Prison diary. II part

On learning Spanish inside, trying to stay vegetarian and one more reason to hate e-books.

Those who read my previous article, know that every Thursday I go to Pravieniskes Correction House-Open Prison Colony. It is a way too long name, and even if I take it from the official website, I am quite sure it is not a correct translation. So, from now on, I just call it Pravieniskes.

In Pravieniskes I go as a volunteer as I teach one inmate to read and write. So far I only went two times, but as long as I do not have a job and have time, I am planning to go there. And of course, if my pupil do not lose his will to learn.

On my second visit I am much more aware of my surroundings. As the first time, I have a permission written for a one day visit, and this time I can stay till 15.00. My number is 501001009. After this, we (me and a social worker of Caritas) are entering the 1 sector.

It is a strange thing but Pravieniskes gave me one more reason not to like electronic books. For me, half of an attraction of reading a book, is the book itself. You know, the cover, paper, it's smell. But I am a citizen of the modern world, so I possess a Kindle. And sometimes I do read books in it. But there is something missing. Like the book itself. So, the other reason not to like electronic books? Well, you cannot bring a Kindle inside the prison without the previous authorization. So, I leave the book and my phone on the threshhold to the prison. And enter through the barred doors. After that - a short corridor - and once again barred doors.

Then we enter a maze that is created in a yard with the wire fences. We have to cross the check point at one time where they should check what are you carrying. Then to the yard again where you see the inmates. As they know the social worker, they say "Hello", some others give some remarks as we are two women in an almost entirely men's world. (As far as I know, all inmates there are men, but some workers are women.) Being there it is not a nice feeling, but it is not as scary as I imagined.

After the maze, we enter the building where there are the class in which I am teaching my pupil. We ask the guard to invite him, and the social worker leaves me in the class to wait. This time I look around. Nothing special about this class with its benches and paper-board (the one where you rip off the paper when it is full). On the paper I can see some English words and rules which indicates that the inmates are having classes here. The bookshelf is emty though. As a lover of books I feel this emtiness. And then, of course, there is barred windows.

After this look around, an inmate enters. He has an inquiring face. Obviously, the guard mixed up. I say the name and surname of the one I am waiting, and he smiles, and says he will invite him.

10 minutes more and as I am planning to go and ask the guard myself, my student comes in. We greet each other and start a lesson. A joy to my soul - he manages to write his name without looking. The 5 letters are not connected but he can write and this shows me that I am here for a reason. So we proceed. This time I have an alphabet with pictures, you know: "A" with a picture of an "apple". Except, of course in Lithuanian, "an apple" is "obuolys" and its picture is near the letter "o". And we start to connect letters. I am trying to teach him to hear separate letters in the words he is saying.

As I learned to read at the age of 5, I think. Because I started the school when I was six and I already could read, for me everything is new. The realization, how difficult it is to remember letters and what a different sound they make when connected. But even after the second lesson, I can see the progress, and I am happy. I am doing something useful. Hopefully.

 I cannot imagine, how a person can live so long without knowing the letters. My world is made from letters. I read and write every day. I also know the Russian and Arabic alphabet, so I am really curious how can you manage to survive without any knowledge of letters.

The inmates lunch in the first sector is quite early. So after 1 hour of lesson I let him go and agree to meet him after my lunch: around 1 o'clock. So I stay alone in the class, waiting for a social worker to take me to lunch.

I have nothing to read as I left my book outside. I have no clock, as the only one I have is my mobile phone which is also far away. So I take my notebook of Spanish lessons and start learning Spanish words. It is a strange feeling. "La corbata", I read, whick means "the tie", and I hear the voices outside as they are gathering and moving to the canteen. I hear many times as one iron doors opens and closes. "El cinturón" ("belt"), "las gafas" ("glasses")... I feel strange, wouldn't you? I sit here, in the middle of the prison and I am learning Spanish...

I look through the barred window. I can see a yard that is divided in the different parts by the wire fences. In one of these parts is something that one can call a basketball court. There I can see a small group of men, dressed in sweatsuits, smoking. Others going from one part to other with iron gates constantly opening and closing. Somebody is opening and closing them for these men. They are not free to move from one part to the other.

"No es una falda" ("It is not a skirt"), I read. And I here some strong language and clapping. When I listen more intently, I can hear men are playing some game.

And then I hear a woman's shoes and I know that this is my time to go for a lunch. We are leaving the 1 sector and going to the canteen in the administration building. We are little too late. No wish, no pancakes. For a moment, I contemplate if our national dish "Vėdarai" is a vegetarian food. It is a funny question. I know it's not. It is made of pig's intestines and potatos. As somebody explained to one foreigner: "shit out, potatos in". Everything else what is left, is meat, meat and meat...

And then I realize that it is possible to eat a side-dish. Potatoes and vegetables without meat. As this is a very traditional and old-school Lithuanian canteen in a town of Pravieniskes (so not in one of the big cities), they are surprised. "No meat?". "Yeah, no meat".

After lunch - back to the class. We continue and we are trying to read. Oh, I noticed the identification. Probably, you too. Well, he trys to read and I try to help him to realize the connection between letters. It is a hard job. One needs a lot of patience. But if after some time he manages to read, well, I will be happy beyond imagination.

During the lessons, sometimes we stop and have a small chit-chat. During one of these, I ask him to inform me in advance if he does not want the next lesson because I come here from Vilnius. He assures me that he is determined to learn. Well, we will see.