Life Has its Moments

Arrival, Rival and Trial-part 2

"May we please hear from defendant what she has to say for herself."

Her lawyer whispered something into her ear and she nodde before reluctantly standing up. Imogen closed her eyes and wished to God she wouldn't do  or say anything stupid.

She began. "I don't really have much to say."

"Can you please speak up, madame."

"My opponent here, might say that he is financially fit to support my daughter...our daughter but is he morally fit? I mean he lost his job because he drank which is somewhat like me and-"

"I object!" Mr Towner barked sudeenly rising as if he had just landed on a pin. "She can't mention or use that against him."

"Agreed. Miss Dalton please carry on."

"I appreciate that he can do things for her since I haven't been able to do that. My drinking made it hard for me to secure a decent job so I gave up. From day one I have never been with Imogen for upto 24hrs. when she was born, she was always with the nurses until they would force me to feed her once in a while. At home, I would dump...sorry drop her off at my neighbour's, an old woman, may she rest in peace, for the whole day sometime while I did my things."

"What did you do, Miss Dalton, in those times?" The lawyer quetioned.

"I did things...you know...this and that and got money out of it. At age 4, my neighbour told me that Imogen was seriously asthmatic. She gave her her first inhaler. She died two years later, my neighbour and that was when another family moved in. That is Kirby, her friend over there. They have been together since then and Kirby's mother became the other neighbour where imogen would spend sometimes the whole day there. Which actually made me relieved knowing she was in safe hands. At age eleven, she was diagnosed with cancer and that was when the mayor came into our lives taking good care of us and paying every single household bill. Imoged challenged me to the truth about her father at age twelve which I promised to tell her when she turned sixteen which I did."

The whole court room was in pin-drop silence and Mike couldn't help smiling at her words. imogen uncovered her face halfway into the narration as she realized her mother was as sober as Mrs Knight.

"I have taken her for granted and now that she might be leaving me has given an awakening. So, I promise to stop being a drunkard and take part in life. Take life seriously and get a job and make a family of my own."

Imogen gave a loud gasp that made evryone turn to her. That was a whole sentence or paragraph she would never had expected her mother to produce out of her mouth.

"Anyway, judges, you should choose who you think would be a better parent to Imogen." She sat down without being told so and returned to trying hard not to look at Mike while Mike had his stare diging into her like a syringe. He was smiling so hard and so long that his jaw started to hurt.

The judge announced that they would go back to the office and decide the verdict while everyone went out for air.

Mike spent his whole break in thought, Imogen spent it with Kirby and Mrs Jones and Mrs Knight while Catherine spent it talking to her lawyer who seemed very happy. Mike's atorney could not be found anywhere.

When it resumed, the judge announced that Mike had gotten custody of Imogen as her legal father but has to get a more proper job than being a substitute teacher. And from the time on, the mayor's However the case will return in a year if Catherine is seen to have changed and really settled into an organized life. 

 "Court adjourned!" the judge announced and hit his gavel.

Mike couldn't help looking at Imogen and smiling. His mom and Rnold came to hug him in happiness.

"So this is Imogen?" His mother asked. He nodded and she hugged Imogen saying "welcome to the family, hon." Arnold gave her a tight hug too, wiping away an invincible tear. All this made Imogen almost cry to have love for a change.

There was a lot of congratulations to both of them as they moved outside and of course a few press since the mayor was attending. How they got the word, no one knew. They were such pain in the ass.

Mike was standing behind Imogen and wheeling her about when he became aware of Catherine standing and looking at them. 

"Imogen?"

"Yeah?" She looked up at him and he gestured to her mother now coming toward them.

"I'll give you some privacy,ok?"

Reaching her, Catherine knelt down to Imogen's height with a smile on her face.

"Hi."

"Hey," Imogen replied, wondering what that could be all about.

"Hey so listen, I'm not good with the whole pep talk thing so I'm gonna keep it short and simple. As I said, having you, I took you for granted but now that you are leaving, it has truly been an eye opener for me. I promise you Imogen, I will change starting from now. You think I used to drink 24hrs but I only did at night. during the evening and afternoon, I will go do some...hookering?"

That made Imogen laugh. "Yeah? You think you can do so?"

"I know so." There was a brief silence all the while Mike was watching them from the corner of his eye while talking to some people. "He might take good care of you but remember I had you for the first 16 years of your life. I only said 'I love you' once in your life and that was when you were born and I'm gonna say it now that you are leaving. I love you and will alwayd do."

She hugged her and Imogen began to cry. Seeing that they are parting Imogen said, "You know, I used to take from your purse."

"I know honey, I know." She then broke the hug and silence. "I think I better go."

"Okay. bye see you." With a kiss on the cheek, she left but not after glancing at Mike who saw everything.

"Is everything okay?" he asked when he reached her.

"Yeah, its all fine, she just wanted to say goodbye." After a pause, she said, "You know, she never physically abused me and I sincerely believe that she is good woman."

"Yeah, I know."

 Author' note:

plz pease please vote and comment for feedbacks and plz feel free to critic the book. Also i wanted to apologize to the law geeks out there that I'm not at all good with lawyers and courts and stuff so I may have made a lot of mistakes concerning the court rules.

Thank you all.