Chapter 4
1236 Words
“Let’s hear the prosecuting Attorney.” The Judge’s voice brought Tulip back from her soliloquy.
“Can I ask the Defendant a few questions, your honor?”
“You May proceed.”
“Were you driving under the influence that day?”
“No, I wasn’t”
“Your honor, can I call the defendant daughter to the witness box?”
“What?” Tulip couldn’t contain her shock.
She watched tears streamed down her mother’s eyes. She gave her a reassuring smile.
“Miss Tulip, Did you or did you not caught your mother with an illicit drug the day before the incident?”
“No.”
Armanda heaved a sigh of relief.
“Your honor, it’s now evident she is being untruthful. Can I show an evidence to the court?”
“What evidence?” The Judge asked curiously. Both tulip and Armanda were stunned. Desmond also looking confused.
“This is a video footage of a confrontation between the Defendant and her daughter.”
The video from the day was played. No one could have been around to secretly record a video except Desmond.
“As you can see here, Ms Tulip confronted her mother for hiding an illicit drug from her whereas she denied it happening.”
“Did this not happen Miss Tulip?” The prosecutor asked again.
“I said No because that’s just a pack of cigarettes, not an illicit drug.”
Armanda’s attorney shook her head.
“Your honor, I believe you’ll consider the fact that Ms Armanda here crashed into a children playground, risking the lives of these youngsters, if she didn’t crash into a pole, kids would have lost their lives, such recklessness shouldn’t go unpunished.”
The prosecuting Attoney took his seat and silence prevailed the courtroom.
“This is my final verdict, Ms Armanda, I hereby sentence you to 3 months with no bail conductions allowed.” He stood up and left the court, the silent sobs followed.
“It’s fine baby.” Armanda smiled at her.
Desmond embraced her.
“It’s going to be fine Tulip.”
Tears rolled down her face, her eyes barely opened, deeply clouded with tears.
“Hey, it’s Cavier. I heard what happened to Armanda, can I drop by the house to check on you?”
She listened to the last voicemail made by Cavier, she had been skipping his voicemails for days now both willingly and unwillingly.
“Yes.” She replied with a text.
Cavier pressed the door bell but no one answered him.
He grabbed his phone to call Tulip but someone else opened the door.
“Who are you looking for? Armanda? She’s not here.” Desmond was about to shut the door but Cavier blocked him with his leg.
Desmond shut him an angry glare.
“Sorry.”
“Okay?”
“Tulip said I could drop by.”
“She’s sleeping.”
“I could show you her text.”
“No need.”
“Oh, I should go.” Cavier realized he pissed him off and he knew to not piss a man like Desmond off.
“I’ll see you to the gate.”
“Okay, 𝗠r Desmond.” Cavier replied nervously.
“Cavier right?”
“Yes sir.”
“Tulip is going through a hard time right now, her mother is in jail, her grades are not good enough also. I’d like you to keep your distance from her, for the meantime at least.”
“I..I could help with her grades.”
“I’m doing that already, just face your life for now, she has a wedding to think about.”
“What wedding?” Cavier’s face lit up.
“She didn’t tell you? Guess you’re not as important as you think.”
“Thanks for dropping by.” He added and shut the gate behind him.
Tulip sat on the balcony waiting for Cavier patiently. It’s time he explains himself, she needs an explanation for everything that happened at the club, an opportunity for him to redeem himself.
“Hey!” Desmond shouted from the pool area. She waved in response.
“Come downstairs please .” He asked politely, his face beaming with excitement.
She walked slowly into the house, through the stairs, the door. When she got by the pool, Desmond was gone.
She looked around nervously.
Suddenly he grabbed her leg from inside the pool and she fell into the pool but he grabbed her, making her fall into his arm.
“Desmond!” She made effort to hold her phone over the water but Desmond released his grip on her making her fall completely into the pool.
She scurried to the surface and almost slapped him in the face.
“Why do you have to do that? My phone is at the bottom.” She shouted angrily, still trying to keep herself afloat at the same time.
“I’ll get you another one today.” He turned away from her and smirked.
“I hate you!”
“No you don’t.”
He got out of the pool and jumped back from the railings. Spilling water all over her.
He didn’t come back to the surface after the dive.
“Desmond!” She called out after a few seconds of not seeing him.
She couldn’t dive to look for him because she was out of breath just trying to stay afloat, she is not a good swimmer.
Suddenly he resurfaced from behind and pulled her into his arms.
“Stop Desmond.” She said calmly.
“I know you enjoy it.”
“Enjoy what?” She responded, trying to hide her red face.
He kissed her lightly on the forehead.
“What do you like about me Desmond?”
“Everything”
“I don’t think I can do this, you’re way older than I am.”
“It’s just 13 years Tulip, besides who’s gonna know?”
“It’s obvious.”
“It doesn’t matter, all that matters is us trying to work things out especially now that Armanda is out of the way.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She replied furiously.
“I meant, she’s not around.”
“Are you happy my mother is in prison?”
“No, NO.. Tulip baby, Don’t misquote me, it came out the wrong way. Your beauty got into my head.”
She blushed.
“Okay, I’m feeling cold.”
“Let’s go in, I’ll make you tea.”
Cavier tried to think about what was happening but it seem not fathomable.
“Tulip is getting married?” He said aloud, scaring the man walking next to him. The man ran thinking he was getting robbed. It was late at night.
“Uh Sorry.” He said politely but the Man’s scream for help while running wouldn’t let him hear anything else.
He continued his thinking, talking to himself like an insane person.
“He won’t let me talk to her, Armanda is in jail, Tulip is left alone with that man, maybe I should call her?”
He took his phone from his Jacket pocket and realized the phone bottom was out.
“That man probably think I had a gun.” He smiled.
Her number wasn’t going.
“Is she in trouble?”
He asked himself.
“Maybe I’ll call 911 on the house tomorrow.”
- Writer
