The Garden of Second Chances by Mona Alvarado Frazier

Author:Mona Alvarado Frazier
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: SparkPress

I stood outside of the classroom door with my English teacher, shaded by one of the few trees among the rows of school buildings. Two COs stood on the narrow patch of grass which separated the two facing classrooms. They watched us when we left our classes, making sure no one stepped off the concrete onto the strip of dried-up lawn.

Another CO strode towards our classroom, calling the teacher over to him. She nodded and then turned, bending a finger at me. My heart flinched. I moved out of line, stood next to him.

“Medical appointment. Follow me,” he said.

I hadn’t received any movement pass for the clinic, but I followed him to a van parked at the curb near the school’s flagpole. It reminded me of the one I sat in for three hours when I came to San Bueno. My stomach fluttered. It must have remembered too. I stepped on the running board and curled into the seat, chewed at my fingernail.

“No one will see you talking to Sarg.”

He must have received more information about what happened in the library. I let out my breath and ran the lines through my head once more. I saw Gina and Wozzy at the table. I stood behind the bookcase while they sat close to each other, their shoulders touching. Those were the only words I’d say.

We walked up a small stairway behind the clinic building. Dim lights glowed in the hallway. Disinfectant hit my nose and stuck in my throat. The CO tapped on a door. Ms. Montes opened it.

“Come in, Juana. Let’s talk,” Sgt. Cuellar’s voice said.

He sat behind an old metal desk and pointed to a folding chair in front.

“You know more than what you’ve told me. What did you see in the library between CO Wozinsky and ward Gina Jones?”

I repeated my lines. “Xochitl Anaya was with me in the library. She saw more than me.”

“Ms. Dillon said you were at the bookshelves near Gina and she left Xochitl at the front table,” Ms. Montes said.

I shrugged, struggling to keep a smile on my face. “She says she sees more.” I hid my quaking hands between my knees.

“Hmm.” Sgt. Cuellar leaned back in his chair, “Juana, is it true CO Wozinsky visited your unit one day and Mrs. Shaffer found him in the kitchen with Gina?”

“Yes, I worked in the dayroom and saw him outside the unit. He combed his hair before he came inside. He pushed the door lock in so the buzzer didn’t go off. Xochitl and Mariana seen too.”

Ms. Montes shook her head, her lips in a flat line. Sgt. C pushed the walkie-talkie button on his shirt and called for a CO to take Xochitl out of her classroom.

“When Anaya gets here, the CO will take you back to class. Thanks for your help, Juana.”

“It’s okay, Sgt. C.”

Tit for tat, I remembered.

“Oh, before I forget.” Ms. Montes opened her black duffle bag and pulled out an envelope.

The custody letter. I held my breath. She’d find out my real name and question me in front of Sergeant Cuellar.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.