Assalammu'alaikum family, friends, readers and followers of this blog.
Chapter 6: The Hearing
The first hearing came—and was adjourned.
No answers. No closure. Just more waiting.
Mr Chew arranged another visit, this time bringing the findings he had gathered. He wanted to go through them carefully, to see if there was anything more she could provide—anything that might help prove her innocence.
—
“Hi, Mr Lee. I’m Chew from AC Law,” he began. “I’m here to ask a few questions regarding Ifa, one of your students. Has she ever shown disinterest in her studies or displayed anything of concern to you?”
“Ifa?” Mr Lee repeated without hesitation. “She failed my module once, yes—but when she retook it last term, she scored a distinction. Her attendance has always been above ninety percent. She’s in her final year and should be doing her internship now. I believe she was posted to LTA. That girl has a lot of potential. And if I remember correctly, she represented the school on the hockey team.”
“Thank you, Mr Lee,” Mr Chew replied. “If Ifa needs you to stand as a character witness, would you be willing?”
There was a pause.
“What happened to Ifa?” Mr Lee asked, his voice tight with shock.
When Mr Chew explained the situation, Mr Lee was dumbfounded. He insisted it was impossible—that it had to be sabotage. His certainty strengthened Mr Chew’s confidence that the case could take a more favorable turn.
Armed with paperwork and statements, Mr Chew came to see her again.
“I’m only going to show you part of his statement,” he said gently. “Take your time to read it. Then tell me how hard you want me to fight.”
Her eyes scanned the page.
I am merely following the orders of my wife, Ifa. She determined how much to sell, who to sell to, and where I should meet the buyer. She is the mastermind of it all.
She went silent.
For a full minute, she couldn’t breathe. Then anger surged through her, hot and uncontrollable. She looked up, voice shaking, demanding that Mr Chew fight—fight hard, fight relentlessly. The statement was a lie. A blatant one. He had twisted everything.
Mr Chew nodded and raised his thumb reassuringly. He went on to explain that he had spoken to several lecturers—two of whom were willing to take the stand. They would vouch for her attendance, her grades, her commitment to learning. Things that would not have been possible had she been under the influence of drugs.
Then he said the words she had been dreading.
“Your parents have been asking if you need anything. They’d also like to know if you want them to visit.”
“No,” she whispered, shaking her head. “Please… no. My poor parents.” Her voice broke. “Tell them you’ll fight hard. Tell them I’ll be out soon. I’ll be fine.”
The tears came without warning.
She sobbed, realizing in that moment how wrong she had been. Her husband was not all she had. She had her parents. Her sister. People who loved her genuinely. The weight of how much she had hurt and disappointed them crushed her—and with it came clarity.
She knew then that she had to leave this marriage.
—
Six weeks passed.
Six long weeks of waking behind bars.
Her next hearing was expected in one to two weeks. She clung to the hope that it would be the last. She prayed. She waited. She watched new inmates arrive and others leave. Some had been betrayed like her. Some knew exactly what they had done—and what awaited them.
She was later informed that she did not need to attend the next few hearings. She would only be notified of her sentencing in two to four weeks.
The waiting was unbearable.
Around her, others were sentenced. Some were deported. Some transferred. Some led away quietly, their faces hollow.
Her turn was coming.
Would she walk free?
Or would she be found guilty?
The answer loomed closer with every passing day.
//--- Please leave a comment if you want to read the next chapter. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment