themselves." Nikki
retorted to a general laugh at Natalie's expense.
"I was above all, concerned that Barbara would be in the best frame of mind to take the
stand. I know the strength of feeling over Barbara's case and I went to court to give
character evidence in support of her. For this reason I did not want Mrs Hollamby to be at
the centre of any trouble, both for her sake and everyone else's…."
"What would you have done if Babs had been sent down, Nikki"
"I don't even want to think about that one, Julie." Nikki's voice rang out, electric charged
with emotion. Her eyes were closed. That was the first time the question had crossed her
mind.
"I'm sorry, Nikki." Julie Saunders murmured.
"Now that Barbara Mills, thank God, has got the freedom that a court of law rightly decided upon, that removes the main obstacle to Sylvia coming back on the wing. I expect every officer on my wing to act in a proper, professional manner. Sylvia Hollamby understands that and she returns to G wing to take up her duties today with a clean slate. I want no settling of old scores on anyone's side and I also want Mrs Hollamby to settle in comfortably as just another prison officer on the wing. For these reasons, I am asking for good will on all sides. Are there any questions?" There was a general murmur of dissatisfaction round the wing but no one could put into words the gutroot opposition to Nikki's persuasive reasoning. Nikki felt the emotion cut through like a knife and, white faced, she turned on her heel and dived back to her office for a much-needed cigarette. Despite her best efforts, she felt that she had failed in her purpose.
Bodybag had stood to one side and slightly behind Nikki and smiled vacuously all around her. She let Nikki do all the speaking with the determination that Nikki would take the heat. At the back of her mind was a secret sly determination that she would do what she wanted if she got half a chance. She thought that Wade was only another version of Madam and also Stewart, prisoner's friend to the last. No one bothered about her feelings about doing her duty and speaking her mind about Mills. She didn't want to come back to G Wing anyway. She might make all sorts of promises to Wade but what she was going to do was something different. The problem was that Wade had infected all the other officers with her attitude. She slunk off to the PO room to have a mug of tea, her only creature comfort besides her chocolate cream cakes.
"Nice try, Nikki but you got to be joking to think that everyone's going to smile at each
other and be friends. I ain't forgotten the way she's behaved over the years"
"A tiger doesn't change his spots and old Bodybag don't become Sylvia just because
even Nikki calls her that, Ju." Julie Saunders chorused in return.
"What the hell's happened to Nikki?" Denny asked. She felt bitterly let down and
resentful.
"What do we do then, Ju"
"Wait and see and watch." Julie Saunders concluded for all of them.