Ladenheins' Finest
Chapter 7
I never thought I’d actually be sad to leave this place. To realize you’re never coming back is quite an emotional roller coaster. I don’t know what was more emotional, having your mother figure hug you while crying and then having to be basically dragged out of your cell or the fact that the place you’ve known as home for 5 years of your life no longer be, well, home.
“Are you coming?” An officer asked me. I nodded as I got up from my bed and grabbed my pathetic green duffle bag that contained plain white V-neck short sleeved shirts, a long sleeved shirt and grey sweatpants with a sweatshirt. The walk from my cell to the main lobby of the prison was a quiet one. He probably was as shocked as I was that I was actually getting out of here. Tony was already there waiting with his stuff alongside Detective Holton.
“Good morning, Montgomery.” Holton said to me. I just nodded. I didn’t realize earlier that it was pouring rain outside. “Are you guys ready?” He asked. Tony mumbled what sounded like a yes.
“Uh, yes.” I said. Holton opened the door and we followed him outside. The van was parked in the parking area a couple feet away from the entrance so we had to walk in the rain. Tony was standing next to me when a guard shouted to us, “Don’t just stand there, let’s go! We have a plane to catch!” At what seemed like the same time, we both stepped out onto the asphalt.
Rain. It’s the most beautiful thing that falls from the sky, next to snow. After a couple seconds of letting it drop on me, I started to walk toward the vehicle. I felt someone grab my left arm, it was Tony. He was facing the sky and letting the rain fall on him with a smile on his face. 20 years. 20 years without being outside. Without feeling the sun or rain on your face. So I stood there with him. Waiting and watching until he was ready.
The Detective was quiet the whole time. Like in some sort of way he understood how Tony felt. Being trapped for so long and then tasting freedom.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“These are your tickets…” Holton droned on about our gate and times to be places but I wasn’t listening. I was too busy looking at all the people around me. It’s been 8 years since I’ve actually been in a public place. “Cordi?”
“What?”
“Did you hear what I said?”
“No, I wasn’t listening.”
“Naturally. Follow me to our gate.” Holton said as he and Tony started to walk towards gate C-13. “Wait, OUR gate? YOU’RE coming with us?!”
“Yes! Of course I’m going with you two. You’re criminals! Do you think I’m an idiot?”
“Yes.” I said and Tony slapped my arm. The Detective just shook his head and we started off towards our gate.
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“Why are people staring at us?” I whispered to Tony as we sat down in the grey cushioned chairs at our gate.
“Because we are criminals.”
“So? That one woman seems like she’s gripping her son so hard that he could suffocate. I’m not going to steal her child.”
Detective Holton walked over to us and sat down in the empty seat across from us. He handed us each a bag and he had one for himself. “What’s this?” I asked.
“McDonalds. I figured you two are probably hungry.”
I looked at Tony and he was already eating his cheeseburger. I tried to remember if I’ve ever had McDonalds before but I couldn’t. I opened my bag and found chicken nuggets and fries. I also had a drink that Holton set on a little table next to us. I shrugged and took my food out of my bag and opened the box of nuggets. I took a bite out of one. Holy Jesus. How could I have gone my whole life without McDonalds? Looks like I found another thing my parents deprived me of. “Holton?”
“Yes?”
“How long is this flight?”
“A couple hours, I think 3?” I sighed at that answer. This is going to be an exciting 3 hours for a kid that’s never been on a plane before.
“Are you coming?” An officer asked me. I nodded as I got up from my bed and grabbed my pathetic green duffle bag that contained plain white V-neck short sleeved shirts, a long sleeved shirt and grey sweatpants with a sweatshirt. The walk from my cell to the main lobby of the prison was a quiet one. He probably was as shocked as I was that I was actually getting out of here. Tony was already there waiting with his stuff alongside Detective Holton.
“Good morning, Montgomery.” Holton said to me. I just nodded. I didn’t realize earlier that it was pouring rain outside. “Are you guys ready?” He asked. Tony mumbled what sounded like a yes.
“Uh, yes.” I said. Holton opened the door and we followed him outside. The van was parked in the parking area a couple feet away from the entrance so we had to walk in the rain. Tony was standing next to me when a guard shouted to us, “Don’t just stand there, let’s go! We have a plane to catch!” At what seemed like the same time, we both stepped out onto the asphalt.
Rain. It’s the most beautiful thing that falls from the sky, next to snow. After a couple seconds of letting it drop on me, I started to walk toward the vehicle. I felt someone grab my left arm, it was Tony. He was facing the sky and letting the rain fall on him with a smile on his face. 20 years. 20 years without being outside. Without feeling the sun or rain on your face. So I stood there with him. Waiting and watching until he was ready.
The Detective was quiet the whole time. Like in some sort of way he understood how Tony felt. Being trapped for so long and then tasting freedom.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“These are your tickets…” Holton droned on about our gate and times to be places but I wasn’t listening. I was too busy looking at all the people around me. It’s been 8 years since I’ve actually been in a public place. “Cordi?”
“What?”
“Did you hear what I said?”
“No, I wasn’t listening.”
“Naturally. Follow me to our gate.” Holton said as he and Tony started to walk towards gate C-13. “Wait, OUR gate? YOU’RE coming with us?!”
“Yes! Of course I’m going with you two. You’re criminals! Do you think I’m an idiot?”
“Yes.” I said and Tony slapped my arm. The Detective just shook his head and we started off towards our gate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Why are people staring at us?” I whispered to Tony as we sat down in the grey cushioned chairs at our gate.
“Because we are criminals.”
“So? That one woman seems like she’s gripping her son so hard that he could suffocate. I’m not going to steal her child.”
Detective Holton walked over to us and sat down in the empty seat across from us. He handed us each a bag and he had one for himself. “What’s this?” I asked.
“McDonalds. I figured you two are probably hungry.”
I looked at Tony and he was already eating his cheeseburger. I tried to remember if I’ve ever had McDonalds before but I couldn’t. I opened my bag and found chicken nuggets and fries. I also had a drink that Holton set on a little table next to us. I shrugged and took my food out of my bag and opened the box of nuggets. I took a bite out of one. Holy Jesus. How could I have gone my whole life without McDonalds? Looks like I found another thing my parents deprived me of. “Holton?”
“Yes?”
“How long is this flight?”
“A couple hours, I think 3?” I sighed at that answer. This is going to be an exciting 3 hours for a kid that’s never been on a plane before.