My Love; My Life: Slipping Through My Fingers

Neitherworld FILES V: the Court Date/BJ's Progress

*pic of Juno the caseworker from the movie-BJ's mom in the musical (played by Jill Abramovitz) & grandma in this case-(played by Sylvia Sidney: 1910-1999)*
Setting: Neitherworld courtroom...

"From the moment I first met Mr. Casiano and Ms. Paolo in prison," Bay says speaking in the neitherworld court to the people, "I found them to be...shaken by seeing light for the first time in who knows how long, they kept asking for the date and time because they didn't know..." she goes on, doing something she's good-lying, or in the eyes of a court of law: stretching the truth, "they couldn't tell me much about their child-I sorry-I mean 'crime'...they couldn't tell me, because after so long in confinement," she explains to them, "they couldn't even give me enough information to make up it's file...couldn't even tell me it's name..." she lies before handing the judge the false file she drew up, "I ask: is it fair to punish two who broke a law that hadn't yet been put in place until after said crime was even committed? Isn't putting said criminals-" she stops to correct herself, "no-said parents in solitary confinement punishing their so called 'crime?' Isn't it punishment enough that they have to spend their afterlife, never getting to see what's become of their child-I mean, 'crime?'...is it illegal for such things as incest, a person having a companion exceedingly older or younger them seen as a crime or...gross-modern times, yes, yes it is. But between their time frames of life, it was not uncommon for a child of say...eight years to be married to a man of say-thirty. There times of life/death and the 'crimes' birth being between the thirteenth and nineteen centuries, their unlawful wedlock, would've still have-more or less-still be legal," Bay argues to the court, "the law wasn't in place before the 'crime' occurred, but after it did-because it did, there by meaning that they've been incarcerated for breaking a law that had yet to exist, and wouldn't apply unless committed after the law was set in place."

"..." the court is silent after her argument-the judge, clearly unsure of how to respond, but also deep in thought about it as well

"Please your honor," she says to the judge, "I'm not saying they shouldn't be held accountable for their actions," she tells him, "just simply that they shouldn't be confined to solitude in imprisonment for a 'crime' they technically hadn't yet committed," she goes on, "they're willing to accept permanent house arrest if need be-"

"I've heard enough," the judge declares with a bang of his gavel, "..." they sit in silence for a bit longer as he thinks further on the matter, "I here by release Mr. Casino and Ms. Paolo of their imprisonments-but they're still forbidden any form of contact with their son."

"Understood," Bay replies with a smile

"Court is adjourned," he announces with another bang of his gavel

The courtroom empties, the two freed prisoners seeing their first ray of light for the first time in centuries, and being stopped by reporters with questions and wanting comments. Bay is stopped by Juno before she can even reach the door, her smile fads as soon as Juno is in front of her with her usual unpleasant look...

"So," Juno says, "you actually managed to do it," she adds in sounding unimpressed, "what're you gonna do next?-try to get the law abolished?" She laughs, "or perhaps try to make it legal for the dead to marry the living-"

"Thank you for the great idea Juno," Bay replies to her with a smile, causing her to choke on the smoke of her cigarette before Bay disappears to her home

Bay updates the files, putting a sticky note on BJ and Fernando's files to work toward making marriage for BJ legal so he can be with Lydia and their kids, and to find the Paolo-Casiano kid. It isn't long before she checking her clocks and finding that she has one day left before the kids first day of school...