KINTOCK N KRISTMAS

LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, I WAS MAKING A BIG, DELICIOUS LASAGNA TO BRING WITH ME ON CHRISTMAS DAY, WHEN I WENT TO SEE JIMMY, WITH HIS FRIEND LARRY, WHO TOOK ME THERE.......I WAS BUSY BUYING COLD CUTS, AND ROASTED CHICKEN, AND A FEW ITALIAN  CHRISTMAS FOODS, LIKE PANETONE......

MY HOUSEHOLD WAS BUSY...FILLED WITH GIFTS I HAD BOUGHT FOR JIMMY...SHIRTS AND SWEATERS...GLOVES...A  BEAUTIFUL ATTACHE...LOTS OF GIFT WRAP, AND COLORFUL BAGS...AND WRAPPINGS....I THINK IT IS ALL THAT RED AND GREEN AND GOLD...AND BLUE, AND SILVER... ETC., ETC., ETC., THAT MAKES THE SEASON SO CHEERFUL......AND WHEN WE GOT TO KINTOCK, ON CHRISTMAS DAY, WE SAT IN THE CAFETERIA, AMONGST SO MANY OTHER VISITORS AND RESIDENTS, AND INVITED SOME TO OUR TABLE, TO JOIN US....EVERYONE ATE, AND LAUGHED, AND MADE THE BEST IN "OUR SITUATION.".............AND OF COURSE, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER VISITED A PRISONER, ON CHRISTMAS, THE ROOM IS FILLED WITH LITTLE DELIGHTFUL FACES, ALL AGLOW , SMILING , AND RUNNUNG ABOUT...THERE TO SEE THEIR DADDY'S!

AND SO, THIS CHRISTMAS IS DIFFERENT, FOR ME, ANYHOW....THERE IS NO GLITTER....NO JOY........THERE IS ONLY DISAPPOINTMENT IN THE HUMAN RACE....THAT "KINTOCK," THE HALF-WAY HOUSE SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS EVIL THING TO ME THIS HOLIDAY.........

JIMMY WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE COME HOME ON HIS FURLOUGH THIS WEEK-END...IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A 3 DAY FURLOUGH.......SATURDAY, SUNDAY, AND MONDAY......

BUT NO, PEOPLE HAD TO MESS IT UP, FOR JIMMY AND MYSELF......

LET ME EXPLAIN TO ALL THOSE READING THIS JOURNAL...MY HUSBAND IS QUITE AN INTELLIGENT MAN......THE JOB HE HAD AT IGA FOODSTORE, AS ASSISTANT MANAGER,(ATLANTIC CITY).........WAS MOST LIKELY ONE OF THE BEST JOBS HELD BY A RESIDENT OF A HALF-WAY HOUSE, IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY...........AND THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE JEALOUS, THAT JIMMY SHOULD HAVE HAD SUCH A WONDERFUL JOB, WHILE WITHIN THE PRISON SYSTEM........IT WAS NOT ONLY A PRESTIGIOUS JOB, BUT WELL-PAYING, TOO...........LET ME EXPLAIN, THAT MOST OF THOSE RESIDENT'S AT KINTOCK, EARN THE MINIMUM WAGE...THEY WORK IN FACTORIES...SOME "PLUCK" FEATHERS OUT OF CHICKENS AT THE FACTORY.........MOST HAVE NOT EVEN GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, NO LESS COLLEGE...........MOST ARE DELIQUENTS, DRUG ADDICTS AND ALCOHOLICS, WHO KNOW NOTHING BUT A LIFE OF STREET CRIME............AND BUMMMM!....THERE WAS JIMMY, COLLEGE EDUCATED, WITH HIGH DEGREES OF EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGABLE.....WHO FOUND HIMSELF A GOOD JOB.......ONLY TO BE USED AS A PAWN...BECAUSE OF JEALOUSY........

I WILL TALK MORE ON THIS SUBJECT LATER........BECAUSE IT UPSETS ME SO.

AND BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAY, THEY DID NOT SEE HIM TOPDAY, TO CLASSIFY HIM....SO, I GUESS NOW, HE WILL HAVE TO WAIT ONE MORE WEEK TO BE CLASSIFIED, UNTIL AFTER THE HOLIDAYS..............ARE YOU ALL HAPPY,  MAY I ASK?

SO JIMMY STILL SITS IN HIS LITTLE CELL...8X9FT..........HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF HIS ACTIONS BEING CLEARED, AND HE IS NOW INNOCENT, HE IS NO LONGER "BEING PUNISHED, " BY "CRAF."....THAT IS BEING LET OUT FOR A FEW MINUTES A DAY....HE IS NOW BEING LET OUT FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME......

I WILL REMEMBER YOU ALL, AS YOU GO TO CHRISTMAS DINNER WITH YOUR FAMILIES, AND LOVED ONES...AS YOU EAT IN MERRIMENT, OPEN PRESENTS, AND ENJOY YOUR TIME TOGETHER............AND PLEASE REMEMBER ME, KINTOCK, AS I SIT HERE ALONE...AND JIMMY DOES, TOO...A THIRD YEAR ALONE....ALL TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE....NOW, ONLY A PAST THOUGHT OF JUST HOW CHRISTMAS 2005 SHOULD HAVE BEEN, BUT NOW ISN'T............FRAN