Nikki called round late at night after a hard day's work, and knocked on the front door of Josh and Crystal's modest house. She felt a little guilty that she had not called earlier. She valued her friendships, and hated to neglect them no matter how busy she might be. Still, she was here now even if she did have an ulterior motive.
"Hey, Nikki. Come in, sister. We ain't seen you for months." Crystal greeted her with a wide smile of friendship. Instantly, she turned to grab at a very mobile Daniel who was all set to shoot out of the door. Nikki found herself almost propelled through onto the sofa when a very intense Zandra grabbed Nikki's attention to show her a little story that she had written in her very large, rounded script. Nikki focussed her mind and let herself be immersed in Zandra's child like perspective and it fascinated her. All her life, Nikki had had an enquiring mind and she had been brought up in a world of books, and the written world was sacred to her. The little girl was noticeably taller and more developed than when she and Helen had been round, last May. The experience resonated with Nikki as it told her the point in life where the love of the written word starts to flower. It had happened to her many years ago. She was touched at the innocence in the little girl's eyes and was drawn into her world.
"Sorry I haven't called earlier." Nikki replied, virtually out of the corner of her mouth to the other woman, whose voice spoke out of her range of vision.
"Well, you're here now, Nikki. Want a drink?"
"I'd love one."
Nikki crouched forward, splitting her concentration between all concerned and making idle chitchat. The evening carried on in this disjointed fashion, until Crystal indicated that both children were ready for bed. Nikki lay back in the armchair, while she stayed out of the way from the family routine. She noticed that this time, she felt fresher and sharper than when she was here last time. Eventually, Crystal and Josh padded down the stairs and they were able to talk.
"You're right. I did have a reason to call round. I didn't come round just for a casual chat. I was wondering, Josh if you were happy in your job or if you fancied a change"
"It ain't so good," Josh answered wearily." I don't know how long they'll keep me, on the way things are going"
"What's the problem"
"Not with me. Just the firm. Some of my mates have been laid off already"
"They treat Josh like a slave. He has to work weekends at that sweatshop, and we're still struggling on the wages." Put in Crystal to Josh's embarrassment at bringing their closed in worries out into the open.
"There ain't no choice." Butted in Josh." I ain't going to win the national lottery." Already his eyelids were being dragged down by the accumulated tiredness.
"You're looking better, Nikki. Last time we saw you round here, you were going after Helen's old job at Larkhall"
Was it that long ago that she had started her job, Nikki thought in a confused fashion? She could remember that she felt like Josh looked right now. Of course, she had been working those stupid hours in the evenings and they had worn her out. She still remembered that perpetually tired feeling round her eyes.
'Yeah, that's right. I remember asking you what the prison officer training course was like."
"So how does it feel to have all that power, sister? You had better be doing right"
"Surprisingly enough, pretty good. It's not like it used to be. Fenner's gone before I came back and Di Barker's been recently given the push, Sylvia's the only trouble and she can't do any damage on her own"
Both Josh and Crystal opened their eyes wide. Their memories of Larkhall were about four years old. They both sensed that Nikki's brief account had only scratched the surface.
"Sylvia as in Bodybag." Crystal said incredulously.
'That's a small price I had to pay to call her that." Came Nikki's embarrassed laugh." I can't make her a laughing stock in front of everyone"
"She don't need to. She'll do it to herself."
"At least she hasn't got anyone to moan to anymore, and she hasn't got anyone not so stupid as her and devious enough to get up to any dirty tricks. I can handle her. As for the rest of the job, I manage to be all things to everyone and still be myself"
"You'll never change, not you……." Crystal said fondly, memories drawing her back in time. "So what's with Josh? You've got something to ask him, haven't you?" questioned Crystal sharply.
Nikki swallowed nervously and paused before she spoke. She had waffled her way round the subject quite long enough.
"Everything's pretty good right now, except that I'm been short staffed. You might not know it but that makes it hard to fix up for prisoners to get what they need, education classes, visiting days, association, you name it, you need a prison officer for it. The PO's who work for me are a good bunch and they'll swap their shifts around if it will help everyone out. Like I say, it's not as it used to be"
"So what are you getting at, Nikki"
"There are openings for two prison officers coming up and, I wanted to sound you out to ask if you are interested. I don't want anyone conning through the interview panel who's fancies locking up prisoners for the sake of it, not after all the trouble G wing have had over the years"
Nikki did her best with her determined tones and heartfelt sincerity and it flattered Josh , but old associations made him feel that he was not up to the mark.
"And you think Miss Betts would let me back? Not after last time"
"No, no," Nikki started to explain."I talked about Karen about it, and you can take it from me that it won't go against you. Believe me, Josh, you'll get a fair crack of the whip at the interview. Karen gave me a definite promise on that."
"So do I just fill in an application form and wait to hear like what Di Barker did for me last time?" Josh eventually asked with a puzzled expression on his face, being very wary of what he was letting himself in for.
"Is that how you did it then?" counter questioned Nikki. She had thought that at least things like that were done."I don't know how she got away with that. It sounds the sort of thing that I would have done when I needed to take on another barmaid in my club days. It has to go by the book and there's a proper interview………." Nikki started to say.
Josh's face fell at this bit of news. Nikki realised that in her eagerness to express how things would go by the book, she had unknowingly exposed his weak point.
"I ain't got a chance. I mess up at interviews."
"The good news is that the whole wing are taking on extra prison officers. With more people wanted, that means you have a much better chance at getting in. It might feel a long time ago, but you'll know the job when you get half a chance to do it. Crystal might help you to prepare for the interview"
Nikki turned her face in Crystal's direction and Crystal mouthed 'yes' while Nikki was talking. Crystal's interest was grabbed immediately.
Josh was silent, his forehead covered with wrinkles. He had settled down to years of drudgery at the factory and it made him feel uncertain that there was an option. He had accustomed himself to a life of endless drudgery, if it meant bringing up a family.
"OK, so who's on your wing that I might know"
"There's Gina for a start. She's rock solid and she covers for me when I'm off. In fact, she'll look after any new PO that's new and uncertain. If you don't piss her about, then she'll see you all right. Then there's Dominic"
"Oh great, has he come back to Larkhall? You remember him, Josh and everything he did for Zandra. There wasn't any other screw, I mean prison officer, that was dead kind like him. It is the same Dominic"
"The very same Dominic"
"You got nothing to lose, Josh. I'll help you. Why wait till to get pushed out of your job?
"And of course there's me." Nikki murmured modestly.
"Oh yeah," Crystal exclaimed, with a look of dawning surprise and pleasure spreading over her face." In that case, you have to apply, Josh. You'll get paid better, a job that I know that you can do, some weekends together with the kids, everything we dreamed of."
"You only have to do one Saturday or Sunday on every four at the most." Added Nikki rapidly.
"OK, OK." Josh surrendered as two determined women bulldozed him into agreeing. His head was swimming at what had walked through the door. His memory of Larkhall was one of a very dangerous place that was nothing but trouble. He supposed that it must be all right as Nikki had got back there. In fact she hadn't just survived but she looked so well. After all, he shrugged his shoulders, she was dead brainy and sounded as if she knew what she was talking about. He had nothing to lose anyway.
"You don't have to thank me for getting you this job." Nikki protested , as Crystal thanked Nikki profusely for being a miracle worker with their family."It was Neil Grayling who fixed up these vacancies. All I've done is to just let you know about them."
She felt strongly that this chance of a better future for Crystal and Josh and their growing children was only a demonstration in flesh and blood, of Neil's courage and ingenuity in creating the jobs in the first place. Just for that moment, the prison service was releasing its hard grip on those who worked for it.