KIMMY'S LIST

CHAPTER 17

With nothing but time on her hands, Kimberly looked forward to her regular telephone call to Boyd. She didn’t always have much to report, but it was so nice to hear his voice. Today however she had some good news to share.

This morning she received notification that all person on her approved visit list had passed probity checks and were cleared to visit her.

The thought of eventually being able to see her husband again excited her. It helped her get through the long days. It had been over three weeks since she last saw his handsome face and that was in court as she was being led away. No hugs, no kisses goodbye, just a fleeting glance over a shoulder before being whisked away.

Kimberly’s excited heart pounded when she lifted the telephone receiver. She entered her allocated PIN, followed by the number 1, which was Boyd’s reference number on her approved call list.

Inmates were not able to dial numbers from inside the prison. The prison’s telephone system dialled the telephone number recorded against the reference number on the approved call lists.

She nervously drummed her fingers on the wall as the phone chirped in her ear. It answered after four rings. She listened to the standard pre-recorded message informing Boyd he had a call from Dorathy Oolong Corrections Shelter.

The message outlined the rules he was required to follow, if he was prepared to accept the call. The message instructed him to hang up if he did not want to obey these rules, or if he wanted to reject the call. Alternatively, he was instructed to hang on the line for the call to be connected. The call connected.

‘Hi, Hunnny…How are you going?’ Kimberly said with excitement in her voice.

‘Hey, stranger…It’s great to hear from you. Is everything still OK with you…?’

‘Yep. All’s good. I have some Good News, though…’

‘I could do with some Good News for a change…’

‘Me too. You have been cleared to visit me.’

‘Finally. That’s so great.’

‘It is. It will be so good to be able to look at you again, rather than imagining you, while listening to you talk on the phone.’

‘So, when can I come up to see you?’

‘Tomorrow. You have to book the visit with the prison though.’

‘Yeah, that’s fine I can do that, but what time?’

‘Ah, Thursday’s visit times are 12PM to 2PM. 2:30PM to 4:30PM and 5PM to 7PM. What shift are you working tomorrow?’

I’m on one of my Rest Days tomorrow so what time would suit you?’

‘The earlier the better. I won’t be able to wait until the afternoon.’

‘OK. I’ll arrange for 12PM. If that’s booked out, I’ll go for 2:30PM.OK.’

Kimberly was like an excited school girl preparing for her first date. ‘I won’t be able to sleep tonight, Hun. I can’t wait.’

The balance of the call was occupied with small talk to fill in the time and to hear his voice. Before long a warning tone beeped.

‘My twelve minutes is nearly up, Hun. I gotta go.’

‘Twelve minutes is such a ridiculous time they allocate for calls…’Boyd moaned.

‘I agree … It passes so quickly.’

‘OK. How’s your funds going? Do you have enough?’

‘Yeah, pretty good at the moment, thanks. I can’t wait until tomorrow. I love you.’

‘Me either. LOVE you too. Bye.’

‘Bye.’

Kimberly hung up the phone. For the first time in over three weeks she was happy, as happy as one could be in prison. She now had something to look forward to tomorrow.

Kimberly was showered, her room cleaned and her bed made by the time her cell door opened at 7:30AM. She patiently sat on the end of her bed waiting for the sound of jingling keys and clanging metal.

The excitement of finally seeing Boyd again caused a disrupted sleep. She was so excited, she kept waking up and peering out her window to check for evidence of the new day. Eventually it was there. Signs of day light rising up against the fading night sky was her silent alarm. Time to get up and get ready.

After a short wait, the heavy cell door flung open. ‘Morning,’ the guard said. It was Clive this morning, one of Kimberly’s favourite guards. He checked Kimberly off his morning head count list.

‘Morning, Clive…’ Kimberly jumped up from her bed and exited her cell. No one else had emerged as yet.

Clive glanced over his shoulder as he unlocked cell two. ‘You’re up and about early this morning. Couldn’t sleep?’ He said as he reefed open the cell door. ‘Morning,’ he said to cell two’s occupant. He checked her off his list.

‘On and Off…’ Kimberly said. ‘But I’m having my first visit today. My husband has been cleared to visit and he is coming up at midday.’ A beaming smile illuminated her face.

‘Good for you,’ Clive said as he unlocked cell one. ‘You should probably have an early lunch today, then. You won’t be back here until after two.’ He reefed open the door.

‘Morning.’ He checked off his list.

He hooked the jingling keys to his belt and shoved the clipboard under his arm as he and Kimberly moved towards the kitchen. ‘So, you haven’t experienced a box visit before…?’ Clive said as a question.

Kimberly frowned. ‘A box visit… What’s a box visit?’

‘That’s what we call non-contact visits. That’s what you’ll be having today… a non-contact visit,’ he clarified. ‘They are conducted in this small room, bit like an oversized phone box. You’ll sit on one side of the glass and your husband will be on the other.’

‘Do we talk through telephones, or something?’ Kimberly asked as she selected her coffee mug from the overhead cupboard.

Clive nodded. ‘Now ya got it…’ he said. ‘I’ll have one with ya…’ he selected a mug.

Kimberly spooned instant coffee into her mug, then into Clive’s mug. Percolated coffee was not an option in prison, even in the lenient remand precinct.

While not a fan of instant coffee, it was that, or nothing. She still craved the caffeine kick from a hot, barista prepared coffee, but with every passing week, those cravings faded into memories as she slowly acquired a taste for the bitter processed alternative.

They added their milk and slit into chairs at the kitchen dining table.

With only five inmates to look after in the shared cottage, the guards were quite relaxed. They didn’t feel threatened and they actively interacted with the remandees. Guards like Clive treated the inmates with respect, he treated them like people, not crims.

So for Clive at least, sitting and sharing a morning coffee with the more friendly remandees like Kimberly and Alicia, was a common occurrence.

Around the time they considered a refill, Alicia shuffled into the kitchen, yawning.

‘Here she is, right on time,’ Clive said.

‘Morning,’ Clive said. She made herself a strong coffee and slid into the chair beside Kimberly.

‘What’s for brekky this morning ladies?’ Clive asked in his typical upbeat tone.

‘I’m going with my usual…Cereal and a cuppa,’ Kimberly said.

‘I think I’ll scramble some eggs,’ Alicia said. ‘I feel like eggs this morning.’

Clive checked his watch.

‘I’ll leave you ladies to it then,’ he said. He pushed himself up from the table.

‘I’ll come and get you around 11:45AM, OK?’ he said to Kimberly, then returned to his desk.

The repetitive clip-clunk, clip-clunk of a table Tennis game echoed from the common area. Rallies were short and cackling laughter followed as table tennis novices, Kimberly and Alicia often sent the ball ricocheting off the roof, or a side wall.

An entertained Clive leaned his elbows on his guard station watching the friendly game. He checked his watch.

‘What’s the score?’ he asked.

Kimberly tapped her chest.

‘Eighteen - ten, my way,’ she said, then served. Laughter followed as Alicia launched the ball forty - five degrees to her right. ‘Make that nineteen - ten,’ Kimberly said.

‘OK. Finish your game then we’ll have to go, Kimberly. You’ve got an important appointment.’

‘I do. Is it that time already?’

‘It’s a little before 11:45AM. Keep going. Finish your game, first.’

Kimberly served. Alicia swung and missed, which said more about Alicia’s eye-hand co-ordination than the quality of Kimberly’s serve. ‘Twenty - ten. Game Point,’ Kimberly said.

Kimberly served. Alicia connected with this one. Her unintended tennis style forehand drive sent the ball rocketing passed Kimberly’s head, into the back wall. Alicia covered her mouth…’Sorry …’ she said.

‘You’re dangerous, girl. I think that’s game,’ Kimberly said.

After returning the equipment to the cupboard, Kimberly approached Clive, still leaning on the high ledge of his guard station counter. A huge grin illuminated her face as she rubbed her nervous hands together. ‘We all set?’ she asked.

‘We sure are. Let’s go,’ Clive said. ‘Just escorting Kimberly to her box visit,’ Clive said to his relieving guard at the front desk.

The guard lifted her eyes from the newspaper.

‘Nice.’ She said. She smiled at Kimberly. ‘Enjoy.’

When they stepped from the cottage, Kimberly glanced up to the cloudy sky. She briefly closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh air.

Kimberly had a child - like spring in her step as they strolled the path through the remand centre’s gardens, to re-enter the main building. This was all new to Kimberly. She had never been into this part of the prison before today.

The spring in her step faded the further she moved into the prison proper, and away from the comfort zone of her remand college.

Like an insecure young child with a parent, Kimberly walked close to Clive for security. Her eyes darted and her head turned to the many voices, or nearby activity.

After navigating several corridors, they approached a questioning guard seated at a guard station. Clive spoke with the guard, while Kimberly stood back against a wall, waiting.

She anxiously shuffled the weight distribution on her feet. She rubbed her perspiring hands down her thighs as she glanced at passing prisoners. Her eyes followed them until they had passed by, all the time avoiding eye contact. These were real prisoners and they were intimidating.

When he was done, Clive beckoned to Kimberly. ‘This way,’ Clive said. Kimberly caught up with Clive.

‘You’re in box four today,’ he said. Kimberly smiled. She didn’t care what box number she was in, as long as her husband would be there.

It was like a first date all over again. Her stomach churned with nerves and expectation. Her mind raced. I hope I don’t cry when I see him.

After a short walk, they entered a corridor lined with doors on either side. Clive stopped at a door and grabbed the handle. He smiled at Kimberly. It was a genuine, warm caring smile. He was happy for her. ‘This is you. Ready?’

Kimberly nodded like an excited school girl. ‘Yep.’ She rubbed her perspiring palms together. Her heart raced with the expectation.

Clive opened the door. ‘Enjoy,’ he said.

For the first time since arriving at prison a genuine smile filled Kimberly’s face. She was happy as she stepped in through the door. Clive closed the door behind her. Her eyes locked onto the empty chair on the other side of the glass. Her smile faded. Where is he?’

Kimberly took a typical first time glance around the box. The small, brightly lit room was around one meter by one meter. Even with the large window opening to a similar size room on the other side, it was claustrophobic in there.

Her eyes never left the vacant seat as she slid onto the round metal seat attached to an arm protruding from the front wall. The seat was uncomfortable, but she’d happily sit on broken glass to see her husband. She leaned her elbows on the small ledge, still staring at the empty seat on the other side. Come on, Hun. Where are you?

Her face tightened. The sinking feeling from three years ago came flooding back to when she received that dreaded phone call. Her mind’s eye flashed back to the hyperventilating and the heaviness in her stomach as she raced to be with her husband.

She recalled the kaleidoscope of flashing blue and red lights against the dark sky when she arrived. How she burst into tears at the sight of his mangled car on the side of the road.

Visions filled her head of her unconscious husband lying in hospital with bandages around his head and tubes coming out of him. Tears filled her eyes. Ever since that day, whenever Boyd was late, she immediately thought the worse.