Field Trip
By C.

When I was about 13 years old I took a trip to Busch Gardens with my eighth-grade
class. Cat Woman is the look I was after, so I decided to buy some pink Cat Woman
shades, a pink shirt with different color designs on it with a pair of white sneakers,
and blue jean shorts.  My friend Cathy didn't have a ride so my Mom picked her up to stay 
at our house. We played board games, listened to records, talked, basically everything
two kids would do.  Mom called us for our baths to prepare us for bed.  Five A.M.
comes before you know it.  Five A.M. we gathered our things along with our bagged
lunches and drinks that were so nicely put together. Mom awaited to take us to the bus.
The weather was warm yet dark not really knowing what the later heat was going to be like.
At the school we swarmed the bus like angry bees.  Before I got on the bus I was
handed some money to buy anything I wanted.  As the bus began to move we waved
to our parents.  Then we quicklys at down. All you could hear was the laughter and
talk of hyper kids ready to get where they were going.

 
Bush Gardens was before me, the biggest place I had ever seen.
I don’t recall what the color of the bus was, but it stopped, we went inside.
Once inside we ran around like run away slaves. My eyes were laid on the "cradle",
it went back and forth so I wanted to ride. It seemed as though it was in mid air
with its yellow box covered with all colors of the rainbow. Myself and about
six others got on not knowing what to expect. We were off back and forth,
with each swing it felt like whip lash, but it was fun until I got sick and
threw up in a trash can. Did I learn my lesson, no I was on the yoyo. The yoyo
was so neatly designed with ever color God created, the top was like
moving yoyo with strings hanging from it, with seats hanging from them.
We stayed about six to eight hours but it was worth it. We all were tired,
worn out and ready to go home. Back at the school mom was waiting onus,
so I told her all I could recall in such a short drive.
Once home I went straight to sleep, just to wake up to tell my story.

The most important reality that we face as mothers and inmates is the separation from our children.
This affects our beautiful children more than us. They feel alone because suddenly mom is gone.
They feel betrayed because they believe that mom is the one person in life that never should leave them.
Our children many times believe that this is their fault somehow and in reality we are responsible for our mistakes.
Though it is they who are really paying the price.
Prison would be a cakewalk if not for the separation of mother and child.