Read Online Orange Is the New Black by Piper Kerman - Free Book Online
Authors: Piper Kerman
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looked like a gay pornstar, with a bristling black crew cut and a scrub-brush mustache. He started bellowing “Mail call! Mail call!” Then he started giving out the mail. “Ortiz! Williams! Kennedy! Lombardi! Ruiz! Skelton! Platte! Platte! Platte! Wait a minute, Platte, there’s more. Mendoza! Rojas!” Each woman would step up to claim her mail, with a smile on her face, and then skitter away somewhere to read it—perhaps someplace with more privacy than I had yet observed? The hall’s population thinned as he worked through the bin of mail, until there were only hopefuls left. “Maybe tomorrow, ladies!” he shouted, turning the empty bin upside down.
After mail call I crept around the building, feeling vulnerable inmy stupid little canvas slippers that so obviously marked me as new. My head was spinning with new information, and for the first moment in hours I was sort of alone with my own thoughts, which turned immediately to Larry and my parents. They must be freaking. I had to figure out how to let them know that I was okay.
Very timidly, I approached the closed door to the counselors’ office, clutching a blue phone sheet that Annette had shown me how to fill out, bubbling in the numbers of people I wanted permission to call on the pay phones at some future date. Larry’s cell phone, my family, my best friend Kristen, my lawyer. The lights in the office were on. I rapped softly, and there was a muffled snort from within. Gingerly I turned the handle.
The counselor named Toricella, who always wore a look of mild surprise, was blinking his little eyes at me, annoyed at my interruption.
“Mr. Toricella? I’m Kerman, I’m new. They said I should come talk to you…” I trailed off, swallowing.
“Is something wrong?”
“They said I should turn in my phone list… and I don’t have a PAC number…”
“I’m not your counselor.”
My throat was getting very tight, and there was no need to fake tears—my eyes were threatening to spill. “Mr. Toricella, they said maybe you might let me call my fiancé and let him know that I’m okay?” I was begging.
He looked at me, silent. Finally he grunted. “Come in and close the door.” My heart started pounding twice as hard. He picked up the phone and handed the receiver to me. “Tell me the number and I’ll dial it. Just two minutes!”
Larry’s cell phone rang, and I closed my eyes and willed him to answer it. If I lost this opportunity to hear his voice, I might die right on the spot.
“Hello?”
“Larry! Larry, it’s me!!”
“Baby, are you okay?” I could hear how relieved he was.
Now the tears were falling, and I was trying not to screw up my two minutes or scare Larry by totally losing it. I snuffled. “Yes, I’m okay. I’m really okay. I’m fine. I love you. Thank you for taking me today.”
“Honey, don’t be crazy. Are you sure you’re okay, you’re not just saying that?”
“No, I’m all right. Mr. Toricella let me call you, but I won’t be able to call you again for a while. But listen, you can come visit me this weekend! You should be on a list.”
“Baby! I’ll come on Friday.”
“So can Mom, please call her, and call Dad, call them as soon as we get off the phone and tell them you talked to me and tell them I’m okay. I won’t be able to call them for a while. I can’t make phone calls yet. And send in that money order right away.”
“I mailed it already. Baby, are you sure you’re okay? Is it all right? You would tell me if it wasn’t?”
“I’m okay. There’s a lady from South Jersey in my room, she’s nice. She’s Italian.”
Mr. Toricella cleared his throat.
“Darling, I have to go. I only have two minutes. I love you so much, I miss you so much!”
“Baby! I love you. I’m worried about you.”
“Don’t worry. I’m okay, I swear. I love you, darling. Please come see me. And call Mom and Dad!”
“I’ll call them as soon as we get off the phone. Can I do anything else,
After mail call I crept around the building, feeling vulnerable inmy stupid little canvas slippers that so obviously marked me as new. My head was spinning with new information, and for the first moment in hours I was sort of alone with my own thoughts, which turned immediately to Larry and my parents. They must be freaking. I had to figure out how to let them know that I was okay.
Very timidly, I approached the closed door to the counselors’ office, clutching a blue phone sheet that Annette had shown me how to fill out, bubbling in the numbers of people I wanted permission to call on the pay phones at some future date. Larry’s cell phone, my family, my best friend Kristen, my lawyer. The lights in the office were on. I rapped softly, and there was a muffled snort from within. Gingerly I turned the handle.
The counselor named Toricella, who always wore a look of mild surprise, was blinking his little eyes at me, annoyed at my interruption.
“Mr. Toricella? I’m Kerman, I’m new. They said I should come talk to you…” I trailed off, swallowing.
“Is something wrong?”
“They said I should turn in my phone list… and I don’t have a PAC number…”
“I’m not your counselor.”
My throat was getting very tight, and there was no need to fake tears—my eyes were threatening to spill. “Mr. Toricella, they said maybe you might let me call my fiancé and let him know that I’m okay?” I was begging.
He looked at me, silent. Finally he grunted. “Come in and close the door.” My heart started pounding twice as hard. He picked up the phone and handed the receiver to me. “Tell me the number and I’ll dial it. Just two minutes!”
Larry’s cell phone rang, and I closed my eyes and willed him to answer it. If I lost this opportunity to hear his voice, I might die right on the spot.
“Hello?”
“Larry! Larry, it’s me!!”
“Baby, are you okay?” I could hear how relieved he was.
Now the tears were falling, and I was trying not to screw up my two minutes or scare Larry by totally losing it. I snuffled. “Yes, I’m okay. I’m really okay. I’m fine. I love you. Thank you for taking me today.”
“Honey, don’t be crazy. Are you sure you’re okay, you’re not just saying that?”
“No, I’m all right. Mr. Toricella let me call you, but I won’t be able to call you again for a while. But listen, you can come visit me this weekend! You should be on a list.”
“Baby! I’ll come on Friday.”
“So can Mom, please call her, and call Dad, call them as soon as we get off the phone and tell them you talked to me and tell them I’m okay. I won’t be able to call them for a while. I can’t make phone calls yet. And send in that money order right away.”
“I mailed it already. Baby, are you sure you’re okay? Is it all right? You would tell me if it wasn’t?”
“I’m okay. There’s a lady from South Jersey in my room, she’s nice. She’s Italian.”
Mr. Toricella cleared his throat.
“Darling, I have to go. I only have two minutes. I love you so much, I miss you so much!”
“Baby! I love you. I’m worried about you.”
“Don’t worry. I’m okay, I swear. I love you, darling. Please come see me. And call Mom and Dad!”
“I’ll call them as soon as we get off the phone. Can I do anything else,
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