A matter of habit
"Pick up your things and you may go",_ the man told him and handed him the release slip. Valdo took the paper and did not read it, he simply put it in one of the pockets of his uniform pants.
As he walked to his cell, Tito, one of the prison guards, who was the one accompanying him, said to him:
"Change that face, Valdo. At last you are free".
Valdo kept silent and Tito tapped him on the back:
"You should never have been here, friend. At last justice was done,” Tito said with true appreciation. Valdo had won everyone's affection, not only because of his exceptional conduct, but also because he had been sentenced for a crime he had not committed.
When they arrived at the cell, the guard opened the door, Valdo entered and then closed it again.
"I'll pick you up in half an hour,” said the guard and left.
"What happened, what did the lawyer tell you?"
"I'm leaving,” he said without much encouragement.
"That's good, brother! -I imagine you're very happy,” said Angito with euphoria.
"Yes, I guess so,” Valdo answered and looked at his cellmate: a man in his 30's that Valdo had learned to appreciate as if he were a brother.
"I'm going to miss you,” said Angito and shook his hand.
"Don't worry, I'll come to visit you,” Valdo assured and began to pack his few things in a bag, not in a hurry and feeling a strange sense of unhappiness.
Outside, no one was waiting for Valdo so he wandered around the city for a while, disoriented and lost. It was 12 noon:
"At this time, Kiko will be serving lunch. Today is Monday and lunch is rice with chicken,” he said to himself and looked for a food stall and there he ordered chicken with rice. As he sat down at the empty table, he missed his companions:
"What are the guys talking about right now?” he wondered to himself, looking around and feeling very lonely.
That night, Valdo slept on the floor: he was not used to sleeping on a soft mattress. He was also awakened several times by the noise of the cars outside.
"I can't sleep like this. I miss the silence of prison,” he said to himself, trying to cover his ears with his fingers.
So, that morning, when Valdo entered the bank, he was completely determined to do what he had dreamed of during the days he had been free. So he asked to speak to the manager and when he was in front of him, Valdo pulled out a gun he had hidden and said:
"This is a robbery",_ he expressed forcefully, feeling a guarded happiness because he would return that place that had been his home: prison.
All images are free of charge and the text is my own, translated in Deepl
Thank you for reading and commenting. Until a future reading, friends
Click here to read in spanish
Una cuestión de costumbre
Cuando Valdo escuchó al abogado, no hizo ningún gesto de felicidad; por el contrario, se podría decir que una sombra de tristeza le cruzó la cara por un instante:
_Recoja sus cosas y puede irse -le dijo el hombre y le entregó la boleta de excarcelación. Valdo tomó el papel y no lo leyó, simplemente se lo metió en uno de los bolsillos del pantalón del uniforme.
Mientras caminaba hacia su celda, Tito, uno de los guardias del penal, quien era el que lo acompañaba, le dijo:
_Cambia esa cara, Valdo. Por fin estás libre.
Valdo guardó silencio y Tito le dió un golpecito en la espalda:
_Nunca debiste estar aquí, amigo. Por fin se hizo justicia -expresó Tito con verdadero aprecio. Valdo se había ganado el afecto de todos, no solo por su conducta excepcional, sino también porque había sido sentenciado por un delito que no había cometido.
Cuando llegaron a la celda, el guardia abrió la puerta, Valdo entró y luego la cerró nuevamente.
_Paso por ti en media hora -afirmó el guardia y se marchó.
En la celda estaba Angito, quien al ver a Valdo, se paró del colchón y le preguntó:
_¿Qué pasó, qué te dijo el abogado?
_Me voy -expresó sin mucho ánimo.
_¡Qué bueno, hermano! -dijo Angito con euforia -Me imagino que estás muy feliz.
_Sí. Supongo -contestó Valdo y miró a su compañero de celda: un hombre de unos 30 años que Valdo había aprendido apreciar como si fuera un hermano.
_Voy a extrañarte - afirmó Angito y le dió un apretón de mano.
_No te preocupes, vendré a visitarte -aseguró Valdo y comenzó a guardar sus pocas cosas en una bolsa, sin mucha prisa y sintiendo una extraña sensación de infelicidad.
Afuera, nadie esperaba a Valdo así que vagó un rato por la ciudad, desorientado y perdido. Eran las 12 del mediodía:
_A esta hora, Kiko estará sirviendo el almuerzo. Hoy es lunes y la comida es arroz con pollo -dijo para sus adentros y buscó un puesto de comida y allí pidió pollo con arroz. >Al sentarse a la mesa vacía, extrañó a sus compañeros:
_¿De qué estarán hablando los muchachos en este momento? -se preguntó para sí mismo, mirando para los lados y experimentado una enorme soledad.
Luego de almorzar , alquiló un pequeño cuarto de hotel. Al entrar a la habitación, miró las cuatro paredes con cierto nerviosismo: estaba tan acostumbrado a la pequeña celda, que dormir en un lugar tan grande le dió vértigo. Así que se pegó a la pared y fue bajando lentamente hasta sentarse al piso, abrazando sus rodillas, con la cabeza escondida entre las piernas. La cárcel había sido su hogar por más de 20 años, no conocía otro lugar que no fuera ese. Con esos pensamientos se quedó dormido.
Esa noche, Valdo durmió en el piso: no estaba acostumbrado a dormir en un colchón. También se despertó varias veces con el ruido que hacían los carros afuera.
_Así no puedo dormir. Extraño el silencio de la cárcel -se dijo intentando taparse los oídos con los dedos.
Una semana después, Valdo aún no se acostumbrada a estar libre. Vagaba de un lado a otro o se quedaba encerrado en la habitación, tal vez porque no tenía nada que hacer o por la costumbre. Cada día se hallaba haciendo, de manera mecánica, su rutina de la cárcel: cinco minutos para bañarse, diez para comer, dos horas para ver las comiquitas en el canal 54, dormir a las 9 de la noche y despertarse a las 6 de la mañana.
Por eso, aquella mañana, cuando Valdo entró al banco, estaba completamente decidido a hacer lo que había soñado aquellos días que había estado en libertad. Así que pidió hablar con el gerente y cuando estuvo frente a él, Valdo sacó un arma que traía escondida y dijo:
Este es un atraco -expresó con fuerza, sintiendo una felicidad guardada porque volvería aquel lugar que había sido su casa: la cárcel.
I think Tito's mind is messed up because of his long stay in prison and for a crime he didn't commit. He has lost hope that's why
Social reintegration for some people can be difficult. Greetings
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STOPMany thanks
Thank you very much for your appreciation, friends. Regards
It's hard to let go the world you understand.
Yes. Some people cling to their customs and spaces. Unfortunately. Regards
It's sad he had to pay for a crime he didn't comit. It will take a while before he resets his mind from all that.
As I was doing the story, I was thinking about how many people are in jail who are innocent. Greetings
He stayed in the prison beyond reformation period. He felt uncomfortable staying in any place else. Prison became home to him.
Some places, like jail, for example, may be considered by some people as the only known and safe place they have. Greetings
A man who got used to prison and found freedom annoying and uncomfortable, just like a caged bird that never wanted to fly out of its cage. Your story is very interesting.
Thanks for sharing your story with us.
Good day.
Twenty years in prison was enough to make it a habit to live in prison. Have a Merry Christmas
His state of mind has been ruined due to his stay at the prison. Situations of life changes human
I read about Pocahontas and how she chose to be with her captors instead of being released to her people. They sighted several instances why she chose her captors but the one that got me is the mentality where those in captivity fall in love with their captors. Your story further placed more light on that. The mind is indeed a funny instrument....
Thank you for sharing 🤗