Page 85 of Misadventures of a Biker

He reached for the remote and switched it on. “There. Happy now?”

“I’d be happier if you told me what was going on.”

“Nothing’s going on,” he replied. “I’m just sitting here.”

“Doing what?”

“Thinking.”

“About what?”

“Life.”

I walked to the chair across from him and sat down. “Talk to me, old man. What’s going on?”

He reached to his side. With an envelope clutched in his hand, he stood and walked to where I sat. His eyes were welled with tears.

He tossed the envelope into my lap. “Here you go.”

I looked at the envelope. The return address was the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Excitedly, I flipped it over. Scotch tape secured the envelope’s flap.

“You opened it already?” I asked.

“Just read the damned thing.”

Nervously, I removed the letter and unfolded it.

Mr. Wallace,

Regarding your request for early termination from supervised release, we offer the following response.

The court is required to act in accordance with the procedures and allowances set forth in 18 U.S.C. § 3583(e). Pursuant to the aforementioned section, we have carefully considered your request. The below ruling will be entered and in effect on the date of this letter’s writing.

You are hereby released from your requirement to report to an officer of the court.

Respectfully,

Jonas Webster, Circuit Judge, Middle District of Florida

“I’m free.” I looked at Herb. “Holy. Shit.”

“Yeah. Holy shit is right.” He looked at me with sad eyes. “What now?”

My mind was going a hundred miles an hour. “I don’t know,” I stammered.

“You going to Miami to be with those fuck bubbles you used to run with?”

I had no idea what I was going to do. Being free of the court’s restrictions, I felt I needed to run in a dozen different directions.

I hated seeing Herb in the condition he was in, but there was nothing I could do or say that would satisfy him. I needed to think, and there was only one way for me to clear my mind to do so.

“You’ve eaten?” I asked.

“I have.”

“I’m going for a ride.”

“To Miami?”