48 hours to fall in love

Part 29

Meanwhile, Mario was already walking towards the trial.

-Stop," ordered one of the guards when he saw Mario's hand move between the handcuffs.

-Easy, boss, it was just my hand itching," excused Mario.

-I know what you were up to," added the guard, looking at him suspiciously.

They walked down a dark and lonely corridor until they crossed a door frame and found themselves inside the courtroom. Mario stood, with the guard at his heels.

We are gathered here today to establish the condition of 25-year-old Mario, who is charged with robbery, both simple and aggravated.

The courtroom was quite empty, there were only a few people from the jury, one witness and Mario's mother, who was holding her face against a handkerchief from crying so much.

-Let the first witness come in," said the judge, and a thin, long-haired man stood up and advanced to the center of the courtroom.

Mario did not think he recognized the man.

-Today we are here to do justice, and that is why I came, I ignored the fear that this criminal has contacts abroad and will have me killed, only because I heard my father once say that, if I am a key piece for justice to be done, hiding my head would be complicity. And today I am here, standing up, to say that I once saw this guy, about two weeks ago, steal a lady's purse, he was running down the street and suddenly snatched it from her, he is shameless, shameless, he has not a drop of morals," spat the man, who took his seat, resolutely.

-Thank you very much, Mr. Rudy, for your statement. Please show me the evidence against the defendant," said the judge,

An officer approached the small dais and handed some items to Judge Jeampier. He proceeded to show them to the audience.

-Well, here we have a ski mask that was seized from the detainee. Here is a gun, and in this baggie, yes, here are bullets. This weapon does not have any kind of documentation, so it is assumed that it is illegally carried.

After several minutes of paperwork and deliberation, the judge passed sentence.

-Seeing all the evidences and the statement of the witness, besides seeing the statement of the accused, I determine Mr. Mario Olguin Bines, guilty for the crimes of which he is accused, and I dictate sentence of eight years in the Edupis jail of the kingdom of Empress, to which he will be transferred immediately without any type of stopover. The session is adjourned.

The judge let the court hear a loud cudgel, and, at last, deserted.

Mario, seeing all his chances, which were not many, asked to be allowed to talk to his mother, to which the officers agreed without the slightest objection. Mario said goodbye to his mother.

-Goodbye, sweetheart, I'll come whenever I can," she said, placing a tender kiss on his forehead.

-Goodbye, mom," whispered Mario, and added in an almost inaudible tone, "I love you.

Immediately, the policemen transferred him to the patrol car, where he would be taken to the Edupis jail, five kilometers from the Grenfit bridge. Mario thought about what was happening, and decided to accept his future without any objection or hope that it would change. This was what he had always been looking for. Now he was embodying the incarcerated, and not the fugitive, now he was the one who saw everything from the inside, and not the one running at full speed, now, now he was a prisoner, and would remain so for years to come. Mario thought of Koda, of Peter, and of David.

-You lucky bastards, you don't even care what happens to me.

-Shut up," shouted one of the officers with whom he shared the seat, as he elbowed him in the abdomen, and Mario writhed in pain. It was already four kilometers to his destination, where he would spend a long, long time.