Lighted Corners
A Mother’s Plea Conor Hoffman The sound of high heels striking the cold tile floor echoed throughout the corridor of Wilmington Correctional Facility. The source of the deafening footsteps was a small, portly woman. She was sixty-seven years old, but she looked closer to eighty-seven. As she reached her destination, a guard leaned over to open the massive steel door at the end of the hallway and stood aside to allow her entrance. As she took in her surroundings, she looked in front of her and saw him. He was about ten years younger than her. He was cleanshaven and completely bald. His gigantic six-footeight frame was not meant for the chair he rested upon, but nevertheless, after seeing the woman enter the room, his eyes lit up like pearls. He leaned up against the countertop, his face inches away from the hard, plastic window that separated them. The man kept his beaming eyes fixated on the woman as she nonchalantly set her purse down on her side of the counter, pulled out her chair, and took a seat. They locked eyes. Neither said a word until finally, the man spoke up. “You’re here early.” “I don’t like to keep people waiting. Besides, I want to make the most of the time I have with you today.” The man’s already massive grin expanded even more. It was a sight that would unsettle even the hardest of
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people...he chuckled and looked down at his lap while composing himself. “It’s been a long time since anyone came to see me. Having nobody to talk to drives me crazy.” The woman leaned in closer to the window. “You’re a murderer, Robert. Why should anyone want to visit someone like you?” For the first time, Robert’s smile wavered. He slowly leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs as he did so. “Huh. Straight to the point, aren’t you? Okay, I can play that game.” “This isn’t a game, Robert!” The woman sternly interjected. “You know why I’m here, and I want you to tell me what I want to know.” Robert’s lip suddenly quivered and his eye twitched. He took a deep breath. “This is about Brian, isn’t it? You wanna know where I dumped him.” “What have you got to lose? They’re putting you in the chair in a couple months.” “I’m well aware of my current predicament, but I appreciate your concern,” Robert sneered. “If you really cared about your boy, why the hell did you wait this long to come see me? Don’t give me that sob story, Carol. I know your type too well.” Carol leaned back in her chair as well but didn’t give any other indication of faltering. “I don’t expect you to understand me, Robert, but don’t judge
