Our Father: AD3: 'Pursuing Destiny'

18: *Case Closed*

A Month Later

April Alexis Alsina: Tuesday 30th August:

I squeezed Ma'Lees hand lightly as her foot continuously tapped on the floor and my father stood up from the front rows.

His handcuffs had been removed as the court room fell silent waiting for the judges final decision.

"Mr August Anthony Alsina, on account of breaking and entering, the defendant was found guilty..." She paused for a second and the whole family sighed heavily.

"On account of voluntary homicide, the defendant was found not guilty."

"On account of justifiable, self-defence homicide, the defendant was found guilty."

"You'll be serving 1 and a half years in prison followed by a two year probation. Unfortunately Mr Alsina, once released you'll no longer have any custody of your nieces." My dad's head sunk towards the floor. He slid his hands behind his back and turned slightly as an officer clipped handcuffs back onto his hands and Ma'Lee and Princess burst into tears.

Just to break shut down, it turns out that night that after my dad, Uncle Travis and Uncle Jamal had saved Princess and the other girls who were being pimped, one of the girls called the police initially on Rudy, unaware that he'd been shot by my father. My father was caught red-handed but he and Uncle Jamal who was subpoenaed twisted the story and claimed that Rudy had shot first and my dad shot in self-defence.

The court also took a liking to my father after hearing how he freed 11 girls ages ranging from 15-29, who the authorities had been searching for for years. I guess this lowered my dad's charges and put things in his favor slightly.

He honestly got the best result that he could out of this case, but I think it just hurts us all knowing that he's going to jail for a year and a half all to save and free his daughter of emotional and physical pain.

The thing that hurts the most for me is that he'll be missing the birth of my first child, whom I still haven't told him about, and of what is potentially Adrian's first child as well.

I can't help but feel for my little cousins who are steady being passed around from guardian to guardian. Ma'Lee had also been fighting for full custody of them and last week she was accepted.

Uncle Jamal had been trialled for illegal possession of a firearm and had already started his 6 month jail sentence and he was also fined $1000 for that crime and medically, his arm is fine and had been healing.

Overall, it just hasn't been a good month or so for our family. Everybody's fallen into this awkward state of not only guilt but anger, and empathy.

I looked down at the floor as the judge banged her gavel onto her table stump as my father was guided out of the court room by the police officers.

"No, Daddy, I'm sorry!" Princess cried as the congregation was dismissed and my father was out of sight. Princess hadn't explained fully to us what actually happened to her whilst she was with Rudy. Although we understand that she was not only traumatised by being pimped, but also from witnessing her dad murder somebody first hand.

I was the first of my family members to stand up from the wooden benches and I looked down at my family who slowly rose after me in pure silence.