The alarm clock sounded. I felt around in the dark to shut it off. I shuffled to the kitchen to make coffee and jumped in the shower. Getting up at 5:00am is difficult but I had been looking forward to this day for months. My sister Penny was getting out of prison today. I couldn't wait to take her away from that shithole. She had caught her boyfriend in bed with another woman and beat him to a pulp. He spent weeks in the hospital having facial reconstruction.
Penny is 30, ten years younger than me. My father left us when Penny was 6 and she took it hard. She developed early into a woman with a tremendous figure. In her teen years my mother was constantly getting calls from school regarding her wild behavior and absenteeism. Nevertheless we always had a close relationship. I loved her dearly. Penny would be staying with me for awhile. It would be close quarters in my one bedroom apartment but I organized things as best I could.
When I arrived at Monroe Women's Prison I went through security and waited for Penny to be released. She would have to check in with a parole officer and have certain restrictions for a period of time. I was told not to have any firearms or recreational drugs in my apartment. "I guess I'll have to hide my weed," I thought to myself.
After about an hour and a half my little sister came walking into the waiting area, beaming a smile. She looked cute as ever in her orange jumpsuit. She called out to me "Hi Michelle, how's it going?"
I embraced her, choking back tears. We wasted no time getting out of that place. "Well what do you want to do now Penny? It's been 18 months since you've had your freedom."
"Let's drive to Lake Washington and go for a walk through the woods. I want to be outside and hear the birds sing. But first let me change out of these prison clothes." She wrinkled her face in disgust. I had brought her a change of clothing and Penny had me pull over at a gas station so she could get into them. When she emerged she was clad in a black tank top, boot cut jeans and sandals with her tousled brown hair falling down around her shoulders. She tossed the orange jumpsuit into a trash can as she walked toward the car.
Two men swung their heads around and gazed at Penny as she sauntered past. The snug tank top outlined the curves of her full breasts and slender waist.
I sped away as Penny closed the passenger door. I handed her a joint and she had a toke from it. We listened to the radio blasting Pink Floyd as we passed the joint back and forth, giggling and talking like sisters do.
"How's Holly?" Penny asked as she exhaled the fragrant marijuana from her lungs.
"She started fall quarter at Central a few weeks ago. She wants to become a Veterinarian."
"That's great. Maybe I should do something like that."
Penny had always moved from job to job. Mostly she worked as a cocktail server. She did really well with her friendly personality and killer body.
"I talked to Julie at the Brooklight," I said. "She can get you hired if you want. Then you could walk to work and we could see even more of each other."
"That sounds great! I remember liking that place. I need a new wardrobe though. I've gained a few pounds from sitting around in that fucking cell half the day for a year and a half."
We arrived at Seward Park and spent the afternoon strolling along the trails and the lake side.
Penny was so much fun to be with, so charming and charismatic. It was hard to believe this beautiful woman was capable of beating a man within inches of his life. Through the years I had witnessed her incredible strength and fighting skills. I consider myself quite a tough chick and I have kicked a few guys' asses but I'm no match for Penny. I called her a bitch once and she punched me in the stomach and threw me against a mirror. The mirror shattered and I fell on my face nearly unconscious. I had to have stitches on my shoulder. Penny broke out in tears and apologized immediately. Since then we have rarely even raised our voices to one another.
Another time the two of us got into a street fight with three guys who followed us from a bar and assaulted us. I knocked one guy cold but was overmatched by a huge brute who had me down and was about to rape me. Penny finished her attacker and tore this 200 pound dude from me and broke both his arms as though they were toothpicks. He begged her for mercy but she held him against a brick wall and punched him in the face until he went limp. We just left them there and went home to clean ourselves up.
Living with Penny was the most fun I'd had in years. We went out together nearly every night and I usually dropped by the Brooklight for a few drinks when she was working. It helped me deal with Holly being away at college. I had been so lonely without my daughter around.
