** All characters in this story are of legal age. **
Hope, Charity & Faith-THE FINALE
"All rise" The bailiff called out as my mother nudged me from partially consciousness.
I didn't want to come down to the courtroom for the sentencing, but she insisted that I be present to see justice done. Jay Stello was standing at the defendant table with his lawyer, Charity's mother Cecily Gilbert. I felt a sliver of sorrow knowing the scheming mother / daughter duo had their claws deep in to him. I foresaw a Mike Tyson-Robin Givens type future for the once beloved idiot. He'd dropped a pound or two looking smaller but still cutting an imposing figure in a suit. The judge was some elderly white woman who looked like a bald eagle or something.
"Young man I'd like to address you before I hand down this sentence because I see golden opportunity squandered, and for what? An emotional attachment or from this report across my desk, the operative word should be entanglement with appropriate respect to your attorney. Jayson Stello, you've had a pretty easy ride up to this very moment from the view of this side of my bench. You could've killed that boy. Luckily, providence stepped in to keep you from that fate, this time. Do you understand what I'm saying to you Mr. Stello?" His lawyer nudged him with her elbow.
"Uh, yes your honor, ma'am." His voice was shaky with a fear I'd never seen about his person as the judge sat there stone faced.
"We'll see about that Mr. Stello; I understand the young man you assaulted is present with his parent. Would you like to address them at this time for your misguided actions before I hand down judgement on this case which has taken entirely too long to reach my bench?"
I tensed up as he nodded turning in our direction. My mother was holding my hand, giving it a squeeze of reassurance. There were a few members of the football team there for support sitting behind Jay's elderly looking parents. He was sweating profusely, head held low for the first time in his life as he addressed us.
"Sorry, about everything-I did. It was wrong and uhm, I hope you forgive me someday Jaleel."
It was instantly cathartic hearing him say my name openly for the first time. Up until this point I was an ant beneath his sphere, a nobody. He never cared about me in the least. Not even as a rival much less the boyfriend of the cheerleader he was cheating on his actual girlfriend with. Charity Gilbert was sitting there next to his parents now facing me from her seat. She looked like a presidential wife in this sleeveless grey knee length dress perfectly matching the color of her lover's attire. She was visibly glaring at me through squinted eyes barely able to contain herself.
"I understand that some form of restitution has been made to the victim's family; I don't have an impact statement here in my paperwork. Would the Perry family like to make a statement at this time?" Mom nudged me with her elbow.
"Uhm, I don't know what to say your honor because I never been inside a courtroom in my life, ma'am."
"I commend you on that Jaleel, is it?"
"Yes ma'am; excuse me, I mean your honor." The judge smiled warmly at my deferent posture.
"It's okay young man, don't worry you're safe in my courthouse. Just speak your peace and I'll do the rest." The maternal sound of her voice told me that Jay Stello was likely toast.
"Uhm well I don't know what else I can say because I was in the hospital for a month and a day your honor. Well uh, well...."
"Go on Jaleel." She looked concerned as thoughts of his fist smashing my face brought up the perfect thing to finish off this chapter in my teen life.
"Well you're the judge so uhm I guess... It's beyond my control."
Charity Gilbert audibly snarled like some caged animal drawing attention to herself in the worst way. She would've lunged out of her seat if Jay's father hadn't grabbed her elbow sternly. Her face twisted into that same indecipherably horrid grimace I'd seen as she sat in front office waiting for her parents. I wanted to drive the stake in deep making sure that everybody knew what she was from this moment forward. Her mother leaned over the bench tugging at her arm while the judge pounded away with her gavel.
Charity's head rocked back as if she were swooning as some older black woman leaned forward with handfuls of tissues. I half turned burying my face in my mother's suit jacket. It was the only way to keep from busting up in open court. This presented quite the visual the cameras present in the courtroom. Jay's favorite blonde reporter was present covering the situation for local media. A sheriff's deputy stepped in with a paper cone full of water as the judge regained order in her courtroom. My mother gave me a hard "pat" on the back. Momma didn't raise no fools, nor was she one herself.
"Is there anything else the Perry family would like to say at this time?"
"No your honor." My mother replied as I regained my composure.
"Jayson Stello, face the bench please."
He was still looking at his distraught girlfriend cradled in his father's arms. Everyone present could see him visibly trembling as this now even more stone faced judge held his fate in her hands.
The former motherfucking Jay Stello was sentenced to fifteen days in jail, fifteen hundred in court fines, along with a hundred twenty hours of community service and additional restitution mediated by our respective legal representatives including attorney fees. One of my cousins who'd recently passed the bar was gonna be handling that unenviable chore. A few days before we came to court, my cousin informed us there'd been an offer of restitution on the table from Charity's family attached to a non-disclosure agreement. Basically I was getting paid double for being knocked unconscious on a rainy day.
Jay cried like a baby as the bailiffs cuffed him for his meager half month sentence inconsolable calling out to his mother in front of everyone including the few members of his team present including my would be executioner Dondre. It wasn't a good look in front of his subordinates crying like a bitch.
Charity Gilbert was finally toppled from her self-perceived seat of power. The student council was noticeably gutted of resources afterwards. Even depowered, Charity still maintained a mentor-protégé relationship with the vice principal who would undoubtedly keep doors opened for her favored student that should have been slammed in her face. Her portion of my settlement came from a considerable college fund established in her early formative years. Personally, I knew I'd have to continue looking over my shoulder until graduation.
"Cut the shit son; I know my boy." Mom chimed in as we drove home from court. I'd been stoic, lost in thoughts of Faith when she spoke.
"Excuse me, I was sincere back there."
"Want a whipping?"
"Alright you win; I had a ball watching it go down. That's why you took me to court, right?" Instead of answering, mom rubbed the back of my head before turning up her music.
Both of us enjoyed the soulful strains of Isaac Hayes rendition of Walk On By with the Bar-Kays.
