The other day, my buddy Gary Wolf (think older dude, yet in really good shape) went on a visit with one of his family members. Gary’s been in prison for a long time, like, 48-years-long, so this story is kinda cool where he’s concerned, yet also kinda fucked up because he’s still in prison for felony murder even though he never actually killed anyone. His codefendant (the actual admitted killer) was the famous mob hitman Augustino Amelio Conti (if you’ve ever seen the movie Bullet, think the two guys in the Charger, that’s Gary and Augie), so when the authorities threw the book at the both of them, they really threw it hard. Gary’s accomplished more good things in prison than most, earned a college degree and everything, yet the state doesn’t seem to want to let him go, non-murderer or not. Such a waste of tax payer money.
Anyway, Gary goes up on this visit, and he takes his Paws With a Dog service-dog-in-training Golden Retriever with him. The dog’s name is Carmen. Well, while up in the visit room, Carmen is a hit with all the visitors, convicts, and staff members. She’s a big girl, like 75 pounds, yet gentle as can be. She’s also a social butterfly, so she makes sure to spend a little time with everyone who comes in contact with her.
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Gary’s visit goes well. His family member arrives, is checked through the gate, they spend two hours (the max amount of time) together, then, after the visit is over, Gary hugs his visitor and heads to the guard’s desk near the door where we convicts sit and await to be processed back into the prison, while his family member heads to a different door (one off limits to convicts) that leads to freedom and life outside the prison. At that door, Gary’s family member is forced to wait until someone electronically unlocks the door from a secure glass booth outside the visit room that’s called the “bubble”.
As Gary’s family member waits to be let out, Gary and his family member make eye contact, and Gary waves, momentarily taking his eyes off Carmen, who’s standing next to him, but also slightly behing him. Gary then hears a mechanical “buzzing” noise, and feels Carmen suddenly jump back with a yelp.
Gary turns to find Carmen looking up at him with wide eyes and a big blob of foam decorating her nose. Her ears are flat, and her head is slightly down, telling all who know dogs that she feels she’s done something wrong.
Gary bursts into laughter.
Near the door, mounted low on the wall, is a wheelchair accessible foam soap dispenser, the kind that all you have to do is place your hand inside and it senses the movement, then fills your palm with a blob of disinfecting foam. Well, Carmen, knowing that Gary was preoccupied, had used the time to explore. She’d stuck her nose into the dispenser, then grew shocked when it spit a whole pile of foam out onto her nose. Hahahah. That made not only Gary’s day, but the day of every other convict and visitor and staff member up there in the visit room. Aren’t dogs great? They’re one of the best things to ever happen to prison. Like Gary, I’m so happy to have a dog in here. And, for all you dog lovers, I’ll make sure to share more Prison Life Snippets that center around our dogs, who are such an important part of our locked-up lives.
My name is Jerry Metcal, and I wish to make the world a better place, if you do too, please join me on social media (Facebook/jerryametcalf.jr) Break the Chains!
