“The encounter”
BASSETERE, St. Kitts – HE spent a 30-day stint at Her Majesty’s Prison as comeuppance for failing to honour a debt he had incurred. And it was there that he had experiences which he does not necessarily wish to be repeated.
Charles Fraser – known in the calypso arena as ‘De Priest’ – told this publication of one specific encounter he had in “the pen”; one which he thought would have ended in misfortune or casualty.
He explained that it was on the sixth day when he had a run-in with one of the inmates with whom he shared a cell. He said the incident began when he made a request of the Superintendent of Prison, in an attempt to ease a medical condition he had been struggling with for a number of years.
Fraser told this publication that when he got to the cell in which he lived for 30 days, he realised that the six bunks with which the cell was fitted were all occupied and he had to resort to sleeping on the floor, as others did.
The calypsonian informed that he has an 18-inch rod attached to his femur – which is screwed in from his knee to his hip - and whenever he lies down on hard surfaces (especially on his right side or back for too long) it could cause him to have back pains.
“One night, the Superintendent came looking in the cell block and I asked him if he could help my situation and he told me he would see what he could do. The next day, they let us out for rest and relaxation and when we got back in our cells we all noticed they called one prisoner with his belongings, so one bunk bed was empty. I took my things and went on the bunk.
“That evening we went for supper and when we got back in I noticed my things were on the floor and this young fellow was on the bed. So I asked him who gave him permission to put my things on the floor and who gave him my bunk. He told me that I just came and I can’t get a bunk like that.”
Fraser explained that tempers flared and an already emotionally-charged incident intensified to the point where he was outnumbered. However, the voice of one seemed to have made a difference.
“A next inmate (name omitted) told me that I should not get a bunk because I am not a criminal like them. We argued until we were nose to nose. Three of them were surrounding me when I heard another inmate say “I am with Cayon, because I was here when he spoke with the Superintendent about a bunk.”
The one-time prisoner – who maintained that his intention was not to become involved in any conflict - said he was threatened by the young men and a potential disaster was averted when he summoned one of the guards and lodged a complaint.
As a result, Fraser explained, he got back his bunk and the young man was placed in solitary confinement.
