THE WEDDING
The Wedding – Episode 12
Theme: Can I Love You?
.
Continues at the court…
Jean was holding Angel, Rose stopped in front of her with tears in her eyes.
Rose: Can I hold him a little please?
Jean: (nods) Of course Rose, he’s your son
Jean gave the baby to her, she took Angel who happily smiled at Rose. She kissed and hugged him, crying.
Rose: My darling… I miss you so much… I’m gonna get you back, I promise baby.
Jean collected Angel who started crying and took him outside to calm him down, the hearing began and both lawyers started to defend their clients.
Nigel’s lawyer, Mr Job Hawkins called Rose to the stand for questioning.
Job: Mrs Gonzalez, is it true that you and my client were once married?
Rose: Yes
Job: You left to come to this city because of the divorce and didn’t inform him when you had the baby.
Rose: That’s not how it happened.
Job: You were going to leave again with the baby after he found you.
Rose: I wasn’t gonna leave. I told him he could come see him anytime.
Harry: Your honor, these questions are irrelevant and he’s making my client uncomfortable.
Judge: Sustained, please ask the proper questions.
Job: What I’m trying to portray here is the fact that this woman had the baby six months ago and didn’t tell my client. That clearly shows she’s hiding the baby, and she is not also financially stable, yet she didn’t inform him. It only means she might try to hide the baby again from her father. No other questions my lord.
Judge: (To Harry) You have anything to ask?
Harry: Yes your honor, (faces Rose) When you were pregnant with the baby, did you inform Mr Owens?
Rose: He knew about the pregnancy before the problem that led to our divorce.
Harry: What happened after the divorce?
Rose: I begged him, mostly because of my pregnancy but he refused.
Harry: You said your child was born with a minor heart disease that kept him in the hospital for three months
Rose: Yes
Nigel got more shocked as he heard that, he began to feel guilty and bad. What happened is mainly his fault and he wasn’t there for his son. Harry handed the doctors report to the judge, the judge nodded.
Harry: Please continue
Rose: I didn’t have enough money to treat him, but because I’m a doctor myself……
Nigel: What?
Rose: I helped treat him, so my money was low.
Harry: What did the doctor say was the main cause?
Rose: I’ve fallen down the stairs before and I bled a lot, it really affected my baby.
Harry: Your honor, according to my findings, Mr Owens is a very violent man when he gets angry. How did you fall down the stairs miss Gonzalez?
Rose: I was begging him when he pushed me and left, I fell down the stairs that day.
Nigel’s mother and sister gasped, Nigel palmed his face. He never knew he hurt her or did all those things to her.
Harry: And did you ever tell him you didn’t want him near the baby?
Rose: Never. I even begged him to accept Angel and I said he could come visit us anytime.
Harry: What happened to your leg?
Rose: I had an accident while trying to chase after him when he came to take my baby away.
Harry: Thank you Mrs Gonzalez (Rose nodded and drove her wheelchair back) I’d like to call in Mr Nigel for a few questions your honor.
Nigel sighed and walked to the stand, his eyes met with Rose as she looked away at her baby. He felt so guilty and stupid.
Harry: Mr Owens, you and Mrs Gonzalez were once married?
Nigel: Yes
Harry: Did you know she was pregnant or not?
Nigel: I did.
Harry: Did you reject the child or not?
Job: Objection your honor. He’s trying to make my client say things he doesn’t want to say.
Harry: And why is that your honor? Because Mr Owens has a depressive illness and it’s easy for him to say the truth without thinking.
Judge: Overuled, continue.
Harry: Thank you, your honor. Did you reject the baby or not?
Nigel: I…did.
Harry: And when you found her, did she mention or act like she didn’t want you around the baby?
Nigel: No
Harry: Then why did you ask for custody of the baby?
Nigel: I didn’t want her to separate me from my baby…
Harry: But did you think before doing it?
Nigel: Yes
Harry: My report shows that you have a depressive illness and you’re mentally depressed.
Nigel: (Sighs) Yes
Harry: You also stopped taking your drugs and treatment about a year ago
Nigel: Yes
Harry: That will be all Mr Owens (Nigel went back to his seat glaring at Harry) Your honor, this case seems like one of numerous illnesses attacks. Mr Owens stopped taking his medication a year ago, so he is easily violent, thoughtless and more dangerous. I don’t think the child will do well staying with him. His mother, on the other hand is hardworking and can provide for her baby with no violence. I rest my case your honor.
Judge: With all that have been said, I ask for a recess before we hear the final verdict.
Everyone went out, the judge and the jury walked out of the courtroom.
_________’__’__’___””__
Cathy and Rose walked to where Jean and her mother, Anna were standing with Angel.
Rose: Can I Please hold him?
Anna: He’s your baby Rose, you don’t need to ask (Gives her the baby who stopped crying) See? He stopped crying.
Rose: Thank you so much for taking care of my Angel.
Anna: He’s my grandson and I don’t mind at all so don’t thank me.
Cathy: I wonder how such a j**k came from a family of nice people, I’m sorry to say.
Jean: (Sighs) Nigel is not well, he doesn’t even understand what he’s doing and why he’s doing it.
Anna: He stopped taking treatment the day you broke up Rose, he was so broken and shattered. I’ve never seen him so sick like that, he almost died. He spent two months at the hospital before he got well.
Rose: I… I didn’t know…
She felt so bad and heartbroken, especially because she still loves him despite everything. She felt it’s still her fault all this is happening.
Anna: I know my dear, please just find a place in your heart to forgive him, he’s not well and he doesn’t know what he’s doing. At least, let him see his son once in a while and if he wins, we’ll get you your child.
Rose: (nods) Okay… Can I get a paper?
Cathy: What do you need a paper for?
Rose: Something important
Jean: (brings out a note with a pen) Here.
Rose: (Collects it and wrote medications for different types of illness like fever, headaches, migraines, stress etc) Buy all these for him, let him use it all together according to how I wrote it. He might get some changes.
Jean: Thank you (puts it in her bag)
Anna: I still can’t believe you’re a doctor.
Rose: (Smiles) I can’t either… please don’t tell him I prescribed this.
Cathy: Why? He needs to know you’re saving his a*s.
Rose: No, please don’t tell him.
Anna: We won’t my dear. Let’s go back, it’s time for the decision.
Rose gave them the baby and they all went back to the court room, Nigel was already sitting and looking sober.
_________”______
Judge: My final decision is that the baby goes back to his mother with full custody, and that Mr Owens starts his treatment again or have the government come treat him.
Rose happily collected Angel with tears in her eyes. Nigel felt hurt, disappointed and bad. He left the court and went to a nearby bar to drink.
Harry congratulated Rose and left to meet a client, Anna and Jean said goodbye to Rose and went to look for Nigel before he does something stupid to himself.
Despite all these, Rose still wants to forget about everything and move on with Nigel. But it’s impossible, he belongs to someone else now, so she has to move on.
TBC… @everyone
