When Cash entered his new home, a 6ft by 6th room in Tallahassee he was very disappointed. He expected that it would be worse than what he saw but he was grateful for the tiny bed that was a bunk and the loo beside it.
There were writings on the walls possibly from former occupants of the room who where now either in other rooms or had found freedom outside the facility.
He went in to make himself comfortable and relax before he would see how the rest of the facility accepted him. He made a silent wish that the rest of the place was as welcoming as the cell he was assigned to. He preferred to see it as a room and not a cell. That way he will make himself as comfortable in this place as possible.
"Hey, newbie, that's my corner." A huge guy with tattoos all over his chest and arms spoke from the entrance of the cell.
Cash turned to look back and saw a huge frame standing and looking at him like an ant to be squashed.
At first he thought he had run into the trouble he so wished to avoid on the first day. The size of this guy was like four of himself and the man was too muscular, if he got into a brawl with this huge guy it was a certainty that he would be squashed.
"Wait a minute, Cash? Is that really you?" The huge guy asked and suddenly Cash's fast beating heart slowed down and he began to imagine where he had met this huge bully.
"Yea it's me, sup?" Cash said as he stood erect from trying to place his stuff in the lower bunk.
"Come on mehn, don't you recognize me, its Zorro." The huge guy said leaving the two other inmates in orange jumpsuits and came to hug Cash who reciprocated the gesture. He wouldn't want to get into the bad side of this bad ass hug guy.
"Yea I do remember you, you look good." Cash said as he endured the hug guy's arms compressing him in a hug.
"Come on guys, this is my boss I was telling you about Cash." Zorro waved the other two guys in to pay their respect. The two guys were not huge but they seemed to be spending quality time at the gym too.
"Hi guys." Cash nodded as the guys struggled to come too close.
Cash figured that Zorro must have told them some scary shit about him so he decided to put up a no nonsense front and keep the image of what Zorro must have fed them alive.
"Thank you for the opportunity you gave me to work in your joint, I really appreciate it." Zorro said.
"Oh that, it was really nothing." Cash said still not recalling the incident or who the hell the guy was.
"What, for me it was!" Zorro said and began to tell the story of how Cash had seen him on 14th Avenue. That day he had gotten into trouble with some other kids and they were really ready to give him the beating of his life, but Cash had seen the whole episode and had intervened.
"You told me that the thing that interested you about me was that I knew I was outnumbered and I didn't stand a chance of winning that fight but I was determined to get into it." Zorro said.
"Shit James?" Cash said confused. "What the fuck James, what happened to you why are you this huge?" Cash said, astonished at the discovery.
"So you didn't recognize me earlier." Zorro said, confused.
"No way I did not, you must have been quite busy." Cash said and got his confidence back. "What happened? I thought you got away." Cash said as he tapped Zorro's hug arms.
"Na I was cornered as I tried to get away, but I didn't tell them shit so they slammed me for accomplice to murder." Zorro said proudly.
"I know you didn't say anything." Cash said and sat down on the lower bunk. "How long are you in for?" Cash asked.
"Well if they had gotten you know who, I would have done half of his time, but if he was in for life I would do 15 years." He scratched his beard before continuing. "Since he wasn't caught, I am doing 15 years, with good conduct I should get less." Zorro said with a grin.
This guy was wrapped up for 15 years and yet he was still loyal to me, Cash thought to himself and couldn't figure it out.
"You can have the lower bunk boss, I want the top anyways." Zorro said after a few minutes of silence.