Bobby Steele

Prison for Battering

Bobby Steele served fourteen months in prison for battering his ex-wife, Judy Merchant. Bobby had been just released from prison on parole (2009). He was ordered to stay away from his wife. After getting out of prison, Bobby stopped by a gas station eight miles south of the prison to get cigarette. The gas station’s store door rang while Judy opened the door and walked into the store. She was about to approach Bobby, and perhaps hug him.

Stop right there, said Bobby.

Don’t come any closer! I already suffered enough because of you!

I do not want to go to prison again. I went to prison because of you. I am not going back to prison. Leave me alone! Stay away from me, said Bobby while checking out two packs of cigarettes.

The woman responded:

Who the hell is Judy? What is wrong with you? Jerk!

It turned out that it was a different woman, not Judy. Bobby was hallucinating. He slammed the door while walking out. He hitchhiked his way to a junkyard where his silver 1998 Chevy truck was parked. Luckily for him the truck started without any hassle. He hit the highway after starting the truck. He slowly rolled down his window because his car did not have an A.C.. Screech! screech! it went while he was rolling it down. He stuck his left arm out to feel the air while his right arm was on the wheel. Then he stuck half of his face out the window. He felt like a free bird.

Bobby and Judy married ten years ago. They were 21 and 19, respectively. Bobby dropped out of college and started working with a construction company. He had to work hard to make a living due to the dwindling economy of West Virginia. Judy changed jobs as a server in various fast food restaurants. Along the way, she picked up the habit of smoking weed. By the time Jackson was born and growing up, she became a regular weed smoker in addition to being a cigarette addict. Bobby fought with Judy over it and begged her to be careful in front of Jackson.

Things got intense between Bobby and Judy two years ago (2007), months before Bobby went to prison. Knowing she wouldn’t change, Bobby fought with Judy because she smoked weed in front of Jackson. One day, Judy was smoking weed in their living room while Jackson was waiting for his school bus. He was all dressed up, wearing gray shorts and a yellow polo shirt and swinging his legs. It was the last day of school. Summer would start the following day. His clothes absorbed the weed smoke; all his outfits smelled like weed. When Jackson boarded the bus and settled in his chair, what is that weird smell, said a boy sitting next to Jackson on the bus. Did you pour coffee on yourself?

When Jackson arrived at school, his teacher Marissa Rory could smell something. She realized that he was exposed to weed. She called the Child Welfare Services (CWS) immediately. Shayla Reed, an assessment worker from CWS arrived. Shayla sat in the dining area waiting for the kids to come home. Unlike most other kids, Jackson walked toward the dining area without a lunchbox. Shayla approached him.

Shayla: You are a cute boy, Jackson.

Jackson: Thank you.

Shayla: I have some chocolate in my purse, you want some?

Jackson: I haven’t had lunch yet, and I don’t like chocolate.

Shayla: How about if I buy you an ice cream after lunch?

Jackson: Ahh! Really?

Shayla: Absolutely!

Shayla bought Jackson a soft serve vanilla after he finished his mac and cheese served by the school. She did this to gain Jackson’s attention. She continued:

Shayla: So, how many siblings do you have Jackson?

Jackson: None. I have cousins though.

Shayla: Aww! You must be so spoiled.

Jackson: Yes, I get a lot of gifts from my grandpa and grandma every Christmas.

Shayla: I can tell.

Shayla continued….

Shayla: Do your parents smoke?

Jackson: Not both of them. Only my mom does.

Shayla: Hmm, does she smoke in the yard or inside the house?

Jackson: We don’t have a yard. She always smokes inside. And when she smokes, she starts laughing a lot. She is so silly.

Shayla: How often does she do this?

Jackson: Every day.

Shayla: Every day?

Jackson: Yes!

Shayla got her answers. She completed a report and submitted it to her supervisor, Kevin Solomon. She suggested the removal of Jackson from his parents’ house. Kevin approved it and directed immediate removal.

Shayla went to their house with two police officers the next day, on the first day of summer to remove Jackson. They were from the sheriff’s office, wearing gray hats and pants and dark brown dress-shirts with a star on their left chest. They were tall and armed. One of them was white, had blond mustache, in his 40s and the other was in his late 20s, Hispanic, with a shaved face and medium height. The house was a total mess when Shayla and the officers walked in. Judy was agitated, but she did not want to get in any more trouble by resisting law enforcement officers. Shayla removed Jackson from Judy and Bobby’s house that day, and he was placed in a foster house the following day.

CWS officially opened a case for Jackson, and Zenith Boroway was appointed as his case manager. Zenith had medium height, dark black hair, black eyes and very light brown skin. Even though she was swamped with other cases, Zenith was a diligent case worker. She started working with the CWS attorney to present Jackson’s case in the county court.

After Jackson’s removal, Bobby’s argument with Judy reached a point where it got physical.

I told you a thousand times to stop smoking weed in front of Jackson, said Bobby. I don’t want to see your face, you annoy the hell out of me.

Bobby started physically abusing Judy after his frustration grew. After a while, Judy decided she had enough. She called the police when Bobby punched her in the face after a tense argument. The police charged Bobby with battery and physical and psychological assault. He admitted it in the court because of ample evidence. Judy had bruises all over her face. Her left eye was red like a bowl of blood. She cleaned her running nose every ten seconds in the court. The decision was easy for the court. The public defender easily won the case. The county court sentenced Bobby to fourteen months in prison. Before going to prison, Bobby divorced Judy. Bobby was put in Central Regional Jail in Sutton, West Virginia. Central Regional Jail is notorious for housing some of the most violent criminals. Unfamiliar with prison life, Bobby was unaware that all inmates knew what offense he was in for. On his second day in prison, Luca, a 6’5’’ tall, Caucasian guy approached Bobby and threatened him while all the inmates were eating lunch.

You are a coward son of a bitch. You assaulted women out there! We will see tomorrow who the man is, said Luca. I will see you tomorrow morning in the open ground, big boy.

Bobby tried to explain his situation to Luca and other inmates, but nobody listened. As the light was fading and the darkness spreading, Bobby realized he was getting closer to confronting Luca. He could not sleep all night. He realized that he would gain nothing if he kept fearing. He knew that being afraid makes one weak. He decided to confront Luca the following morning. I have tough hands, murmured Bobby. I will throw everything at him.

Bobby knew he could not physically prepare himself in one day to face a strong guy like Luca, so he mentally prepared himself. It was the longest night of Bobby’s life. Then, every 5–8 seconds a drop of water dripped from the upper part of the rusted water pipe along the left corner of Bobby’s cell. His heart would drop with the drip sound while deeply thinking about what would happen to him the following morning. The morning light arrived. Bobby was pumping himself up. He was telling himself not to be afraid. Fear will kill you, it is your biggest enemy right now Bobby said.

The bell rang, all cell doors were opened. Bobby stepped out and arrived at the dining hall before anyone else. He did so to reserve a spot that could help him in self-defense while Luca was coming at him. He was ready. All the other inmates with their breakfast trays arrived. Bobby was looking all around for Luca. It is not that he was waiting to fight him, but he did not want an unanticipated assault. Everybody came to the hall, but there was no sign of Luca. Bobby had his breakfast tray in front of him, but he was not eating anything. How could he? He did not even have a sip of his coffee. No matter how ready he felt, he was very scared deep inside. He was waiting and waiting, still nothing. Everybody was almost done with their breakfasts, but Bobby was still anxious. He kept shaking his foot and chewing his nails. Everyone went to the open ground after finishing breakfast. Bobby paused in the dining hall for a moment. He thought Luca might be waiting for him in the open ground. He was scared to step outside, but he decided to settle his fear once and for all. He went to join other inmates outside. He looked here. There. Still no sign of Luca.

Where is Luca, he asked another inmate?

He is in an isolated cell. He beat a rapist to death in the shower this morning, responded the other inmate.

Luca was the messiah in prison. He protected weaker inmates from being sexually harassed and beat the ones who sexually assaulted women and children outside. Bobby made a sigh of relief after hearing that Luca was put in an isolated cell for a while. He survived at the expense of a rapist’s death. He got lucky. Luca spent two months in the isolated cell. Bobby avoided Luca when he was brought back to the general prison area for the rest of his sentence.

He spaced out while rewinding the past year and half of his life and almost crashed the car with a trailer-truck. He was thinking he should work the hardest he can, stay out of trouble and make enough money to get his son back. But the question is how? Hopefully he would not fall prey to the fantasy of making quick money. He finished his 14-month sentence, but there will be no coming back if he started dealing with illegal narcotics or business.