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MARCHING POWDER

‘Money. I need money.’

‘I’m afraid there is no provision for that in our funding, Mr McFadden. We can contact any family members or friends in England and help facilitate the transfer of any moneys they may wish to send.’

‘But that could take weeks. I really need money now.’

‘Our function at the embassy is to do all we can to protect your rights, but unfortunately there is no money we can give you,’ he dutifully informed me.

I explained to Mr Harris that I needed money urgently in order to purchase a cell and to buy blankets, food and clothes because the FELCN had kept mine and only given me a receipt. I didn’t explain about el Ingreso and the section entrance and transfer fees, because I thought that might complicate things too much.

‘I beg your pardon, Mr McFadden. I do not think I quite understand you,’ he said.

I explained again, this time giving him details about my first night and how I had been asked to pay a prison entry fee, and then five thousand dollars for a cell. I also explained, as best I could, that I had to pay a section entrance fee and a transfer fee for the title to a cell. At first, Mr Harris’s eyes seemed to get wider and wider, but then he folded his arms, leaned back in his chair and looked at me over the top of his glasses.

‘But that is preposterous, Mr McFadden! You do not mean to tell me that prisoners must pay to be incarcerated by the state and, furthermore, that they are obliged to purchase their own housing within the penitentiary facility?’

I went over the system a third time with him, explaining about the book that lists all the available properties and their registered owners. I knew it would be hard to believe so I thought that the more detail I gave, the more convincing I would be. Unfortunately, the exact opposite occurred: the further I got into the description, the more ridiculous it sounded, especially when I started talking about getting witnesses’ signatures for transfers of cell titles and about how the restaurant owners could earn real estate commissions.

‘I will look into this and see what I can do,’ said Mr Harris in his business-like fashion. However, I could tell by his expression that he did not believe me. He wanted to call me a liar, but he didn’t. Instead, he looked at his watch.

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