Your Honor

6

JAMES'S POV

Flashback

I walked into the court with a confident smile as usual. I knew the hearing of the day and even without glancing through it, I knew the verdict already. It was a planned event and well already paid for. I knew I was doing the wrong thing but the gift Danjuma would give would act as a consolation.

"The court may sit!"

I was so lost in thought that I couldn't even hear what the clerk was saying. I knew I just had to do this.

"On the 4th of April, 2016. Mr Femi Salami was arrested with a charge of murder on the victim, Mrs Sade Salami,who is identified as his mother. He has undergone two trials and this is the last and final trial"

"Is the accused present?" I continued.

The clerks nodded and gestured towards the defense panel and there he was sitting peacefully.

"Any last words Mr Femi?" I asked, boring my eyes into his bald head.

"Do you admit that you killed your mother?" I asked loudly.

"Yes, your Honor." Mr Femi said stammering.

"Since you admitted it,I would give my judgement based on that, murder is an offence punishable by the code 281 of the Nigerian constitution."

"Hence, here is my verdict.But before then, there is a word that says what you sow is exactly want you will reap. The accused Mr Femi Salami is sentenced to death by hanging," I said avoiding gazes with the accused.

"The court may rise"

I felt a sudden lump in my throat has been removed. I felt completely relieved but the audience was the opposite unfortunately. There were loud mumours and chatterings. I stood up and began to stride the same way I entered.

I knew what I had done. I had seen the pointless hope in the eyes of the accused and I wasn't sorry for that. My thoughts were halted by the loud smack of an object on a person and alas the victim was me.

"You will pay for what you have done!"

"Remember my name! Remember David Salami!"

The intruder was carried out by hefty security men and I was alone nursing a pain I deserved.

Present

As the memories came flooding back, so did the loud beating of my heart return.

"It seems you remember me,your face is really pale," David said rumbling in laughter.

"So what's the point?" I asked.

I was on the bare ground, tied up like a goat waiting to be slaughtered. David sat down on the ground crossing his legs and folding his arms.

"Let's see, you deliberately left out the raw fact that Femi was mentally destabilized. He only does what people tell him to do .My mother told him to suffocate her with a pillow because she was tired. She was tired of feeling pain every single day because of cancer. It was quite unfortunate that a neighbor caught him," David said inhaling loudly.

"You expected me to overlook the fact that he killed someone. Maybe you don't know. The law isn't compassionate and it doesn't expect us to," I said smiling.

"Alright, you made your point well.Let me expantiate the situation to you ,you sentenced my brother to death so that the media could blow it up and forget about a drug trafficking case. My brother was simply the bait and you really do know to fish," David said whispering.

"You see, all of this you are doing won't bring back your brother. He committed suicide in prison. He hadn't even fulfill his judgement yet," I said chuckling.