Scrap CH TWO part 42

CH TWO 42
The Governor has done his best to keep a lid on recent events but the strain is showing on his staff. The lock down was not a popular move but he had to order it to control the near riot which was being stirred up on ‘C’ wing. Of course word has gone round the rest of the prison and there have been more than the usual number of complaints from disgruntled inmates but the man feels powerless to improve conditions without backing from the State.
This place was built in Victorian times, each cell designed to hold but one prisoner. Now there are two in every cell and three in some of them. The prisoners’ main gripe is the insanitary conditions; they feel it is undignified having to piss in a bucket in this day and age especially as there is no way of getting fresh air into the cells. The absence of entertainment opportunities is another beef, the poor diet as always and the lack of educational programmes. With nothing to keep them occupied after their mostly pointless work assignments there is too much time to brood.
The main perpetrators have been moved to jails even further from their families as punishment, focusing the minds of anyone who has ideas of copying them, but there are some who have nobody in their lives and they are the ones to watch. The Board have agreed to provide a newer television for the association area on ‘C’ wing but that has caused anger on all the other wings so the privilege has had to be extended, thus using up all the remaining funds for this quarter. The officers have been tasked to come up with ideas to smooth things over but so far their suggestions have not been received with much enthusiasm, either by the inmates or the Board.
Frank has picked up some interesting gossip during his time in the officers’ canteen, some of which he has passed on, most he has kept to himself. The arrival of a bigger television has caused something of a stir but there is disappointment all round when it turns out to be another black and white set. Still, it is bigger than the last one and the picture is a bit clearer so it should keep most of the wing occupied during the FA Cup Final which is fast approaching.
Thorndike has invited Frank into his boudoir to hand over his Grand National winnings and to give him more information to memorize. ‘What is all this in aid of?’ Asks Frank, ‘you don’t even know me yet you are assuming I will carry this message for you.’ Thorndike smiles, takes a long drag on his cigarillo and blows the smoke to one side. ‘I have a gut feeling about you,’ he replies in his languid tone, ‘I need someone I can trust to deliver a message and you need someone to help you get started again once you leave these unhallowed halls. There’s no risk involved for either of us dear boy.’
Scrapper is on sentry duty and gives a warning cough to let them know they have company. Warder Philpott puts his head round the doorway. ‘What’s going on here then?’ He wants to know. ‘Just passing the time of day officer,’ says his Lordship. ‘Well do it in the association area where we can keep an eye on you,’ says Philpott. Frank has already been given today’s information so he returns to his cell, opens one of the packs of Dunhill cigarettes and gives his lungs a treat.
Roger Black saunters into the room, a copy of yesterday’s Sun under his arm. ‘Want a read Frank?’ He asks, offering up the much-creased cast-off. ‘No thanks, I already had that one,’ Frank replies, waving a copy of today’s Mirror from his perch on the top bunk, ‘but you can look at this when I’ve finished with it before I sell it on.’ Black waits for the price to be announced but there is no mention of it, which immediately arouses his suspicions. He stretches out on the lower bunk, propping himself at an angle to get the light and reads through the news. The crossword has been done at least four times in pencil by different owners and the paper has worn rather ragged with all the erasing but he has a go at the clues without bothering to write in his answers. It’s too easy anyway, even for someone of limited education such as him.
The two men are quietly engrossed in reading when a sudden thump followed by shouts and yells of pain issues from the landing. They rush outside to see what has caused the commotion and find that someone has ‘fallen’ from the landing above, over the railing and into the wire mesh which has recently been installed to stop people from falling/being pushed to their death. Nobody has seen anything of course and the crowd dissipates as quickly as it has gathered, leaving the screws to pick up the pieces as usual. The man is lucky to get away with a dislocated shoulder and a sprained wrist. Whether or not he has carried out this act himself is not important: he has secured himself a bed in the sick bay for a few nights and access to the only colour television in the prison, just in time for the FA Cup Final. Such drastic action is rather risky but one has to give the man credit for pulling off the scheme successfully.