A preposterous tale of folly in Las Vegas

It wasn’t long after the sun had risen the noise of thunder in the desert once again had everyone moving with a little pep in their step. Must have been the way those white pearly striped F-16C Fighting Falcons flew like American flags across the Las Vegas Nevada sky.

The Nellis Airforce Base wasn’t far from Sahara Ave & Nellis Ave, where the United States Aerobatics Thunderbirds Airshow team stationed their jets. Traffic lights were seemingly changing from green to red a little faster than normal. Yesterday, Johnny listened from the dealers lounge about students from Massachusetts Institute of Technology who had articulated their way to Las Vegas for a taking. No sooner than Johnny hearing the news the M.I.T. team was striking again. After a taking of nearly $650,000 their luck had run thin, and it became prevalent these students came with the intention of a little more than visiting Las Vegas for a good time. They came to win some money – and they did more than that. Before they were ran out of Vegas.

It is no rocket science to count cards Johnny told Evelyn. Counting cards is simple basic math of knowing cards 2 threw 6 are +1 cards, 7 threw 9 are 0 (or of no value) cards, and 10 threw Ace are -1 cards. Ergo, the higher the +/plus count, the likelihood big cards are to follow; thus, the greater chance black jack tables will see 20’s and Black Jack’s.

It is another challenge in itself orchestrating a team of vigilant sharks ready to devour casino chips. Johnny had seen the same thing over and over, day after day, while dealing namely Black Jack, Roulette, Baccarat and Pai-Gow poker at Boulder Station Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas Nevada in the year of 2004.

Johnny had taken a second job at Paris Hotel & Casino after his little girl was born in North Vista Hospital Las Vegas Nevada. After a few months working the tables at Paris Hotel & Casino, Johnny listened to a friend telling him working the second job might not be the best idea, that money made from the first job at Boulder Station Hotel & Casino was plenty enough. Knowing better at 24 years old Johnny might have listened. But the only thing he knew was make as much money as possible to make his family happy. It’s true money isn’t everything, but it sure does help pay the bills and make family and friends happy is how he responded to folks asking why he worked so much.

After a long night of listening to ‘Yellow Brick Road’ – a rock n roll tribute band playing on the weekends at Boulder Station Hotel & Casino, Johnny made his way over to Paris Hotel & Casino to work another eight hour shift that ended at 12:00pm noon. Sixteen hour work days were not easy to accomplish, albeit he wasn’t working this Sunday morning.

A beautiful early morning sunrise had the promise of hope and charm and nothing at all could slow it down though it seemed. When Johnny finally reached home, he could smell the firewood from the previous evening. Johnny had barreled through the door and headed for the shower. While shaving the smell of coffee was vividly arousing hunger. Then suddenly, playing a video game, eating breakfast with freshly brewed Dunkin Doughnuts Coffee, the door began rattling like an earth quake was hitting Las Vegas.

Answering the door wasn’t necessary. As soon as the door opened, Kakoa was there running through Johnny to take over his video game. He was a couple years younger, heavily involved in MMA while only weeks away from his first Las Vegas professional fight. When things didn’t go right for Kekoa you’d know it. He was what most of his friends called a big misfit. Johnny never worried about Kekoa getting hostile with him – until whooping him in a video game and he turned and knocked plum out that is. When he came to, he’d kindly asked Kekoa to go home. Without argument he left for his home across the apartment complex. And that’s when Johnny had a brilliant idea to walk to the casino and have more breakfast and coffee, perhaps play a few hands of Texas Holdem and blow off some steam.

Johnnys closest friends and family knew him as both an introvert and extrovert. Day’s passed when Johnny was outgoing, outspoken and munificent. While other days he was recluse, wanted to be left alone and kept to himself. This day, with a swollen left eye completely shut and walking to the nearest bus stop, an older gentleman stood about as Johnny was passing by and listened, “If you get a job son, you wouldn’t be going through what you are going through right now.” With all the resilience in the world Johnny couldn’t hold back, he pulled his gaming card license out of his pocket and shoved it towards the mans face, “You see that Eiffel tower over there sir, I just got off work and my eye is swollen shut after my friend just knocked me out.” It’s easy to see that this aroused even more from the gentleman attempting to coach wisdom so early in the morning as he said, “Doesn’t seem much like a friend to me.” Right at that moment without turning back to look; Johnny heard a soft voice of a lady and she said, “I’m going to call the police Erwin” and during that moment Johnny had already walked past the situation without looking back. In a moment of bewilderment, Johnny made the decision to walk over the freeway where he was stopped by a police officer for two reasons. The first reason was to ask what transpired at the gas station as he received a call, but nothing was to worry about it he said. The second was to inform Johnny that he was being placed under arrest for trespassing, that not to worry, he would only be booked in and out after a four hour punishment.

Johnny was booked in and out of the police station after a four hour punishment. Laws in Las Vegas were different from other places Johnny had lived. A misdemeanor charge of defacing a hamburger can be gifted. This was to prevent from the Las Vegas Strip becoming a filthy place. What’s more, a gift of misdemeanor for obstructing the flight of a pigeon can set you back likewise. This law was enacted to protect vehicle windshields from getting broken due to the obstruction of a pack of pigeons walking on the ground as the result of tourists walking through their packs causing them to consequently fly into windshields.

A deep breath of fresh air was necessary after four hours of punishment in the Las Vegas Clark County Detention Center. Johnny prayed hard on never going back to that place and knew playing Texas Holdem wasn’t going to happen today. But he couldn’t deny the morning turned into a beautiful day. Headed home it came to mind Johnny needed a break from Las Vegas. Johnny packed up his bags and headed east to Tennessee to visit his mother. Johnny had settled his two children and their mother into a new apartment before heading east to Tennessee.

A refreshing 13 days of visiting mom and family came to a sudden end. Johnny made the decision to try his luck at dealing cards in Connecticut. Perhaps a new life in another state could benefit the family. Foxwoods Hotel & Casino was Johnny’s first thought at making a change from Las Vegas to Ledyard, Connecticut. It has 340,000 feet of gaming space compared to Johnny’s other choice of Mohegan Sun Hotel & Casino at only 300,000 feet of gaming. Both however are enormous and offer wonderful and diverse array of culture and gaming bliss. After riding a Greyhound bus from Las Vegas Nevada to Nashville Tennessee, and then from Nashville Tennessee to New York, New York, followed by a single prop Cessna flight into Warwick Rhode Island, Johnny taxied into visit both casinos. Johnnys luck didn’t get any better after hearing the bad news. Casinos in Connecticut would not take experienced dealers from Las Vegas. Apparently the human resource departments thought of Las Vegas dealers as a bad fit for casinos in Connecticut. Johnny got back to Norwalk and packed up then took a subway train back into New York, New York. He was a little bit nervous going into Manhattan New York without funds to get a place to stay. It would be a challenge nonetheless toughing out four days in downtown Manhattan New York without a place to stay with only a few dollars and some change.

Cruising at approximately 40 mph on the subway train from Norwalk Connecticut headed into New York was a new experience for Johnny. Cultural Diversity packed the train with bodies shoulder to shoulder. The sun was just coming up and felt to Johnny like the sun was setting. Soon as Johnny stepped off the train in Grand Central Station the chatter, the people, the taxi cabs, hot dog stand vendors, was bliss to Johnny.

Johnny couldn’t help to approach a hot dog vendor hungry and tired. Loaded with mustard and onions he had devoured that hot dog. No sooner than when the hot dog was gone he headed towards a taxi cab. Not to get into the cab, but instead to ask how one becomes a cab driver in New York. All his life he had been fascinated by Taxi’s.

After the hot dog and conversation with a cab driver concluded Johnny Jackson headed towards the Port Authority Greyhound Bus Station. Standing at 42nd street and Eighth Ave waiting for the light to change from green to red all the sudden it felt like every single NYPD Police Cruiser in the entire city of New York came through the intersection as if some sort of parade was going on. The day was a little chili with a vague overcast and it must have been 20 minutes waiting for all the NYPD to come one after another through the intersection. When the police finally cleared the intersection there must have been thousands of people standing ready to cross. Finally across the street Johnny headed for the Greyhound Station.

After learning the bus needed was next scheduled four days from now a waiting game was ahead of him. He would check his bags into baggage claim for the day and venture through New York till it got dark then he’d get his bags back. Having no place to stay Johnny kindly approached two NYPD Officers standing on each side of the doors out on 42nd ave entrance. The two officers had both stepped back and turned their heads while he carried two large duffle bags one on each shoulder passed the gentleman without question. Johnny found somewhere inside the Greyhound to sleep. He went to the basement just next to baggage claim and that’s where he slept for the next few days.

The next morning was a beautiful sun shinny day. Johnny decided to check his bags in and take a book to the steps and read while watching the hustle of the Manhattan Streets fill up and become crowded. Large Pillars braced by the sidewalk of 42nd St. a gentleman in shorts and a t-shirt was chanting at the bottom of the steps while leaning against one of them with his body facing Johnny on the steps and people passing by him. Took only a minute or so to realize what he had been chanting, “Loosey, Loosey,” he shouted towards the packed sidewalks of people. One lady looked towards him in passing, “Excuse me sir, how much did you say?” she said while slowing down a fraction speaking kindly in passing to loosey man. She didn’t buy a cigarette for $1.00. She just kept right on past loosey man and in the next moment off to Johnny’s left he watched as this very large and muscular Italian man in all spandex moving swiftly towards loosey man reached out and strong armed him right into cuffs without taking him off his feet and walked him to the intersection where an NYPD Police Cruiser picked both of them up and drove off.

Johnny sat there reading the book he found in his apartment just days before starting this trip. The book had laid at the bottom of an empty box in his closet for weeks he was thinking to himself. He wouldn’t pick it up because it didn’t have a cover. Johnny never really thought much of reading the book he passed over and over again while walking back and forth to the laundry room lying there in the box without a book cover. He hadn’t read that novel, whatever it was laying there lifeless without skins or a cover of a sort.

In the blink of an eye Johnny heard the sound of a woman’s voice. The sound was angelic and graceful, and it came at the same time as she began thumping on Johnnys shoulder almost as if she were in a panic. With a Russian accent she said, “excuse me sir, may you help with my belongings sitting there in the corner you can see yes?”

Johnny kindly turned and responded, “yes ma’am sure I’ll help you. What are you trying to do with your belongings?” she listened to his response with sincerity and responded, “This is the first time I have been in America and I’m going to Ocean City Maryland to be a waitress and go to the University. I am from Russia Originally.” It gave a rise to hear such a sweet voice. Punctually, Johnny held an easy stride guiding her to the luggage and she muttered, “I have an hour layover and don’t know what to do.” It wasn’t Johnny’s first rodeo traveling this present escapade. He told her without hesitation, “Yes ma’am I will for sure help you” while scooping up all three of her bags and tossing them over his shoulders.

Irina Nikitina was from Russia and was in America as a foreign exchange student following her dreams. She had told Johnny while waiting in line checking in her bags that he reminded her of many guy friends from her high school in Russia. She was polite, sweet and kind while persistent to show Johnny the guys on her smart phone photo album. He kindly chuckled and agreed of the keen similarities.

Both of them were happy without a loss for words as Johnny lead them towards Time Square. It was still slightly over casted in the sky, and a breeze hither yon made it chili at times. Mostly though her and him were skipping along not paying much attention to anything else but each other while lost in the streets of Manhattan New York. Interestingly, Johnny felt her hand soft and slow sliding into his as they steady the streets and balance the people. After Touring Time Square together and visiting the Empire State Building Johnny took her to a hot dog shop just down the street from where new plans to build Liberty Tower would be erected at the same location the Twin Towers were at peace just four years earlier. He was kindly taking up the last bit of Irina’s time before walking her back to her bus terminal.

Irina Nikitina was sweet and attractive. She asked Johnny to come with her to Maryland, but he knew he couldn’t and thoroughly explained why that would not be possible. Placing his hand gently above the small of her back he guided her and carried her luggage as the two inched their way to the bus terminal door. No sooner than when they had reached the door, she stepped through the terminal door and Johnny stepped aside. They both made an eye contact that created some kind of magnetic force, and in that moment moved towards each other and leaned even further to give a light hearted sweet and sincere kiss on the lips. It felt really good to kiss her and also to spend the hour in New York with her Johnny thought to himself. She was an amazing woman, very strong and determined. Irina knew what she wanted.

Johnny felt it in his stomach, that roller coaster feeling you get just before descending its life altering first drop. Such an amazing and gorgeous woman asking a man for his company and commitment doesn’t happen everyday. At least not to Johnny.

Late in the afternoon came quickly; the sun was over and past the Manhattan sky scrappers. Shoulder to shoulder with people scurrying to get where they needed to be during rush hour Johnny thought was incredulous. How can people withstand the hustle and bustle on a daily basis further pondering to himself. Three day’s then had steadily passed.

As the last night began to set in Johnny found a sporting goods place with which a golfing net adjacent to the front doors could be used for testing Golf clubs of choice. Practicing his golf swing while hitting golf balls at full strength was liberating. After wearing himself out he’d realized it was time to start thinking about sleeping in the Bus Terminal one last night before finally getting on his bus first thing in the morning to head back to Las Vegas Nevada where he’d have a fabulous surprise awaiting his return.

The bus trip from Manhattan New York to Las Vegas Nevada had many stops along its 3 day course of travel. Travel time went by in the blink of an eye. The Greyhound bus pulled into the Las Vegas terminal early in the morning around 7:30am. It was a gorgeous day hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk. With still two giant duffle bags over each shoulder Johnny wouldn’t head home to his apartment until he stopped at the Police Station to pay off some fines previously pending. Wanting to start fresh back at home in Las Vegas he walked into the police station and up to the enclosed glass booth where an officer sat taking orders it would appear. Standing before the glass booth he said, “Good morning ma’am my name is Johnny Jackson and I’m here to pay off some fines that need to be taken care of.” She busied her fingers with her computer keyboard and had a bewildered look about her. Curious as she had seemed with the look of confusion Johnny said, “Ma’am is everything alright?” She then said to him with a bug in her throat, “Hunny please tell me your name, birthday and social one more time please.” After it was determined that she did in fact have the correct person, she reluctantly gave him the mind blowing bad news of a life time, “Hunny it say’s here that you have a felony warrant of kidnapping in the second degree and misdemeanor impersonating a police officer.” Johnny’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree as he began trying to get words out of his mouth, “There must be some mistake ma’am. May you kindly try my information a third time?” and she did as asked.

The lady requested back up from a sweet female officer just standing outside the police station doors. She had come in the door confused as the two of us. The lady LVMPD Officer asked Johnny to cooperate with her, that if he had nothing to do with what charges against him were pending there’s nothing to worry about. Placed into handcuffs she took him into the Clark County Las Vegas Nevada Detention Center. Johnny was booked into maximum security and he thought the end of the world was now taking place.

Sitting there watching the clock LVMPD Officers were in and out of the police station as if they were hosting a circus or parade. One person after another either drunk, on drugs, disoriented and confused, or just plain crazy came to be booked into jail that day he witnessed. Any chance to pull the attention of corrections officer’s Johnny begged for understanding as to why he had these charges pending. Some Officers were cut throat mean and belligerent while others were at peace to inform him they had no idea why the charges for him were pending warrant. Johnny remained in booking for over 24 hours until he was finally booked into maximum security on the 5th floor. Johnny and his new cell mate would come to know a good bit about each other. They told their stories of landing in jail.

Tyrone was Johnny’s same height and build. He was charged with armed robbery at a bar after going in with a loaded shotgun trying to rob the bar of its monies. From what he had to say about the story he was lucky to be alive and not shot and killed by law enforcement. Somehow the young man Johnny’s same age was blessed to live and tell his story.

The normal day in life was eating, watching tv, playing spades and playing chess. After two months of having no idea why he was there, Johnny’s cell door popped open like a firecracker. Everyone was locked down for nap time. So when the door popped it was loud and inspiring. A corrections officer could be heard loudly when he said, “Jackson you have a phone call”. It was the manager of the public defenders office who said he wanted to take this case. Mike asked Johnny if he’d remember being at a bus stop on Nellis & Sahara one morning which had resulted in the exchange of words between him and the man Erwin from the bus stop. Johnny said, “Yes sir I was there and had exchanged some words with a man and then I heard a woman’s voice say she was going to call the police while I was already in stride to defuse the situation. I just kept on walking.” Johnny further explained to Mike that coincidentally he was arrested for trespassing right after that situation for walking over the freeway to get further away from the situation. Johnny had been booked in and out after four hours. Nothing of the situation had transpired further. All Mike had said is, “Hang in there Mr. Jackson and I will see you at court in a couple more weeks. Johnny was still clueless as to what the charges were for at this point. But he knew it had to do with that short lived five minute preposterous act of folly.

‘Jackson’ was heard from across the day room and the cell block on the fifth floor. It was a young man Johnny’s same age of 25 asking him to walk over. He had just finished eating lunch and some were preparing to go play basketball for recreation. Sam was a quirky guy very quiet and hardly spoke even when he was first spoken too. Johnny watched him at times walk away from people asking him questions without saying anything at all. He was quiet and introverted for sure.

One Sunday morning Johnny had woken up and was eager to buy a new couch. He’d taken the city bus to the gas station across the street from a Rent A Center to grab a drink and the news paper. After grabbing the Sunday paper and coffee to drink he headed for Rent A Center where they had a great sale on a sectional couch. He didn’t read the paper at first, just put it in his back pocket and paid attention to crossing the road safely. Soon as he was across the road and into the plaza parking lot where Rent A Center was he pulled the news paper out of his back pocket and looked first at the front page of the paper. To his disgusted surprise he had read about a real life cannibal who had murdered several people and chopped up their body parts and put them in his freezer where he would eventually be arrested for the murders of several people and for the body parts in his refrigerator and freezer. Johnny had never read anything so horrific before that was actually a true story from some resident in the same town of which he lived – Las Vegas.

Sam asked Johnny to walk with him in a stride around the day block and began to tell the news, “Do you know the guy you were sitting across from eating lunch today?” and he simply said well of course not. He said to Johnny, “well listen man that is the guy who was caught for the murders of several people and who had body parts in the refrigerator.” Johnny was at a loss for words and nearly choked on his own tongue. Then the sudden sound of the front door popping open with a corrections officer yelling at the top of his lungs, “Rec!”, and then a single file line fell into place and he was one of them ready to get out of Dodge.

Johnny missed home in California by the time he was 19 years and drove through one of the most horrible winters in the midwest in American History back in 1999. Traveling west bound on Highway 70 just inside the state lines of Missouri it was 2:00am in the morning when traveling at the speed limit, or 9 miles above which is Johnny Jackson’s limit, he’d noticed everyone in the slow lane doing approximately 45 miles an hour and was wondering why everyone was going so slow. In an immediate blink of an eye Johnny realized he was traveling on solid Ice. As soon as he let off the gas and headed like everyone else into the slow lane and slowed the vehicle down, a solid body Monte Carlo flew past him in the fast lane and ended up doing a barrel roll in the median and still today Johnny does not know if that person survived. What he did know is that everyone followed his lead off the next exit and it looked like the movie ‘Field of Dreams”. For several hours cars filled up this little gas station and surrounding areas. It was really an amazing thing that so many people were piled up in this little gas station bouncing around talking to each other and keeping each other company through the night. Morning came fast and everyone was ready to continue on in their travels.

It was again approximately 2am or 3am when the next long night of traveling when Johnny pulled into a gas station just 45 minutes east of Denver. The little lady Johnny’s same age working was real sweet and told him to be safe after checking out with a full tank of gas and a tall fountain lemonade. Johnny headed down the freeway entrance ramp and drove a good several miles and then suddenly car died pitch black. Everything was out – no lectricity, and he was literally in the middle of absolute nowhere. An 18 wheeler rig roared past him as he carefully eased the car onto the shoulder of the highway. The car was completely dead with no power or anything working at all. He jumped out of the car after releasing the hood and went to the front of the car to lift the hood. There was a slight fire in the engine, so Johnny grabbed his lemonade from the car and put the fire out without skipping a beat. After the fire was out he felt a whole lot better, albeit standing on the side of the freeway when it’s about 5 or 10 degrees outside isn’t so comfortable, especially when hundreds of miles away to family and thousands of miles behind from the other side. Then with the grace of God answering a prayer a sports car pulled over to the side of the road. An older 280zx with an Indian man in the drivers seat and his son in the passenger seat. Johnny had no idea where they would put him, but they made it work with his back touching the ceiling and his back side on the middle console till they made it to the next exit. What a gorgeous older woman she was Johnny thought to himself, and what an amazing charm she had when she welcomed him in from the cold and told him she knew a family owned mechanic from the highway exit he had just filled up his gas tank. She said to Johnny, “Hunny you just come on in here and sit down and I’ll call Ray. He is a good family man who has a tow truck and mechanic shop and he will be glad to help you.”

Honestly this situation was otherworldly and Johnny could not have been more humble and grateful for this sweet woman’s help. Ray came and swooped him up with his tow truck and told him to stay in the truck that he would handle everything. Johnny listened as he told him and enjoyed his music of Al Green – Let’s Stay Together . When they got back to the exit of which Johnny had filled up the gas tank and bought a lemonade, Ray took him to a small motel just behind that gas station and checked him in. Well, Johnny decided to walk to the gas station where the little lady had told him to be careful on his trip. She was sweet and told Johnny that she would come visit him at the motel when she finished with work. She did go and see him and was kind enough to smoke a Cannabis cigarette too. She didn’t stay long and Johnny was grateful for her company.

Ray knocked on Johnny’s motel room door very early in the morning and told him “come with me”. When they got to his mechanic shop where his son was waiting, the two of them explained that Johnny was lucky to put out the fire as quickly as he did because that saved much potential damage. They charged just under $200 for the tow job and fixing the car. They were a sweet family and plus Christmas was just around the corner. Jumping back on the freeway was like jumping into a lake when it’s real super hot outside Johnny thought to himself as he was ready to kick up some dust.

The highway was a small heaven on earth. We are free and connected in so many ways he pondered triumphantly. Boundaries are divided by States, where each one has a story unique and original all on its own. Although the story means the most, the beauty of terrain change through each of these boundaries is great. Mountains, desserts and palm trees, peaceful folks and seasonal changes make each story even stronger.

Johnny met his children’s mother in Washington State where he finally ended up after visiting home in California. He prayed to be able to stay with his Auntie Betty in Anacortes Washington, a small little island off the San Juan Stretch from the Pacific Ocean. His plans were to finally pass his G.E.D. and then go on to x-ray technology school. She and Johnny met at Sherri’s restaurant where both served tables together and had collided through mutual friendships. Dwayne was one of the cooks. Johnny snowboarded often with his roommate at Mount Baker and hung out with Rebecca and Dwayne other days. Somehow Rebecca convinced him to go to Las Vegas with her and leave all of their friends.

When Johnny and Sam got back from Recreation they went straight to their cells. Bo was Johnny’s cell mate. He was a convicted murderer in the second degree through self defense. He had a great head on his shoulders and meant earnest well. Bo shot a man who had attempted to shoot him at a party he was throwing for his father. Bo read the bible all the time and loved talking about it. Johnny too had read the bible in jail and out of jail a number of times. Bo was fair about his preaching all the time. One early morning the sound of a bomb went off in the day room. Two trustees had apparently got in a severe disagreement and ended up fighting with several corrections officers when they were taken down by shotgun rubber bullets. Johnny couldn’t believe what he was watching though his cell block door. Three trustees were fighting with corrections officers.

At this time Johnny had read every John Grisham novel he had ever written up to the year 2005. He became fascinated with him. Not because he is an awesome writer, but because his stories are amazing and his interests are very real. Though Johnny was not entirely impressed with the idea of being an attorney. He did however love renaissance, Brazilian women and Benjamin Franklin.

Moved to the south portion of the jail on the bottom level came about 30 days after Johnny received the phone call from Mike, the Head Honcho of the public defenders office. Being in the South portion of the Clark County Detention Center was not terribly bad because inmates could go outside in an enclosed area and hear the people and sometimes music that was playing on Freemont Street Experience. Playing spades is something you do in jail. Johnny became really good at it and looking back believes that the reason a corrections officer snatched him right out of his chair and threw him against a wall obnoxiously was because the spade players him and his partner were beating terribly were important or something. Johnny was 100% cooperative and this officer just could not get him quite right against the wall. So three other corrections officers assisted him in taking him into his cell block, stripping him down, bending him over and telling him to cough. He was on his knees naked in his bunk praying to live. These guys were not finished with him. Johnny was moved into maximum security on the seventh floor in an isolation cell. This time many corrections officer’s filled the cell, stripped him down yet again and had him on his knees naked in his bunk. Johnny really did think he was going to die in there. Maybe this was some kind of test though he really wasn’t sure. Looking through a single 5 inches in width and 4 foot long window from the back of the isolation cell out on to Las Vegas blvd it was an amazing moment when Johnny prayed to God he would get out of this place alive. In his heart there was doubt that would happen. That moment of him being in a prayer he’d seen a lightning bolt strike the Shara Hotel & Casino Roller Coster Tower. Jesus was telling Johnny to stay strong, keep his faith, and keep praying to him, and he’d finally see the court room he thought to himself.

Johnny was moved back into normal population after 10 days had passed. It was a good feeling when the door popped and Johnny listened, “Jackson pack your shit, you’re going back to population.” Without hesitation Johnny’s heart began to thump with a little nervous in his blood. It was hard to say where he would go and among what other folks he would share a cell and day population with but he couldn’t be more happy to leave behind maximum security isolation.

Morning came after a hard day of chess and spades. It was a morning Johnny had waited seemingly lifelong. His door popped and “Jackson you have court” rang his cell like a free ticket to Cedar Point had just be won. He was ready for court like John Grisham was ready to write another legal thriller novel. The corrections officers came into shackle up all who was attending court that day. Johnny washed up good, shaved and used conditioner to make his hair presentable. Stepping into the court room was a breath of fresh air. It felt like he was in society again, and that a steak and egg sandwich wasn’t far from this place.

After reading all the John Grisham novels he had written at this time, Johnny’s mind was sharp to commonality. That is, when looking into the crowd of court attendees and the vast array of cultural diversity no one looked familiar to him. However, only one person seemed to stand out other worldly, especially in a court room.

Johnny can firmly believe that an Honorable Judge would never allow a person in his court room with a bandana on their head and huge solid black sunglasses on their face. Even then though, Johnny knew that this person was the only one who was not quite right in the court room. He had never seen this woman before, never seen a person like this in a court room whether it was in a movie, book – anything. But he would not immediately assume this was someone that would be there to testify against him.

A judge who looked like Frankenstein from a country western movie was presiding over the court room and he yelled with a deepened voice firm and concise, “Johnny Jackson of said charges pending please make your way..” Johnny popped up and walked down the aisle and sat down next to Mike in a brown blazer sitting at a table big enough for the two of them. Just next to Johny and Mike the district attorney who looked to be in his mid too late twenties glanced over at Johnny curiously. Johnny kindly nodded in his direction earnestly. Then the honorable judge had once again spoken firmly to call the witness to the stand. To Johnnys surprise it was in fact the woman in a bandana on her head and big dark sunglasses as she took the witness stand. When she was called to finally testify after oath she began, “That there young man with the deep blue eyes and bony cheeks took me into the streets and fondled my breasts and told me he was taking my place in line at the bus stop.” Then without hesitation the district attorney began to ask her the same question – in a different way, three or four times to see whether or not she would change her story. The district attorney looked at Johnny with a nod as if everything was going to be ok when everyone in the court room heard this woman change her story every time she was asked the same altered question.

According to some attorneys, a trick that has been used many times in court rooms is to ask the same question a couple few times, albeit in a different way each time, to see if the original story of a testimony will change.

The honorable judge looked baffled and almost threw his hands in the air when he conveyed, “I have no choice to bind this hearing over to circuit court.” Johnny then tugged on his public defenders blazer asking “Mike you are going help me right?” Mike responded, “Just sit there and be quiet – yes, I’m going to help you. You are going to be ok.” Mike might have been as bewildered as the Honorable Judge, Johnny and the district attorneys, so just like Johnny he had hoped he was telling the truth.

Court was adjourned and with the rest of the chain gang Johnny made his way through the eery tunnel winding through turns like a halloween maze back to the jail house, Clark County Detention Center. I was late in the evening when the day population had voted to watch the movie Life with Eddie Murphy and Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence. Everyone crowded around to watch the movie getting showered and cleaned up as if a group of guys were going to the drive in theatre. Ramen noodle soups were being prepared by way of hot water and a towel to hold in the heat till they softened. Fritos chip bags were crushed up with beef jerky and anything else that could be thrown in the bag to make for a good movie snack was undergone also.

Time had passed after days of books read, spade games and chess games and talking about all the great times everyone had out in the world beyond the walls that kept us all hindered from the rest of the world. Thanks giving was only three weeks away when finally the day had come again for Johnny to go to court. He was chained up and headed for Circuit court through the eery tunnel and back to the court rooms. An attractive and honorable woman judge was presiding over the court room this day. When Johnny heard his name for him to stand up he was immediately asked by the honorable judge if he had learned his lesson. Without hesitation he had said “Yes your honor I have.” Ok then you will be sentenced to serve the last bit of this week, your charges will be thrown out and dismissed. I don’t want to see you back in here Mr. Wiley” It was as if his heart was descending from a rollercoaster along with the rest of his body when those wards came from her mouth. A paralegal wearing skin tight pants with white pin stripes was bent far over the table in front of him and he took a deep breath and calmly sat back down.

The woman who made the allegations had never returned to the court. It was now obvious to the court this woman was out to be vindictive and teach ole Johnny a lesson not to mess with folks at a bus stop no matter what day it was. It was a lesson learned for sure and he told himself he’d never make that same mistake and has since prayed to Jesus for salvation without a day going by otherwise.

Johnny was in his cell for the last week mindful to keep away from many trouble makers serving very long sentences. It was a thing to do for some cell mates serving long sentences to try and prevent others from being released. Johnny had picked up on that when a couple people were baited in to fights and contraband that resulted in extra charges for some inmates who were scheduled to be released in the coming days. Knowing this Johnny stayed in his bunk until the very night of his release and had a breakdown. He had begun to hyperventilate and couldn’t breath and hit the cell emergency button to be released into the day room to lay his head down until he was called to be booked out of jail. Everyone stood in their cell doors watching down at Johnny when he had begun to scream from the cell. A corrections officer asked if Johnny needed medical attention and Johnny just kept his head down on the lunch table until he finally heard the door pop. Then the words gave him goose flesh as if Jesus himself were taking him home to heaven, “Jackson grab your stuff from your cell, you’re going home”.

It was 2:30am when Johnny was released to the Las Vegas streets two blocks south of Freemont Street Experience. A gorgeous woman wearing a skirt that was very short he was thinking walked right up to Johnny and said “Hey honey are you looking to have any fun tonight?” Johnny kept walking and said, “No ma’am. I am on my way to IHOP to have a steak. I do hope you have a good morning.” And that is exactly where Johnny went and sat for a good three hours.

Johnny didn’t have a home after being kept in jail for five long months. He had lost his apartment unable to pay the bills. But he did have a little boy and a little girl at home with their mother he couldn’t wait to see. He had slept on a 24 hour city bus, getting off to take a walk from time to time which lasted for two weeks, until his children’s mother believed he was ready to come back around their children after being in jail for a good bit.

Johnny finally made it home to his children and they were all happy to be together.

It goes without being said that in a blink of an eye life can pass you by, at any street corner, during any given moment, on any given day. Love your family and live the word of Jesus Christ, as we are all Gods children. Each and every human body is the soul and temple of Jesus Christ and we must reflect the image that is pure and clean alway’s. Church was dismissed and the four of them together stepped through the church doors into the bright shinny day.

Thank you kindly for reading this tale of folly.

Philip Keith Wiley III