"Come on yandel, your grandpa is waiting in the car" she yelled from downstairs as I stood on top of my step stool brushing my teeth. "Coming mahmah" I semi-yelled spitting the remaining toothpaste in the sink as the water slowly ran clearing it.
"Hopefully your good looks will charm the judge for your parents" she smiled down at me zipping my jacket. "Pull the door shut" she said as I walked out behind her pulling it close, as she inserted the key locking the front door. We walked towards the car as my grandpa got out opening the back door, he popped his trunk as he pulled out my booster seat.
"Safety first" he chuckled as I remembered smiling up at him as he buckled me in. That day it was cold, winter was approaching as Halloween was ending. That car ride seems as it was going to last forever as we drove to the city. It's been a few weeks since I've seen either of my parents.
"Everything's going to be okay, you get to see your mother and father today. I know they miss you" my mahmah said turning back towards me shifting her fur that was wrapped around her neck. "What-t if they don't miss me, momma hasn't called in weeks mahmah" I questioned turning my head towards the window. She didn't reply as I knew she was still looking at me.
"Looks like we're here" , we pulled up to a garage that read fifteen dollar parking. The gate let up as he handed my grandpa back his credit card as we entered. He found parking as I unbuckled my booster seat and seatbelt. My door opened as he stood there waiting for me to get out. "That's the building George" my mahmah said pointing as he closed the door grabbing my hand.
A gust of wind blew as we made our way across the busy street. This was my first time entering a court house as officers guarded the entrance. We stood in a line as people were removing certain items. "Take off your jacket and shoes and your belt yandel" my mahmah mumbled as my grandpa walked through the metal detector.
"Step forward son" the man said as my mahmah pushed me forward as I turned my head to the people looking down at me. I walked through as my basket rolled through a machine. My grandpa picked up my stuff walking me to a corner dressing me again. "Trial starts in ten minutes lets go" my mahmah mumbled as she grabbed my hand rushing towards the first elevator that opened up.
"Stay close" she mumbled wrapping her arms around me as my grandpa grabbed her hand. The top screen read sixteenth floor as we were the only ones getting off. We turned down a hall as a group of people stood in a line. "Faith and George nice to meet again" a tall white guy said approaching us. He was well dressed as a woman stood beside him.
"This is my assistant she will be helping with the case, I'm sure we'll be able to knock the time down, really can't discuss much but I'll see y'all in the court room" he quickly said as a group of man walked up to him. He left us standing there as they walked around entering another door. My mahmah tugged at my hand pulling my attention as we walked into the big wooden doors.
A few people sat spaced out as I saw a few of my family members sitting on the second row as we approached them. We sat down on the front row as my cousin grabbed my shoulder nodding his head. "You okay?" My grandma asked as I had my head down playing with my finger nails. "Mhmhum" I mumbled nodded my head as she grabbed my hand.
|Open Session ; Trial , verdict |
|Final Goodbye|
"All rise" echoed through the court room as a policeman stood upon us as the judge walked in taking his seat.
"Department One of the Superior Court is now in session. Judge (Arson) presiding. Please be seated" the judge said.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Calling the case of the People of the State of Mississippi versus (Mathew and Andrea Edwards). Are both sides ready?" The judge leaned forward in his seat as he faced both of my parents.
Attorney J.Walton : "Ready for the People, Your Honor." He nodded as the judge turned his head to the other side of the court room.
Public Defender: " Ready for the defense, Your Honor"
Judge Arson : "Will the clerk please swear in the jury?
Clerk: Will the jury please stand and raise your right hand? Do each of you swear that you will fairly try the case before this court, and that you will return a true verdict according to the evidence and the instructions of the court, so help you, God? Please say "I do".
They all stood as "I do" echoed as a whole through the court room sending chills through my little body. My grandmother cuffed me pulling me closer to her as my grandpa help on to both of us.
"You may be seated" the clerk dismissed.
I wasn't sure what was going on at this moment, with me only being old enough to remember tears falling from my grandmother eyes as she prayed over and over. "Please help them God, don't take them away".
Both of my parents entered the room with orange jumpsuits on as my mother stood emotionalist. Neither her nor my father looked back to see if I was sitting there.
Deputy DA: she stood as she pulled open a folder. "Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury: the defendant has been charged with the crime of drug trafficking". "The evidence will show the continuance interactions made over a two month time period where Mrs.And Mr. Edwards were running an illegal drug business inside a store that they purchase to sale goods. ".
"Not only was this monitored for two months, but we've even managed to send in undercover officers to make sure of these actions". She said walking toward a projector as a screen let down in the court room. "Your Honor would you like to view the tape before shown?" She asked as the judge gave her the go. "Officer Lee and Officer Michael dressed in street wear, this video was captured from four different angles as each store volunteered to give surveillance footage of them entering and leaving the store. As you can see from this video and the three on the left side of the screen." She said now walking back to her desk.
"Here are pictures off all the drugs that were bought by the officers, also snap shots of weapons surrounding them claimed to be used for protection" she said as she approached the judge. "Is there any evidence of both Mrs, and Ms Edwards giving away these products." The judge asked as she walked back to her folder. "No footage of them, but they are owner, we also have a witness slash old employee that worked for them. He did choose to remain Anonymous, so we used a voice changer and blurred out his face" she said as she pushed play on another video.
The guy started to talk in details about everything my parents did behind scenes. I glanced over to my father who was holding his head shaking it as his fist balled up. I figured that wasn't a good sign. "These are all just reviews that the jury has already seen over the past week". She added on as she closed her statement.
| Court Hearing | So help you God |
"Attorney J.Walton you may present your case" the judge said as the attorney held both of my parents shoulder. "Not once did my clients not own up to their wrong doing, they've already accepted the plea bargain before a jury was selected. But our DA insisted that these people of color my clients be sentence thirty years? That's non sense your honor. Anybody can be forced on a Stan to say what he said, this could be another guy working on their side to pin the blame, that video was not presented at the beginning of the case their for it shouldn't be use as evidence against my clients" the Attorny said walking pass the DA.
"Permission granted, jury the footage of the ex-employee you witness will not have an affect on the decision that will be made against the defender, please proceed" the judge said pushing his glasses back on his face.
"We've presented our case the first time, my clients are ready for their plea, they wish to know longer make their family nor baby boy suffer any longer" he said as the whole court house turned towards me. The judge looked me in my eyes as my grandma cuffed my side rubbing my arm.
"Jury diction had decided their verdict" the clerk said as one of the jury's stood to their feet. "As a whole we find the opposing party Guilty of charge" he read as the whole courtroom went up in aw and groans. My grandma cuffed her mouth as tears poured down. "Mr. Mathew and Mrs.Andrea Edwards will be sentenced fifteen years under good behavior. With five years of probation, no bail will be granted" he read as he took his seat.
I still wasn't sure what exactly was going on at this time. The Attorny walked up to me and my grandma. "Can I take him?" He asked as I looked up to her. She nodded her head for me to go as he walked me into a back room with nothing but a chair and table. I sat there for five minutes before the door opened to my mother walking in.
"Don't be afraid, come here" she mumbled as she dropped to her knees cuffing my head into her chest as She wrapped her arms around me. "Mom will be gone a while okay" she mumbled trying to control her breathing as she grabbed my face looking at me. "I love you so much baby, always remember that okay" she shook as more tears feel from her eyes. "I love you too momma" I mumbled hiding my face in her chest as she squeezed me tight picking me up carrying me around the room.
"Lord if I Find favor in Your sight.
LordHear my hearts cry.
I'm desperately waiting. To be where You are.
I'll cross the hottest desert. I'll travel near or far. For Your glory. I will do anything
Just to see You. To behold You as my King" she sung holding me really tight.
"God watch over my boy, please guide him in the right direction my lord, give my husband parents the strength to raise him the right way my lord. Give them the power to push him lord. Please, I beg of you to repent any evil that comes his way, don't send my baby down my path. I beg of you father" she screamed as the door opened. "One minute please, just one more minute she yelled as one of the officers grabbed me from her hands.
"I love you yandel, mother loves you" she screamed as the door closed. "Momma" I yelled running up to the door trying to open it as the officer grabbed me. The door opened again to my father walking in. The officer stepped out whispering "two minutes " as my dad smacked his lips. "Two fucking minutes? This is my son?!" He yelled. "One min and a few seconds now" he spat back closing the door as I clinched on to my fathers leg.
"Enough of those tears lil man" he said picking me up standing me up on the table. "You're the man of the house now, take care of your grandparents you hear me?" He asked as I nodded my head. "I love you Yandel, know that okay" he said grabbing the back of my head pulling me into his big chest. "You're my boy, my soul, my first born, you'll never be forgotten. Daddy will be back home okay, I promise you that okay" he said pulling me back. "Okay?" He repeated. "Okay papa" I sobbed with my head down.
We did our secret handshake as he kissed my forehead before the door opened. That was the first time I saw tears fall from my fathers eyes as My grandparents stepped into the room as I noticed them hugging my mom bye as well as my father. "Come on yandel it's time to go home" my grandma said as I walked towards them.
I watched as my parents were escorted out the door, all this seemed surreal as we made our way out the court house. What just happen? Was this really my final goodbye to my parents. The car ride home was silent, as my grandma listened and sung alone to Marvin Sapp- He had his hands on you. Listing to her voice brought tears to my eyes every time she sung.
My grandpa grabbed her hands as we parked in the drive way of the house. She sat there for a moment before she got out the car. My grandpa unbuckled me as I slowly walked up to the house. Didn't think this would change the shift of our house hold, but it did. I felt as I lost my parents in a fatal car crash. "Yandel" my grandma yelled as I stopped mid-step, walking back down to her room.
She stood in front of her dresser with a brown and gold jewelry box. "Sit in my chair" she said looking at me with those puffy brown eyes of hers. She placed her hands on my shoulder as she looked at me through the mirror. I could see tears forming again as I put my hands on top of hers. "Don't cry mahmah" I said as she kissed my cheek.
"I love you Yandel, and I'll protect you," she said before my grandpa interrupted her. "We will protect you know matter what" he said looking at her as she smiled. "Your father wanted you to have this" she said pulling out a chain connecting it as it hung to the middle of my chest. "It's all mine?" I asked looking at it. "Yes, open it" my grandpa said as I glanced up at him. "Wow, momma and papa" I mumbled looking at our small family picture. I could feel my emotions building up as my grandma wiped the tears from my face.
"It's just us know Yandel, you know me and grandpa are old" she chuckled. "But that won't stop us from giving you all that you need, I got another thirty to forty years in me" she chuckled again as she patted her eyes. "God got us, pray for your parents every night okay" she said as she kissed my cheek. Go wash up and change so you can help me with dinner. .
Marvin Sapp - He has his hands on You
"Faith is the main source of seeing one through, believe in your god as he carries his will through you"
- Pastor. C.l Hines