[STORY] The Minister’s Son (Episode 49)

Episode 49.

The courtroom was too small to contain all the people that had come to listen to the ruling, the judge might have felt proud to rule in the presence of more than a thousand people, there were others crowding outside wishing to break in and see the proceeding themselves. The GSU had to take control and ensure order outside, no member of the public was to be harassed, they would be addressed in a polite manner, for the first in the history of the nation, cops looked calm as they requested members of the public to remain calm and orderly. Its not like they had an otherwise since the international community was really paying attention to whatever was happening that day, the proceedings were to be aired by both international and national media channels, the world’s attention was on the case. For the first time I felt like a hero, I felt my own success, though I was not close to making the truth known, for o had little evidence, having the world sense and sport the injustice in my nation was a great step, all I needed was to confirm my allegations by tabling enough evidence.
Everyone took their position as we waited for the judge to enter the courtroom. I was used to standing on the defendant side, it was funny that I was the key complainant yet I had to stand as the defendant because the former minister, Mutua had filed a case against me for accusing him falsely and ruining his reputation. The government also accused me of causing property damage and three days unrest all over the country. Those were just some of the accusations that my lawyer was aware of.
Eventually, the judge got in and everyone stood up, there were so many dignitaries from inside and outside the country. Ministers and other government agencies had assembled there in solidarity with their crooked friend. Their presence reminded me of one day, the day my wedding with Joyce Ndegwa took place. On that day they had come to cerebrate but now they seemed so sad though confident of victory.
Some of them eyed me coldly as others didn’t even bother placing their eyes on me.
“David Kamau Mutua, you have greatly been accused. I have two options for you, option one, I read all the charges as you listen then you defend yourself, option two, I read a charge at a time as you defend yourself, which do you choose?” The judge lowered her spects as usual.
“Thank you my lord, I pick the first option your honour.” I answered.
“David, you stand accused of misleading the public and causing unrest that left properties destroyed and four lives lost. You are also accused of tainting and destroying honourable Mutua’s reputation through fake and vague information, this court bears in mind that you deny Honourable Mutua being your biological dad. Do you deny any of the charges?” The judge asked as she reached for a glass of water.
“Thank you your honour, I will begin by protesting against the grave accusations by the government. The truth can’t be covered forever, I only stand guilty for uncovering the truth. Your honour, the minister had planned my death and I only to discover his mind before he achieved it, if at all hr had nothing to hide or to cover, or if at all I was his his son, how on earth and why could he plan my death? Paying someone to kill me?” I paused and looked around the silent and tensed courtroom. Everyone seemed to attentive and afraid of whatever only the devil and his wife Catherine knew.
“Objection you honour!” Achieng, the minister’s lawyer objected.
“Your honour, let him convince this court that Mutua planed his death and how he came to know of it.” Achieng’ dared me. “Well, your honour, the former minister’s gateman the late Joe Ngigi was to assassinate Rozina and I, somebody overheard it and informed me. Through his lovely cousin, Mercy, we convinced him to desert the minister’s mission and work with us to ensure that the truth is revealed.” I explained.
“Who is the person that overheard the minister?” The Judge was interested.
“Her name is Joyce Ndegwa.”
“Don’t bring her into this you idiot!” Minister Ndegwa roared.
“Silence in court!” I saw the judge write something down. Joyce was then sworn as a witness and she was ready to speak.
“My name is Joyce Ndegwa, the minister Ndegwa’s daughter, but I want justice and that’s why today I stand to witness against my own Dad.” She paused to look at me and I winked for approval. She smiled briefly. “I always loved and admired my Dad but my attitude towards him took a different direction when I discovered that he had forced my marriage with David for his own benefit and that he had teamed with Minister Mutua to have David jailed for crimes he had not commuted. Your honour, on that particular day I stormed into his living room and found him on phone, he didn’t notice me and so he proceeded. I heard everything as he spoke to someone about an assassination. In his conversation he mentioned David , Rozina and Joe. I knew what he meant..” She explained, it was obviously a lie, her mother had overheard it, she didn’t want to endanger her life.
“And how on earth did you know that it was the minister Mutua on phone?” Achieng protested.
“I had always access to my father’s phone and so I had no trouble in getting it and checking out who had called.” Joyce explained wisely.
“There is no conviction in your words, you are only played to tell lies and….” Achieng accused.
“Objection your honour!” I objected.
“Objection sustained!” The judge announced.
“Your honour, David is the rightful son of minister Mutua, every father has a right to reprimand and guide his own son. It was therefore unfair for David to subject his old dad into great stress by denying him as his dad. Your honour, according to me, this case is a family matter and should be left to the family to solve it.” Achieng remarked.
“Objection your honour , I condemn the lawyer from trying to influence this court, I have lost my mother and my love Serena, where was the d–n family when I lost them? Where was the family when Mutua killed my dad and took over our family? What family do I have?!” I was loosing my grip, I was getting furious, my body was trembling with fury, fury that I couldn’t control.
“Order!” The judge called.
“Objection your honour!”
“This court demands a full evidence of whatever has been said.”
“Your honour, its months now since my mother went missing, she might be dead by now and I suspect minister Mutua had a hand in it, my mother had promised to tell me an old secret about Mutua killing my Dad and marrying her by false, on the same day she disappeared..” I tried to explain.
“How long was your mother married by force? More than twenty years? By force? How possible is that?” Achieng’ despised.
“That’s what she told me! It was the truth, I grew up with them and she was more of a slave than a wife of the house!” I protested.
“Order! This hearing will be adjourned until 2pm, I require cool tempers when we return. I also require an eye witness to the killing of David’s father as he claims, otherwise, lack of enough evidence may place heavy judgement on his shoulders. Arise!” The judge stood and left as noise broke into the courtroom, everyone felt that the case was tough for me, there was no doubt I was almost loosing the case. There was only one eye witness left, Joyce mother, my late dad’s secretary. She had vowed not to say anything about it in court.
We had trouble in assembling outside as there was a great multitude. I wrote texts to Joyce, Maccain , Mercy and Edward to meet me at the parking. Every journist wanted to capture and had a word with me but I felt so worn out to speak. I hurried past them and the big crowd that was crapping and singing my name. I don’t know how it happened, it seemed a dream to me when I turned to see a woman that really valued and and still value in my life getting out of a nearby car. No matter the ages, how could I fail to recognize her? My own mother? I couldn’t help it, she ran and I ran and we embraced on the air.
“Mother! Mom! Mother!”
“Son! David! My son!” She cried. “I never thought I would ever see you again.” She cried.
Tears of joy couldn’t let me speak.
“David my love!” A voice called behind me, I turned swiftly to get another handsome shock that nearly sent me on the ground.
“Serena!…”

To Be Continue..

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