Letter to Mary

Dear Mary

What's it like in there, behind bars? The prison website says that accommodation consists mainly of single cells, and that there are inpatient facilities in the centre. I hope that they are taking care of you, but you must be emotionally shattered right now. The shock of your incarceration (your not telling/warning anyone makes me assume it was a shock to you too) must have had a massive effect on you. I know how emotionally fragile you are, despite your strong will. I am really worried about your emotional well-being.

What do you have in your cell? Can you watch TV? What are the other inmates like? Is it as brutal as the television shows would have us believe? I am worried that you will become someone's 'bitch' and that you will come out even more emotionally scarred than when you went in. Have you any idea when you will be up for parole?

G and I are worried about you. No one else seems to be, except poor N, who has fallen strangely silent when I asked him the other day if there was anything else he wasn't telling me. He has been saddled with having to deal with feeding your cat, the guinea pig, the 9 dogs and 7 horses (or is that 6, since I heard that someone came to take one of them away). The poor man must really love you to go to those lengths for a woman who has just been sent to jail. For your sake I hope he's still around when you get out, but I wouldn't count on it. My bet is that he gets fed up of all the crap you left behind, and when all the animals have been confiscated or sold, he will realise that he owes you nothing. That you have been using him. Then he will sell his house and leave.

When you get out, you will have nothing. No money, no home, none of your beloved animals, and your family have virtually disowned you. Except G and me. I hope you write to us to tell us how you are doing. You are allowed 2 visits every 28 days. I hope that you allocate one of those visits for G and me. While I accept that this marriage of ours is over, you should still want to see your son, and you will need a friend when you get out.

Stay out of trouble, won't you.