Prelude to Memoirs Of A Prison Pen- Pal

Prelude to Memoirs Of A Prison Pen-pal

Prelude to Chapter One

This portion is written by Bruce Thibodeaux. As we will both be writing this story, you will read portions from him, and portions from me Stephanie Durr Tullos.

It is a warm spring morning, as I sit on the porch swing of my country home. I gaze out into the pastures that surround my property. I appreciate the fortunate weather. I can feel the light breeze , smell the flowers as they bloom in the yard. It is going to be a beautiful day, I know. I slowly rock back and forth. Not much on my mind. I am completely care free, humbled.

The front door opens , and as she walks onto the porch, my heart comes to life. Thumping with sudden joy and excitement. My lips curl up into a slight smile...My Stephanie...the angel that was sent to fulfill my dreams. She is my companion, my best friend, and my wife. She walks out onto the porch wearing short pink shorts, a white tank top, and has her gorgeous long, blonde hair tied back into a ponytail. She carries with her a tray of blue berry muffins with 2 glasses of sweet iced tea. She walks over to me sitting on the swing, and smiles at me. That smile that is meant for me alone. Once again my heart immediately leaps with a new sense of joy! She sits next to me, and looks out over the fields. Still the hint of a smile on her face. We tear pieces of the muffins, eat little bites, and simply enjoy the silence, as well as each other. We are at peace without a worry in the world. No words are spoken between us. We know each other's hearts so completely, that no words are needed.

My eyes slowly open, and the dream fades into oblivion. I sit up in my rack and stretch. The first thing I do is reach into my locker, and grab my JP5 tablet. As I turn it on I say a silent prayer that I have incoming emails. I feel a sense of longing, and hope that she is well.

See, I am in prison. Serving a 25 year sentence for the conviction of armed robbery. I have been serving time now for more than 10 calendar years. Housed in a DOC facility in the state of Louisiana. I have been at this particular facility for a little over 5 years now.

When I first arrived at Rayburn Correctional Center, I met a fellow inmate who was corresponding with a female inmate at another facility in the state. They were pen-pals. I asked him if I could send an introduction letter with his next letter to his female friend in the hopes of finding myself a pen-pal as well. He said he had no problem with that so i immediately crafted my letter, and gave it to him to send out the next day....

What would happen next would change my life dramatically forever...

"Bruce Thibodeaux", the guard yells "mail call, you have a letter". I immediately felt this strange sense of ...I don't know...this pull... this connection...and I haven't even opened the letter yet. I sat on my rack, and looked at the name on the envelope,"Stephanie Durr Tullos". For some reason I was extremely excites and filled with anticipation. I opened the letter and read....

I may not remember every single word in every single letter that went back and forth between us over the years, nut you have to keep in mind that we were writing each other religiously, every single day. I sat in my rack writing to her, as she did the same thing in her little part of the world. Now I can only speak from my point of view, but I am willing to bet a million dollars to a bucket of shit that she was doing exactly as I was. Feeling the exact same things that I was. Having the exact same thoughts and emotions...

I was extremely lonely prior to meeting Stephanie. She completely captivated all of my attention, and I no longer felt the dread of loneliness. All of my focus was on her. This amazing woman who was doing time in prison herself. I had become utterly infatuated with her. I had received several photographs of her, and was blown away at the beauty I see in this woman. How could I be so lucky? I asked myself a million times.

As time passed, weeks into months and months into years, Stephanie and I wrote back and forth like our lives depended on it. Most of the time we would send letters out without giving the other time to respond. We would immediately begin a new letter, mail that one out, and start on another... We became so close, a part of each other's lives simply through letters. If you do not believe that two people can fall head over heels, madly and deeply in love simply through letters, then you also can not believe the sky is up, and water is wet. Please believe me, love is simply where it is...It finds the ones who are meant to have it. It is 1000% true. Two people CAN fall in love simply through letters.

It has been over 5 years now since the first letters were exchanged between Stephanie and I. I still to this day remain sitting in my rack at RCC serving time...but my Stephanie is home now,finally free, and doing great for herself. We are just as much in love and a part of each other's lives now as we have ever been. Honestly, it is much, much more. She is here for me like no other has ever been. Taking extremely great care of my heart, and even my financial needs. We are still madly in love. We talk on the phone every single day. We make one another happy. In the end , nothing else matters. We have so many things in common, and the connection we have binding our hearts is so pure that I know I have found my true soul mate.

For anyone out there who needs some advice, sort of, a sense of hope, a few words of encouragement, please take it from me. I am in prison, I can sit here and tell you that life is good. Life is only what we, ourselves make it. From that bedrock principal, from which all things are built; what exists, exists. What is simply is. The foundation from which life is embraced. The person you were meant to spend your life with IS out there. You will find that person if only you have patience. Before you can love anyone else you must first learn to love yourself. Only then can someone else make your life all the more meaningful, all the more wonderful. I have learned many things dealing with the heart, because of Stephanie. I now recognize truth in the word 'love' where others may not have faith it is real....

Thia portion was written by BJ- Bruce thibodeaux