Page 161 - The Houseguest

Laura checked the prison website and found out those whose names begin with “G” can only visit on Wednesday, so she’d have to wait a day. She considered that a blessing as it would give her time to compose herself and plan what she’d say to her brother. Her heart was broken for she knew he was blameless, and she felt his anguish. She didn’t know how such a thing could ever happen, but she remained faithful that God would pull him through.
On Wednesday morning, she arrived at the prison wary of her surroundings. She was not naïve, having spent many nights in her past, incarcerated. She dressed conservatively and wore very little makeup, which wasn’t out of the norm for her these days anyway. She remembered the verbiage on the website: “skirts and dresses no higher than three inches above the knee.” She grinned remembering the wardrobe of her former profession compared to the schoolteacher outfits she wore today. “No hats, sunglasses, jewelry...all visitors are required to wear underwear.” She shook her head, but supposed they had to be that specific for some people.
She arrived, presented a photo ID and proceeded to pass through the metal detector. She was brought to a room, a gray room. Everything was gray, even the prison uniforms. She thought to herself what a miserable color to choose to surround the lives of those who cannot turn away. She read that detainees awaiting the outcome of the criminal justice system may receive three visits a week, lasting one hour each. So, she figured she needed to get accustomed to this routine. She was subjected to a canine search, which she hoped wouldn’t be necessary on future visits. Not that she feared dogs, but she felt very
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The Houseguest by Linda Ellis www.LindaEllis.life