The setting for this essay is in a federal prison camp for women in Pekin, Illinois. The author has brought her nephew to the prison camp to see his mother, which is the author’s older sister. Coyne informs us that it is Mother’s Day, and that all of the convict-moms have a single flower, either in a pop can or lying on the table in front of them. She talks about how the mothers sniff their children just to get a scent of them, to remind them that they still belong to them. Of course all of the mothers graciously accept their flowers and any other gifts they may receive, and flatter their children with compliments.
Coyne discusses how awkward much of the conversation is, with people spending their time talking about what lodge they may be staying at, or how far they had to drive rather than to ask about the things they really want to know, such as the reasons for incarceration. She says that most of the mothers are dressed very nicely in clothes that they made for themselves while doing their time, and that they are all now sitting in this visiting room for the next five hours to attempt to have at least some kind of normal conversation with their families. At one point a lady comes over to the author and her family and begins describing the horrid conditions of maximum security prisons to them, seeming to beg them for their mercy even though it would do nothing to change the situation.
The author talks about one lady who is spending ten years in prison just for being in the car with her boyfriend while he committed a crime, while he only got three years. Coyne then goes on to discuss how complicated it will be to describe to these children later on why their mother’s were forced to spend so much time in jail for seemingly minor offenses when other hardened criminals seemingly get off with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. The lady who is spending ten years is given the name of “Stephanie” by the author. Stephanie has a mulatto son named Ellie. The author discusses how Stephanie and the boy would be spending their time at home if she was there with him, and the hardships that he faces without her. He seems to be very unruly and disrespectful to his mother, and she attempts to discipline him without any success.
Many of the other people visiting interact with the family. One of the young boys there is the youngest Frank Sinatra impersonator, and he sings several songs for whatever audiences he can gather while his mother beams with pride. A whole family of Latinos visit a mother-daughter criminal combination, a young rebellious teenage girl for defacing federal property talks with the author’s sister, and a female freedom fighter from Libya talks with the author’s brother to ask him to make her a bust to present to the dictator of Libya for what she hopes will get her children back for her. She also talks about a woman they call “Ponytail” who is a very stern prison guard, and had always wanted to be a prison guard.
When the time to leave begins to roll around, everyone begins saying their final good-byes. The mothers spend most of these last few moments with their children, some of them crying, others just sitting and staring at them with blank expressions. The authors sister sobs as she holds her son, while her son does the same in return. Stephanie is trying to talk with her son Ellie again, although he is still being very unruly. She tries to hold his hands and talk to him, but he jerks free and punches her in the face. Turning around, he storms out of the prison camp, leaving his mother behind to finish her time.
