A Blast From the Past

At the hour of 12:00 pm, when I had right at 24 hours of life left, the click of the lock on my cell door woke me up this morning. It was the porter with my breakfast. The Correction Officer was right behind him making his rounds just to see if I was still alive. The irony of this thought made me laugh out loud. I really had no clue that I would be facing the death penalty when I took the dive for my brother. I wanted to scream, “My brother was the one who killed those four people. Not me, please listen and let me walk!" I had come upon the scene of a drug deal gone bad, where my brother had executed two men and their girlfriends, I knew I couldn't let him swing he had been in a lot of trouble and had just been released from serving a second number in prison. I knew this time, the state wouldn't be as forgiving. I hadn't been in any trouble and figured that if I took the dive then I would get time in max security then maybe get a judicial and be released within 5 to 10 years. But how things turned out one of the victims was and undercover cop, the charge carried a fatal sentence. I tried to tell the lawyers, the warden, whoever would listen but my pleading fell on deaf ears.
2:00 pm 22 hours of life left. The lock popped on my cell door again. I figured that it was the CO again. No, it was my lawyer. I could see between the iron mesh that she was dressed in a gray pants suit with a red scarf around her neck her brown hair was pulled up. She awkwardly smiled at me and I could see her white teeth, her makeup and her French manicure, everything about her seemed perfect she was the type of woman that every woman wanted to be. As is stood there I wondered, if she would even acknowledge me if she saw me on the street. "I assure you that we have been working hard on your case, we will try to get the execution stopped. We haven't been able to find anything and your brother has not confessed or given us any indication that he was the shooter, we are working frantically and we will continue throughout the night. Hang in there, we’ll come up with something. How are you holding up?” The only response I could give was a shrug. She gave me a look of sympathy as she assured me once again that they were doing everything they could to save me. Then, she was gone.
4:00 pm 20 hours left to live. I dreaded this last visit from my family. My momma, the though pierced my heart and I started to cry. I heard a clink and this time a white shirt officer was standing behind the mesh, he was probably a captain or sergeant I never really kept track of who was who, anyway death row was housed on a different compound, they had transported me south to the only death house in the state. “Your family is here” the white shirt said. I turned around and put my hands through the cuffport, the cuffs and shackles felt cold against my wrists and ankles as the officer opened the door and I walked out. The corridor was painted a pale yellow, the only sound was the clink of my chains on the tiled floor as I shuffled along. He led me to a visiting room that was reserved only for death row inmates and their families. I would be spending the rest of the day with them. The white shirt took the order for my last meal, I really didn’t want anything, I felt sick to my stomach, but I ordered pizza, steak a baked potato and ice-cream. Through commissary I could get extra food and other items but never ice cream. I remember when I was little my grandpa used to tell me that he was going to come pick me up Saturday and take me to get a sundae. I loved my grandad, he held true to his word and every Saturday there he would be there at 12:00 pm sharp and I’d be ready to go. Just as this memory was fading, the officer removed my cuffs and shackles, and the door at the other end of the room a door swung open, and my mom, sister and aunt entered the room, I wondered about my brother as they approached me with tears in their eyes. I wasn’t sure if I could bear spending the whole evening with them.
9:00 pm 15 hours of life. As I lay on my bunk I thought about the visit, the tears, and anguish in my heart. My brother had abandoned me, by saying he was sick and couldn’t make it to see me. He knows the truth, he is letting me die in his place! This thought and anguish coursed through me I cried until I felt there were no more tears, and darkness overcome me and I slept.
11:50 am. White shirts came to my cell and with cuffs and shackles. I was escorted to a room that had a hospital bed and tubes running through the wall. I was instructed to sit on the bed and the shackles were removed and I was cuffed to the bed as I lay down. I felt the pain of the needle as the doctor inserted the IV, and I heard the hum of a machine somewhere in another room. Darkness overcome me as I fell asleep, I heard through the darkness a cheerful voice saying “There’s my girl! Are you ready to go get a Sundae!”