On Monday, the 14th of December, Mrs. Julianna Rogers was found guilty of the murder of her sister, Margaret Gavin, the attempted murder of Sonia, and the attempted kidnapping of Michael Rogers Junior. She was sentenced to life imprisonment for all the offences, escaping the death sentence, thanks to the hard work of the Rogers' legal team, and of course, the very grace of God.
Margaret had read the previous night from the Criminal Code of Nigeria what are mother's chances were. Section 319 provides for murder, and its punishment is death. Attempted murder, per section 320 attracts life imprisonment, and killing on provocation is same as manslaughter, so life imprisonment was the punishment too per sections 318 and 325 respectively. Their legal team had contended that Mrs. Rogers shot her sister because she was provoked by the deceased's confession to her son's death. Margaret had prayed and prayed for God to intervene and allow the manslaughter charge to pass, and it did.
The next day, Margaret and her father visited her mother in jail before she was transported to prison. She was surprisingly happy to see them,
"I'm so sorry Jerry. I admit my faults." She declared.
They looked at her and broke down in tears. She was almost a shadow of her former self. She had lost considerable amount of weight in three months.
Jerry Rogers' heart was broken seeing her in handcuffs, like a common criminal. They sat across her, with her bound hands on the table between them.
"We are leaving for the States Julianna. We leave tomorrow morning."
Julianna was shocked.
"You want to leave me? And you also Margaret? If your father has no sense of family, what about you?" She accused.
Margaret stood up.
"Goodbye mother. I'll call as much as I can. I have to find a way to get over this mess. It pains me to see you here, but..."
"So you are running away?" She roared.
"I need time away from everything." She replied boldly.
She crossed over to her mother's side and hugged her. She left without turning back. Mr. Rogers also got up,
"Goodbye Julianna. I've gotten some people in the prison to watch over you and take care of you. You know where I'll be going, so don't worry about me. I need to put all these craziness behind me Julie. I need to. You have caused me so much pain, but I am praying for the Lord to help me to forgive you."
Julianna Rogers went on her knees,
"Jerry, please forgive me." She broke down in tears.
"I will always love you Julie. I always will." He helped her up, hugged her as awkwardly as he could because of the handcuff.
He rushed out of the room with tears running down his face.
"Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!" she called after him, but he was gone.
"Don't leave me please."
Fear is a terrible thing. Fear can make us to misbehave under the mask of self-preservation. Fear, secrets and insecurity are deadly weapons that can ruin really good relationships, both intimate ones and friendships too. Julianna would learn that hurt people become monsters when they don't properly heal; they become the people they hated and hurt those that love them the most. If only she had confided in her husband right from the start, about the bitter past she had, he would have helped her overcome her fears of love and commitment. But even though he did not know, his pure love for her was enough to transform her cold and hard heart, but she kept it locked up, and built her walls higher and stronger.
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THE BLACK WIDOW
Roman d'amour"...and they all lived happily ever after?" Welcome to a marriage from hell: a home built on love and ran in the dark by a formidable force in the form of a mother-in-law. Sonia Moses met and fell in love with Michael Rogers, but nothing in her wild...
