Chapter 41: Chapter 41

Chapter 41 The judgment~

The four hoodlums were busy at the tunnel, smoking cigar and marijuana bickering over Brian’s inability to pay up the twenty thousand dollars, and Tony being on their necks for letting it linger for so long a time and Brian still breathing upon the surfaces of Miami.

“What do we now, niggers?” one of them asked, affixing a cigar to his black thick lips, “Because we can’t wait any more. It has lingered.”

“Yes it has lingered and Brian has to hear from us. From all I have seen he is giving us the folly ride,” the other said.

“Indeed he is giving us the folly ride,” another said, smoking heavily, “His name is on our bullet.”

“No,” another suggested, “I advise we take his name off our bullets,” he drew from his cigar and blew effortlessly that some let through his nostrils, “This is what we will do, his grandma is ill at the hospital. If we murder her it will get to Brian harder seeing that he loves her so much.”

“Nice idea,” one said, shaking his head, “But are you sure she is at the hospital?” another asked.

“I am very sure. She is an egghead and the news about her sudden illness has been making the round, I also know the hospital,” he replied.

“Guys are we in?” the ringleader asked, shooting a stern look across them.

“We are in,” they replied at once. “That is the only way we can get at Brian.” one said.

“We will strike tonight. No gunshots, please. We will quietly sneak in and strangle her, OK.”

They shook their heads, hopped into the Chevrolet and zoomed off.

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The court hearing was scheduled for late hour. The Fanny’s and the Coleman’s were present at the front pew. Kate was the one that noticed Tony actually came for the hearing. He stood at the back, not too far from the exit door, glaring and stretching his neck; she perceived perhaps he was searching for her. She kept staring in his direction for their eyes to lock but each effort she made to lock eyes with him proved abortive. She wished she could invite him over, even walk to him and stand by him in this hard and challenging moment she was about to experience. Her mother had pressed onto her hand with great grasp that she knew her mother was anxious about the outcome of the court hearing.

Ken came late; as he walked in he walked straight to the Fanny’s and Coleman; “Apologies for the lateness; I fell ill last night,” he apologized, and made straight to the front.

“Mrs. Fanny suddenly raised a brow at him, wondering why he fell ill just a day to the hearing.

At once the bailiff, walked in with Mr. Fanny who was still in handcuffs.

“Don’t worry,” Mrs. Coleman whispered to Mrs. Fanny who was just seated right beside her, “The Egyptian you see today you shall see no more,”

Mrs. Fanny kept staring at her husband and frowned at his horrible looks now; his jaw had grown tiny moustache and his chin had shrunk, his skin color burnt.

“We are going to win,” said Kate to her mother, having been staring at her all along and seeing the fear in her eyes.

“I am scared,” she whispered to Kate, and glared at the judge who just walked in.

Everyone stood at once. “Do we have the attorneys for the case?“ the judge asked as soon as he sat down.

Ken stood and another skinny, short cut hair man stood for the State.

“Do we have the plaintiff ready for us?” the judge asked, looking in the direction of Mr. Fanny; and he shook his head,

“He is ready my lordship,” Ken replied, shooting a long face at his opponent.

“May we begin the hearing from the State’s attorney,” the judge said, and peered at the State attorney.

He stood up and took a bow, “Thank you my lordship,” he said and walked to Mr. Fanny. “Who is the owner of the house you live in?” he asked.

Fanny stared at him briefly, wondering at the question before answering, “I do.”

“How do you tell this honorable court that drugs found their way into the ceiling of your house without you bringing them in?”

“My house was attacked by smash- and-grab thieves who messed up the whole place and made away with our valuables. We had to relocate to my sister’s until the house was fixed for us to live in again. Whosoever that planted the drug did between the time the smash-and-grab attacked and the time the real estate company fixed it.”

Ken shook his head; Fanny was saying exactly what he told him to say. But he had never been shocked in his life until the moment the State’s attorney said,

“Mr. Fanny,” he said, opening his file, “Yes I have it handy. In the year 2020 month of May 25, you alongside three other suspects were arraigned in New York’s criminal court over peddling thirty grams of cocaine. You narrowly escaped jail by whisker, true or false?”

Mr. Fanny raised a brow at the attorney, at the judge at ken and finally his family. He wondered how he got to know about the drug case he thought was dealt with. That had actually happened and it was the era he found life difficult and drugs was something he needed to do to survive. He felt sorry for not letting Ken know about that and much sorry for keeping that way from his family. He saw the one million questions in the eyes of his wife and Kate.

“Yes but I wasn’t convicted,”

“Because you lied about your health status at the time. You were ordered to pay one hundred thousand dollars to save your sick self from embracing jail.”

“Objection my lord,” barked ken, who perceived the ruling was going against his client.

“Objection overruled,” said the judge.

And the state’s attorney continued, “You have history of drugs peddling and there is no stopping you, Mr. Fanny. You still do drugs?”

“No I don’t, I don’t do drugs. I was only…” he stuttered, “I was falsely accused and this very present one was planted in my house to do away with me. Ask my attorney they have been coming at my family for a long time now.”

The judge cut in, “Mr. Fanny, answer the question in line with the case at hand don’t chip in other family problems and shortcomings.” He looked at the State’s attorney, “Enough for now. We are going on a short recess and when we return I will pronounce judgment,” the judge said.

And Mrs. Fanny was already being nursed by Mrs. Coleman and Kate. Ken bowed his head in shame; not too sure of the judgment. But he encouraged himself anyways…

The judgment…