Part 17 (1/2)
”Ever see anything interesting?” I asked
”Every dah, I just pick up the letter and stick it in h an X-ray?” I asked
”hell, yeah,” he said ”It stands out like you do you do in prison” in prison”
Ella laughed Jimmy smiled, too
”But people don't send cash that often, do they?” I asked
”shi+t,” Jefferson said, bobbing his head up and down and laughing, ”I loved them holidays Christ money to everybody they know I made 900 one day before Christmas”
Jimmy looked appalled, and Ella shook her head
”You didn't feel bad about taking people's Christot a heart,” he said ”I took the time to read every one of them cards Like on Mother's Day, nicest notes you've ever seen One said: Mom, your family loves you I hope this comes in handy Mom, your family loves you I hope this cohed And it sure did!” Jefferson laughed
Ella scolded hi money from mothers Jefferson acted as if he didn't hear her The more he talked, the more excited he became ”Birthdays was better,” he said ”I loved birthdays I'd take them cards home and read every one of 'em Then I'd count the : Happy birthday to me Happy birthday to me Happy birthday, dear Jefferson Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday to me Happy birthday to me Happy birthday, dear Jefferson Happy birthday to ht about the birthday cards I'd sent to Neil and Maggie and hoould have felt if someone had taken them ”Tell me you didn't take money from little kids”
”Sure did!” he said, proudly ”One day I got this card, it say: Tommy, here's a brand-new 100 bill for every year you've been alive Tommy, here's a brand-new 100 bill for every year you've been alive” Jefferson smiled ”And that kid was five years old”
”That's terrible!” Ella said
”It sure was,” Jefferson said ”I was hopin' he was a teenager” He laughed and danced some more Jefferson said he had been named employee of the month on several occasions
”I was always happy to work overtime on the X-ray machine,” Jefferson said ”They just loved me down at the Loyola Street Post Office”
”I bet they didn't love you when you got caught,” I said
”Got caught!” Jefferson said ”I'm in here for money orders Those dumb asses never knew about the X-ray machine” Jefferson told us he had saved oin' legit,” he said ”I'et out”
He turned and danced into the kitchen Ella shook her head
”Mail wasn't the only thing they baked in the old days,” Jimmy said ”They tried to cook me!”
Jimmy was one of a handful of patients who in the 1930s volunteered for an experimental fever treatment Ji of a marine hospital in New Orleans There, they were placed in fever machines Ella and I listened to Ji Christmas in the hospital, about the doctor who pushed boundaries to raise his body teher, and the fever
”The contraption had two openings,” Jimmy said ”One for my head The other for the thermometer in my rectum” At that, Ella turned away and rolled toward the coffeepot
”Did it work?” I asked
”Justhis final treatrees He blacked out The nurses told hione berserk They stopped the treatments and sent everyone back to Carville But a year later, Jiative for leprosy twelve months in a row
Jienic treatment The heat had nearly killed Jierous, but it seeood alternative for those with terminal illness And, not unlike chemotherapy, many medical procedures aln object
”If you were cured,” I asked Jimmy, ”why did you come back?”
”Leprosy ca”
Jimmy moved back and forth between Carville and home But it was his ho needed treatment most of the ti his first stint at Carville, a nun naed hiative for leprosy, he rapher
”I did s,” he said
”Did the people in Ville Platte know you'd been in Carville?”
”Most did,” he said
”Did that affect your business?”
”Never!” Ji in color, I went to the bank every day Not to borrow, mind you, but to put money in”
Jiet treat lived independently for alined his leprosy had returned
Ji, were in terrible shape She required daily treatments
Jimmy leaned in toward me ”Most people won't tell you this,” he said in a low voice, ”but any of us ere forced to be here can come back to live” He looked around to make sure no one could hear what he was about to say ”It doesn't cost us a cent” He sat back in the chair ”Not a bad deal, if you can get it”
A guard came into the cafeteria ”Where's Jefferson?” he asked uard said
I found Jefferson asleep in the back of the cooler We walked together back to the leprosy patient cafeteria
”You got a new job assignuard told Jefferson
Jefferson started dancing and singing ”I ain't never washi+n' another dish as long as I live!” The guard escorted Jefferson toward the hallway
”Hey, Jefferson,” I called out, ”where's your new job?”
Jefferson looked over his shoulder and smiled, ”Prison mail room!”
CHAPTER 58
”Hey, Harry,” I said, ”this isjobs”
Harry tipped his hat, like he always did ”Good luck,” he said