(9/13) “August 3rd, 2016. There was heat that took the breath...

(9/13) “August 3rd, 2016. There was heat that took the breath out of you: Alabama, 150-degree, muggy, humid, nasty fucking heat. Thankfully I was the landscape clerk, so I had my own desk. I was sitting there when I heard this jive turkey redneck voice over the intercom, asking me to report to the warden’s office at 12:30. It sounded like I was in trouble. I went to lunch, asked a few people what was going on. But nobody knew. When I get to the office there’s like eight guys sitting on the bench outside. Nobody knows each other, nobody’s talking, nobody knows what’s going on. But at some point it hits me, and I ask: ‘Did everyone here apply for clemency?’ And they said yes. And I said: ‘Well guys, this is it.’ They got called in one-by-one. And one-by-one they came out, each one of them cursing and slamming the door. I’m thinking: ‘Fuck, this ain’t good.’ I was the last name called. The phone on the desk started ringing the second I walked in. The associate warden tells me to pick it up. Touching the warden’s phone means six months in the shoe, so I hesitated. He says: ‘That’s a direct order.’ So I pick up the phone, and a female voice says: ‘Is this Mr. Gargano?’ And I’m like, ‘yah.’ And the voice says: ‘We’re calling to let you know that President Obama signed your petition this morning. You’re going home in four days.’ I went completely numb. I don’t think I even gave her a proper thank you. The landscape clerk has a golf cart. So I sleepwalked to my golf cart, and I drove it to a courtyard. I’d planted some flowers there: it was part of my responsibility. I sat down on a bench, and I cried. I wanted to celebrate. I wanted to scream. There was a fucking 4th of July firework finale going on in my heart, but I kept it under a blanket. There were other guys around, who might be more deserving than me, and I wanted to be respectful. So I just cried. I cried for an hour. I stayed there until it was getting close to count time, then I walked back to my unit. I called my mom. She said: ‘Johnny, what’s wrong?’ I said: ‘Nothing’s wrong, Mom.’ She said: ‘Johnny, what is it? What’s wrong?’ I said: ‘Nothing’s wrong, Mom. I’m coming home. I’m coming home in four days.’”