George

Stare at the wall.

I was allowed to go into Torres* twice a month to meet with eight men in white,** each for one hour. Routine at the time I am writing about was that I would go into the Education Building and men would be called out to meet with me. I would have written the men in white ahead of time letting them know the day I would be there.

One day, George was called out to meet with me.  I’m going to call him George, though that is not really his name. I picked the name “George” because he is a tall man, fit, quiet, reserved and chooses his words carefully.  He has as much integrity as anyone I have ever met, maybe more.  Sorta like George Washington.

George refused to come.  He was told that “Drew is here to see you.”  He said—“Tell Drew some other time.”

Not knowing what to do with that, especially since I had no intention of forcing a man in white to meet with me, I wrote George. I told him I respected him and his right to meet or not meet with whomever he wanted. I asked him to write me to let me know whether he wanted to continue meeting with me.

He didn’t write. I stopped asking to have him called out.

I had lunch in the Officers’ Dining Room during one visit.  George was a waiter.  When he saw me, he came over, hugged me and started crying. “I’m sorry!  I’m sorry! When I get down, all I can do is sit and stare at the wall.”

“Now that I know that buddy, I’m never turning loose of you!”

*Torres Unit is a Texas state prison located near Hondo, Texas.

**In Texas prisons, all inmates wear white.