'He glanced at his bitten nails, and with his chin resting on his knees, said, 'well, i ask them to let me go below to visit my pa in the cell. they feel so...

'He glanced at his bitten nails, and with his chin resting on his knees, said, 'well, i ask them to let me go below to visit my pa in the cell. they feel sorry for me, and say its okay. So i go down to see him, this man what made my ma's life a misery like hell, and who never had a word for me, and did nothing but give me the belt'.
From what he says, the kid in this passage