Last Memory: Leisha

Summary

Ear Hustle Episode Summary: "Last Memory: Leisha"

Podcast Title: Ear Hustle
Hosts: Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods
Episode: Last Memory: Leisha
Release Date: November 27, 2024

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Introduction to the Episode

In the episode titled "Last Memory: Leisha," hosts Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods delve into the poignant story of Leisha, a woman incarcerated at the California Institution for Women (CIW). Building on the podcast's ongoing exploration of inmates' last memories before imprisonment, this episode takes a unique investigative turn as Nigel and Earlonne attempt to locate the individual who played a pivotal role in Leisha's life-changing moment.

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Leisha's Last Memory Before Prison

The episode opens with Leisha recounting her last memory before her incarceration. On September 28, 2022, Leisha discovered she was pregnant—a revelation that profoundly impacted her life. She describes the moment with vivid detail:

Leisha [02:22]: "I'm smiling because my last memory before I came to prison was finding out I was pregnant... I remember going into the 7 11, I was going to the 7 11. And I bought a pregnancy test... I kind of, like, just looked around like, this moment is gonna change my life forever."

Leisha explains that her discovery came at a time when she was primarily focused on supporting her significant other, who was battling a fentanyl addiction. The realization of her pregnancy was unanticipated and forced her to confront future responsibilities she hadn't fully considered.

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The Mission to Locate Cedric at 7-Eleven

Determined to honor Leisha's story, Nigel and Earlonne embark on a mission to locate Cedric, the 7-Eleven employee who allowed Leisha to use the store's restroom—an act that enabled her to take the pregnancy test. The hosts discuss their plan to visit the specific 7-Eleven location mentioned by Leisha:

Nigel Poor [04:15]: "The idea is you're going to tell us about your last memory. We are going to go to the place where that memory happened, and then we're going to come back and tell you what we found there."

They set out to Fresno, California, aiming to track down Cedric based on Leisha's detailed description of him as a "tall white guy with dreadlocks."

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First Attempt: Uncovering Cedric's Identity

Upon arriving at the first 7-Eleven on McKinley and Fresno Street, the hosts attempt to find Cedric. However, their initial encounter yields no results:

Cedric [09:38]: "My name is Cedric. I work for 711 in Fresno, California, on Palm and McKinley. So I've been working here for three years. Not familiar with the person we're talking about here, but I'm sure I'll get a little bit more clarification."

Cedric courteously denies knowledge of the individual Leisha described, prompting Nigel and Earlonne to visit another nearby 7-Eleven in hopes of a different encounter.

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Second Attempt: Confirming Cedric's Role

Their second visit to a different 7-Eleven brings them closer to Cedric's identity. The hosts observe a man matching Leisha's description:

Nigel Poor [26:11]: "He had super curly hair. He had it in a ponytail."

Recognizing the familiar demeanor and appearance, they approach Cedric again to recount Leisha's story. Cedric reflects on the interaction and shares a profound insight:

Cedric [27:46]: "Every single person around you has a fully detailed life. That everyone's complicated."

This philosophy underscores the complex, unseen lives that individuals lead—highlighting the interconnectedness of seemingly random encounters.

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Interview with Cedric: The 7-Eleven Philosopher

Cedric opens up about his perspective on human interactions:

Cedric [17:14]: "I like to treat others how I'd like to be treated. If I'm walking into a store, I'd like to be greeted. I'd like to be told, hey, how are you today? Just the simplest thing can make somebody's day."

He emphasizes the importance of kindness and acknowledges that simple gestures can have significant impacts on others' lives. Cedric's approach to customer service reflects a deep-seated belief in the value of every individual's story and struggles.

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Reflections on Human Complexity

The conversation between Cedric, Nigel, and Earlonne delves into the idea that every person harbors a complex inner world:

Cedric [18:37]: "It means the feeling of realizing that the people around you, every single person around you has a fully detailed, enveloped life."

This realization fosters empathy and a deeper understanding of human behavior, illustrating how brief interactions can profoundly affect someone's trajectory. Cedric's role in Leisha's story is a testament to the ripple effect one's actions can have on another's life.

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Update on Leisha's Imminent Release

As the episode progresses, Nigel and Earlonne return to CIW to inform Leisha of their findings. With her release date approaching on October 24th, Leisha grapples with the emotional weight of reuniting with her children and the lingering doubts about her self-worth and parenting capabilities:

Leisha [29:26]: "Just knowing that I've been away from them for so long, it has set a seed in my mind. Like, am I worthy enough to be a mom? Am I worthy enough to raise these? Am I capable of this?"

Through role-playing with the hosts, Leisha prepares to address her children, reaffirming her commitment to change and her determination to be a better mother:

Leisha [30:06]: "So mom did not leave by choice. I left because I made very bad decisions in my life... Sometimes you need time to look at yourself in the mirror and face the person that's there."

Her heartfelt message underscores themes of redemption, personal growth, and the enduring bond between parent and child.

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Concluding Insights

"Last Memory: Leisha" is a compelling exploration of how small acts of kindness can alter the course of an individual's life. Cedric's willingness to assist Leisha in a moment of vulnerability exemplifies the profound impact that everyday interactions can have. The episode not only sheds light on the personal struggles of those within the prison system but also celebrates the human capacity for empathy and change.

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Notable Quotes

• Leisha [02:22]: "This moment is gonna change my life forever."
• Cedric [17:14]: "I like to treat others how I'd like to be treated."
• Cedric [18:37]: "It means the feeling of realizing that the people around you, every single person around you has a fully detailed, enveloped life."
• Leisha [29:26]: "Am I worthy enough to be a mom? Am I worthy enough to raise these? Am I capable of this?"
• Leisha [30:06]: "Sometimes you need time to look at yourself in the mirror and face the person that's there."

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Conclusion

This episode of Ear Hustle masterfully intertwines investigative journalism with personal storytelling, offering listeners a multifaceted view of life behind bars and the interconnectedness of human experiences. Through Leisha's journey and the hosts' dedication to uncovering her story, "Last Memory: Leisha" emphasizes the importance of understanding, compassion, and the profound effects of seemingly minor decisions.

Transcript

[Earlonne Woods]

Hey, listeners. We are cooking up something really fun for next season, and we need your help.

[Nigel Poor]

You might remember that for the last couple seasons, Earlonne and I have been producing mystery episodes.

[Earlonne Woods]

That's when me and Nige each come up with a story idea, and we work on it in secret until we reveal it to each other in the studio when we're recording narration.

[Nigel Poor]

And I love doing these. It's so much fun to surprise each other, and it gives us the opportunity to each explore a subject that intrigues us.

[Earlonne Woods]

This season, we're adding a twist, and that's where you come in.

[Nigel Poor]

Is there a story you've always wanted to hear on Ear Hustle, A topic you wished one of us would explore? Well, here's your chance to shape an upcoming episode.

[Earlonne Woods]

All you gotta do is email us an idea. It could be something really specific, like you want to hear a story about someone who had to lose a lot of weight in prison.

[Nigel Poor]

Or it can be more abstract, like, what do people think about when they first wake up in prison? Maybe even on their first day in prison. And remember, it's a story idea for Earlonne and a story idea for me. So two different ideas.

[Earlonne Woods]

If your idea is selected, you will be invited to join us via Zoom and be the third host when we record narration in the studio.

[Nigel Poor]

This is going to be great, and it's also going to give us a chance to do something really meaningful with our listeners.

[Earlonne Woods]

So send your idea to infoearhustlesq.com and the deadline is January 15th.

[Nigel Poor]

That's infoearhustlesq dot com by January 15th. And I cannot wait to find out what my story idea is gonna be.

[Earlonne Woods]

I know what I'm gonna give.

[Nigel Poor]

No, you don't.

[Earlonne Woods]

It's gonna be gang related. Why?

[Nigel Poor]

Shh. No hands.

[Earlonne Woods]

I gotta say all that?

[Nigel Poor]

Yes. Okay.

[Marcus Henderson]

My name is Marcus Henderson, AKA Wale. You last heard me in a little street, a little romance and a little deception. I just got out of San Quentin State Prison. I'm happy. I'm just overjoyed right now. The following episode of Ear Hustle contains language that may not be for all listeners. Discretion is advised.

[Leisha]

I set it on the counter and I just turned my back and I kind of like, stood there for a minute and it says like, two minutes, but I turned around in probably, like, 30 seconds, and it was. There were two lines.

[Nigel Poor]

Were you hoping for the two lines?

[Leisha]

I don't know what I was hoping for. I definitely was hoping that this baby would help me get my shit together.

[Nigel Poor]

Then you walk out of the bathroom with the stick.

[Leisha]

With the stick in my. I told everybody in 7:11 Guys, I'm pregnant. Hey, everybody, I'm pregnant. They're like, all right, congratulations.

[Earlonne Woods]

So what did you do with the test?

[Nigel Poor]

I held it in my hand.

[Earlonne Woods]

How long did you keep it?

[Leisha]

I probably still have it at home. I probably still have it in the drawer at home, which sounds disgusting, but that's how memories are made.

[Earlonne Woods]

This is Leisha when we met her. She was incarcerated at the California Institution for Women, or ciw, and we'd come to talk to her about her last memory before coming to prison.

[Nigel Poor]

And Earlonne, does it seem to you like this whole season has been about memories? I mean, it's kind of funny.

[Earlonne Woods]

I guess that's kind of been a thread.

[Nigel Poor]

Yeah. And I think we're not quite done pulling it yet. So that's what we're up to today, indeed. I'm Nigel Poor.

[Earlonne Woods]

And I'm Earlonne woods. And this is ear hustle from PRX's Radiotopia.

[Leisha]

I'm from Fresno, California, born and raised. I did nursing for a little while. I, you know, committed crimes for a little while, too.

[Earlonne Woods]

So which one was more profitable?

[Leisha]

Nursing. Should have stuck with that.

[Nigel Poor]

So right now we're working, as Erlan said, a story about last memories. But the idea is the last memory before you came to prison, and we've done this episode before with dudes, and so we wanted to do it at a woman's prison. So the idea is you're going to tell us about your last memory. We are going to go to the place where that memory happened, and then we're going to come back and tell you what we found there.

[Leisha]

So I'm smiling because my last memory before I came to prison was finding out I was pregnant. The day I found out I was pregnant, I had on some leggings, some black leggings, some Nikes, and I remember I packed a pack of cigarettes and I opened them and I gagged. And I was like, whoa, what the heck just happened right now? And I was like, I feel kind of nauseous, but I still did not think I was pregnant. My significant other at the time was using fentanyl, was a fentanyl addict. Not my style. I don't do that. So I was like, more looking out for him, trying to take care of him, trying to make sure he's okay. And it just never occurred to me that I would even possibly get pregnant or be with child at all whatsoever. And I remember going into the 7 11, I was going to the 7 11. And I bought a pregnancy test. And they actually don't let people use the restroom. But the guy. I remember going to that 711 pretty often, and the guy was like, I don't. And I'm like, I know, I know, I know, but. And I showed him the test, like, come on. And he's like, all right. And I went in there, and the bathroom was. It was a little dirty. Some paper towels on the ground. And I remember leaning over the sink, splashing my face with a little water. I kind of, like, just looked around like, this moment is gonna change my life forever.

[Nigel Poor]

I got a very important question.

[Earlonne Woods]

Go.

[Leisha]

Yes.

[Nigel Poor]

Did you sit or hover?

[Leisha]

I hovered.

[Nigel Poor]

Yeah, me too.

[Leisha]

I never sit. I have a very hard time. Like, even in my sail, I like to hover.

[Nigel Poor]

Yeah.

[Leisha]

Yeah.

[Nigel Poor]

Do you know that we're a rare breed?

[Leisha]

Yeah.

[Nigel Poor]

I'm asking people.

[Leisha]

I could imagine.

[Nigel Poor]

Single cell or were there stalls?

[Leisha]

It was a single sailor.

[Earlonne Woods]

Y'all just fucked me up with this single cell shit.

[Nigel Poor]

Did I say single cell?

[Earlonne Woods]

Yeah.

[Nigel Poor]

Oh, sorry. I meant single. Well, you know what I meant. Yes. When Leisha remembered this day at 7:11, she also remembered that there was someone else that was really important to this story. And it was the guy who worked there, the one who let her use the bathroom.

[Leisha]

I do remember there's. He's been there for a really, really long time. He's a tall white guy, and he always wears. I think he has dreadlo. I was gonna say he had braids, but I think he has dreadlocks.

[Nigel Poor]

What's the address of the 7 11? Do you know it is. Or the corner, at least?

[Leisha]

It's on McKinley and Fresno street in Fresno, California. This was in. Let me see, 22.

[Nigel Poor]

It's 20.

[Leisha]

Yeah. This is.

[Nigel Poor]

So it's only two years ago.

[Earlonne Woods]

Yeah.

[Leisha]

He might still be there.

[Earlonne Woods]

So we getting off on the McKinley exit.

[Cedric]

Okay, EARLYN.

[Nigel Poor]

What are we about to do?

[Earlonne Woods]

We about to go to 7 11. Are you getting too much sugar in a slushy? Nigel, what is the mission here? What are we trying to go do?

[Cedric]

Okay, so instead of going to 711 to get an Icee for you, we.

[Nigel Poor]

Are driving all the way to Fresno.

[Cedric]

To try to track down his story.

[Nigel Poor]

For Leisha.

[Earlonne Woods]

Yes.

[Nigel Poor]

For her last memory.

[Cedric]

Do you remember what her last memory was?

[Earlonne Woods]

Yes. Her last memory was being in a 711 bathroom. So what are the chances we walk in and see a tall dude with dreadlocks?

[Nigel Poor]

I'm gonna say 30.

[Earlonne Woods]

30. That's a lot.

[Nigel Poor]

That's a lot. What do you think, e.

[Earlonne Woods]

I got 20 bucks in my pocket. And we go in here and we find this dude, I'm playing the lottery right then and there because we're guesstimating that this is not an off day. We guesstimating that he still worked there. And we guesstimating we're going on his shift. And then if we walk up in that joint and he behind the cash register, I'm just gonna pull my money out of my pocket and just be like, hey, let me get some quick pigs.

[Nigel Poor]

It says it's in 700ft. This isn't a residential neighborhood. I guess there's some houses over there. I wonder why she would come to this. 7 11. It should be right after these lights.

[Cedric]

There's a 7 11.

[Earlonne Woods]

What?

[Nigel Poor]

Green and red. 7 11.

[Earlonne Woods]

7 11.

[Cedric]

Okay, we just parked, so. Okay, we're gonna walk in.

[Earlonne Woods]

Oh, they got the big ghost. They got all the sugary stuff. I wish I could eat. Hello. How you doing? Doing a feel good story. So I have a. I have a good question for you. When you're. There was a guy in there, he seemed like a manager. He was a middle aged, maybe middle Easterner dude.

[Nigel Poor]

Right. And I mean, we didn't know who else worked there. But this guy was clearly not the one Leisha had met.

[Earlonne Woods]

Not at all. But we told him Lesha's story anyway.

[Cedric]

She came in here and spoke to a man who worked here, who she described as a middle aged white guy with dreadlocks.

[Nigel Poor]

We asked if anyone who worked at 7Eleven might fit that description.

[Cedric]

What, a middle aged white guy with dreadlocks?

[Earlonne Woods]

And he was like, uh, so what you.

[Marcus Henderson]

I'm here 14 years, I never saw.

[Earlonne Woods]

No tall guy with locs like locks in his hair.

[Nigel Poor]

He was pretty emphatic. Nope. And when I mentioned that Leisha had been allowed to use the bathroom in.

[Cedric]

There, the guy let her use the.

[Marcus Henderson]

Bathroom if she come in daytime. There's no way.

[Cedric]

There's no way.

[Earlonne Woods]

Well, that was a bus. But we didn't give up that easy.

[Nigel Poor]

Of course we didn't. I mean, we knew this was going to be an adventure.

[Cedric]

Is there another 711 near here?

[Marcus Henderson]

One on Parman McKinley.

[Cedric]

Oh, maybe we'll try that one. Do you think they'll be as nice as you were?

[Marcus Henderson]

I'm not as nice.

[Cedric]

Thank you for your time.

[Earlonne Woods]

Thank you. Appreciate it.

[Cedric]

Oh my God, look at my seat. Holy shit, there's food all over it. Okay, that was entertaining, but. Well, she did say McKinley, but there's. If there's another one on McKinley.

[Earlonne Woods]

Yeah, we drive, I don't know, maybe a mile down McKinley.

[Nigel Poor]

Yeah, it wasn't that far. All right.

[Cedric]

Oh, 7 11.

[Earlonne Woods]

Oh, okay.

[Nigel Poor]

7 11.

[Cedric]

Right across from the high school.

[Earlonne Woods]

So this one might be the one. We walk in to see a guy with dreads.

[Nigel Poor]

I hope so.

[Earlonne Woods]

All right, what does the lottery say? 34 million and 16 million.

[Cedric]

Okay, we're at the second 7 11.

[Earlonne Woods]

And when we walk into this place, of course they're gonna look at us crazy.

[Cedric]

Yeah.

[Earlonne Woods]

But let's see.

[Nigel Poor]

It's always a little uncomfortable walking into a situation like this. You know, Earlonne, we have our microphones out.

[Earlonne Woods]

It makes an impression. You know, we got all this equipment, cords everywhere.

[Nigel Poor]

Totally. And we're recording as we walk in. And God knows how these people feel when they've just got this microphone stuck in their face.

[Earlonne Woods]

But we were on a mission to find this guy that Leisha told us about. Ooh.

[Nigel Poor]

Oh, my God.

[Earlonne Woods]

Is that him?

[Cedric]

Oh, my God.

[Nigel Poor]

Holy Moses.

[Earlonne Woods]

That might be. I'm playing seven. I'm playing it here.

[Cedric]

Oh, my God.

[Earlonne Woods]

How you doing? Oh, no, they can go.

[Cedric]

We can we ask you. Thank you.

Well, no, they're waiting for something.

Okay. All right.

[Earlonne Woods]

How long have you been working here?

[Cedric]

I've been here for a job three years.

[Nigel Poor]

Three years looked like a good sign, right? Three years.

[Earlonne Woods]

Yes. So we end up telling him Lisha's story.

[Cedric]

We do a podcast called Ear Hustle about life in prison, and we are doing a story about people who are incarcerated in their last memory. And then we're going to the place where that memory took place. And so this woman named Leisha. I'm just going to tell you what she told me. Okay. So her last memory was. This was September 28, 2022, and she came into a 711 and she had to use the bathroom. And she said there was a tall white guy with. Yes.

[Earlonne Woods]

So he had to rush off and open up the pizza thing for these kids. He was heating up some pizza.

[Nigel Poor]

It was obvious right away that it was not going to be easy to talk to this guy. Yeah.

[Earlonne Woods]

You know, he was multitasking. It's a 7 11.

[Nigel Poor]

And we had to talk really fast.

[Cedric]

Oh, okay. Okay. So this is what she said. A tall white guy with dreadlocks let her use the bathroom, and she went in there to do a pregnancy test, and she found out she was pregnant. Could that have been you?

It's entirely possible.

So what do you. I mean, what. First of all, what do you think about the strangers coming in here and.

[Nigel Poor]

Asking you this question.

[Cedric]

Little put off guard, but that's fine. Yeah, I'm with it. So, hey, I was gone.

Thank you.

Welcome in.

[Earlonne Woods]

Every single time someone walked into the store, this guy looked him in the eye and said, welcome.

[Nigel Poor]

And while he was doing that, we were vying for his attention, and we wanted to be really respectful because he was so super polite.

[Earlonne Woods]

Right.

[Nigel Poor]

It got a little awkward.

[Earlonne Woods]

Can you introduce who you are?

[Cedric]

My name is Cedric. I work for 711 in Fresno, California, on Palm and McKinley. So I've been working here for three years. Not familiar with the person we're talking about here, but I'm sure I'll get a little bit more clarification.

[Earlonne Woods]

She was a African American woman. She probably was in her.

[Cedric]

Yeah.

[Earlonne Woods]

And she went in the bathroom. She said, they don't let people use the bathroom. But he let me use the bathroom. And I took a pregnancy test and found out I was pregnant.

[Cedric]

Yep. And then she. I don't. I don't think she had much more interaction with you, but she described that it was at McKinley and something and something. We went to the other 711 and the guy was like, no, we've never.

[Nigel Poor]

Let anyone use the bathroom.

[Cedric]

Yeah, the other one over there. I don't think that they would.

Yeah.

Yeah. Welcome in.

Okay, here comes some customers.

[Earlonne Woods]

We'll get out your way. We thought we might be stressing them out, so we went outside to wait out there until the store cleared out.

[Nigel Poor]

A bit, which was probably never gonna happen. Are you laughing?

[Earlonne Woods]

Hello. How you doing?

[Nigel Poor]

And right away, this woman approached us and asked us what we were doing.

[Cedric]

We're doing a podcast, and we just were.

[Unnamed Woman]

We're actually going to a workshop at the cmac.

[Cedric]

Oh, for what?

[Unnamed Woman]

To. To learn film and all that stuff.

[Nigel Poor]

Really?

[Earlonne Woods]

Oh, that's what's up.

[Unnamed Woman]

We actually went yesterday. This is the second part.

[Cedric]

Oh, my God, that's so cool.

[Unnamed Woman]

So they're gonna record a little. We're like, one of us is gonna do the camera.

[Nigel Poor]

Earlonne. I have to admit that sometimes I'm a little wary when someone comes up and starts talking to us.

[Earlonne Woods]

Yeah, but you're polite.

[Nigel Poor]

I try to be. But what I realize is that when you open yourself up, even just a little, you see that pretty much everyone has this whole inner messy, complicated life swirling around them.

[Earlonne Woods]

And you would have never guessed.

[Unnamed Woman]

Actually, I have a big story, which is with my last marriage. He held me hostage, almost killed me, and my. My kids helped me escape. And now today, fast forward. I'm a CEO of my business. I opened one farmer's market about to open. 2. I got a new husband. He's an electric. Electrician. And things are better.

[Cedric]

That's great.

[Earlonne Woods]

Congratulations.

[Unnamed Woman]

Yes.

[Nigel Poor]

Well, Earlonne, clearly, like we say, everybody has a story.

[Earlonne Woods]

Everybody has a story. We didn't even have to ask a question, right?

[Nigel Poor]

No. But we were on a mission, so we couldn't get that diverted. And at that moment, the store seemed slightly calmer.

[Earlonne Woods]

Tad bit. So we went back in, and right.

[Nigel Poor]

Away you could see Cedric was in there having all those little exchanges, like, literally with every person that walked in.

[Earlonne Woods]

Like he just knew her.

[Nigel Poor]

Yeah. Making everyone feel welcome.

[Cedric]

Welcome in.

You are such a nice person. Thank you. Can I ask, what have you learned about yourself working here?

About myself? I have learned that I am. I don't know, I'm a people person. I like talking to people and learning about them and learning what people have to offer and learning. I don't know, I just like learning about people.

I've never been in a store like this where everyone that comes in, you make them feel like they're welcome here. Yeah, it's really nice. That's unusual.

Well, I like to treat others how I'd like to be treated. Right. If I'm walking into a store, I'd like to be greeted. I'd like to be told, hey, how are you today? Just the simplest thing can make somebody's day.

What if people are rude to you? What do you do?

Well, I mean, people are going to be rude. That's their prerogative. I'm not going to be rude back. There's no reason to. Right.

[Nigel Poor]

Wow.

[Cedric]

Okay. Is that how you were raised?

It's how I've come to learn to live my life.

[Earlonne Woods]

There was some kind of Zen to this guy.

[Nigel Poor]

Yeah, he had an aura of something, right?

[Earlonne Woods]

Yeah. He was the 711 philosopher.

[Nigel Poor]

And Earlonne, it seemed so clear that this was Lisha's guy.

[Cedric]

It seems like it probably was you. I mean, you fit the description, I guess, to some extent.

I feel like I have a pretty unique look about myself.

Yeah.

That's crazy. It reminds me of. There's a saying for it, a word for it, for the realization that people around you are having full, specific lives around you. There's no way for you to know. And that's kind of what that puts me in the mind of. So there's no way I would have known that me letting her in the bathroom, she would have found out that she was pregnant.

[Nigel Poor]

Yeah, it was a big deal.

[Cedric]

It's not a word in English. I can't Remember the language either. But it means the feeling of realizing that the people around you, every single person around you has a fully detailed, enveloped, like life.

[Nigel Poor]

Yeah, yeah.

[Cedric]

That everyone's complicated.

Yeah, everybody has their own complicated story.

[Nigel Poor]

Yeah.

[Cedric]

I mean, I just helped somebody let them use the restroom, but that was a life changing point in their life. And there's no way I would have known other than this interaction here.

[Nigel Poor]

Yeah.

[Cedric]

So does it make you wonder about other customers that come in that you.

[Nigel Poor]

Might do something for?

[Cedric]

Yeah, that's more or less what I mean is that I probably see 100 people, 200 people a day, and they all have their own crazy lives that there's no way I'd know about. You know.

[Nigel Poor]

I could have talked to this guy for a really long time. I had so many questions for him. But, you know, we had to be respectful. He was at work and he really needed to focus on his job.

[Cedric]

This any. Anything. Can you talk? You got to get to work, huh?

Yeah, I do, unfortunately.

Okay. Do you mind if we just walk around? We have to just record a little bit of sound. Is that okay?

Sure.

[Earlonne Woods]

I'll buy some. Just to say we've customized.

[Cedric]

Yeah, we'll buy something.

[Earlonne Woods]

All right.

[Cedric]

Thank you, Cedric.

Of course.

[Earlonne Woods]

I'm playing the lottery.

[Cedric]

You really gonna buy a lottery ticket?

[Earlonne Woods]

Hell, yeah.

[Cedric]

Okay. All right. Oh, my God. I hope you win.

[Nigel Poor]

So Earlonne is buying lottery tickets now.

[Cedric]

5 and 26.

[Earlonne Woods]

Let me get 25 and 26.

[Cedric]

Sure thing.

That leaves you at 1873 for your total.

[Earlonne Woods]

Thank you.

[Cedric]

Thanks, Cedric.

[Nigel Poor]

We got outside and then Cedric came out again because he had one last thing he wanted to tell us.

[Earlonne Woods]

Oh.

[Cedric]

Just wanted to give you guys a warning. The smoke gets out at 2 and.

That would be gone.

No problem with you guys being here. I'm just letting you know that.

[Earlonne Woods]

All right, all right. We will get up out of here.

[Cedric]

Okay. Come on, let's have a corny high five. Come on.

[Earlonne Woods]

High five. High five.

[Nigel Poor]

Come on. That was awesome.

[Cedric]

You want to sit in front on the way home?

[Nigel Poor]

All right, I'm just going to call.

[Cedric]

Bruce and speak her phone, see what he says.

[Earlonne Woods]

I just wanted to reach out to Bruce real quick.

[Leisha]

Why?

[Nigel Poor]

I was so excited. Come on. It was like calling Daddy.

[Earlonne Woods]

It was like you had a special day.

[Cedric]

You're gonna be so proud of me.

[Earlonne Woods]

Let me get this EP up and tell them what we've done today.

[Nigel Poor]

Exactly. Hello?

[Cedric]

Hey, Bruce, it's Nigel and Amy and Earlonne.

[Nigel Poor]

Hello, Nigel and Amy and Earlonne.

[Cedric]

Guess what? We found the guy. The 711 guy.

[Nigel Poor]

No, shit.

[Cedric]

Yep. He was a tall white guy with super curly hair and he's like the type of person that would do somebody a favor.

[Earlonne Woods]

He'd do a solid.

[Cedric]

A solid for. So he was just like a very, like a mystical person. Yeah. He said very cool things about this philosophy of realizing everyone around you has a complicated life. It was very cool. Yeah.

[Nigel Poor]

Who is this 711 philosopher?

[Cedric]

Yes, exactly. Anyway, we're very excited.

[Nigel Poor]

Obviously we had to call and tell you. Okay, have a good trip. That's exciting.

[Cedric]

Yeah, definitely. Okay, talk to you tomorrow.

[Nigel Poor]

Ok, thank you. Have a good drive.

[Earlonne Woods]

After the break, we head back to CIW to tell Leisha what we found.

[Rahsaan New York Thomas]

Happy January, Naj.

[Nigel Poor]

What? You can't say Happy New Year. Yeah, we supposed to say Happy New Year. Happy New Year to you. Rahsaan, New York. Thomas.

[Rahsaan New York Thomas]

Thank you.

[Nigel Poor]

I am super excited to tell you listeners about Radiotopia's newest show, Hyperfixed.

[Rahsaan New York Thomas]

Hosted by former Reply all co host Alex Goldman, Hyperfixed is a podcast where you, the listener, write in with your problems and Alex solves them. He tackles everything from the origin of a mysterious button to whether a listener should have kids or not.

[Nigel Poor]

This gets pretty personal.

[Rahsaan New York Thomas]

That's crazy.

[Earlonne Woods]

That's such a big decision.

[Nigel Poor]

Also, what is this button? Is he talking about like buttons on your shirt? Or is it a very specific button somewhere?

[Rahsaan New York Thomas]

Benjamin Button?

[Leisha]

I don't.

[Nigel Poor]

Each episode of Hyperfixed attempts not only to to solve listeners problems, but exposes the hidden systems that cause those problems in the first place. Alex is kind of obsessed with solving your problems and he will go to absurd lengths to try and resolve them.

[Rahsaan New York Thomas]

Help us welcome the newest show to the Radiotopia family. Find Hyperfix on your favorite podcast platform. Now.

[Nigel Poor]

Listeners, do you want even more.

[Earlonne Woods]

Ear Hustle and even fewer ads like zero, zilch, nothing, Nada?

[Nigel Poor]

If so, subscribe to Ear Hustle Plus.

[Earlonne Woods]

Ear Hustle plus subscribers get access to ad free episodes and bonus episodes.

[Nigel Poor]

Our Ear Hustle plus episodes are really fun. Subscribers can find out what's happening with people they've heard on previous episodes and they can also send in questions for us to answer.

[Earlonne Woods]

And me and Nigel get to sit here and chop it up with our producer Bruce and just talk about whatever.

[Nigel Poor]

If you want to hear more of that, subscribe to ear hustle [e-mail] plus or directly in Apple Podcasts.

[Earlonne Woods]

And thanks for supporting the show. We appreciate y'all. And send in some provocative questions.

[Nigel Poor]

Spicy questions.

[Cedric]

Hey, how's it going? Hey, how's it going?

[Earlonne Woods]

Okay.

[Cedric]

Is she on Mike, Good enough.

[Earlonne Woods]

I'm monitoring right now. She's good. Say something.

[Leisha]

Leisha. Leisha. Hello. Hello.

[Nigel Poor]

A few weeks after our trip to 7 11, we went back to the California Institution for Women to see.

[Earlonne Woods]

Lecia Lesha gave birth to her baby daughter a year ago while she was incarcerated at ciw.

[Nigel Poor]

Right. And that's the pregnancy she found out about in that 711 bathroom.

[Earlonne Woods]

Ever since then, Leisha's mom has been taking care of both that daughter and also Leisha's other two children. But now that's about to change.

[Nigel Poor]

And when are you leaving?

[Leisha]

October 24th.

[Nigel Poor]

And today is September 26th, so it's less than 30 days.

[Leisha]

Less than 30 days to the gate.

[Nigel Poor]

Wow. We were like, we've got to get back here before you leave. I was worried. Before Leisha got out, we really wanted to tell her about our trip to Fresno and what we found there. So Earlonne and Amy and I, we all went.

[Leisha]

Yes.

[Nigel Poor]

To find it.

[Earlonne Woods]

We pulled up to the 7:11 and.

[Cedric]

When we were in the driveway, I.

[Nigel Poor]

Saw the guy who worked there, and he was like a middle aged, maybe Middle Eastern guy. And you had described the person who worked there as tall. I think he said he was white and probably with locks of some kind. So when I saw that guy, I was like, I don't know if this looks good.

[Cedric]

She came in here and spoke to him.

[Nigel Poor]

So we started to tell him the story and he's like, no, I would never let anyone use the bathroom.

[Marcus Henderson]

If you come in daytime, there's no way.

[Cedric]

There's no way.

[Nigel Poor]

It's not. This is not the place. And.

[Earlonne Woods]

Right.

[Nigel Poor]

We were disappointed.

[Earlonne Woods]

Yeah, we was disappointed. We thought like, ah, this ain't the spot. And then he was like, well, there's another 711 down the street.

[Marcus Henderson]

One on farm in McKinley.

[Cedric]

Oh, maybe we'll try that one. Oh.

[Earlonne Woods]

So we was like, all right. We went down there and we looked in the window.

[Nigel Poor]

Oh, my God.

[Earlonne Woods]

Is that him?

[Cedric]

Oh, my God.

[Nigel Poor]

We saw this tall white guy.

[Earlonne Woods]

He had curly hair.

[Nigel Poor]

Super curly hair.

[Earlonne Woods]

He had long, curly. It was like really curly. He had it in a ponytail.

[Nigel Poor]

Yeah. But they definitely could have been done into locks or dreads. So we went in and told him the story.

[Cedric]

And she came into a 711 and she had to use the bathroom. And she said there was a tall.

[Nigel Poor]

He said it was something that could have happened. Yeah.

[Earlonne Woods]

Because he would do it. He said it's possible.

[Cedric]

Yeah.

[Nigel Poor]

He was working there at the time. The timeline you gave us, really?

[Leisha]

It probably was him. It probably was him.

[Cedric]

I mean, you fit the description, I guess, to some extent.

I feel like I have a pretty unique look about myself.

[Nigel Poor]

And he was great to talk to.

[Earlonne Woods]

We went in there. He had a cool vibe about himself that was popular. He was a talking person. He talks to everybody come through the.

[Cedric]

Door, hey, how's it going?

[Earlonne Woods]

I even asked him, you ever been robbed? He said, no, no, he too cool.

[Leisha]

I think we are talking about that. He's a really good spirit, good aura, good vibe. Like he was just a real cool guy. And I'm pretty sure they don't let people use the restroom over there. And I can almost guarantee you it was him.

[Nigel Poor]

The way you described him is exactly how he was. He had a very good aura. So his name is Cedric.

[Leisha]

Cedric.

[Nigel Poor]

Cedric.

[Leisha]

That's nice to know his name.

[Nigel Poor]

He is somebody that stands out because I'm thinking of all the convenience stores I've walked into. I would never remember most people that work in a convenience store.

[Leisha]

No, he's super cool.

[Nigel Poor]

Yeah.

[Earlonne Woods]

No, he definitely was super cool.

[Nigel Poor]

Yeah, he was very easy to talk to about it. He told us about this philosophy that he has.

[Cedric]

Every single person around you has a fully detailed life.

[Nigel Poor]

And it's when you look at somebody and you realize that everybody has a complicated life and things going on. And that he said that that's what it reminded him of. That he realizes there's always all these people around him and that if you stop and just like focus for a.

[Leisha]

Minute, hold on to that second.

[Cedric]

Yeah. You.

[Nigel Poor]

You realize that they've got this whole world, they're orbiting around just like you are.

[Leisha]

That's deep.

[Nigel Poor]

It was.

[Leisha]

I love that he. You know what, I'm definitely going back to that story with my daughter and be like, this is her. He was such a good hearted. He probably wasn't supposed to let me use the restroom, but he did because he knew that I was going through something that I needed to, you know, I needed to figure out, you know.

[Nigel Poor]

But then tell her what you did.

[Earlonne Woods]

So, you know, I had told the team. I'm like, yeah, if we go find this dude, I'm playing the lottery. Oh, I won 200 million.

[Nigel Poor]

Just stop it.

[Earlonne Woods]

Oh, yeah, yeah, I won like 15 bucks.

[Nigel Poor]

But still.

[Earlonne Woods]

But still, it was something.

[Leisha]

Yes.

[Earlonne Woods]

You know, I was hoping for a couple of hundred things.

[Nigel Poor]

Thousand would have been great.

[Earlonne Woods]

Yes.

[Nigel Poor]

I guess this would have been a natural place to end the story. Earlonne. I mean, Leisha's about to get released and reunited with her kids. So she's sort of closing this chapter of her life and moving on to the next one.

[Earlonne Woods]

But becoming a parent again after being away, it's not that simple.

[Leisha]

Just knowing that I've been away from them for so long, it has set a seed in my mind. Like, am I worthy enough to be a mom? Am I worthy enough to raise these? Am I capable of this? But I just don't want to be rejected by them because I love them so much. I love them so much.

[Earlonne Woods]

And then it's time that you, you know, be in your cell. You haven't had this conversation. You ain't acted it out, played it out?

[Leisha]

No. But now that you're saying that, I think I am going to talk to my bunkie about it tonight and kind of like, role play a little bit about it.

[Nigel Poor]

Well, while we're here, do you want to. You want to try any of it on us? Sure. Sure.

[Leisha]

Okay.

[Earlonne Woods]

So, mama, you left us.

[Leisha]

So mom did not leave by choice. I left because I made very bad decisions in my life. I left because I needed to fix who I was. If I would not have fixed who I was, I would not have been able to be the parent that you need me to be. I would never, never choose to be away from my children ever. But sometimes you need time to look at yourself in the mirror and face the person that's there. Ugly, good, bad, or in between. You have to know who you rocking with. And if that person is ugly, it may be something that needs to be fixed. And I definitely had to fix some ugly in me before I could be who I need to be for my family. I'm gonna make better decisions, and I'm gonna stay on the right path.

[Earlonne Woods]

So what were you in jail for?

[Leisha]

I don't think those crimes are necessary to, you know, depict right now. Maybe when you get a little bit older, we can dissect them. But as far as right now, just know that I was doing a lot of things that I should not have been doing. I definitely was committing crimes, and I got caught for them.

[Earlonne Woods]

So if you don't want me to follow your footsteps, why are you not telling me what you were doing?

[Leisha]

Because I don't feel it's appropriate at your age to know what I was doing. I don't want you to look at me any different than what you look at me now because of the things that I was doing. And you don't have to be subjected to those things. So we are going to stay focused on school, and you should be working soon, just like I'm going to be working and I'm going to be going to school. And those are the footsteps that I want you to follow me in.

[Earlonne Woods]

I don't believe that shit. I don't believe you.

[Leisha]

Just believe me. Trust what I say and know that when you become a little bit older, I can explain it to you a lot better.

[Earlonne Woods]

I don't believe you're not gonna leave us again.

[Leisha]

Oh, I won't. You just watch. I will never leave you again. Because that. That just tore me apart. Being away from you and your brother and your sister and being a parent is what I want to be in life. I want to be your mother. And moving forward, my actions will speak louder than my words. And no more cussing.

[Karen Honeycutt]

Hi, this is Karen Honeycutt and I was released from prison on April. April 17, 2024. I'm on my lunch break at work and enjoying my life. Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poore, Earlonne Woods, Amy Stanton, Bruce Wallace, Rahsaan, New York Thomas and Kat Shipnik. Shubnam Sigman is the managing producer. The producing team Inside San Quentin and includes Darrell, Sadiq Davis, Tony De Trinidad and Tom Nguyen. The inside managing producer is Tony Tafoya. Also thanks to Aristeo San Pablo, thanks to Acting warden Andes and Lt. Berry at St. Quentin and acting Warden Parker at the California Institution for Women for their support of the show. Thanks also to this guy here.

[Nigel Poor]

I'm Lieutenant William Newborg, Public Information Officer here at CIW and I approve this episode from CIW's podcast central with Ear Hustle.

[Karen Honeycutt]

This episode was made possible by the Just Trust building a smaller, more humane engine of justice and safety across the country.

[Nigel Poor]

Earlonne woods sound designs and engineers the show with help from Fernando Arruda, Harry Culhane, Jerrel Sadiq Davis and Bruce Wallace.

[Earlonne Woods]

Music for this episode comes from David Jossi, Antwan Williams and me.

[Nigel Poor]

We want to thank our friends at the Poetic Justice Creative Writing program for introducing us to Lisha.

[Earlonne Woods]

You can find Ear Hustle on social media, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube @earhustlesq.

[Nigel Poor]

And if you're not already, follow and review Ear Hustle on any of your favorite podcast apps like Apple podcast, Spotify and iHeartRadio.

[Earlonne Woods]

Yeah. Cause you know how y'all listen to the episode. We read the comments.

[Cedric]

We do.

[Earlonne Woods]

We really, really read this.

[Nigel Poor]

We actually do.

[Earlonne Woods]

So please give us a review.

[Nigel Poor]

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia from prx, a network of independent creator owned listener supported podcasts.

[Earlonne Woods]

Discover audio with Vision at Radiotopia fm.

[Nigel Poor]

I'm Nigel Poor.

[Earlonne Woods]

I'm Earlonne Woods. Thanks for listening. For listening.

[Leisha]

And I remember thinking like, that they were going to, you know, do a pee test on me, a urine test. And they were going to see that I was pregnant. So I got fake urine from a smoke shop.

[Nigel Poor]

Is that something most people know you can get pee at a smoke shop?

[Leisha]

I hope so.

[Nigel Poor]

Radiotopia from prx.