NOT GUILTY?

Objection my Lord

ATTORNEY CRAIG: Miss Karen Moyo, what is your relationship with the defendant?

KAREN: She is my sister.

ATTORNEY CRAIG: Can you tell us in brief what kind of a person your sister is?

KAREN: When we lost our parents, Kate was always there for me. She is the best thing that ever happened to me. She made sure that I was always taken care of by granny who passed away in a fire accident. Kate is my inspiration and I have always looked up to her. When I heard that she had been arrested for murder, I swear my heart was broken in little pieces. I was afraid that I wasn’t going to see her again and she wasn’t going to sing for me whenever I wasn’t feeling well.

ATTORNEY CRAIG: Do you think that your sister is guilty?

KAREN: I am 101% that she is innocent and that she was framed. She would have never killed that man but someone else in this room did.

ATTORNEY CRAIG: What do you mean by that?

KAREN: Kate was so deeply in love with Jason and I had met him. He must have lied that he had a wife and kids but they never fought with my sister. My sister wasn’t obsessed with him but the two were in love already. What kind of a person in her rightful state of mind kills the person that she loves unless that person is mentally sick. My sister wasn’t that kind of a woman. She dedicated her whole life to God and I can only say that she was a church girl. She didn’t kill Jason and she is not guilty.

N: Kate wiped away the tears that had escaped. Her little sister believed in her and that all that matters to her, her sister’s love and knowing that she trusted her.

On the other side Rita clenched her fists and only wished she had killed Karen when she had the chance to.

ATTORNEY CRAIG: How often did Jason visit your house?

KAREN: I have lost count but Kate had already introduced him to grandma. We once had dinner with him. He sounded extremely happy with my sister. We made him feel at home every time he visited.

ATTORNEY CRAIG: Did they ever fight in your presence?

KAREN: The only fight that they had is when Jason tried to handshake me forgetting that I was blind.

N: Some of the people laughed including the Judge who smiled.

KAREN: Kate can be so overprotective sometimes. He scolded the poor man until he was made to say sorry to me 100 times. I didn’t lose that count, that’s the only fight they had. But.....

ATTORNEY CRAIG: But what?

KAREN: I don’t know if I should say this but I heard him shouting on the phone one day when he took me out for an ice cream. He was having a fight with his wife Rita.

ATTORNEY CRAIG: No more further questions, Your Honour.

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PROSECUTOR’S SIDE

ATTORNEY MILDRED: Miss Karen, how are you doing?

N: She cat walked at the front getting closer where Karen sat.

KAREN: I am okay and you?

ATTORNEY MILDRED: I am okay.

I have got a quick question for you.

You are saying that you heard Jason fighting over the phone with his wife. How did you know that the person he was fighting with was his wife?

KAREN: I am blind but not deaf.

N: The crowd laughed.

ATTORNEY MILDRED: I see you love making jokes.

KAREN: But this wasn’t a joke. I heard him shouting out her name and by that time, I didn’t know that it was his wife.

ATTORNEY MILDRED: Did you tell your sister about the fight?

KAREN: I am not a gossiper.

ATTORNEY MILDRED: But she is your sister. I am sure you two don’t hide secrets from each other.

KAREN: If Jason had something to tell my sister, he should have. Yes, she is my sister but sometimes I choose to mind my own business. What if at that time Rita was just a relative or client? Then I would have made my sister not to trust me again. What’s your next question?

N: Attorney Mildred took a deep breath and stared at her. Karen was tough and quiet a challenge. She had nothing to ask her. She responded very well and that put her in a corner. She felt lowered by her.

ATTORNEY MILDRED: No further questions your honor.

N: Karen smiled to Mildred’s surprise.

ATTORNEY MILDRED: Sorry your honor. Just one more question.

N: She was up for a challenge.

ATTORNEY MILDRED: You said that your sister never fought with Jason and she is not mentally ill. What if it was just pretence and you didn’t know your sister? What if Jason was actually miserable with her?

N: Karen smiled, she thought the last question would be hard but it was easy.

KAREN: You know, you just asked something that caught my attention? Yesterday I remember you saying that my sister was obsessed with Jason. Few minutes ago you just said that, ‘what if Jason was miserable with her?’ Meaning you also believe that Kate was actually in love with Jason and it wasn’t an obsession.

ATTORNEY MILDRED: I am the one asking questions.

N: The judge raised his eyebrow looking at Attorney Mildred who had been caught up with a lie.

KAREN: If you asking questions don’t you think you should reply mine?

My sister could never pretend. I grew up with her and yes I am blind but I can feel, touch and have got other senses. I know my sister more than anyone else in this room. Whenever she came home and would forget to take me to bed, then she had a hectic day. If she didn’t come to say; good morning to me then that simple means, she had to wake up early to the library. If there was something bothering her, she talked less and just say, ‘you worry too much kiddo.’ I might not have been able to see her face when she was sad but I could feel it. She is and never was a pretender. Any plus question?

N: Attorney Mildred rolled her eyes and went to sit down. The judge smiled at Karen’s intelligence.

JUDGE: The court will resume after 1 hour.

BAILIFF: All rise.

******

OUTSIDE THE COURT ROOM

‘What the hell was that?’ shouted Rita after yanking the door open.

‘What?!’

‘What?!’ she imitated, ‘I am referring to you having a fight with that kid. Was that personal? I know it must be so hard to fight with your ex-fiancee.’

‘What?’

‘I know that Craig is your ex-fiancee and that you are jealous because he is dating that blind girl but let me tell you something,’ she paused, ‘I paid you millions of dollars to make sure that slut stays in jail. If you mess things up for me, I will make sure no one will ever hire you. Pull up your socks and stop taking things personal. I will destroy you Mildred Greens. See you in half an hour. I have to talk to my dead husband’s sister,’ with that said she walked out of the room.

Mildred banged her fist on the table. It wasn’t at all easy to be in that court room with his ex-fiancee. It was business but Craig was only her junior when they were at Harvard. He was good at what he was doing, she was proud of him but again she didn’t want to lose this court case or her law career will be over.

….

‘Okay, can you be gentle please,’ said Karen to her sister.

‘I am so proud of you Karen. The way you stood up for me in that room. I don’t know what to say, I was touched.’

‘You can be a drama queen sometimes.’

They laughed at her sense of humour.

‘I was happy with the way you took things babe. Very calm,’ said Craig.

‘That b***h was taking things personal. I think she still have got feelings for you,’ said Karen sitting down.

‘The only woman that I am in love with now is you and I won’t let her come between us. At least things are looking fine for now. I love you,’ said Craig kissing her on the forehead.

‘I love you too.’

The two looked adorable.

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BACK IN THE COURT

ATTORNEY CRAIG: Can I just call you by your second name warden?

WARDEN: Yes.

ATTORNEY CRAIG: You were once a warden at Chikurubi maximum prison. Isn’t that right?

WARDEN: Yes, I was.

ATTORNEY CRAIG: Then you know Miss Kate. Tell me how she behaved while in prison?

WARDEN: Unlike other prisoners who were wrongly accused and still behaved like animals, she was just different from them. Being the youngest one in that prison, some of them mistreated her. For example she was once poisoned while still pregnant but her cellmate ate the food and ended up in hospital. We couldn’t find the culprit that had tried to harm her. She was good with everyone and never for once was she involved in a fight. She couldn’t even hurt a fly.

ATTORNEY CRAIG: Did she ever tell you what had happened to her?

WARDEN: One day she broke down in my office and told me that she was framed. She wasn’t the one who killed Jason. She told me that she was in love with him and wouldn’t have hurt him.

ATTORNEY CRAIG: Did she tell you the name of the person that might have killed Jason.

WARDEN: No, she didn’t tell me.

ATTORNEY CRAIG: no further questions, Your Honor.

N: The ex-warden had agreed to be one of the witnesses although she hardly knew Kate but the time she spent with her in prison, she knew that she was a good person. Attorney Mildred strove over to the stand with her head up high. She was ready for the competition and to up her game. She cleared her throat and looked at Miguel who was sitting holding Kate’s daughter. Cathy was at home with Bambie.

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ATTORNEY MILDRED: Lisa, what’s your relationship with the defendant.

WARDEN: She is my former prisoner.

ATTORNEY MILDRED: Not the answer I was expecting since your son is holding your grandchild. I mean Kate’s child. Is it true that you resigned just after Kate escaped in prison? Maybe you were her accomplice.

ATTORNEY CRAIG: objection my Lord.

JUDGE: Sustained.

WARDEN: I was never her accomplice and Kate wasn’t a fugitive, she was kidnapped by Pancake.

ATTORNEY MILDRED: But you let your son keep her in his house knowing very well that she was a danger to society.

WARDEN: She was in need of a medical attention. I wasn’t going to abandon her or let my son do the same.

ATTORNY MILDRED: If it wasn’t for the maid, where you ever going to apprehend Kate to the authority.

N: The warden couldn’t respond knowing very well that it was going to be hard for her to hand her to the police. Her son was in love with her.

ATTORNEY MILDRED: I didn’t think so. Warden you know the law and still let your son keep a fugitive in his house. Was it because he was in love with her? There was never going to be a happily ever after. Kate was the most wanted criminal in the country. You failed to do your job as a warden and it is your fault that some of those innocent women died in that prison.

No further questions your honor.

…