MAY 2013
Everything was in slow motion, dreams sometimes were. As he picked up the barstool and crashed it down with force. Splinters of wood everywhere. Steven was laughing and smashed another pint class up the wall, and there was an air of delight from them both, but more of a release for him. Trying his best to eradicate the past. And then he suddenly stopped and turned to Steven and pulled him into his arms...his lips against his...and...and...
Brendan Brady opened his eyes and studied his prison cell. Four white grubby walls. He shifted in his bed and the mattress squeaked. He thought about his sister...the only phone call he had made was to Cheryl and she knew the score, or some of it. She knew what's gone on, well, most of it.. She knew the drill to what to tell the family in Ireland.
Cheryl said she'd visit when she could.
Just don't go telling the truth that she killed dear Seamus, their Dad, that was all he had said to her. He was here and that was that.
One of the inmates named David had told him about the guy in this cell before. Aitkins. He was practically beaten to death in the showers by Porker. This Porker was the daddy of the wing. Well if Porker tried anything with him, then there'd be trouble.
Brendan got up and closed the cell door to shut out the noise because it irritated him, and stared at himself in the mirror. He sighed deeply and put the plug in the sinkhole and run the taps.
Dirty white walls...a green metal door that clanged. He hated the stink of this prison cell. He looked down to his grey sweat pants and rubbed his hands over his thighs.
Endless years of this shit! ENDLESS FUCKING YEARS!
Brendan stared into the sink mirror. His eyes then fixed at the reflection of a photo of him and Steven on his pillow.
But he didn't have time to reminisce about old times, because he was summoned to the wing governor's office. He stood in front of the desk with his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants.
The man in the suit stood up as he was brought in, "Brendan Brady...take a seat...you've been here 5 weeks, how have you settled in?"
He slumped into the chair but didn't answer, he just stared back at him and sniffed.
"Well, just to let you know, I'm Bob Brown, I'll be your key officer during your 'stay' here...If you have any problems with the other inmates, or you just need somebody to talk to, I'll be here"
"Is that so"
Brown patted his palm on the folder on his desk, "I can see from your file that you've been through a lot Brady..."
Brendan shrugged and looked out of the window.
"Brady, we are only here to help you...it still must be very raw for you...what happened...is that why you did what you did...?"
Brendan suddenly jumped up from the chair and was in his face, "WHAT ARE YOU? MY FUCKING JUDGE! GOD'AL BE MY JUDGE"
A prison warder came in and sprang into action, "Stand back from him Brady", he ordered.
Brendan looked at the warder then back at Brown, he chuckled at him and dusted the lapel of his suit, "Hhm...nothing to see here, is there Mr Brown"
Brown nodded and let the warder go, he then turned back to Brendan, "now...where were we?"
Brendan slowly sat back in the chair and shrugged.
His key officer sat back down behind the desk and opened the folder, "Brady...from your file I see that you haven't filled in the part of next of kin..."
Silence.
It was difficult to know what he was thinking, "We have to put a name down...there MUST be somebody surely...Mother...father"
"Dear old Seamus, my Father, is DEAD, haven't you read that file! That's the reason why I am here!"
Brown flustered as he flicked through some notes, "Ohh yes...yes I see"
"...put Cheryl down...Cheryl Brady, she's my sister...if anything happens to me inside...then you phone her"
Later, Brendan made his way up the wing. The standard sweat pants and sweatshirt making him itch. He leaned upon the railing and looked down at a group of lads playing pool.
They were a boitrous bunch. Clones. All had skin heads and piercings. All had tattoos up and down their arms and necks and faces.
All looked like they had never seen the free light of day for years on end.
They were laughing and joking.
Dave was then at his side. The lad seemed okay compared to some blokes he saw around the place, Skinny with short cropped hair, "I see they had you in the office"
"Yep"
"They do that...they try and get into your emotions...look for weaknesses...so they can get something on you"
Brendan toyed with his sweatshirt sleeves, pulling at a loose end and shrugged, "they'll be wasting their time on me, then"
Dave leant his back on the rail, "Thought so, you look the type...You seem like an alright kind of guy...obviously not your first time inside..."
Brendan torn his gaze away from the pool game and shot a glare at him, "You know fuck all about me, lad"
"No I don't...but you can cut the Irish charm...just for the record, I don't go in for all that fluffy airy fairy pally maty kind of thing..."
Brendan blew out a laugh,"...what, and I look like somebody who does, David?"
Dave laughed, "No you don't...I think you can handle yourself..."Dave nudged him, "...got any smokes on yah?"
Brendan met his look and half smiled, "got any beers?"
Dave laughed, "that can be arranged...", he nodded towards the punters around the pool table on the level below, "Now...if you want a quite life in here, then these are the guys you should stay away from..."
XXX