Lauretta has been in an orphanage since few days after her birth. She had suffered several nightmarish experiences from moving from one adoptive home to the other. She was tossed around and each home gave her painful scars to last a lifetime...inclu...
Patrick Moloi was led inside the court in chains. He wore an orange overall and he had a plaster "stamped" on his fore head. Laura smiled.
"All rise in court." The bailiff called all in to order to acknowledge the entrance of his honour Judge Kabelo Marumo. Over the years, Patrick had thought the murder over and over again in his mind but he kept on defending himself. The reason for the trial was that he pleaded, "not guilty".
"I hope you are ready with all your witnesses and all. I have other cases to attend to." His honour said firmly.
"Yes your Honour." John Karabelo the public prosecutor replied the? Honourable Judge.
"Call up you first witness Mr. Karabelo."
Karabelo first of all talked about the case and what the law required as the rightful punishment.
"I would like to first call upon my first witness, Miss Lauretta Rakwela."
All eyes turned as Laura stood up to take the witness stand. She was made to swear by the Holy Bible that she would tell the truth. She sat down and the trial began.
"Miss Rakwela, how old were you when Mr. Moloi shot your foster mother dead."
"I was ten at the time".
"What was your relationship with Mr. Moloi and his wife?"
"They were the best parent any child would have wanted. They were kind and loving at first."
"What do you mean?"
"After Mr. Moloi lost his job, I remembered he started drinking a lot and he abused us both physically and verbally."
"Did Lorato Moloi ever hit him physically?"
"She never did. She was about to leave when he... when ... he killed her."
"I have no more questions for her My Lord," Mr. Karabelo said and went back to his seat.
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Patrick's lawyer was one of the best defence Attorney in Botswana. His name was Barrister Tebogo Rampape. He was tall and his look was very very intimidating.
"Miss Rakwela, how many families have you been to since birth?"
This stung the Rakwelas. How dare he try to hurt their child?
"Three." Laura replied calmly.
"Is that really normal Miss Rakwela? Jumping from one home to another."
"My first parents returned me back to the orphanage when they had their own children. Mrs. Moloi was killed so I had to go back too." Laura replied tearfully.
She was getting the audience's sympathy and with time the Judge's heart too.
"You were ten at the time of the murder. It could have been anybody that shot Lorato Moloi. Because he was becoming abusive you have no other logical explanation than to say that her husband killed her."
"I saw him!" Laura said firmly.
Rampape turned to the audience.
"Mrs. Lorato Moloi was having an affair with her husband's best friend David Bok; a man of terrible repute. He was well known for his bad temper. I will allow that to sink in. I have no further question for the witness."
The courtroom was silent. John Karabelo came back up again. Calling up Patrick to the witness' stand to cross examine him.
People began murmuring from the moment he walked up to the stand to the time he swore to tell the truth and sat down.
"Mr. Moloi, you were a manager at Friends and family grocery store before you started your own grocery store."
"Yes."
"Mr. Moloi were you with a woman the morning your wife was killed?"
"No. I wasn't."
"Liar." Laura mouthed angrily. Brandon held her hands and rubbed them gently. Since the time of Moloi's arrest, Laura has been distant and uses all forms of excuse to avoid him. He was hurt because obviously she was pushing him away. But he couldn't blame her; this was not his battle but hers. She wouldn't have it any other way.
"Your bank account was completely drained the previous day before the murder of your wife. Shows to me you had it all planned."
"Yes I did. I planned to leave Lorato."
"Why is that?"
"Since I lost my job she just nags and nags. I was getting too tired of it."
" Mr. Moloi, do you know that your fingerprint was on the gun that was used to kill your wife?"
"It was mine. But I didn't use it!"
"Never? Mr. Moloi, who else knows where you keep your gun,"
"Lorato."
"It's not good to lie against the dead Mr. Moloi"
"Objection! your Honour!" Barrister Rampape shouted.
"Objection sustained. Mr. Moloi does not have to reply to that." The Judge said calmly.
"Mr. Moloi, where were you that morning your wife was murdered?"
"I was already in Johannesburg. My cousin can vouch for me. We were together."
"Mr. Moloi, you are here not only on the two charges of murder but also that you made a fake Identity card and you have been living under the pretence that you are Mr. Gorata Polelo. Now why would an innocent man want to do that?"
"Objection you Honour!" Rampape bellowed.
"Objection overruled. Answer the question Mr. Moloi."
He began to stammer. Laura smiled to herself. The creepy idiot wants to get away.
"Never!"
"You withdrew all the money in your account the night before your wife's murder! You were not there when she was murdered! Your fingerprints are all over the murder weapon! You changed your name Mr. Moloi and you claim you did not pull the trigger on your wife! Do you think this court is blind Mr. Moloi?"
Moloi was getting grilled and everyone knew it.
"I have no more questions for him your Honour." Karabelo said firmly leaving Moloi barely hanging for dear life.
Laura watched the drama unfolding before her yes and she promised to do something about it...something that would ensure the eternal accommodation of Patrick Moloi in hell on earth and beyond.
