Here is a little Christmas story set in the universe of "The Litchfield book club."

A few things to know if you haven't read this story: Taystee is Tamika's assistant. They work at the Ice Center. Flaca and Maritza live in Colombia. Gloria runs a coofee shop called Flaritza and employs some of the Litchfield girls.

Good reading to you!

Chapter 1: Midday.

No one loved Christmas as much as Tamika Ward. Usually sarcastic and casual, she was becoming sweet on December 1st. And it was only ending with the start of the new year. The weeks before Christmas, Tamika never went out without something red or green in her outfits. At work, she would bring a strange and delicious new pastry, and offered a piece to Taystee. It was like that already in Storky's time. This year, the novelty was the playlists: There was the Christmas album of Destiny's Child and that of this white singer, Mickael Buble, the office resounded with bells, choral singing, and melodies on the piano. On December 24, Taystee was croonning "8 Days of Christmas" as she folded the paper of the turkey sandwich her friend bought her at Flaritza.

"I invite you to lunch," she had announced entering the office that morning. She had it all planned, Christmas turkey sandwich, apple cinnamon mufin, and even some mashed potatoes her mother made. Taystee knew what that meant. Tamika understood her sadness even though she said nothing.

Most of the time, Taystee almost felt like everything was back to normal. Every morning, she would get ready for work and look out the window of the van, listening to the chatter of Scott O. Neil as he drove them to the Ice Center. The days were busy between her work as a secretary and volunteering for the Poussey Washington Fund.

But every now and then, at Christmas, Easter, or when she read a good book that she wanted to tell Poussey about, she remembered that her life didn't actually make sense. A hanecdote of Tamika on a drink with friends, some words of Mr traffic jams, and she remembered that her existence would take place in a federal prison. Forever. At night, she wondered if the fragile balance she had found would suffice, if it would allow her to survive much longer.

Taystee focused on the cake in front of her. It was placed on a cardboard plate which represented the window of a store decorated for Christmas. She cut it in half, and bit into one of the pieces.

"You did it?",

"Of course not," Tamika replied. "I think it's one of the woman from the coffee shop in the square, the one who's always in a bad mood.

Taystee smiled. Was she talking about Red or Gloria?

"I was too busy shopping for you, anyway."

"And you found it?" she asked hopefully.

"Hmm. He's on your bunk. Don't ask me how I did it, because I must have talked to a lot of people I don't want to talk to in December."

"It's good, the girls will be happy." Taystee suddenly felt melancholy.

"You are a little Christmas angel," Tamika remarked, her sarcasm found.

"No." Taystee sighed, a sigh so light that Tamika didn't hear it. "It's just that they need me."

It was fragile, strange and fiercely true. Since their regrouping in the same cell to facilitate their comings and goings in The Ice, Taystee, Diaz, Dwight and even Rouiz formed something which looked like a family. A dysfunctional family, which could be separated at any time, but that's what Taystee had most precious. Volunteering, those moments spent with Tamika in the tranquility of their office, and her bond with the three girls who shared their joys and sorrows with her. Tonight she would read them "Christmas Carol "by Charles Dickens.

XXX

"You are my friend, don't forget that."

Taystee had said this to her when she had been fired from her poste as warden. Taystee already knew she will going to spend her life in Litchfield, but, she, didn't.

Taystee had told her the news one afternoon in June, the visiting room window between them. Tamika had cried, childish, uncontrollable sobs. She blamed herself for not having retained them. She should have done it, for her friend. That day, during she was going home, she had sworn to do everything for Taystee. Do everything so that the outside world does not forget her, and so that she does not forget it either, even if it meant listening to one of her former colleagues talking to her about a certain Alex Vause all the evening. In exchange, she had agreed to put the book on Taystee's bunk.

Inside, Tamika had left this little message on a tree-shaped card. . Maybe Taystee wouldn't remember uttering that line, that she wouldn't remember being so kind when her own future was so bleak. But that doesn't matter.