Mirabel went in to speak to Jonas.'I have realised that I have been stupid all this while and wasted all the time that I was supposed to have used to get to know Joel even better. What do I do to make amends?'Jonas was happy but he contained his joy because it was almost too good to be true and she could change her mind the next instance.'You know what to do. Why don't you call him and tell him exactly what you have just told me?'Mirabel was scared. She had hoped Jonas was going to help facilitate the whole event but he was not being helpful at all. She decided to place a call to Joel.'Hello Joel, you may have forgotten me but I could never forget you. This is Mirabel and I was wondering if we could talk?''Say what you have in mind, I am busy!' he said coldly.His tone was not encouraging but she felt that she deserved it.'It is something we cannot speak on the phone, could we speak one on one? Could I come for a visit?'That was something Joel didn't want because he could let
That weekend, Joel came visiting.Jonas made some excuses and left after enduring that they had come to get her to have the long looked-- forward -- to discussion.As they were busy having the discussion, unknown to them especially to Mirabel, her past was about to catch up with her.The boys she had injured in her bid to seek revenge and had thought that she had gone Scot free had come together to seek redress in a court of law against her.But the discussion continued with they all being blissfully unaware of the events that was going to befall them and throw shadow over their lives.'You said you would like to see me. What is it you wish to talk about?' he asked with obvious lack of interest.'It is about your relationship with Shandy' she said watching him carefully. His face tightened and he clenched his fists. 'I do not think that there is anything to talk about concerning that any more. We have already said all that we wanted to say and you made your stand clear, so why bring
The .next day, Joel travelled back to London. He had urgent matters to attend to.He did not spare Mirabel any of his time again after the discussion they had the previous night.As he was en route, he recalled all that his father had told him. They compared notes on what Mirabel had said and Jonas was happy that the situation at the brothel had not been as bad as they had assumed. Joel did not want to care. He had been hurt so much that he just didn't care anymore.When he got home to London, he did not call Shandy but somehow she got wind that he was around and came visiting.'Shandy, I want to thank you so much for the help you rendered in making it possible for Mirabel and me to come back together. We shall be planning our wedding very soon. Would you doe the favour of being her bridesmaid? If you were a man, having been my great friend for so long, I would have asked you to be my best man but since you are a woman, be my wife's bridesmaid. It will be an honour for us if you will
The next day, a court order was presented to Mirabel. She was to appear in court for the life threatening injuries she had inflicted on the boys of the neighbourhood.Mirabel remembered the boys, the first was Liam who she slashed his manhood, Adam whose arm she slashed, James whose handsome face she scared and Sam whose fingers she nearly cut off and then Curtis whose lips she slashed.She showed the papers to Jonas who shook his head sadly. He had been expecting this but when it didn't come, he thought they had escaped luckily but someone must have told the boys they should fight back.The exposure alone was not very good for Mirabel but now that it had come to going to court, there was nothing they could do about it because they would not even want an out of court settlement.Mirabel felt that the system was biased if they would take on such a case after all that the boys had done.Jonas got her a lawyer but he knew that it was the case if juveniles since the offence was committed
The day of the hearing arrived and as the court session started, both lawyers introduced each other to the court and the judge shook his head to indicate that they could commerce.Miranda's lawyer was Adam Taylor while the one hired by the boys or the person sponsoring them was Mike Chapman.Both lawyers gave introductory speech concerning what the case was all about stating that their clients were innocent.The judge wondered silently who then was guilty.The first boy was called to the stand and asked to state his case -- the case he had against Miss Mirabel Cole.'I call Adam to the stand'.Adam went into the witness box and swore his oath of honesty.'What is your name?' Michael Chapman asked for the benefit of all the people in the court.'Adam. Adam Bushe'. The boy replied.'Adam, do you know the accused Miss Cole?'He nodded.'Please we do not want mere gestures. You will have to be vocal', the lawyer said smiling to take the sting away from his tone.'So do you know Miss Mirab
Mirabel had wanted to shout at the top of her lungs that Adam was lying through his teeth during his testimony but looking at Jonas in shock, he had gestured for her to calm down, telling her there would be time for her to state her own case and then people will have no option but to sympathize with her. He said this to convince not just Mirabel but himself as well because though he did not want to lose faith, it was not looking promising at all as their lawyer had foreseen.Mr. Chapman decided to call another witness to the stand. The quicker they were done with the heating, the better. He was sure that they had no witnesses and it was going to be difficult for people to take the testimony of a girl whose reputation was in doubt over five young boys who had injuries yo show for their efforts. She could get off with a less sentence of being mentally ill to inflict the boys with such injuries and would have to be taken to a mental clinic which was not a little sentence st all.'I wish
Adam Taylor, Mirabel's lawyer was impressed at the way the boys gave their testimony. It was evident to him that they had had enough coaching and from the best as well. He was almost convinced himself but he was going to fight back now that he had seen that they were fighting dirty.Chapman, the plaintiff lawyer called the next witness to the stand and this was James Abrams.It was evident to all present that James was indeed a very handsome boy but there was this scar on his face that belied his good looks as you looked at it but out of sight, you would love to keep looking at him.'You are James. James what?' Chapman asked.'James Abrams'.His voice was as sweet as his face was handsome. The deep timbre of his voice caused all eye to be fixed on him, it was hypnotizing.'I want to know if you know Miss Cole?''Yes, I do. We are acquinted'.'Oh, you are not really friends but acquinted?''Yes. I had met her when she parked newly into the neighborhood. She had looked so lost without
The court was adjourned till the next day and Taylor was determined to get some witnesses to testify on their own behalf.He had made a call to a doctor he knew and asked that they met, and taken Mirabel to him for an examination and asked that the paper work be ready. He was sure that the doctor would be pleased to come to court to attest to the fact that Mirabel was not mentally unbalanced as the testimony against her seem to indicate.Mirabel was not very happy that Joel had not been attending the proceedings with them. His presence no matter how disapproving he might be would have given her more moral support.Jonas as though reading her mind had assured her that Joel was following the proceedings as he records and sends to him due to the demands of his job that had hindered him from coming personally.Mirabel knew that he was just saying that to console her. If she really meant anything to him, he would allow by gones be bygones and would have been there to lend his emotional sup
Jonas woke her as they got home and she was so sleepy,that she did not see the person standing by the door, welcoming them with a smile.She had almost passed him by when he grabbed her hands thinking that she had intentionally ignored him.She looked up to find Joel there. She was shocked. She had not expected to see him, then she recalled that he had not come to court. He could stay at home bit not come to court. It could only mean that he was ashamed of her and didn't want to be identified with her. Jonas had left them tactfully and gone inside.Mirabel tried to snatch her hands away but Joel held on tightly.'You make a wonderful speech. I did not know you could beat that lawyer at his own game', he said laughing.Mirabel was surprised. How did he know? They had just got home and Jonas had not had the time to speak to him, except of course if he had actually been there. But how could he be there and at home at the same time? He must have followed it either on TV or newspaper but i
'The accused lived with us after her mother's death and since she was going to be working full time with us and living in, I put her through alot if tests and she passed them all'.'Sorry, ma'am what kind of tests are we talking about here?' Chapman asked warming up to his cross-examination.'To determine her honesty, I would leave wades of currency, jewelries and other valuables, that someone coming from a humble background such as hers would have taken advantage of and hidden but she always brought them back to me thinking that I had misplaced them unintentionally. This caused me to come to trust her and I took her as my sister and treated her as such but little did I know what was going on under my nose'.Everyone in court knew what was coming next. The woman was going to say how Mirabel seduced her husband for money.'I did not know that the husband whom I had done so much for and loved dearly and trusted with all my heart was not only cheating me outside our home but disrespectin
Mr. Taylor had let her question sink in and have the desired effect before asking Mr. Chapman to cross examine Mirabel. He had not expected her to ask the question but was glad that she had done that and in a very cool detached tone that was very effective.Mr. Chapman himself had not known that the girl was as intelligent as that and was determined to throw her, though he did not know how to get about it except of course trying to get her angry so that she could lose that very chilling confidence she had.' Miss Cole, is it not true that you had secretly desired each one of your friends?''What do you think? That a girl could like all five or six of her friends romantically at the same time even if she were a nymph?''I was coming to that. You are a nymph, Miss Cole are you not?'Mirabel was getting impatient with this prosecutor but she refused to give him the satisfaction of showing her annoyance and impatience with him. She was going to throw him, defeat him by being patience pers
'Is it not true that since you share a daughter - father relationship with Miss Cole, she will have confided in you what her plans were?' Chapman asked.'She told me that she would teach them a le....''... a little lesson, bla bla bla like you have told the court in great detail. it being as close as you are with her, could this not be the excuse you both came up with, a plot to mislead the court?''Objection, my lord'.'Sustained. Prosecutor, limit yourself to questioning the witness and not forcing your assumptions on him'.'Mr. Jonas, how is it possible that a girl who claim to have adopted as your daughter would be gang raped and you do not feel inclined to report to the authorities to ensure that they are punished?''I respected my daughter's wishes and you we'll know how women who have been ravished are looked on as spoilt goods. All these made me reconsider'.'Is it not possible that you planned all these with your daughter to escape justice? Being gang raped indeed!''Do yo
Two regular customers of Mirabel were called to the stand and both of the testified that she did not behaved abnormally and that she was very cheerful and respectful. She treated her customers with courtesy and even when they were rude and hard to please, she still devised meNs to satisfy them and keep them happy and coming. That was why the patronage of her eatery kept growing which would have been otherwise if she had had any mental problems.'That is not a kind of problem you hid for long'. One of them said.Chapman had no questions for them and then Taylor calked Dr. Rutherford to the stand.'Welcome doctor, may we meet you?' Taylor said, this was to establish the authencity of the man.'I am Dr. Peter Rutherford. I work at the General hospital here in London as a consultant and a specialist in the field of psychiatric and neurology'.'Please doctor, have you under any circumstances examined the accused Miss Cole?''Yes I have'.'What was the basis of the examination?''Well to de
Chapman was almost gloating and Taylor could not blame him at all. 'Your witness, Taylor', he said knowing that any question Taylor threw at Liam would only implicate his client further and aggravate the already angry spectators.'No questions!' Taylor said looking straight at Liam.Wise! Chapman thought.'Well I have one other person to call to the witness stand, Your Honour'.The judge nodded though praying that it was not another witness with a slashed penis. The case against the innocent looking girl was becoming very gruesome and he just wanted to be done with it.'I call Curtis to the witness box'.Curtis walked confidently to the stand, sparing Mirabel a glance that seem to say, you will have what is coming to you today as we take our revenge on you.'Curtis, could you tell us what your full name is?''Curtis Trowler'.'How did you meet the accused?''She came to my mother's shop to buy some groceries and it was much and I happened to be going the same way as she and I helped
The court was adjourned till the next day and Taylor was determined to get some witnesses to testify on their own behalf.He had made a call to a doctor he knew and asked that they met, and taken Mirabel to him for an examination and asked that the paper work be ready. He was sure that the doctor would be pleased to come to court to attest to the fact that Mirabel was not mentally unbalanced as the testimony against her seem to indicate.Mirabel was not very happy that Joel had not been attending the proceedings with them. His presence no matter how disapproving he might be would have given her more moral support.Jonas as though reading her mind had assured her that Joel was following the proceedings as he records and sends to him due to the demands of his job that had hindered him from coming personally.Mirabel knew that he was just saying that to console her. If she really meant anything to him, he would allow by gones be bygones and would have been there to lend his emotional sup
Adam Taylor, Mirabel's lawyer was impressed at the way the boys gave their testimony. It was evident to him that they had had enough coaching and from the best as well. He was almost convinced himself but he was going to fight back now that he had seen that they were fighting dirty.Chapman, the plaintiff lawyer called the next witness to the stand and this was James Abrams.It was evident to all present that James was indeed a very handsome boy but there was this scar on his face that belied his good looks as you looked at it but out of sight, you would love to keep looking at him.'You are James. James what?' Chapman asked.'James Abrams'.His voice was as sweet as his face was handsome. The deep timbre of his voice caused all eye to be fixed on him, it was hypnotizing.'I want to know if you know Miss Cole?''Yes, I do. We are acquinted'.'Oh, you are not really friends but acquinted?''Yes. I had met her when she parked newly into the neighborhood. She had looked so lost without
Mirabel had wanted to shout at the top of her lungs that Adam was lying through his teeth during his testimony but looking at Jonas in shock, he had gestured for her to calm down, telling her there would be time for her to state her own case and then people will have no option but to sympathize with her. He said this to convince not just Mirabel but himself as well because though he did not want to lose faith, it was not looking promising at all as their lawyer had foreseen.Mr. Chapman decided to call another witness to the stand. The quicker they were done with the heating, the better. He was sure that they had no witnesses and it was going to be difficult for people to take the testimony of a girl whose reputation was in doubt over five young boys who had injuries yo show for their efforts. She could get off with a less sentence of being mentally ill to inflict the boys with such injuries and would have to be taken to a mental clinic which was not a little sentence st all.'I wish