An Uninterrupted View Of The Sky

An Uninterrupted View Of The Sky

YA fact based fiction
"Entire families live in the prison. The mother usually goes
out during the day to the Cancha [market], where she sells handcrafts
or the furniture made by prisoners. The father usually works in the
wood shop, or in one of the prison jobs: delivering messages from the
outside or running one of the little stores in the courtyard. Some
serve as delegates on the council that runs the place from the inside
and reports to the guards on the outside. They take care of
everything from discipline when a prisoner has earned it to collecting
rent for the cells to keeping track of the kids who live here."
Every time I think I've learned all the evils in the world to be
irate about I'm in for a rude awakening. My most recent one was
provided by Melanie Crowder's An Uninterrupted View Of The Sky. The
setting of this fascinating and thought provoking coming-of-age story
could be another ring for a poste Dante Hades.
Francisco lives to play soccer. Due to graduate from secondary
school in six weeks, he and his best friend, Reynaldo, have plans to
go into business together with a stall at the Cancha.
"I know the streets of this neighborhood. I know where I
belong. I'll set up shop with Reynaldo, and I'll play futbol [soccer]
every day and nobody will ever expect anything more from me."
Then Francisco's world falls apart. One day he comes home to
find out that his father has been arrested and jailed, accused of
breaking the 1008, a drug law. The taxi he drives has been
impounded. His family can't afford a lawyer, court fees, or bribes.
His mother has never heard of anyone arrested under that law ever
leaving prison.
Then Francisco's life gets even worse. He, his mother, and his
little sister, Pilar, who is only eight, visit his father. The prison
is nothing like ones you see on television. Prisoners who can't
afford to pay for a cell (a small room with a matress and a lock on
the door) sleep on the floor of the courtyard. As for bathroom
facilities...
"And that's when I notice the floor. The drain in the middle of
the concrete can't keep up with the water and...other stuff flowing
out of the toilet. I pick up my feet--the soles of my shoes are slick
with it..."
Somehow during the day Francisco's mother slips away. She is
gone when the gate to the outside world is locked for the night. The
next day when he sets out to find her he discovers that she has
abandoned her family.
Francisco and Pilar must live with their father. They become
part of a pack of kids commuting to school each day. The prison is a
very unsafe place for a little girl. Francisco will have to leave
when he turns 18. He's never been much of a student, seeing his
father's plans for him to finish secondary school and attend
university as irrelevant...
...But what if it is the way he can rescue his one remaining
parent?
During her college years Crowder spent a summer volunteering in
Bolivia. She worked in an organization that gave children living in
prisons a safe (off the street) place to spend their afternoons and
activities, food, and medical care. She saw how the United States
pressure to pass and enforce 1008 led to much human tragedy.
"When I left Bolivia and returned to college and my privileged
North American life, the human cost of this country's war on drugs
weighed heavily on me. The brief time during which I joined those
pitting themselves against that particular tangle of crippling
poverty, aggressive foreign policy, and persistant injustice stuck
with me.
I'm a writer. When confronted with what seems like an immovable
obstacle, the only way I know to move forward is through story."
She certainly opened up my eyes. Please give her the
opportunity to enlighten you.
On a personal note, after we'd cleared out the Alfond Arena and
dropped off items for different organizations, there was one more
thing to do in regard to Clean Sweep: get the Black Bear Exchange
back in order. Wednesday we checked all the expiration dates on
donated foods and put the good stuff in all the right places. Except
the candy. Georgia and the guys put all the candy in a box and gave
it to me. Very sweet of them. Even a whole box of fun dip packages.
With our nonperishable stock, the fresh food from dining services, and
the money we earned our campus food pantry is in good shape. Then
Thursday we organized and hung the clothes. With some carpentry on
the part of the guys and organizational strategies on Georgia's part
the place is looking better than ever!!!
Lisa told us the total for Clean Sweep. Last year we'd raised a
little over $6,000. This year we took in $9,038!!! Yay Team!!!
A great big shout goes out to the amazing team and our inspiring
leader, Lisa Morin.
jules hathaway



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