The Room by Hubert Selby Jr. Read Free Book Online

What were the charges?
A .  Suspicion. I do not know of what, but they said I was acting suspiciously. I tried to explain, and even showed them my drivers license and other identification, but they still locked me up.
    He was 12, or maybe 13. He and 2 friends were shooting crap under a light in the park. It was a cool evening and they were completely involved in the game and in keeping their hands warm. There was 2¢ on the ground and he was shooting for a point. As he was reaching for the dice someone yelled, cop, and they ran. He grabbed for the 2¢ and before he could get up and start running a cop came out of the bushes behind him and hit him across the reaching hand with his club. He ran, never knowing what the cop looked like. Not even feeling the pain until an hour later. The cop didnt pursue them and a block away he met his friends and they walked the few blocks home together. They asked him about his hand. He said it was all right, but it was starting to burn. When he had been home in the warmth of the house for a while, the pain started to increase. He was afraid to tell his parents as they would want to know why he had been hit and he was afraid to tell them what he had been doing. In the middle of the night the pain became acute. He moaned in his sleep and his mother came into his room to wake him and ask what was wrong. He told her he had fallen while playing a game and had hurt his hand. Early the next morning they went to the hospital and the hand was x-rayed. Three bones were so sharply broken it looked like a razor cut. He had been hit so hard there wasn’t a trace of splintering. The break didnt even need to be set or put in a cast. It was that clean a break. A small roll of gauze was put in his palm and the hand was wrapped. It was that simple.
In retrospect I guess it is difficult to understand. Perhaps I was naive, but at first I did not take them seriously. I mean I was annoyed, naturally, but I never believed for a moment that they would actually take me to a police station – in handcuffs .
Q . What happened then?
A . Well, to be perfectly honest, it is a haze of confusion until I was locked in that room. All I can remember is sitting in one room for hours, then another, and another and being fingerprinted and having any picture taken and being asked endless questions. I was in a state of utter and complete confusion. It all seemed so unreal somehow.
Q . Were you subjected to any form of physical punishment?
A . Well, in a way that is hard to answer. What I mean is they did not beat me or actually threaten to – that is verbally – but the way some of them walk around and look at you, as if you are some kind of animal or something and they would like nothing better than to get you alone in a locked room …… well, under those conditions you always feel threatened. But to be more specific, no, I was never actually threatened with bodily harm.
    The pain in his hand started to subside after it had been wrapped, but he was afraid to tell his mother that it felt better. When they had been home from the hospital a short time she asked what had happened. I dont know. We were just playing and I hit it and it broke I guess. But how could you have hit it so hard, son. I told you, I dont know. All I know is that we were playing and it hit something. Nobody did it. It just happened. But I didnt ask you if anyone hit you, I only – yeah, yeah, I know. But thats what you were thinking. That somebody hit me because I did something. But I – jesus krist mom, cant you leave me alone. It hurts bad enough without you bugging me about it.
Q . Were you subjected to any other kind of duress?
A . Yes. Most definitely. In addition to the hostility of their looks – perhaps sadism is a better word – there are many other ways in which a man can be humiliated. Or should I say subjected to inhuman punishment?
Q . What, specifically, do you mean?
A . Well … let me put it this way. After I was finally