Debts

By C.L. Finn

He had a debt to pay. He owed Vern for fucking up his eye and his parole, and for loss of face. He was gonna pay one way or another, let's be real clear about that. Vern doesn't let debts go unpaid. But this way two debts got paid off in one. I owed Vern. Beecher owed Vern. End of story.

What was my debt? Well, that's a whole other story.

I was seventeen when I first got sent up. To prison that is... I'd done some time in juvie before that. But this place was a step up to the big boys. I wasn't ready for it. Oh, I wasn't like Beecher when he came into Oz. I don't think I was ever as innocent as Toby. But I was a scrawny little kid with a really big attitude and nothing to back it up.

Second day there, I learned the most valuable lesson I ever learned. Sons of bitches gave me shower detail-- had to go in and scrub the place every day, clean up after those pigs. So, I was mopping the floor and trying to come up with creative curses for the CO's who'd assigned me there. This huge, fucking nigger comes walking in and just grins at me. He was a big son-of-a-bitch... bigger than that fuck, Adebisi.

I put up a good fight... I may have been small, but I was no pussy. I did some damage, but I didn't have a chance in hell. It didn't take him long to get me pinned up against the wall with my pants down around my ankles. Jesus Christ, that first time hurt like nothing I've ever felt before. He was a huge motherfucker... cock felt like a baseball bat up my ass, ya know what I mean? Tore me all to shit.

So I was there, ya know, just trying to live through it, and all of a sudden he's gone. Just like that-- he was yanked off me and I dropped to the floor like a rock. I really didn't know what the fuck was going on. When I finally looked up, there's this guy standing over me, white as a ghost, with a big fuckin' grin. Behind him, there's three other white guys beating the shit out of the nigger. They near killed him.

He sticks his hand out, grins wider, and introduces himself to me, "Vern Schillinger. Got yourself a little nigger trouble there, huh kid?"

And that was it. He took care of me, taught me how to protect myself. Yeah, look, there was a payoff. I mean, he wasn't no fucking Mr. Rogers. But ya know what? I do what I have to do... and I'd a much rather been Vern's prag than some of my other choices. I was there for four years, three of them with Vern. But by the time he left, I could take care of myself in that place.

So, yeah... I feel for Beecher. I do. And ya know... I really liked most of the time I spent with Toby. And, ah... I really like chess. Can you believe that shit? But I owed Vern, and I pay my debts. And now we're even. That's the way I see it.

Course, now I owe a debt to Tobias Beecher.

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