I was feeling the gun when a voice from a distance had me hurtling and hiding it away,
"Mamma."
I turned and smiled at Joseph at the door.
"Mamma." he hurries and pulls me into a hug, I hug him back even though I haven't been able to look at him differently, "I'm sorry,"
I pulled apart and bent down to his level, then reaching I ruffled his hair with me,
"What are you sorry about?" I ask,
I guess I was finally ready to have the talk with him, I need to know if there's hope for hope.
"Maddie." he mumbled.
I gulp, "Baby, what you did to her was very wrong." I said and he lowered his head, "You know that, right?"
He nodded.
I took a deep yelp of breath before muttering.
"Is she the only one?" He looks up, his blue eyes flickering confusingly at me, "I mean... Do you hurt your other friends too?"
"Just Maddie." He muttered.
Fear clinged me as I gulped highly, whispering.
"Why Maddie?"
"She said she didn't want play with me.." he said,
"How many times has this happened?" I asked, and he looked down, whilst fiddling with his fingers. "Baby, you need to talk to me." I pleaded with him in a yet calm but shaky tone,
"Lot's of times...." he mumbled. "Just like Daddy does-"
"Mrs. Hampton!.."
I was suddenly snapped out of my thoughts and waving it off with a cough I looked up at Ruth.
"Yes."
"You're 12 o'clock is ready?" She reminded me and I glanced at the time, quickly releasing I was late for court.
"Shit!" I hurtled to my feet and grabbing my suitcase I ran out of the office. The proceeding lasted for about two hours but I left to meet up with someone at a local restaurant, one far from town.
My kids are the most important thing to me, so it's a shame that it took ten years for me to realize what I had just realized-
"So can you do it?"
"Let me get this straight, you want me to create you a new name, new passports, security numbers and everything. Basically, you want a change of identity for you and your boys. Are you running or what?"
"Can you do it or not?" I shot back.
He snickered, "That's going to cost you."
"What do you want? I mean how much?"
"I hear you are a lawyer?"
"Yeah..."
He was quiet for a while before muttering, "Okay, how about this." I leaned forward, "A few days ago a bunch of scout lads were grouped by the downtown cops, my little brother included, he's still in jail. You can pay me by getting him out, he's just 17, he shouldn't even be in there"
I pulled out my notepad, muttering.
"What's his name."
"Micheal troy Smith." he answered.
"What's he charged for?" I asked, writing the name down.
"Disruption?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked as I wrote it down too.
"I don't know, that's what they said down at the station. You know them white folks would do anything to keep us locked in."
I sighed, putting my note away.
"So you think you can get him out?" he sounded desperate.
"Yeah, I have helped men with worse crimes." I said and he smiled, "but that's after you complete the job and remember somewhere far."
"I'm on it." he assured me, then leans back watching me with a smirk playing on his lips, "So what are you running from?" he asked.
"It's none of your business."
"I always like to know what I'm working with?" he muttered and I snorted,
"My husband and that's all you need to." I said and he mused.
"Is he a cop or in the force?"
"None..Why?"
"Just checking..."
I groaned and gathered my things to leave here before I got noticed. "I should go now... Remember this stays between us." I said, whilst adjusting my scarf and standing.
"You have my word." He said, and I gave him a small nod before dropping the check and leaving.
You know it's funny how minute you think you're ahead of the game, you think you have your life all figured out and the next minute or second... It comes crashing down right before your eyes and you sit there wishing you had done things differently.
That's me six months later, sitting in a courtroom filled with Judging and cursing eyes, by people who have no clue of the monster that's haunted me for years.
"Opening statement..." The judge says and the prosecutor stands.
"Lady's and gentlemen of the jury, today we are going to prove beyond reasonable doubt that this woman, Janelle Grace Hampton attempted to murder her husband, Luke Bryan Hampton, who's in a induced comma. Why, you ask? That's what we are about to find out..."
