Journal of a Teenage Muslim.

Chapter 62 - Back From the Dead?

"You need more confidence in your voice!" Sorren stressed.

"If I sound any more confident, it will be arrogant." I argued.

"We need to make the judge of the National Criminal Court sound convinced! Do you not understand the gravity of this situation?!" Sorren exclaimed.

"She needs to make sense when she walks through that door." Andeon said, entering the room.

"Andy you here. Well maybe you could help me out, I was just telling Maydah-"

"I heard." Andeon nodded.

"Well, you agree with me don't you?" Sorren said, looking for support.

"Not entirely." Andeon shrugged.

"I see.." Sorren raised his eyebrows, "What do you have in mind?"

"You must sound genuine," Andeon said addressing me. "Confidence is important, but genuity is far more important... Now, let's hear you."

I took a deep breath and began again, for like the fiftieth time.

"I have personally experianced the-"

"Stop, stop, stop." Sorrent interrupted.

"What now?" I groaned.

"You'll be in a room filled with over one hundred persons. How on earth will they hear you if you speak at that volume?!"

"There will be a mike." Andeon answered.

"Since you seem to know everything, you might as well take over!" Sorren said annoyed.

"My pleasure." Andeon said, amused.

"Thank you!" Azalea exclaimed, giving out a sigh of relief. "Sorren has this strange way of making people absolutely despise him."

"You were asleep." I said.

"It's amazing how boring his voice is."

"Girls, Sorren has your best interests at heart, he's just a bit irritable at times." Andeon said.

"You mean all the time." Azalea corrected.

Andeon smiled. "Let's waste no more time."

"You understand the procedure right?" Alex asked, it was the morning of the day we would supposedly come back to life.

"Yes Alex." Azalea and I said in unison. We were supposed to go with Andeon in his private limo so that no one would see us. We would than enter the court house through the back door and sit in the VIP section, which was at the very back of the court, where barely any one could see us.

All of this was precaution, if Daniels saw us, Alex was more than sure that he would have some plan B up his sleeves.

"Ready Maydah?" Dad asked, rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt.

"Yeah," I nodded.

"Let's hurry up," Andeon said. "The earlier we reach, the less chance of people spotting us."

Getting into this court house was much easier than getting into the one I had gone too the first time. This time, Andeon just showed them his card, and we were all let through without even being checked.

Andeon, Dad, Mrs Connors, Mazin, Azalea and I made our way to our seats. We had reached very early, however we weren't the first. People, slowly but surely were beginning to fill the court.

"Every one likes to come extra early." Andeon explained, "They won't let you in even if you're a minute late."

"Talk about punctual." Mazin muttered. He was here because he had personally read the file which revealed the truth about my mother's death. Although that file had 'mysteriously' disappeared, (AKA, Hensus and Daniels stole it back) Alex still thought it might be useful to bring it up.

"There's Daniels' lawyer." Andeon pointed discreetly. And sure enough, Mr Daniels was a few step behind his lawyer. He looked pretty confident.

"How exactly is the case going so far?" Azalea asked, she seemed to have noticed the confident expression on Daniels face as well.

"To be honest, no one's getting anywhere." Andeon admitted. "But we're hoping that you witnesses may be able to take us to the finish line."

"No pressure there." I said.

"Now that Daniels is in, you can roam around until the court is in session, to loosen out the anxiety, if you want."Andeon said.

"Ok, good, I'm parched." I said getting up, Azalea followed me.

"Are you really thirsty?" Azalea asked once we were out of the court room.

I nodded, walking into an open area, it was sort of like a garden with cobbled stone and a weird looking fountain in the middle.

"This must be the recess area." Azalea said.

"Recess area?"

"Court sessions are too long some times, people need breaks you know?"

"How do you know?" I asked.

"It says right there." Azalea grinned, flicking her head to the sign.

"Oh," I laughed. "You think this fountain water is drinkable?"

"God, Maydah, we'll ask some one were we can get water." Azalea rolled her eyes.

I grinned sheepishly and followed her as she asked one of the receptionists.

"There's the water cooler." She pointed. "If you'd like something else, we have a cafe right down the corner."

"Thank you," 

Try to save some for every one else." Azalea said as she watched me glud down three entire cups of water.

"I'm nervous." I narrowed my eyes at her.

She looked down at her watch. 

"Come on!" She exclaimed grabbing my wrist.  "They've started ten minutes ago!"

"Hi, we need to be in there - we're witnesses - we're with Mr Miljan," Azalea bursted out breathlessly.

The guard at the door nodded and silently let us in.

Some one was already at the witness stand, it looked like the lawyers had already asked him the question and he seemed to be answering them.  The boy looked so familiar, but I simply couldn't put my finger on it. 

"Thank god!" Dad sighed when he saw us sit down. "What took so long?"

"Water." Azalea said looking at me.

"You scared?" Dad asked.

"Dad, public speaking has always been my worst nighmare ever!"

"Read this Du'a, it will help," Dad said, giving me a peice of paper on which the Du'a was written.

Rabbish rahli sadri,

Wa yasirli amri,

Wa ahlul uqdatum mil lisani,

Yafqahu qauli,

"What does it mean?" I asked.

"O God. open my chest, make my task easy for me. and untie the knot in my tongue. so that they may understand me.” Dad translated.

"Thanks Dad." I said, feeling considerably more confident.