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Miss Annabelle and Mr. Melbourne qualified for the early release program. They both would get out after three years and one month. They would, of course, be on probation until the full five-year term was served. And, although felons are not allowed to associate by law until the full term of probation is up, an exception had been made in their case because of their romantic relationship. The big day was almost here.
*
Angie planned a surprise welcome-home party. She would pick up Miss Annabelle at noon on Friday, release day. At the exact same time, Jessie would pick up Mr. Melbourne. They would drive to the small house Angie had been asked to rent for Miss Annabelle and her fiancé. Upon arrival at their new home, the couple would be greeted by Miss Annabelle's twelve students and any of the parents who wanted to stay, too. The parents had arranged to pick up their children an hour and a half early from school to be at the party.
Sally's mom would be there. She had amazed doctors by living three times longer than they predicted. Teddy's father would also be there. He was now president of the company. Yet, despite his success, he would always get a kick out of telling people that he makes less money than his 12-year-old son. In fact, he would always say he's considering working for his son.
Angie spent all day Thursday decorating the house for the party. She did not want any signs of a party on the outside. But when they would open the front door, they would be greeted by a hundred colorful balloons floating overhead against the ceiling with their multicolor, shiny ribbons dangling in the air. Right in the middle of the floating artscape would be a huge red and white banner, reaching from the left wall to the right wall, declaring "Welcome Home, Mr. & Mrs. Melbourne!" Angie thought it was only fitting, for she knew the thought of the wedding gave them both fuel and was an important emotional dimension they carried with them through the prison years.
The counselors for the prison system had met with Miss Annabelle the week of her release and coached her about readjusting to civilization. They explained to her a common reaction called "overstimulation". It is easy for a person confined in the uneventful prison life to become overstimulated and overwhelmed physically and emotionally. The counselor told Miss Annabelle the signs to watch out for and what to do to handle herself if overstimulation happened to her.
Miss Annabelle called Angie Thursday evening. They were both excited about the big day tomorrow. Miss Annabelle told Angie about the meeting she had with the prison counselors about overstimulation. So, Angie realized she had to tell her about the party so she would be prepared physically and emotionally.
"Oh, Angie...you and Jessie have stood by me and done so much for me...for years. You've meant so much to me. I just don't know how to repay you."
"Listen to me, honey," Angie said, "we love you, and that's all that matters. You and John -- you're our best friends."
"We love you, too. Thank you, Angie."
*
Twelve children lay wide awake in bed Thursday night. They were tossing and turning with excitement to be with their beloved teacher again. Over and over, they kept seeing their teacher in their mind's eye. They were twelve years old now, and they were physically maturing.
Miss Annabelle also lay in bed, wide awake, her mind shuffling through images of her students and of John. Excitement dominated her emotions. Yet, she wondered why she felt a little scared. "To touch John again, wow," she quietly whispered. "To teach my kids again, wow!"
*
The bugle sounded at 6:00 am. Miss Annabelle smiled. That's the last time I'll ever hear that, she thought as she sat on the side of the bed. Already standing directly before her was Megan. They had become close friends. Miss Annabelle stood up and gave Megan a hug.
"You'll be out in eleven months. I'm going to get permission to visit you!" Miss Annabelle said.
"I'm so happy for you, Jenny," Megan said. She took a deep breath and added, "Next time I see you, you'll be Mrs. Jennifer Annabelle Melbourne!" They both laughed. "Remember what I told you about how life goes by in a blink. Grab what is good for you out there."
"I'll never forget, Meg. You gave me a precious gift. I'll never forget."
As they stood there, they knew their feelings for each other were going to a special, permanent place in their hearts. They had gone through a struggle together that they now forever shared. This was their last moment together in this struggle. For now on, they would be a special memory to each other. They looked deeply at each other, for that one last moment. Then, the next moment, they were pulled apart by the morning protocols, blending right back into the bustle of a prison morning. This morning, however, Miss Annabelle did not report for duty. Instead, she reported to the warden's office where the release procedures and paperwork began.
A few hours later, Miss Annabelle was given her clothes she had arrived in. As she looked at her clothes, she couldn't get over the feeling that time stopped for those clothes for three years and one month. When she put them on and looked at herself in the mirror, she couldn't get over the feeling that whereas the world out there may go on, time in here stops for prisoners.
Deep in that eerie thought, she did not notice the counselor in the room. In a gentle voice, so as not to startle Miss Annabelle, the female counselor said, "Remember Jennifer...take it slowly at first."
"Oh...oh, yes. Thank you." Miss Annabelle said, turning around. She could already feel emotions crawling around her skin, and she knew the kind counselor knew it too.
"Good-bye, Jennifer. God bless you."
*
At noon, she walked out the front gate. When she stepped past the gate, a wave of euphoria rushed up from her feet, up through her heart and into her mind. She felt a great weight leave her body. She ran over and hugged Angie, who was waiting for her with open arms.
"I'm free."
They walked around the wall toward the parking lot. In the middle of the parking lot was a long, shiny black limo. "There's our ride," Angie said. Angie had rented the limo and driver to escort Miss Annabelle home in style.
"What! Angie...you're spoiling me!" Miss Annabelle was laughing as she looked over to the hill where the prisoners stood at the front fence and cheered -- a tradition whenever one of them was released. Miss Annabelle waved to the ladies; they cheered louder. Miss Annabelle was well liked by all who knew her in there.
As the chauffeur got out to open her door, the ladies cheered even louder. Miss Annabelle walked over to the car, then stopped for one last look at the place she had spent the past three years of her life. She felt an odd fondness for that simple place and bade it farewell in her thoughts. As she took this one last look, she saw Megan, smiling at her. Miss Annabelle blew her a kiss and got in the limo. As they drove away, Megan's words filled her thoughts, "Why frown when you can smile?"
*
Miss Annabelle braced herself for the happiest day of her life. She imagined this day over and over for three years...this was the day she had lived for.
She lowered the window and felt the wind brush the side of her face at 50 miles per hour. She enjoyed that sensation because it was something only a free person outside the prison gate could feel. She savored the sights of the countryside. Even the sight of a cow grazing in the pasture was a symbol of freedom, for those poor souls behind the gates go for years, even in some cases for their remaining lives without seeing a cow grazing on the dull green October grass. ...John is seeing this too, she thought.
The drive home was like the first feeding of a sight-starved soul. The images of freedom are beautiful, Miss Annabelle thought as they neared her hometown. The details of freedom that go unnoticed for a lifetime in the ordinary person were now amplified in her consciousness and filled her soul with extraordinary joy. For my remaining years, she thought, I will find joy in freedom for its own sake, a joy I never knew before. She realized, for the first time, the joy Jessie and Angie felt every day in their freedom from the inner city. This new sensation of freedom made her aware of another form of freedom taken for granted -- the freedom of good health, a freedom Sally's mom will never have.
The big limo cruised quietly along the small streets lined with colorful trees about to drop their leaves. The limo turned left, then right, then right again. Then the car slowed down.
"Third house on the right," Angie said to the driver.
Miss Annabelle started trembling. In a minute, she would be in John's arms. She had not seen him for over three years. She had not been in his arms. She had not made love to him. What will it be like? she wondered nervously. Yet, she was excited beyond words.
"Here's the little love shack I told you about, for you and your man," Angie said while sweeping her arm toward the little white house.
"It's perfect," Miss Annabelle said. Her eyes were wide as she looked at the little white house lined with flower beds. Her soul was absorbing this beautiful symbol of freedom, and it felt wonderful that this beautiful sight would now include her and the love of her life. "Here's where all my dreams will come true," she whispered.
Miss Annabelle held Angie's hand as they walked along the sidewalk to the front steps of Miss Annabelle's new home. She was breathing rapidly from excitement and nervousness. "Are my students inside?" she asked Angie.
"They're here," Angie said. Originally, this was going to be a mighty surprise party. But when Angie learned not to overstimulate Miss Annabelle or Mr. Melbourne after their release, she told them both about the party so they could prepare themselves.
"Are you OK?" Angie asked. Miss Annabelle shivered and then nodded.
Angie opened the door slowly. Miss Annabelle stood behind her. Suddenly, she could not wait another moment to hug John and see her students. Oh, I hope he's already here, she thought as she and Angie walked through the door.
"What?" Angie said; her mouth dropped. Miss Annabelle squeezed in to see one lady inside. It was Teddy's mother.
"Jessie and John aren't here yet," Angie said to Miss Annabelle. Then Angie turned to Teddy's mom and asked, "But where are the children?" Miss Annabelle looked at Teddy's mom, and noticed her eyes were bloodshot, like she had been crying.
"I have some sad news to tell you, Miss Annabelle", she said. A tear dropped out of her eye and splattered on her cheek. "Today at school, your twelve students were called to Ms. Minner's office. She told them that a judge issued a restraining order against you coming from within 300 yards of them."
Miss Annabelle was stunned. She had just spent three years in prison, and now she was told she could not see her students. Lost in a fuzz of confusion, she sat down, right where she stood, onto the tile floor.
"Teddy told me the girls cried and the boys angrily cursed Ms. Minner. She had to leave her office."
But Miss Annabelle was lost. "What's going on?" she asked Angie. "Where's John...where's my John?" Miss Annabelle was beginning to panic. Just then, the phone rang.
Miss Annabelle was petrified. Something was terribly wrong. She looked at Angie and wanted to speak, but nothing would come out. Angie was on the phone saying, "Who are they? What do they want? Call me as soon as you know anything". She hung up and turned to face Miss Annabelle.
"John and Jessie are still there," Angie said. "Jessie says there are some authorities in a room talking to John right now. Jessie will call as soon as they clear John."
Miss Annabelle nodded, but she was scared. Who are those authorities, and what do they want? Sixty seconds later the phone rang again. Miss Annabelle shrieked; she was scared and not familiar yet with a phone ring. Angie picked up the phone on the first ring.
"Jessie? No...no...no!" Angie dropped the phone. "Oh, baby," she said, looking at Miss Annabelle, "they're the INS, and they're deporting John!"
"Oh my God, Angie. I must get to him...I must see him...I must be with him..." Miss Annabelle was panicking. This was the day she fantasized for three years that kept her sanity while in prison. Now the day that gave her rationale to keep going was vanishing like a mirage of an oasis.
"Jenny, they won't let anyone see him, not even Jessie."
"No, goddamn it, nooo!" Miss Annabelle's wretched cry could be heard outside. She started to sink emotionally and sobbed so hard her torso sank to the floor. There was no John to hold; there was not one of her students to get to know again. Angie felt helpless as she watched her best friend cry so hard that her body pulled itself into the fetal position.
For three years Miss Annabelle held onto an image of this day when she would reunite with her precious loved ones. That image kept her sane for three years. But that wonderful image would never happen. Now, she had to face that for three years, she was living for a non-reality -- a mirage. Her sanity was for naught, which now caused her to lose her sanity. The torture of losing the two great values in her life -- her students and her John -- was launched and could not be retrieved and extinguished. Losing them was too much for her. The three years of coping now, in a sense, turned inside out, and all the pain she suppressed came gushing out as she lay on the floor physically out of control, not coping, overstimulated with agony, crying like an injured baby. Angie and Teddy's mom were frightened as they watched their friend sink deeper and deeper...into a nervous breakdown.
The doorbell rang; Teddy's mom turned around, barely cracked open the door and peeked outside. There stood Ms. Minner escorted by a policeman.
"Mrs. Winters, what's going on in there?" Ms. Minner demanded. Teddy's mom wanted to shut the door and not let this evil woman see her victim like this, but the policeman firmly said, "Ma'am, open this door."
Teddy's mom slowly opened the door, revealing Miss Annabelle during this tragic moment.
"Mercy me!" Ms. Minner exclaimed upon seeing Miss Annabelle curled up and crying on the floor.
The policeman asked if she needed medical help. Angie's maternal instincts knew that Miss Annabelle needed some sense of control and that being carted off by strangers would worsen the situation.
"No sir. She just lost the most precious people in her life," Angie said, giving Ms. Minner a cold stare. "She needs to be left alone right now. Your being here -- especially that woman -- is making the situation worse."
The policeman was a decent person and told Ms. Minner they should leave.
"This is God's work, you know," Ms. Minner said, caught up in the moment. "Can't you see? She's possessed by evil spirits. Separating the forces of evil, separating this woman and her lover will exorcise the demons, believe you me! ...I'd be not a bit surprised if John Melbourne is in the same condition right now!"
"What!" Angie looked up at Ms. Minner. "How do you know about John?"
Ms. Minner looked startled and realized she had said too much.
"I asked you a question," Angie continued. "How do you know about John?"
Ms. Minner turned to the policeman and said, "Yes, we should leave." She quickly thrust some papers into the hands of Teddy's mom and said, "This is for her." Then she turned and rushed away.
Angie was fuming at Ms. Minner, but she had to devote her attention to Miss Annabelle. Angie sat on the floor and placed Miss Annabelle's head on her lap and said, "Go ahead and let it out, honey, let it all out. John's okay. He's okay, darling. He's okay."
The next day was spent gathering information...as much as could be gathered on a Saturday. Getting information brought a sense of control into Miss Annabelle's life, which helped her cope again the day after the darkest moment of her life.
The INS had deported Mr. Melbourne, and Salinski was proceeding to understand the legal reason and to spring free a copy of an affidavit that was, perhaps, behind the deportation.
As the day progressed, however, the news got worse. The problem with the INS, Salinski explained to Miss Annabelle, was that they could decide the fate of any noncitizen at any time for any reason -- even for no real reason or, although they were not "supposed" to, for an agent's personal reasons. An INS agent can play God with a noncitizen. A noncitizen is, in a sense, always on probation. He has no rights whatsoever in relation to the INS.
Another ominous fact Miss Annabelle learned was that once deported, it was nearly impossible to get back to the United States. What does that mean? she pondered. She also learned she could not go to live with him until her sentence and probation was over -- another two years! And what about her students?
The paper Ms. Minner gave to Teddy's mom was the official restraining order. Miss Annabelle could not see her students and could neither send them information through the mail nor otherwise communicate with them until her probation was over.
She would be in a sort of prison for the next two years without access to the greatest values in her life. And after that, she would have to choose between her students and her fiancé.
The conflicts were piling up and starting to jeopardize her emotional stability. She was emotionally fragile after her nervous breakdown the day before. She was staying with Angie and Jessie, and Angie could see the strain starting to add up.
The phone rang again as it had been all day. But it was now 9:00 p.m. -- too late for Salinski to still be getting information. Let it be good news this time, Angie pleaded.
"John!" Jessie shouted in an elated voice. "She's right here," he no less finished the sentence as Miss Annabelle ran over and took the phone.
"Darling!" Miss Annabelle said...then she smiled. It was the first time she heard his voice in three years. The sound of his voice immediately removed the strain in her face and body. Angie and Jessie looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief. This was the first sign of life in their guest since the breakdown.
John was back in Australia. He had just arrived and was in his parents' home. To hear his voice brought strength back to the little lady. Angie and Jessie knew this was the best medicine for their friend.
"Now, she can talk through all the conflicts with the love of her life," Angie said to Jessie as they went upstairs to let her talk and cry and laugh, for this was the lovers' first moment together in "freedom".
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