ROLL IT UP... YOU'RE MOVING! WTF?! AGAIN??
“Horwitz! Roll it up. You’re Moving!”
I heard the booming command coming from the lobby and instinctively started walking toward the officer’s office… not with my belongings in order to follow his instruction to move but instead with my entitled, I forgot I was a prisoner mindset. I was marching my ass over to that office to complain and express how, “I cannot move, I mean…I just got things organized in my locker… and… and… my bunk mate that sleeps below me on the lower bunk just loaned me an extra pillow that he had and, sir, I just got laundry to give me a pillow case for this pillow. And I will have to give the pillow back if I move.. I can’t move.” You can imagine how this played out. Remember that reaction I received when I asked for Advil while in quarantine… well, this was similar but minus any semblance of laughter and more of a dumbfounded stare as if to say, “Is this dude really telling me that he can’t move because he will miss his pillow…”. His actual response was, “You’re moving. Pack your sh*t. Roll it up before count and wait downstairs.”
I finally came back to earth and asked him what unit I am moving to… “Vaca wants you in F Unit with him” (Vaca is part of my team… he is my unit counselor). “Ok, sir, thank you”… I mumble. And back to my “house” I go to pack my belongings into my mesh bag and roll up my mattress pad again.
F Unit is the only unit (besides G but G Unit is currently closed) that is located on the South Yard. So, it is about a 15 minute walk from K Unit. I awkwardly carry my mesh bag and mattress pad past the chow hall, the power plant, the UNICOR warehouse, the barber shop, and the welding building to hit the ocean and across the track to F Unit… my new home. The guard opens the door to the one story building and I am met with a good size lobby with 4 phones and the officer’s office on the right side. There are 3 wings (labeled 1,2 and 3). 1 to my left, 2 directly in front of me and 3 to my right. The officer tells me that I’m in “Range 1. Room 5. Top bunk”. “Room sir?”, I ask. “Yes… Room 5”. Ohhh snap,I have found myself in the 2 man room unit…the most coveted housing unit on campus! This unit is very much like a college dorm. Hallways with rooms that have doors (but do not lock), big bathroom and shower area, extremely clean and right outside your window and front door is the South Yard.
I walk down the hall, with a bit of a pep in my step and get to room 5. I knock and am greeted by my new “bunkie” or “cellie” (as the guys here call it). Friendly guy. Early 60’s from Oregon. “That’s your bed, that’s your closet, those are your drawers, that’s your chair and you can pull this out (pulls out a 3ft x 3ft sliding desk from under the drawers) to write on or whatever”. Closet? Drawers? Desk? And to think, I was just complaining 30 minutes ago about not wanting to leave because I could keep my borrowed pillow… lesson learned… we must let things take their course. Any “control” I have is simply a self-made illusion anyway so I might as well just let go and see what happens. I unpack my things and make my bed. I really cannot adequately explain how valuable and incredible this extra storage space is and there’s even a mirror in the room.
I meet some of the other guys… they show me around and fill me in on the bathroom, shower and T.V. room protocol. These are the big 3 of do’s and don’ts at T.I. in order to not cause problems in the units. As long as you’re respectful, clean and follow bathroom, shower and T.V room rules… all will be well.
“CHOW!!” Well, time for lunch. Today is turning out to be a pretty good day.