The Brooch

Case Closed

"I know there's nothin, I can do or say to say to make things right. I can see the anger in my daughter's eyes. Just know this, I would have been here sooner. I would have made sure this trial never even came to light, but..." Mrs. Lexington murmured staring at her daughter... "Unforeseen circumstances ceased me from being here to halt this outlandish trial!" She disappointedly admitted staring at her guilty looking daughter. "But my spirit was unwilling to let Scarlet, Olivia, and even you, Maple, and the rest of the Hastings clan suffer another day. I know after hearing all this, you all maybe in even more ire with me. But you have to know, I had no idea this was going on. None of it. Not that this is any kind of an excuse, but You see I was on deathbed, moments from meeting my Hal..."

"But you are here..." Judge Bloomfurd spoke.

"Indeed I am." She smiled. "My spirit is much stronger. Sides, the good Lawd wasn't done with me yet. I had to make this amends. I want you to know, I wouldn't have been here without my precious great grandson Malcom. He is the reason why I am here. You see he told me all. I had no idea a trial was going on. If I had, I can promise you, it would have ended just as soon as it began." She said leering towards her daughter. "And of course the promise, I made to you, Olivia to always protect your children. I would never break that promise to you. I hope you know that, my dearest friend. Maple, I know whut I said when I said you ruined it all. I meant no ill will. But because you of you, perhaps naw the Hastings and Lexingtons can hash this bad blood between us and...

"Never!" Mrs. Crowder hissed!"

"Order!" Judge Bloomfurd squealed! "I have had heard more than enough from you, Mrs. Lexington! And a lot more from you, Mrs. Crowder than I ever care to hear eva again! In fact upon hearin all this, I say once and for all, no need for this jury to come together in all this. Cause I am callin a one Mrs. Scarlet Woods, innocent upon this new evidence that I have seen with my very own eye! The brooch is in its rightful owner's hand! Young miss Maple Woods. Naw you take good care of that brooch!" He ordered. "And as for you, if you can't understand that Mrs. Crowder, let me make it plain as a pig's butt rollin in mud, I am orderin the brooch to be returned to the Woods family, spit spot, and fixed up like new! Furthermore, I am callin this case closed! Lawd thank ya! Mrs. Lexington, I should hold you in contempt, but frankly, I'm tail tired. And I'm high tired of the funk yo child and her lawyer have oozed out in my courtroom! I respect you for slappin the grim reaper on its hind and comin forth with the truth. Even if it took all these years to bring it to light like a cockroach in the great wide open. Why it took so long, why I'll just say, that's some em between you and the big guy upstairs. With that, just like Mrs. Woods, you are free to go. Daggumit! I'm spent! Sandford, I don't care whut they do, I don't care where they go! Get 'em out! But before ya do, Mr. Kransten do us all a favor, brush yo cotton pickin teeth and the scales off yo tongue! Mrs. Crowder, I suggest you, take a bath in a sea of pearls drenched in the milk of sanity! While you're at it, scrub that stank off of you till yo skin is pure plum blue! And then do it again! Sweet Lawd in heaven I'm done!" He said smashing his gavel all the while rushing out the courtroom with his smelling salts in hand.

And just like that, Scarlet, Mama Woods, was free...