THE VISIT by Muslim Mansa Lutalo lyapo a/k/a Rufus West,
#225213, 12-20-13
He had a law library pass at 2:30 p.m., so when his cell door was
buzzed open at 2:10
p.m., he immediately thought something was wrong until the officer announced that he had a visit. The smile
that appeared on his face was wide
but not as wide
as the smile in his heart. This was an unexpected visit as he wasn't expecting her to come until the
next day. He drops everything and rushes to the visiting room.
Upon arriving at the visiting room area,
his shoes and socks are searched, whereafter he enters the visiting room and has a stimulating four-hour
dialogue. It was a great visit! Her good-bye-hug was longer and tighter than
her greeting hug. It
felt so good that he didn't want to let her go.
After she left he was escorted back into the
search room where he was strip
searched. "Open your mouth. Lift your arms. Let me see both 'sides of your hands. Let me see behind your ears. Lift your
sack. Turn around and let me see the bottoms of your feet. Now bend over and
spread your cheeks. Okay, now get
dressed." He could never get used to the humiliation of 'being strip searched. His thoughts overwhelm him to the point
where he has forgotten all the visit
he just had, albeit briefly. He quickly dresses and leaves the area barely aware of the staff's, "Have a good
day" comment.
Once back in his cell, he washes up and says his
prayer thanking God for allowing him
to have a visit and prays for her to have a safe ride home. He meditates on his visit. The one thing that stands
out the most is when she told him,
"You don't belong in prison." Sure, other people may have made
similar comments over the years. Yet, this time it was different. Not only did she say it verbally; she also said it with
her eyes. His meditationis, occasionally
interrupted by Brothers asking him, "How was your visit?" .
He tells them,
"Great!" With that said, he picks up where he left off at prior to his visit, i.e. working on his criminal
case as he tells himself, "You don't belong in prison."
