Missing my mother’s chicken noodle soup

By Fred, San Francisco Juvenile Hall
The Beat Within/NAM

I really miss and need my mom and her chicken noodle soup. When I was out, I didn’t have the right appreciation for my mom, and I hardly came home. Now that I’m locked up, I miss my mom and need her.

Right before I was locked up, three guys jumped me, knocked me down, kicked me, broke my jaw and almost killed me. My jaw is hurting me, and I have told the staff here to let me have some soft food because I can’t chew, but I’m very hungry. My jaw is still messed up.

These guys kicked me in my face until I almost died. They tried to kill me. I was lucky an ambulance came fast. When I woke up, I was in the ambulance. Then I fell back to sleep. My jaw is broken, cracked to my chin. The whole corner of my jaw was hanging down to my cheek, almost off. My mouth was all open. I couldn’t even close it.

The surgeon fixed my jaw five weeks ago, but my uncle punched me in the jaw and broke it again. The guys who beat me up got away, and I’m in here.

My neck feels ripped up to the back of my head. Every time I lay down on the block of cement that is my bed, it’s too hard for me. When I wake up, it hurts even more.

Now that I’m in here, they don’t feed me right. I don’t feel so good. I’m really hungry all the time. All they gave me for lunch was French fries and grapes. The grapes are cool, but I couldn’t eat the French fries because I can’t chew.

All I want is chicken soup. That’s all I ask for, but they won’t give me that. I want a lot of chicken soup, white rice and beans. When I told the nurse what happened to me and that I needed special foods because I can’t chew, she just laughed at me.

I want to go back to my mom’s house. I want to eat her chicken soup. There’s always a big pan of chicken soup on the stove for me when I am at home. I didn’t appreciate it before, but I will not let that happen again. As soon as I get out, I am going to my mom’s house and I am going to spend more time with her and my family.

Originally published Aug. 13-19, 2008