A Sense of Place

You pussy ass ho! Clean up your own shit, wrap up that pad and put it in the trash. I ain’t your mama and I ain't going to clean up behind you, damn urine, feces, trash everywhere," Cheryl rants at her fellow inmate. Sanitation. Sonya just shakes her head, put on a clear plastic glove and went and picked the pad up off the floor tossing it into the trashcan. It isn't her mess in there, but it isn't worth arguing with that crazy woman. Everybody says that there must be something wrong with her health, like maybe she had AIDS or something because she's obsessed with germs and cleanliness, hates clutter too. If someone leaves a book or magazine to share on the partition by the bathroom, or forgets her cup or bowl there, she throws it out. Joann walks up to use the bathroom. First stall only, hollers Cheryl, I done said 10 minutes ago to hurry up and use the bathroom because we fixing to clean it. Jesus. Joann rolls her eyes at Sonya and mumbles crazy bitch, pulling aside the plastic green curtain, closes it, pulls down her pants and squats mid air over the seat, pees all over it, getting some pee in the toilet and a little on the floor.

I don't know why she so crazy about cleaning the bathroom, she thinks to herself, we are all grown women here. Coming out, she stands by one of the sinks, but doesn't push the button to run some water to wash her hands, and washing is highly overrated. Jo checks her hair out with its shaved sideburns looking nice and neat, wring herself off and takes off to heat water in the microwave for her coffee.

Stay out of the dog room! The school’s trying to sweep, you had plenty of time to make your coffee! shrieks Cheryl who does not get canteen and has to hustle her coffee, and does, and did, before Jo ever rolled out of her rack.

Fabuloso! yells the orderly as she comes in and sprays the strongly scented air freshener on the floor between the bunks. And everywhere else she can find. Soon the dorm smells so good the women are gagging and popping CTM's like candy. Before the air has cleared, she comes back through, spraying cheap bleach.

Ugh, complains Carla, there must be visitors on the compound, they sprayin bleach today. Bleach with Fabuloso, who does that? 

Jo bitched, yeah they trying to poison our air. As if poisoning us with chow hall food wasn't enough. I'm so sick of them saying to be inspection-ready all the time. You have a desk but don't use it. Don't use your blanket, just freeze to death with this fucking cold ass AC blasting all day, medical says drink more water, that'll fix anything that's wrong with you. But don't leave a cup of water out and do not ask the bubble officer for more tissue. She plunks down on her metal bunk when it's flat plastic mat and sighs. She wishes the other inmates would go to rec – it should be soon – it is so loud and she is so sick of the noise. She stares at the white cinderblock walls and waits for a moment of peace.

-B. Kallfelz