11.
My life was peaceful until a few days before the court case. Mother kept dosing me with calming medication at any chance she had. I had seen my lawyer a few days before, and he assured me that I had nothing to worry about, they had enough concrete evidence to convict the accused. I did not doubt his ability or the evidence; it was the fact that I had to be in the same room as that man once more that concerned me.
The morning I had to appear in court there was a tap on the front door and both Mother, and I startled – we were both on edge. Kai walked into the living room wearing a navy suit; he was so elegant and dashing and way too handsome for his own good. I forgot all about the case, even if it was only for an instant. At least, if I only gazed at him, it would be a good distraction in the courtroom.
'Hello Griselda, how you doing?'
He waited whileMother assured him she was fine, and her friends were coming over to keep her company.
'How are you holding up? Okay?'
He took my hands in his with care and compassion.
I nodded. 'Not too sure yet. I keep hoping they will phone and say it's all cancelled.'
'It's going to be fine. I spoke to the lawyer again yesterday, and he is very confident.'
'Okay,' I uttered the word but had no conviction in its meaning.
Kai had prayed with Mother and me before he and I left in my car.
We walked down the aisle of the courtroom; people filled the rows on either side. No one looked at us but rather looked forlornly toward the front. We met our lawyer and found a seat behind what would be his desk once the case was called up. My hands were sweating and cold, and I felt my heart rate increase its pace by a few beats every time a door opened behind the judge's podium. Eventually, a tall man opened the door and stood to the side bellowing for everyone to rise until Judge – I cannot remember his name – was seated. Then we were told to sit. My heart was racing, and I was hoping that we were the first case on the roster so I could get this over with and get out of the suffocating room. It was not to be, we were the third on the list, and so we sat and watched the people and the proceedings. Kai had his arm around me, and his hand gently stroked my arm where it rested, it was very soothing.
Then the judge called the next case that was ours. I took a deep breath and tried to stifle the panic rising within me. Kai took both my hands with his free hand and kissed them tenderly.
'It is going to be fine. Trust God.'
I sat in the seat next to the lawyer trembling and when the door opened to allow the accused entry I gasped. My knees were rattling. He entered and looked directly at me through his one eye. The other eye had a black eye-patch over it.
'Did he lose his eye?' I whispered to my lawyer.
'Apparently yes.'
What have I done? I berated myself over the physical damage I had caused this man.
The judge cleared his throat, and I tried to concentrate amidst the chaos in my head. He read out the case number and its matter.
'How do you plead?' he asked the accused.
The accused man was already standing, and his lawyer replied on his behalf.
'He pleads guilty, your Honour.'
Guilty! I sat up straight. Was that it? There would be no need to stand witness or argue any cause? Was it possible that it was all over so quickly? Oh, how I silently pleaded that it was.
'Well if he is pleading guilty then it is just a matter of sentencing. We will adjourn for lunch, and I will pass down sentencing at three o'clock.'
He banged his gavel hard on his desk that sent a vibration ricocheting through my bones, and I jumped from fright.
'That's it?' I exploded with relief.
'That's it,' replied my lawyer perhaps a little disappointed that he would not have the opportunity to strut his stuff.
I stood and hurried to Kai crashing into his chest wrapping my arms around him. He reciprocated and held me so tightly, reassuring me that it was all over. Everyone had exited the courtroom except for two women sitting on the opposite side of the room to us. As we walked down the aisle, the one woman charged towards me, screaming and waving her finger at me as if it was guiding her to me. I back-pedalled into Kai, but she kept coming, screaming that it was my fault that her husband had lost his eye and that he had not done anything. I cowered into Kai's chest while our lawyer got himself between the enraged woman and me. The security guards, upon hearing the commotion charged in taking hold of the hysterical woman and removed her from the courtroom. I found a seat and sat down inhaling and exhaling hard and trying very hard to steady the pounding of my heart. Kai sat next to me and engulfed me in his arms, and when I had my breathing more or less under control, he helped me to my feet, walking me out of the courtroom.
We found a little coffee shop a block away from the court building, ordered coffee and quietly breathed in and out until our heart rates were beating normally again.
Kai spoke first. 'You don't have to go to the sentencing and with that woman there it probably is best that you don't go.'
I shook my head, nodded my head and then shook my head again and finally shrugged my shoulders. I was exhausted, and all I wanted or needed was a good uninterrupted night's sleep. Kai pulled his phone from his jacket pocket and dialled a number; I sipped at my hot beverage in a daze. He phoned the lawyer and told him that we would not be at the sentencing to which the lawyer amiably agreed.
Mother fretted over me like a true mother hen from the second I walked in the door. I was ordered to my bed, given some more of those calming meds and cuddled lovingly by a mother who utterly adored her daughter. It was not long before I was asleep and then Mother got the low down on what had happened from Kai in the lounge.