Marilyn’s gone. I’m happy for her and sad for me since I still have an eternity to do here. She was one the best cellies and I’m going to miss her.

Not even 4 hours later, I got a new celly. It was 4:30 when Marilyn woke me up. “Bye, Jodi. I love you. I’ll miss you.”

“Me too, Marilyn. Take care,” I said.

By 8:00 I had my new celly. This was the girl who was in 5 bragging about the pig she beat. Her toilet got clogged up in there so she came in here to use the toilet, asking if I wanted a roommate.

“No, but I guess I don’t have a choice, so, are you quiet?” Not that I expected the truth.

She nodded, saying she sleeps a lot, then she moved over.

Her nickname is Gidget, but her real name is Nancy K. She’s about 5’ 5” with a hideous face and a nice body. She’s slim and solid, but it’s mostly because of crack. Actually, although she’s proportioned nicely, she’s a little too skinny. I like something you can really hang onto and there’s just not much meat on this one. Lots of muscle, though. She said she helped her dad build houses in Indiana. Her baby-fine brown hair is boring. It’s a little past her shoulders. She has plain-looking, almost mean-looking brown eyes, a face full of acne, a body full of ugly tats, and only half a mouthful of teeth. She’ll be 29 on the 24th. She’s in for cop-beating and drugs. This is her fifth time in jail.

So far, with the exception of our hour out, in which I called Tom to update him, and lunch, she’s been sleeping. She doesn’t seem to gab non-stop and she doesn’t talk to herself. I’m not really sure what to think at this point, but she’s definitely not a Rosa or a Mary. Not even an Ida or a Marilyn.

She told me she was glad I was sane, and to make all the noise I want when she’s sleeping because she’s one of those heavy sleepers I envy. When I told her I rock to the music, she was pleased, telling me I’d rock her to sleep.

I wish I could sleep like her and Marilyn! I fell asleep around 2:00, got up at 8:00 after a zillion wake-ups, and although I’m tired, I can’t get back to sleep. The question is – how will she be when she’s up longer? Will she talk non-stop then? Always be under my nose? Or will she stay mostly in bed and out of sight reading? I wonder how often she’ll sleep.

She says she’s had no luck with men and is going to get a woman when she gets out, which she says she’s become more and more attracted to over time.

Vasquez was talking to us earlier, and even she knows that most cops are lying macho assholes. A pig tried bullying her son once, she told us. She says she sees a lot of injustice within the courts and all the time people are getting unfair sentences. She says the judges seem to think it’ll help their careers if they sentence people as much as they can. I think it’s mostly a control thing. Makes them feel powerful to know they can trash people’s lives like they do, while the POs want to keep all the clients they can. It’s not just a control thing, but a business thing. The more clients, the more money.

Anyway, she’s a very caring, compassionate DO.

For the first time ever, I lied when asked why I’m here. Normally, instead of bothering to lie, I just don’t talk about things I don’t want to talk about. But Nancy’s not exactly someone I respect and care about and I’m sick of getting into it. Also, I thought the punishment ought to fit the crime for once. So, when Nancy asked me why I was here, I said I was in for assault. I said I beat the bitch up, and believe me, I wish to hell I had!!! I’d beat her to a bloody pulp if I had to start all over again. She’d be completely beyond recognition when I got through with her. I’d do to her what my mother did to me, letting me starve, then beating me up and leaving me in the woods for dead, although there aren’t any woods around. With the way the laws are out here, I wouldn’t be in this mess if I had done that from the get-go like I should’ve and wanted to. If only I hadn’t let Tom talk me out of it! I told him she and her people would never be a problem to us again if he’d only let me handle it my way. I totally regret listening to him on that one!

Anyway, I don’t want to get on another freeloader trip right now.

Nancy’s favorite DO is Espi, who according to her, gives her coffee and cigarettes. Espi drinks a pot of coffee that she brings to work with her and lets Nancy empty it out in the shower room (when she’s in the dorms), only Nancy empties it out in a bottle. I miss coffee and could sure go for a cup myself right now.

Did a little trading with Nancy. I gave her a brownie and a bag of nuts for 5 envelopes (stamped, of course). I gave her a little shampoo too, just because I wanted to and felt like helping her out.

I would be very hungry if it weren’t for commissary. Dinner wasn’t so bad. It was different. Chunks of beef in a thin beef sauce. However, between the 5 bites of that, 5 bites of potatoes, and a mouthful of dead lettuce, I’d be starving!

Nancy says she’s seen Mary on TV a lot, and something about Mary knowing her dead daughter was in a swamp and her not saying so. I don’t know what the fuck the real story is with Mary, but I sure am curious. I’m going to see if Tom can find anything online.

Chambers is definitely one of my favorites. Yesterday I was stressing over Marilyn’s leaving, and Chambers saw that I was crying when she came in to tell me a joke. She said that since it was Sunday and psych wasn’t in, she’d be there for me if I needed to talk. How sweet of her. I really appreciated her being there for me.

Nancy was crying earlier, scared of going to prison, afraid of being all alone. She gave me the number of a friend and asked if I’d ask Tom to call her and tell her to get her long-distance blocks off her phone so she can call collect. She doesn’t know this girl’s address to write to her. Nancy has no family nearby and she doesn’t get along with them anyway. I offered to write to her so she doesn’t feel so alone.

She fell asleep shortly after dinner. Hope she’s not up too early! She’s a bit of a restless sleeper. She tosses and turns so roughly in her sleep that you’d think someone was attacking her. Hopefully, it won’t bother me when I’m sleeping.

Unless there’s some delay or fuck-up in court, she won’t be here for more than a couple of weeks.

Sharon brought me a new inhaler. She’s the only dependable nurse around here. She says they’re moving them around a lot and isn’t sure where she’ll be. I hope she’s here as long as I am!