CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
2000- Friends. How Many Of Us Have Them?
Here I was- stuck on Rikers, truly clean and sober, and alone.
I tried to settle in, but there is no settling in to a place like Rikers. It was overcrowded, smelly and loud as fuck. Most of the girls knew each other from the outside and petty beefs popped off all day long. It was draining.
My trial came up quickly- within the first two months of my incarceration.
I refused to rat on anyone, but since I was a first-time felon and obvious dumb-ass, the public defender assigned to represent me was able to get the ridiculous drug charge dropped and I wound up with a sentence of 4 years in a minimum-security prison. My lawyer told me I’d have no problem getting out in 3 years if I behaved myself. I promised him I would.
Once my sentence was in, there was nothing to do but to wait for my transfer to prison. And before I got there, I needed to figure out how to keep afloat.
Biz took time out of his busy day to come out to Rikers for a visit- I used it as an opportunity to lay out my demands. I’d need certain things taken care of over the next 3 to 4 years, and Biz was the last man standing. Such a scary thought.
“This is what I need from you, Biz,” I began. “They gave me four years and I’ll probably be out in three. All I need is for you and Lucci to make sure I have the maximum amount of money on my books each month. I don’t want to have to worry about that. Please.” The “please” wasn’t a question. It was a statement.
Biz nodded and made comforting noises, like, how could I ever doubt his or Lucci’s loyalty.
I continued, “I also need you to take care of my apartment for me. I want to make sure I have a place to come home to once I’m out. I don't even care if you put Luciano in there for the duration of my time, but I need to make sure that all my stuff is taken care of and that my rent is paid.”
“I got you, Eula,” Biz assured me. “Don’t worry about anything.”
I told him I’d send him info for where to mail the rent check.
“And do NOT let me lose this place, Biz. I’m counting on you!”
“I got you, Eula. I got you,” Biz replied, then stood to leave.
“Oh, Biz- one last thing,” I said. ”Tell ‘Brón I’m trying to get in touch with him. I want to make sure everything is good.”
Brón yeah, yeah, yeah’d me and exited the visiting room.
I may’ve been stupid, but I wasn’t dumb- I knew it was a risky move to count on Biz to hold me down for three years. So, I dug deep down into my address book and wrote to June, my old friend from Hartford- the one who introduced me to Mundo. Back when I was an innocent, convinced I was a bad-ass.
June was surprised to hear from me but wrote back and gave me permission to get him on my phone list. It felt like I’d been thrown an unexpected lifeline and made myself promise to myself that I wouldn’t abuse June’s kindness. I’d certainly done enough of that in the past.
