Friendship with Passion:

“Ring, ring”, the phone rang continuously with a strange number that I didn’t recognize at first.  So I answered the phone and it was a collect call.  A collect call from my sisters friend that was sent to jail 5 months ago.  I didn’t hesitate on answering it, and passed the call to my sister.  “Jessie, it’s Chi your friend.”

“Bring me the phone.”  I brought my sister the phone.  She was on that phone forever, they spoke about everything, sometimes he said things that made her blush, but only she knows what he was saying.  Jessie calls out for me and asks me if it would be alright if one of Chi’s inmate friends to be my pen pal.  Honestly, I was a little hesitant.  But Chi assured my sister that his friend was cool people.  So I told my sister that it was fine and that I would be ok with it.

Chi didn’t hesitate one bit to tell his friend about my agreeing to be his pen pal.  So one day in September I received my first letter from Chi’s friend Eli.

Dear Jagi,

I wish that when you receive this letter it finds you in the very best of health and wealth.

Hello! My name is Christopher.  You can call me Chris.

My homeboy Chi gave me your address and said that me and you are a good match.

I’m hoping so.  I had asked him to hook me up with a good girl that would exchange letters with me.  He said he had to get the ok first.

Chi told me that you related to his girl, but I totally forgot if he said you’re a sister or a cousin.

He said your looking forward to college which is a very good move.  He also said you have a good heart and are good looking.

Well that’s as much as I know about you.  Now let me tell you a couple of things about myself.

I’m Puerto Rican, born and raised in New York City, Bronx borough.

I’ve been in jail close to five years, 58 months to be exact.  I work out five days a week play softball, basketball, and sometimes football.

Most of my time is spent reading.  I love reading about my Puerto Rican heritage.  Besides that I’m just waiting to go home.  Inside I’m sending you a picture of myself.  Listen what I don’t have in looks I make it up some how some way.  Hopefully, you’re interested in me.  If not I’m sorry for wasting your time.

Very Truly yours,

Christopher

More to come soon....