"The Coin" part 2 from "Inside Your Shadow" (C) 2025

 

He prayed to God to grant him the patience. Then he laughed when thinking that’s why he was placed in the job as a prison counselor. The hissing of the fan taught him to listen more intently to his patients. He put a nicer chair in his office: a thirty-year-old small leather black office seat-That’s what the patients called “The best chair in the jail.”

As he uncurled his fingers he realized in an instant that the almost skeletal hand uncurled of the Ferryman. He placed the coin in the Ferryman’s hand. Then the Ferryman motioned his robed arm for him to get on the ferry.

“Thomas Moon,” the patient read from the name tag.

Thomas looked at the patient’s folder. Usually he would have read his patient’s folder, and be better prepared. His name was “Ricky White,” he chuckled at the irony. Said to him “Ricky White, you’re more than just a number. You’re more than a statistic to me.”

 

He already knew from the patient’s voice that this would be an interesting session. He had learned from the streets, as an addict, that different tones mean different things in the con (convincing). “What you got to tell me white boy?” Then the patient continued. Explaining how the system was built to keep black people down. Told Moon how he barely missed the law busting through his connection’s door. How the leading policeman was using extra force because he was a racist. Every few seconds the patient paused to read his expression. Thomas Moon was sure to try to remain stoic as he replied, “Yea, but what’s that got to do with you?” That question made the patient angry. As he explained even more how the system failed him.

Seemingly unconsciously, a sadness and regret overwhelmed Thomas and he didn’t know why tears filled his eyes-effecting his vision as he whispered-and it echoed in his thoughts-it wasn’t the “I’m sorry” that penetrated his rage. “Damn,” Thomas said ashamed.

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