Hard Time (Part Ten)

Chantel, Maribeth, and Felicity were seated around Elisabeth's living room in her apartment. All were eager to hear about Elisabeth's love story with Scott Kendrick. They were waiting on Keenyah to get there. Also, Elisabeth was in the kitchen preparing fruit pizza. The doorbell rang, and Elisabeth ran to get it it. "Must be Keenyah."1

It was. Elisabeth greeted her friend warmly and introduced Keenyah to her sister's in law. "Keenyah, this is Felicity, Chantel, and Maribeth. Ladies, this is Keenyah Smithson, my best friend at work."2

"I'd save that title for Scott Kendrick!" Keenyah laughed and so did the rest of the room. "I'll settle for best girl friend." 3

"Take a seat anywhere. I'll be back with the fruit pizza in a second." Elisabeth smiled and went into the kitchen. Keenyah took a seat on the couch in between Chantel and Maribeth. 4

Maribeth smiled. "So Keenyah, can you give us any juicy details on the situation." Her green eyes sparkled as she said it.5

"I'd better let Elisabeth do that. I don't want to steal her thunder," Keenyah laughed.6

"So do you work with the guys too? How did you and Elisabeth meet?" asked Felicity from one of the chairs opposite next to the couch. 7

"No, I work on Cell Block A, it's a women's block." Keenyah explained. "It might not sound as exciting, but trust me, some of those girls..."8

"Oh I bet!" said Felicity. "I could never do it, even just women's blocks."9

"I don't know how Elisabeth does it. She keeps those guys in line. I couldn't even work a men's block. Elisabeth is something else." Keenyah stated. Elisabeth entered the room with the tray of fruit pizza. As soon as everyone was situated with a piece, everyone sat in silence waiting for Elisabeth to speak.10

"Well I guess everyone is waiting on me," Elisabeth laughed. "I'll start from the beginning then. The first day I was on the job, I knew there was something different about Scott Kendrick. He looked so...young and full of life. He didn't look like the other guys. He seemed like the All-American guy you know?"11

"I talked to him over the next few weeks and just became so perplexed by him. Here was this guy who had seen and done so much. He was a cocaine addict, and he murdered a cop to protect his buisiness. He had a certain coldness and hardness, yet at the same time he was so open and fun. I really began liking him a lot but I didn't want to admit it to myself."12

"On the anniversary of Callum's death, I blew up at Scott. It was just the emotion of the day and fatigue I guess. It sparked something in Scott. He wrote an apology to the wife of the cop he killed, and he began seeing the chaplain daily. Not long after that, I was attacked in the showers by...by Rembolt." Elisabeth choked back emotion. It was still hard for her to talk about.13

"Scott heard me screaming. He saved my life. He even sent me a letter while I was in the hospital telling me that...."14

"That he loved you and couldn't live without you?" Chantel broke in with a squeal.15

"No, actually it was about how much everyone, including him, missed me. I really began falling for him hardcore then. I couldn't get him out of my head. I counted the days...no the hours til I could get back and visit him. The day I did get back to visit, I didn't want to be too obvious, so I made a point of talking with the others during supper. After that, I went to Scott's cell to talk with him, to thank him for everything. Then he kissed me. Oh my gosh...it was amazing! But I didn't want to love him, I felt like I was cheating Callum somehow."16

"During the week before I went back to work I thought seriously about it. I knew I couldn't deny my feelings for Scott, and as much as I loved Callum, I knew he was never coming back. I made up my mind to love Scott then and there. The trial was soon after that. I was so nervous! Scott did his best to calm my nerves. Oh man...he looked so good at the trial. Anyway, the night after we both testified, I told Scott that I loved him. I didn't even mean to....but I just felt...I felt this feeling like...it's so hard to describe. Scott told me that he loved me too! I wanted to die of happiness right then." Contented sighs came from the rapt audience of women.17

Elisabeth continued, "Scott and I were worried about what the warden would do if he found out. We both decided that we'd deal with it when the time came. The night after setencing, we found out. One of the officers on watch caught us, and the warden was NOT happy at all. He reacted about how dad did. I honestly thought I was going to be fired. However we worked out an agreement and I got to keep my job. Things progressed, and then came thanksgiving, and you all know what happened there." Elisabeth finished.18

"Oh Elisabeth! He sounds so wonderful!" Felicity sighed. "Too bad Dad doesn't even want to give him a chance."19

"I know that Chris is going to visit him," Chantel said. "In fact, he is there right now."20

"What?" Elisabeth whirled to face Chantel. "He is there now? And he didn't tell me?"21

.................22

Meanwhile Chris was at the PCF in a visiting room talking with Scott Kendrick. Scott was telling Chris the same story that Elisabeth had told the girls, only from his perspective.23

"If Rembolt....if he would have....I would have killed him. I knew from that moment that I was holding her in my arms that I loved her. She changed me. She has changed so many people here. If it had not been for Officer...Elisabeth, I would have never written that letter. I would have never gone to see the Chaplain. My life has meaning now, and it's all because of her." Scott finished emotionally.24

"I've never heard Elisabeth talk about any other person the way she talks about you. Even with Callum she wasn't like this. Don't get me wrong, she loved him. But with you something seems different. This is the happiest I have seen my sister since Callum died. You seem like a good man, Scott." Chris smiled as he said it.25

"I'm only a good man because of what your sister has done for me, or as she would say, what God has done through her." Scott smiled back.26

"Amen." was all Chris said.27

"I want to marry her."28

Chris' eyes bulged. "You what?"29

"I want to marry her. It's perfectly legal. There was this documentary we watched once about prison relationships. People marry inmates...well...not often. But people do marry inmates." Scott explained.30

"You really love her that much, huh?"31

"With everything in me." Scott said quietly and full of emotion.32

"Even if you never get Dad's blessing....You have mine." Chris stood and put a hand on Scott's shoulder. "Treat her right."33

"Thank you so much!" Scott's eyes shone as Chris left the room. Scott smiled again. Maybe this would convince Elisabeth's father to come and see for himself. Scott could no longer hold it in. He rushed up to his escort and gave him a hug. "HE APPROVES!" Scott laughed. "Her brother approves!"34

.............35

Chris slowly went over what he was going to say to his father while he drove towards the house. If it weren't for the fact that Scott had murdered someone, Chris would say that he was a good guy with a good head on his shoulders. Chris had seen the way that Scott's eyes lit up when he talked about Elisabeth, and the way Elisabeth's lit up when she talked about Scott. Chris sighed. To convince Randy Sr. was going to be a difficult task.36

Chris pulled into the driveway and entered the house. Randy Sr. was situated on the lounge chair in the corner of the living room watching football. Randy looked up. "Hello Chris. Where have you been?"37

"I was at the PCF visiting Scott." Chris said matter of factly as he took a seat on the couch. Right then Vance and Randy Jr. came back into the room with popcorn and a few Mt. Dews.38

Randy Sr.'s jaw tightened. "Why were you doing that, son?"39

"Because, I decided to give him a chance. He is a nice guy, Dad. Yes, he did something bad, but who among us hasn't sinned?"40

"He murdered someone, that's worse." Randy Jr. broke in.41

"Excuse me, Randy, you weren't involved. I was talking to Dad." Chris raised his voice.42

"Let him talk." Randy Sr. sneered. "He is the only one who makes sense."43

"Dad," Vance spoke up for the first time since the whole ordeal began, "Chris is right. Maybe there is more to Scott than you think. Do you honestly think that Elisabeth would lose her head? She's got Mom's personality. And you know what Mom would say about this. And Randy, ranking sin? Jesus died for it all man, not some more than others." Vance got up and headed for the door. "I need some air."44

All three of the other men sat there shocked. Sr. and Jr. were shocked by the content of Vance's statement. Chris was shocked by the fact that Vance had stood up for something. Vance tried to avoid fights as much as he could. But Vance had been right in his statement.45

Chris got up from the couch. "I need to go to. Vance had a point, why don't you think on that for a bit?"