Category Archives: Book

“Who was he for me?… His jokes started to be less and less funny… Do not stand beside her! Do not ever park beside her.” – fourteenth fragment of Martha’s book

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Fourteenth fragmentAll meetings ended with this, because I was in Poland, and after returning to work, on the second year of our acquaintance, innocent jokes started around us. Everyone was laughing when he joked that I will be his wife, but I let it out with my other ear, knowing, that he’s joking. After some time it began to be awkward, because his jokes startes to be less and less funny and pointed individually to coworkers, for example: “Do not stand beside her, do not ever park beside her.”

“Who was he for me?… I was also at his birthday, but only for 15 minutes, because he saw me, and asked me from the balcony to come in, just for a minute” – thirteenth fragment of Martha’s book

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fragmentAt work he often liked to start chatting. For the first year everything was calm, and I had friendly relations with him and his brother. We even had coffee and a cake with his brother on his name day (or his brother’s name day, I don’t remember precisely). I visited them three times during the first year, when he asked me to lend him some money, when he needed to repair his car. I was also at his birthday, but only for 15 minutes, because he saw me, and asked me from the balcony to come in, just for a minute.

“Who was he for me?… He seemed like a calm man.” – twelfth fragment of Martha’s book

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He was also sometimes assigned by the manager, to explain to me how I am supposed to work, because I was a new employee. He was kind, polite, and patient. When he could, he was giving me and other workers a ride to work, when we were starting on the same hour. We came back from work also together. But before that, at the very beginning, we had a taxi for workers, which was taken away from us. At that time we were all giving each other a ride. To me he was a hard-working, and he didn’t like when someone was lazy. He seemed like a calm man.

“Who was he for me?… He had a kind heart when speaking of his family” – eleventh fragment of Martha

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Who was he for me?

I first met him when I started working in the same hotel. We have known each other for two years but it wasn’t a close acquaintance. We were from different environments. He had his colleagues and spent the time with them. We never went together anywhere and there was no romantic or sexual relation between us. For the first year Csaba was courteous man. He had a kind heart when speaking of his family.

Martha on a meeting with Gary Cunningham in Dochas Centre – an author of a novel “Joys of Joy. Finding myself in an Irish Prison”

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Last week, on Wednesday or Thursday, a meeting with Gary Cunningham was held in Dochas Centre.
Gary Cunningham wrote a book about his imprisonment in Ireland.
He was imprisoned in Mountjoy Prison in Dublin.
He wrote the book while still being incarcerated.

On the general meeting with women imprisoned in Dochas Centre, he talked about how this book was created. Behind the scenes of creating his novel was very interesting.
The meeting took place at the Gym.
It lasted for about an hour.

After the meeting, Gary Cunningham asked Martha to stay.
He devoted several minutes to Martha, giving her personal advice on how to write a book while being imprisoned.
Thank you very much for your interest in Martha and her activity.
Martha writes a book about a tragedy that happened to her.
Part of the book is created now, in prison.
The next part, Martha will finish on freedom.

“The teachers at the school are very kind and patiently polite. I am grateful, that we have any classes… I read Polish books…” – tenth fragment of Martha’s book

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Now I attend to leather works, art (painting), ceramics, glass, sewing, carpentry, jewelry, kitchen, English language, first aid… and others when they are available. All the certificates I passed on to my family’s care and I continue gathering next ones, climbing on higher levels, e.g. I am finishing level 4 in English language e.t.c.
The teachers at the school are very kind and patiently polite. I am grateful, that we have any classes, it helps a lot.
Beside that I read Polish books, like “Secret”  and “Strength” or other of the type, so I can maintain positive thinking. I also find myself other hand works like crocheting or painting.

“Only 3 lessons are allowed every day…” – 9th fragment of Martha’s book

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We have few subjects at the school, only 3 lessons are allowed every day. There can be only 6 people in the class, so first come first served. There is a list of students, on which I am enrolled, and the list of waiting.

The prison also offers courses, that I am using.
At this time I hold about 10 certificates.

The subjects offered by the prison are computers (learning how to use them), kitchen (cooking one meal for yourself), jewelry (making, composing beads into jewelry), English language, first aid, carpentry, ceramics, welding of coloured glass, hand-sewing, leather works, cosmetics (painting nails, apllying creme), hairdressing (washing hair, drying, applying paint on the hair).

“I’ve created myself an everyday routine which helps me…” – eighth fragment of Martha’s book

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Book fragmentWhat do I do?

At 8:30 a.m. we’re unlocked. I wake up and get ready for school. First lesson starts at 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. – (15 minute break) – second lesson from 11:15 a.m. until noon.
At 12:30 we have lunch until 1:00 p.m.
The third lesson starts at 2:15 p.m.  and lasts til  4:p.m. At 4:30 p.m. we’re having dinner and it’s the last meal, but every morning, from 8:30 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. we can ask for cereal and milk. At 5:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. I work in the library*. And that’s how my every day ends.
Every day looks exactly the same. I’ve made myself an everyday routine, which helps me.

 

*Information about Martha working in the library is no longer valid.

“Usually I am sitting in my cell, counting days until next visit or phone call… I don’t need anything from you…” – seventh fragment of Martha’s book

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Fragment of the bookUsusally I am sitting in my cell, counting days until next visit or phone call. I don’t hang out with women from the prison, because they live in a totally different world, and they have most different characters, which I prefer to avoid. I try to avoid any complications or provocations, that’s why I prefer to stay in my room.

There is another Polish woman here, to whom I can go for a coffe, and sometimes talk. We sit together in the dining room. It helps me a lot, that I have someone to talk to. But as for the people working here, unfortunately you can feel there is not very nice atmosphere here, I suspect it’s because of my descent.

I could write and write about situations that happened to me here, but about some things, I’m scared to even write. That’s why I keep repeating to myself: “I don’t need anything from you”.

Of course you can not avoid everything. There is always a time of confrontation, and the need to ask for booking the family or other things needed for everyday living, like toilet paper and so on…

“I’m here for one and a half year already, but I feel like it was much more…” – sixth fragment of Martha’s book

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Book fragmentWhat is my current situation in prison.

I’m here for one and a half year already, but I feel like it was much more. Time passes very slowly, especially at nights. For time to pass faster I try to do whaever I can, and take what the prison offers.

I’m in a single cell, meaning I’m alone in the cell, so I feel safer. I wouldn’t like to share the cell for different reasons, among them thievery, lack of understanding, conflicts of different kinds, or bringing other girls to the room. I have a key to the room, and every time I go for dinner I close it.

Inmates are divided into three stages: basic, standard, and enhance. I am enhance, that means I can have two phone calls per day to my family or friends, every call for 6 minutes. I can also have two visits per week, thirty minutes each.

I work in the library and I get paid for it, + €3 per week (basic – €6, standard – €12, enhance – €15,60), meaning I have €18,60 per week.