The Brooch

The Return of Hal

Well upon hearing that, Maple read the inscription loud for all to hear in the courtroom that fateful day. So loud, even the stormed ceased for her voice. But one voice roared louder than the thunder ever could. Course all knows it was one Mrs. Magnus Crowder...

"It's a lie!" She cried!

"No stink bug. It's the God honest truth." Mrs. Lexington replied.

"You planted that there mother!"

"No Magnus. But I did plant some em." Mrs. Lexington confessed aloud.

She began to look around at the astounded courtroom and her irate daughter.

"Naw sure enough I told you whut happened that day, all them years back. I smashed that brooch in anger and jealousy of my husband's affection. And for one spare moment, I was elated that I did. But my joy quickly turned to remorse when I saw that inscription."

"If it is so true mother, then why didn't daddy say anythang?" Mrs. Crowder fussed.

"He no idea. None stink bug. Yo honor," Mrs. Lexington uttered while remorsefully gazing at Olivia. "I... look... Olivia, my dear friend, I cannot apologize enough for the lie and the pain I have caused all these years to you and your family. I know I cannot ask for your forgiveness. I wouldn't dare! Not at this point and time. But I can ask to make amends of whut, I thought I was doin right for my family and yours... You see when I smashed that brooch in its pieces there was only two at that time and when I saw what Julius had wrote, I immediately began to call for my Hal. But then just as fast as I did... I stopped. Guilt what have you. I honestly don't know. I could have taken it and swept it under the rug and hid it all these years... but I didn't. I could have even given it back to Julius that day and suffer the wrath of my own husband. But instead, I stared at that brooch and realized what I had to do."

"Which wuz?" The judge questioned.

"I found Harlond, Hal's second best jeweler. I went to his house in the middle of the night and I forced him not onlay into silence of the crumbled brooch, but to fix it. And he did. But he did it according to my orders. I made him create a fake backing upon the original. You see, if all are wondering how my husband didn't catch wind of that inscription, well
You see, Hal was blind as a bat to a degree. Not to mention he didn't have lack for certain details. So he probably never even paid attention to that inscription. Course, I'm sure if he had, we wouldn't be standing here today now would we? Harlond was loyal to me and really didn't care about two shakes of a coon's nest towards my Hal. So I didn't need much convincin for him to create this fake backing. Why he made it so well, none of ya were the wiser. Even you, Jeffy didn't even notice. But ya almost did. And I wish you in short, did. It would have saved us so much of this misery and heartache. Nonetheless, at the time, Harlond promised his word of silence upon my honor. Not to mention, I paid him a pretty penny in return. Even when the next day when I managed to return that brooch without my husband noticing one flicker of a whisper or a scrape upon that brooch, he paid a photographer to display him with that brooch as the so said rightful owner. Something many, especially my daughter believed to be true. Yet he had no idea what I had done. And Harlond was as silent as the dead. Furthermore, I thought I was doing some good when Hal ended up returning it to Julius anyways. I thought there was no need for what I did to be displayed out in the open. But rest assured, I regretted my decision the day Magnus got hold of that brooch, per her own obsession. Worse that fact that she had thought and undoubtedly convinced herself, Matthew gave it to her. A mystery, I ponder till this day. Cause Lawd knows, Matthew Hastings onlay had eyes for Olivia. But my daughter was in denial as she is no doubt now as this is burning in her ears. But that is for another time. It's still upon the fact that I thought I could make amends by returning that brooch to the Hastings clan through sweet Scarlet. You see I told her everythang. She was the first I ever confessed. And it felt so good to get it out in the open. At the time, she was the one I felt that could let Matthew see, the true beauty of the creation his father had made for his very own mother. All seemed well." She smiled reminiscing. "But then that accident changed everythang. I thought even through all of that, it was returned to its rightful owners. And out of the hands of Magnus. You see, my daughter, was none the wiser and I thought for once she had let go. Hmph! Silly me." Mrs. Lexington slightly laughed.

"With all of that, and after all this time, Mrs. Lexington, you still said not a word." The judge spoke.

"No... I did not." She said looking at her openly upset  daughter. "I cannot say whut I did was right. For I know it was wrong. But I did it out of love. Not onlay for my daughter, but Olivia. Especially when she told me how much Scarlet mended. She had no memories of her encounter with my child. I refused to rehash and let Scarlet go through anymore discomfort or pains that she had already suffered. Even more, as the years passed, me knowing that her daughter was caring for that brooch in such a way, how could I?"

"So you let the lie live?"

"Like kerosene to a blazing fire." She replied. "Life seemed to go on. The brooch was in the right hands. And I kept an eye on my daughter. A close one at that. But you can onlay keep some em buried for so long without it tryin to rise out of its grave. I know that doesn't make any sense. But I thought with Rusty occupying Magnus, but then he was no more. Then, Malcom, seemed to fill a void in my daughter's life. But course, he fell in love with the wrong gal. A Hastings! Ha!" She laughed! "And that well, here we are naw.. "She said looking at Maple. "Oh I don't blame you child. You are a sweet one I see, and my grandson has marvelous taste." She said gazing into Maple's curious eyes. "But you did ruin it all, the day he fell in love you. It was the day, the old Hal, not my Hal, but the old one, the cruel one, returned in the form of my child. Hmph! I see him right beside her. Always whispering in her ear. And well that, and you just ruined everythang..."