2 Years, 3 Months, 26 Days and 11 Hours (Part 3)

Posted on 02/09/2015

"Man!  This Jodeci CD is nice!  "Forever My Lady" and "Stay" are my favorite cuts."  I am talking to my boys; Parker, Heard and Yates.  We are sitting in Heards' and I room, talking about our girlfriends.  "I'm about to go call my girl right now", I remember Heard saying.  Minutes later, I hear a knock on the door.  Parker turned the music down so that I can answer the door.  It was Staff Sergeant Minnifield.  "What's going on Staff Sergeant?  What did we do now?"  The look on his face told me that something was seriously wrong.  "Redditt, the Japanese have decided to charge you."  WAIT WHAT?  "Charge me for what?  I didn't do shit!"  "Redditt, they are charging you with leaving the scene of a crime, resisting arrest, attempted assault on a police officer and disorderly conduct."  "You can't be serious Staff Sergeant."  But the look on his face told it all.  "Redditt, the Japanese also believe that you guys are a flight risk, so they want to take you guys into custody immediately."  "How in the hell did a day of listening to music in my barracks turn into this?", I remember thinking.  "The Marine Corps told the Japanese that we would take you into custody and that we would lock you up in our jail on Camp Hansen.  So I'm gonna need you to pack up some things, so I can take you up to Camp Hansen to jail."

Yokosuka, Japan, sometime in 1994 

Oh how my life has changed since that dreadful day.  I am in Solitary Confinement again for 30 more glorious days.  "This is it, God, I can't take it anymore.  You say you answer prayers. So, why the fuck aren't you answering mine?  I am sick of this bullshit!  Either you answer my prayers or tonight I'm taking this fucking sheet and I'm hanging myself."  These are my words, as I am sitting Indian style, facing and talking to the wall, the tears continue flowing down my face.  One of the prisoners committed suicide yesterday and Punk ass thought it was funny.  "Redditt San, when are we gonna find you hanging?", he says laughing.  "You are a Bitch you know that?  When I was whooping your ass you were screaming like a bitch but now you want to be tough in front of your goons?"  Damn!  I fall into his trap.  The trap that I said I wouldn't fall into again.  After the last 60 day stint, I decided that was it for me.  But here I am again for 30 days for disrespecting Punk ass. 

Okinawa, Japan, sometime in 1992

"1 year and 9 months of hard labor", the judge said.  I stood there in shock as the judge was rambling on for what seem like hours.  How the hell did 4 misdemeanor charges turn into almost 2 fucking years in prison?  These same charges in the US would have been dropped or I would have got a pat on the wrist at most.  Unfortunately we are in Japan and not America.  So for our "crimes", I got 1 year and 9 months.  My other buddy got 2 years for robbing the cab driver and my other two buddies didn't get charged at all, nor should they have.  I truly believe that the Japanese offered the Americans a deal.  I believe they said, "give us two and we will let two go.".  But, that is my opinion.  I have no proof of that.  The Japanese police took my buddy and myself into custody immediately.  As we arrive at the jail in Okinawa, the two investigators greet us.  "I told you, you would pay.  You are ours now."  A right hook to the face.  Damn!  What a greeting.   I'm here less than one minute and I'm already getting my ass whooped.  I see why they say the life expectancy for an American is less than 6 months.  "You were very disrespectful when we were interviewing you, Redditt San.  I promise you, we will teach you some respect here."

Yokosuka, Japan, 1994 

"Redditt San, your brother tried to visit you and we told him, "No!"."  Punk ass begins to tell me, grinning from ear to ear.  Unbeknownst to me at the time, my brother was stationed in Yokosuka, Japan, in the Navy.  "Wow, my brother!", I thought.  I almost forgot I had a brother or family for that matter.   Let  me back up and explain.  You see, in Japan, you can't have personal visits and you can only write or receive 1 to 4 letters a month, depending on your behavior. Needless to say, I only ever received 5 letters the entire time I was locked up.  So, I was disconnected from my family and friends.  "Fuck him!  I don't want to see him or any of them for that matter!  I have been here for almost two fucking years and I haven't heard from them.  Only one letter from my Mom, two from my sister and two from my step mom.  So, they all can kiss my ass!"  I am angry at the world at this point.  "I just can't understand how everyone has forgotten about me.  Ok no, no don't go there," I tell myself.  "What is the goal? To get out of here alive!  So we have no time to dwell on what is or isn't going on in the outside world.  Stay focused.  I miss my son so much!  I haven't seen him in almost 3 years. He was 2 months the last time I saw him.  Now he is...let's see.  Wow!  He just turned 3.  I wonder what he looks like now.  I wonder if he is..." "Redditt San!"  My thoughts are interrupted by Punk ass.  "You know you aren't gonna make it out of here alive, right?  We are gonna wait until it's almost time for you to leave and than we are gonna kill you.", he breaks into laughter.  Punk ass being Punk ass.  He has being making these statements since I have been here.  They don't even faze me anymore.  Back to my thoughts, "if I stay focused and don't let him get to me, I will be out of here in about 5 months.  8 more days and I will be out of Solitary confinement."  Yesterday Punk Ass really tried to test me by bringing a picture of my son to me and tearing it up right in my face.  "Redditt San", he said, "you have mail!  It's a picture of your son!"   He stands there tearing it up, without even showing it to me.  "This low down motherfucker!  I haven't seen my son in almost 3 years!  I wouldn't know him from Adam if I saw him and the one picture that I do receive...this devil rips it up in my face!  Stay calm, Sheldon, this is only a test.  I tell myself, I will not let him get to me. 

5 months later.... 

Tomorrow is the big day.  I am finally getting out of here. 2 years 3 months 26 days and 11 hours. I am finally free. I am going home!"  Or so I thought... The bullshit that happens next..... To be continued....

Copyright February 2015 by Sheldon Redditt

2 Years, 3 Months, 26 Days and 11 Hours (Part 2)

Posted on 01/31/2015

July 1992, Okinawa, Japan

As I came to, I was in a Japanese jail.  "What the hell is going on?", I asked the Japanese Prison Guard.  No answer.  A couple of hours passed and my Staff Sergeant, along with another Marine Corps representative arrived and bailed us out of jail.  

Sometime in late 1993, Yokosuka, Japan

Getting bailed out seems like decades ago, I think as I am sitting here in Solitary Confinement for the 4th time.  This time, I got 60 glorious days for beating the shit out of Punk ass.  I finally caught him by himself and whooped his ass for what seemed like a good 30 seconds before his goons showed up.  I hate Punk ass the most out of all of the Japanese Prison Guards. You see, whereas Hitler, Stalin and the rest of the guards were ruthless, they were indiscriminate in passing out the ass whippings.  EVERYONE got a beating from them.  And I mean EVERYONE had a turn, unless you were willing to give sexual favors to them.  Punk ass, on the other hand, only fucked with me.  So, imagine how happy I was to finally get him alone and beat the crap out of him!  He had it coming this time, for real!  The night before, Punk ass ejaculated into my food after masturbating.  Or at least, that's what he told me the prior evening after picking up my meal tray.  I can still remember the smile on his face when he told me what he had done.  I think I vomited for what seems like hours.  Whether he did or didn't, I was determined that when the opportunity presented itself, I was gonna beat the living shit out of him.  "YOU PUNK ASS MOTHERFUCKER!!!!!  Who is laughing now?", I recall saying while I punched him in his face.  I stomped and kicked him as he hit the ground.  I heard the guards running in to save him.  Damn!  Why didn't I grab his radio first?  It has his body alarm on it!  That's all I could think as I listened to the sound of their footsteps.  That and hit him harder and faster.  In my eagerness to get my revenge on Punk Ass, I didn't think to grab his radio first, so he couldn't activate his body alarm.  Ok, they got me.  Now my beating will begin.  God what has happened to me?  I have turned into the animal that I so despise.  These are my thoughts as I sit in Solitary Confinement.  God, I am turning into a monster and I need your help.  This is my prayer, as the tears begin to pour down my face.  If you let me make it out of here alive, I promise I will dedicate my life to helping others.  I will serve you and do your will in whatever capacity that may be.  If you...  Redditt San!  I hear the Japanese guard call my name. It's funny how they always call you Mr., like they have respect for you or something.  It's shower time the guard informed me with a slight grin on his face.  I know that look.  Something is up.  As I get to the shower, Hitler and Stalin, along with two other guards, were waiting for me.  I didn't even let out a scream, as Hitler hit me with the electric baton.  They all begin to beat the crap out of me.  Revenge for whooping Punk ass.  I must have whooped him good, judging by the way they are whooping my ass.  Now that I think about it, I haven't seen Punk ass in a while.  "Baka Kokujin", I hear them all say which means (stupid black) or (stupid nigger) in Japanese.  As they continue to kick, stomp and hit me with the electric baton, I hear Hitler tell the other guards, "No face shots, the Gaijin (foreigners) will be here next week.".  Under the Sofa Status Agreement that America has with Japan, the Marine Corps is allowed to come and visit any Marine that is locked up in a Japanese prison or jail one time per month.  The Japanese guards always knew when they were coming, so usually a week prior to them coming, the beating would stop.  So, usually you were safe for at least one week out of the month.  Oh how I live for the last week in the month!  The Marine Corps always came on the first of the month.  We always beg them to come unannounced so they can see what really goes on.   But, we are always met with the same answer, "The Japanese dictate the day that we can come.".  Great for me.  

July, 1992 Okinawa, Japan

I had no idea what was waiting for me down the line when my Staff Sergeant and the Marine Corps Representative picked us up from the Okinawa jail.  "What the hell happened?", I remember my Staff Sergeant asking us.  We all repeated the same story.  "We just ran, Staff Sergeant!"  My Staff Sergeant began telling us that the Japanese Authorities believe that we are part of a ring of foreigners whom have been robbing Japanese citizens around town.  "I know you are guilty!", the Japanese investigators scream at me.  "You Gaijin come to our country and rob our hard working citizens.  You will pay!  Mark my words, you will pay!"  "Sir, there is a serious misunderstanding.", I begin to say to the investigator.  "My friends and I are not the people that have been robbing people in town.  We simply took a (honcho) cab back to base.  We just saw our buddy starting to run, so we ran too.  So yes, I guess we are guilty of running, but that's it.  You can put me in a line up, since you say you have witnesses and they will clear us of any wrong doing.  We didn't fucking do this shit!"  "Calm down.", I hear my Staff Sergeant say.  We head home for the day and for the next 2 weeks we went back for questioning.  The investigator finally believed our story.  Thank God we can finally put this mess behind us and go on with our lives.  At least, that's what we thought.  Nothing or no one could have prepared me for what happened to us just 5 days after leaving that police station for what we thought was our last time.  To be continued.....

Copyright January 2015 by Sheldon Redditt