Episode 56
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‘Life is an echo, what you send out comes back, what you give out you get.’
A few months later
ZARIA
We walk into the court room and take our seats, it is the last day of the trial today Oscar and Andrew will be sentenced. They were declared guilty last week all that remained was for the sentence to be issued.
Shortly after the duo is brought into the court room, I look up at them and Oscar locks eyes with me. I quickly look away I am disgusted with myself for dating someone like him.
What hurts the most is that Stephen died, I feel responsible for his death- this is my fault. I swear if I could go back to the day I met Oscar, I would turn around and walk away.
‘All rise!’ The bailiff says
We all stand up as the judge walks out of his chambers, sits down and pulls up his sleeves as the bailiff calls the court to order.
Once there is order, the judge clears his throat, ‘Are all parties present?’ he asks ‘Yes your honour,’ responds the representative.
‘Oscar Siyame & Andrew Mwansa, you are hereby sentenced to thirty-five years in prison with no possibility of parole for being found guilty of the following charges: Murder of Stephen Bwalya and attempted murder of Zaria Nel.’
The court room buzzes with a murmur.
‘Silence in court,’ the bailiff says and everyone obeys
‘It’s over,’ I whisper
‘Yes it is,’ dad smiles before he wraps his hand around me and tightly hugs me.
I sigh in relief at least now justice has been served, I don’t have to feel so guilty about Steph’s death.
****
OSCAR
‘You are hereby sentenced to thirty years in prison with no possibility of parole,’ his words echo through my head as the bailiff puts us in handcuffs and drags us out of the court.
I look back at Zaria one more time and my heart aches, I love her I wish she had given us a chance. What happened that night was a mistake, I would never have deliberately tried to kill her.
I hope she knows how much I love her. I hope someday she forgives me.
Right now I have so many regrets I don’t even know where to start from.
My life has crumbled right before my eyes all because I listened to the wrong person. Well I don’t blame Andrew for this but I just feel if I had a better friend, we wouldn’t be in this mess right now.
****
A week later
YEDDA
We are in court yet again and this time for Trish’s sentencing. As they walk her into the court room I can’t help but feel sorry for Trish, she looks so different. Her face is gaunt and pale plus there are dark circles under her eyes and her arms are covered with bruises. Her hair is unkempt and unshed tears are visible in her eyes. This is the first time I have seen her looking so vulnerable and afraid.
‘She looks sick!’ I whisper in Alex’s eyes
‘I know right,’ replies Alex
‘I somehow feel sorry for her.’
‘Me too.’
‘She is mentally unstable because no mental person can behave like she does.’
‘I just feel bad that Janet had to die because of her obsession, I hope she is locked up for life.’
‘I hope so too.’
After Alex visited Trish a month ago, she got so mad that she ended up confessing that she caused Janet’s accident.
****
TRISH
I am standing in front of the podium noticing the stoic expressions of everyone’s face.
Breathing in deeply, I steady my emotions and glance up at my mother & Maureen. My mother has a blank look on her face while Maureen hasn’t stopped crying. My heart burns with pain and anger at the thought of Maureen being my mother, I hate her with such a deep passion she deserves to die.
I will never consider this woman my mother she sold me off in the first place so she has no place in my heart. She is a disgrace to womanhood.
Shaking my head, I focus my gaze on Alex and Yedda, oh yes they look so cozy and happy together. I should have killed her when I had the time, she should have died like her friend Janet.
A few minutes later, everyone stands for the judge and once he settles in, everyone sits down.
‘Head juror,’ the judge says turning in her seat to face the jury. An older woman stands up.
‘What do you find the defendant, Ms. Trish Chileshe on the case of Murder & attempted murder?’ he asks
The juror takes a look at her notes then she lifts her head, ‘The jury finds Ms Chileshe Guilty for murder & attempted murder.’
The court room erupts with cheers causing the judge to slam his gavel down on the bench to bring the room to order before he announces his verdict.
‘Trish Cheleshe you are sentenced to six months in solitary confinement and Thirty years of jail for the Murder of Janet Sika and the attempted Murder of Yedda Dawson.’
When the sentence is issued, I don’t flinch I don’t even open my mouth to say anything.
At the back of head I already knew how things would play out, I had known since the beginning that I would get a harsh sentence especially after I attacked & almost killed my cellmate.
From where I am standing, I watch as Maureen begins to cry uncontrollably while my mother picks up her bag and marches out of the court room.
The bailiff puts handcuffs on me and leads me out of the court room.
I take one look at Alex and Yedda before I am lead out, ‘I hope you die,’ I yell.
***
I am curled up in the corner of my room tears are streaming down my face. All I feel is a black hole inside of me, a black hole that threatens the destruction of my entire being.
There is only a month left to my wedding and things between Wesley and I seem to have hit rock bottom. He doesn’t seem to be interested in marrying me anymore.
Lately he has been avoiding me he walks in and out of the house acting as though
I don’t exist. What do I do now? Where do I go to for help? I can’t afford to lose
Wes I have invested so much in this relationship to just let it slip out of my mind.
This is all Zaria’s fault, why did she have to resurrect from the dead?
Lord I am desperate, I have to get married to Wes even if it’s the last thing I do alive.
The door creaks open and Wes walks in, he looks at me and shakes his head.
‘Can we talk?’ I ask
‘I am not interested,’ he rudely responds
‘You haven’t been showing up for the wedding rehearsals,’ I say
He laughs a sharp bark that is without joy
‘What do you want me to say? Isn’t it enough that you are forcing me to marry you? Must I come for the stupid rehearsals as well?’
‘Wesley! Please for the sake of our child, please stop treating me like this,’ I plead
‘I am not even sure if that child is mine,’ he snaps
My eyes widen in shock, ‘This child is yours and you know it.’
‘We shall see.’
‘Just man up and own up to your responsibilities.’
‘Leave me alone.’
He grabs his phone and throws himself on the bed, he types away as I talk to him.
Frustrated, I walk out of the room. I just can’t deal.
I know he is trying to frustrate me so I can cancel the wedding but I won’t weather dead or alive, I must marry Wesley.
***
A gambling Heart