House Of 1000 Pugs

I started writing to people in prison in 2011. In 2012, I started writing to an inmate in Massachusetts. I figured that I would be able to visit them and it would be kinda cool. I started writing to people to give them something to look forward to. 

He knew about everything going on in my life. The people in it. Everything. We wrote to each other more often then. He started to call me instead. I went and visited him 3 times. 

“You have a free call from (name) at Massachusetts department of corrections. If you believe this should be a private call, hang up and call (number). To accept this free call, press 1 now. Thank you for using securus, you may start the conversation now” 

I can’t even recite it from memory because I stopped paying attention. He would call me all the time. A lot of the time I wouldn't pick up. I was just too emotionally disconnected to pick up. Then I got back in the swing of it. Started picking up. In the past 6 months - a year we have been talking daily/weekly. Imagine all the money he has put on his books. Mind you, he’s been in prison for 15-16 years. 

Today we had our last phone call. Instead of him telling me he would call me tomorrow he got to say, “I'll see you tomorrow.” Tomorrow he gets released from prison. He will be out on parole. He’s going into a sober home. I’m going there to hang out with him.