A Day in the Life of Society's Reject

7.06am. The clanging and crashing of metal on metal, as locks
are unlocked, bolts are drawn back and doors are opened, wakes me up
to a cold reality. No more the pleasant dreams of fantasy, only the
harsh truth. It is time to start a new day. A new day on the inside. A
new day on the inside of prison.

I get out of bed fast, because now I'm in a race against other
inmates. Why am I in a race? I'm in a race because if I am not fast
enough, I get no fruit or jam for the day. I pull on my tracksuit
bottoms and jacket. Now I'm ready, ready for the race.

The door opens and I'm off. I don't run, because if I run, I
lose face and face is important. I just walk very fast. I see other
inmates converging on the fruit. I get to the fruit and grab six
pieces. Today it is apples, yesterday it was pears but today it is
apples. I put two pieces each in my my jacket pockets and the other two
go into my tracksuit pants.

Now I go for the jams, it is apricot. There are only four
packets left, I take them all. The inmate behind me says nothing, he
realises that today he has lost the race. Tomorrow he will not be so
slow.

I relax now, the race is over, for me anyway. I walk back to the
cell slowly saying good morning to the other people around me. I have
the time now.

I watch with a knowing smile, the new inmates arrive for the fruit
and jam. They start swearing profusely, when they find that there is
nothing left, either fruit or jam. I feel no pity for them, even
though I was once in their situation, they must learn to survive as I
did. If they don't survive then they are weak and in prison the weak are
victims. Prey for the taking.

I walk back into the cell and empty my pockets. I place the
fruit and jam into my cupboard, behind my clothes. Why do I do this? I
do this because I trust no-one. It easier to remove the temptation
of "borrowing" my fruit and jam by hiding it.

The clanging and crashing starts once more, as doors are closed,
the bolts drawn forward and the locks are relocked. Slowly I remove my
jacket and tracksuit bottoms and get back into bed. I don't eat breakfast.
The fruit and jam, which I have just raced to get, is more valuable as
a commodity, than as a food source. In a couple of hours, I will sell it
to the new inmates for something. I don't what they will pay, but it will
be more than the price I paid.

Slowly the noise fades, as I fall back into the dreamworlds of fantasy. 7.09am.