“Where was your mother?”
“Buster had given her some money to take Damon to get some new sneakers.”
“Were you hurt? Did you tell your mother?”
“No, ma’am. I wasn’t hurt, and I didn’t have a chance to tell Mama. She got locked up right after that. Since I came to live with you and probably would never see him again, I just didn’t say anything. Not until I told Shay and she said I should tell you and Mama.”
“Shay was right, darling. You shouldn’t carry that kind of burden around. Always tell me, your teacher, or school counselor or call 911 anytime something bad happens to you. We have to protect you children from perverts like that. But you’re right about never seeing him again. You won’t be going back to that neighborhood, so I won’t press charges, since he didn’t hurt you.”
“Should we tell Mama?”
“Your mother is doing good. Knowing and facing the truth about the danger she put you in with her lifestyle and choice of boyfriends might be just what she needs to help her keep it together when she gets out. Yes, you should tell her just what you told me.”
It had been a while since Grace and the children’s last visit to the prison. While they waited in the visiting room for their mother, Damon thought he was going to wet himself from excitement. He couldn’t hold it. When he was in the restroom, Sharia entered the visiting room. She hugged her mother and daughter, tears trickling down her cheeks. When Damon came back and saw his mother, he screamed, “Maaammaaa!” running full speed ahead, and jumped into her arms as she stood to catch him. The dam of tears broke loose in full force, and she squeezed him as tight as she could. He felt no pain because he was squeezing just as hard.
“I love you, baby, I love you so much. Mama misses you too. I’m so sorry, baby. Please forgive me. I’m so sorry. I’m going to make it all up to you. I promise. I promise. God is going to see me through. He’s going to put us back together. He is. He is. I believe that. You believe it too, okay?” Sharia cried to her son as she hugged and kissed him.
LaKisha, too, was moved by the hope her mother had just imparted and began to cry.
“You look beautiful, baby,” Sharia told her daughter.
“Thanks, Mama,” LaKisha said. She sensed something different about her mother. She was missing her edge. Sharia was looking her directly in the eye with love and compassion that was softening something hard deep inside of LaKisha.
“Mama, the kids look great. They look healthy and happy, and I just want to thank you and say that I’m sorry for everything. When I get out of here, I’m going to make it up to you, Mama. Please believe it,” Sharia promised.
“That is my daily prayer, baby, that you get it together and keep it together for these children. We can’t do anything without God,” Grace said, thinking that must have been where she went wrong with her daughters. If she was going to be completely honest with herself, she had to admit that she also ran in the streets in her day when her girls were young. Maybe by the time she saw the light, it was too late. Well, too late to speculate about how we got to this point, she thought. We can’t change the past. But we can start right now and shape the future. First things first. My daughter and granddaughter need some time alone together.
“Come on, Damon. Let’s go get some goodies from the vending machine,” Grace said as she nodded at LaKisha to take this opportunity to open up to her mother.
As Grace and Damon went to get treats, Sharia gave her daughter a great big hug.
“What’s up, baby? Mama never leaves us alone like this. We always stay together the entire visit as a family. Is everything all right?” Sharia asked, concerned.
“No, Mama. I was just talking to my friend Shay, and I was telling her how Buster tried to have sex with me,” LaKisha confessed.
“What!” Sharia shouted. LaKisha dropped her head in shame, wishing she hadn’t said anything. Sharia grabbed her and squeezed her tightly.
“I am so sorry, baby. Did he hurt you?” Sharia asked soothingly as she held her daughter close.
“No. I kneed him in his privates and ran.”
“Why didn’t you tell me, baby?”
“Because you got arrested and we went to live with Gramma.”
“Oh, baby. I am so sorry. I promise you that will never happen to you again. I promise, baby. I’ll make it up to you.”
LaKisha dropped her head again.
“What is it, baby? Tell me. Tell Mama. I know I can’t do much in this place, but I’m here for you. I can pray to God, and He will answer my prayers. Please talk to me,” Sharia begged.
“I had a boyfriend in the old neighborhood.”
“And?”
“And he touched me and it felt good.”
“Did you . . .”
“Yes.”
“Did you use a condom?”
“Yes.”
“Good. But condom or no condom, sex outside of marriage is wrong, baby. Wrong, wrong, wrong. I know I haven’t been a good example to you in the past, but when I get out of here, things will be a lot better. I have learned so much about parenting and the Bible. I am always in some class. It’s going to be different, baby. Please understand, you should not be having sex. I shouldn’t have been having sex because I wasn’t married. I was wrong, baby. Don’t make the same mistakes I did. Please,” Sharia said, hugging her daughter.
“I won’t, Mama. I understand.”
“Okay, baby. Just pray to God. Pray all the time.”
“I will, Mama.”
Grace and Damon came back to join Sharia and LaKisha.
“Mama, you remember Rae? She’s over there visiting with her children. Their aunt brought them to see her,” Sharia explained. “Hey, Rae!”
Rae looked up. Sharia waved and pointed to her mother and children. Rae waved, and they all waved back.
“Did you get my letters about the Bible studies I’m teaching?” Sharia asked her children.
“Yes, Mama. Gramma bought me this teen study Bible,” LaKisha said, handing it to her mother.
“Gramma bought me this Bible with pictures in it, and I can read the words too,” Damon said, giving his to Sharia also.
“These are wonderful,” Sharia said, flipping through the pages. “Thanks, Ma. I really appreciate this.”
“You’re welcome, baby,” Grace said.
“Rae is the one I was talking about who got me into studying the Bible. It has really made a difference in my life.”
“I can see it, Mama. You look happy, even in this place,” LaKisha said.
“I have prayed to God to get me out of here, and I believe He will the next time around. I want you all to be in agreement with me on that.”
“I want to pray with you for that, Mama,” Damon said.
“Of course, baby,” Sharia said.
They all joined hands right there, and Sharia prayed.
“Father, thank You for my wonderful family. Thank You for my beautiful, healthy, obedient children. Thank You that my sister, Karen, is alive, and I pray that she comes to know You as I have. And thank You for my loving, supportive mother. Give her daily provision, health, wisdom, and strength, dear Lord, to take care of Damon and LaKisha until You release me from this place, which will be very soon. Keep me safe from temptation and make me into the mother, daughter, and woman of God that You will have me to be. In Jesus’ name, amen!” she prayed.
“Jesus, please bring my mommy home. Amen,” Damon added.
Two weeks after their family visit, Sharia was up for parole. Just as she had instructed her children to do, Damon and LaKisha would come together daily in agreement and pray for their mother’s release. They often read their Bibles together. They also followed their mother’s instructions and read the same scripture every day until they had it memorized, then moved on to another. She wanted her children to get the understanding she was getting while they were young. Understanding would make their prayers more powerful and effective. Eventually, the children had John 8:36 memorized.
/> “So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free,” Damon said proudly during a Bible study one evening. “Lord, please set our mama free. Then she can come home. Amen.”
“Amen,” LaKisha agreed.
Chapter Fifty
Mia was spending the night with Taylor. They had a lot of work to do to prepare for the trial.
“Mommy, can you help us with our opening statement?” Taylor asked Pam.
“That wouldn’t be fair, honey. You have all the information you need to prepare an opening statement and build a case on your own. Then, after all of the evidence has been presented, you’ll sum up only the parts that add up to a guilty verdict, and present your closing argument accordingly. You girls can do this, can’t you?” Pam asked. She truly wanted to see what the girls would come up with by themselves.
“Of course we can. Come on, Taylor, we can do it.”
Mia would do most of the talking, with Taylor’s coaching, of course. They decided to capitalize on each other’s assets. Being exposed to her mother’s approach to preparing for a case, Taylor’s strongest point was finding the evidence to present. Mia’s power was in her presentation. She couldn’t resist an opportunity to perform. With Mia’s outgoing personality and Taylor’s studiousness, they were an awesome team.
Over at Jay and Zakia’s house, Taj was spending the night working on the case with JJ, prepping their surprise witness, five-year-old Ahmad. They didn’t need Damon. He was the defendant. All he had to do was sit at the table, be quiet, and look innocent.
Over at Jim and Jean’s house, Shay was cuddled up in her granddaddy’s arms on the sofa watching her favorite Disney movie, The Lion King, eating popcorn, thankful to have him all to herself. He didn’t even feel neglected by Taj and Mia with all the love Shay showered upon him. He absolutely adored this very special grandchild. The next day, the trial would begin in Zach’s huge basement.
“Here comes the judge. Here comes the judge,” courtroom spectators and witnesses Zeke and Essence chanted.
The grandparents were the jury along with Eli, Micah, and Pam. Ahmad stayed upstairs in the kitchen with Zakia and Eboni and helped them prepare lunch. LaKisha and Shay didn’t care in the least about the trial. They were doing hair and nails in Zach’s gigantic guest suite. Taj served as both JJ’s assistant and bailiff.
“All rise,” Taj instructed as the Honorable Judge Zachary entered his home-theater-turned-courtroom.
Zeke and Essence burst into laughter because he actually had on a robe. His bathrobe. The other adults snickered, but the young attorneys did not crack a smile. They were intensely serious, and both sides were ready to present their cases and win.
“You may be seated,” Taj directed like a seasoned bailiff after Zach took his seat at his desk before giving instructions.
“After the opening statements, the prosecution will call its witness for direct examination. Then the defense has the option to cross-examine the witness. Afterward, the prosecution will have an opportunity to redirect or rest. Do you understand these instructions?” Zach asked looking at the prosecution table.
“Yes, Your Honor,” Mia and Taylor answered in unison.
“Good,” Zach said. Then he turned his attention to the defense table.
“Next the defense will call its witness for direct examination. Then the prosecution will have the option to cross-examine the witness. Afterward, the defense will have an opportunity to redirect or rest. Do you understand these instructions?” Zach asked JJ.
“Yes, Your Honor,” JJ said.
“Good. The prosecution may begin with its opening statement,” Zach said.
Mia took center stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,” Mia said. She took a long pause to ensure that she had their undivided attention before continuing. “The evidence will prove to you today beyond a shadow of a doubt that the defendant is guilty of murder.”
With those words, things instantly got serious, especially for Micah. Pam put her hand on his knee, sensing his tension. Being on this side of the fence for the first time, she felt what those she had prosecuted felt. She was grateful for this dry run for Micah before the real trial began.
“We will prove that he”—Mia walked over and pointed directly at Damon—“deliberately took a gun to use on anybody who tried to take his computers from him.” She paused for effect. “He went looking for trouble . . . and he found it. Thank you very much,” she said as she bowed deep.
Jim stood up and started clapping.
“Order in the court,” Zach yelled as he banged his wooden spoon gavel on the desk. Damon was glad that this was for play because Mia definitely made him feel guilty. He would do what JJ and Taj told him to do: just ignore everything and play with his handheld video game. As long as he couldn’t get into any real trouble no matter what they said about him, he was fine. Plus, he had all the snacks he could eat. He didn’t mind this at all. It was like watching Court TV with his grandmother, except it was live.
Since the defense opted to make its opening statement before the prosecution called its witness, JJ took the floor.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, our client is not guilty, and we will prove it. As you all know, people take umbrellas with them when they leave home just because it looks like rain. It may or may not rain, but as we’ve been taught, better safe than sorry. In other words, be prepared. We will prove that our client was prepared to feel and be safe. Thank you,” JJ stated, and sat down.
Zach was grateful that he had the foresight to set up the video camera to tape the mock trial. He knew these children were smart, but he had underestimated just how brilliant they were.
“Is the prosecution ready to call its witness?” Zach asked.
“Yes, Your Honor. I would like to call Essence White to the stand,” Mia said.
“Place your left hand on the Bible and raise your right hand,” Taj instructed, and Essence obliged.
“Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you God?”
“I do,” Essence said.
“State your name.”
“Essence White.”
“You may be seated.”
“Essence, do you know the defendant?” Mia asked.
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“All our lives.”
“So you know him pretty well?”
“Yes.”
“Has he ever been in a fight?”
“Yes,” Essence answered.
“Did he start it?”
“Objection! Relevance!” JJ shouted.
“Overruled,” Zach stated, wanting to see where the prosecution was going. JJ grimaced.
“Let’s just hear her out,” Zach said softly to soothe JJ. “The witness will answer the question.”
Mia was elated.
“So did the defendant start any fights?” Mia asked again, smirking at JJ.
“I doubt it,” Essence said.
“Did he win?”
“Every one I witnessed.”
“Did he try to walk away from a fight?”
“Not that I remember.”
“So to your knowledge, when the defendant found himself in a fight situation, his choice was always to fight, never to walk away?”
“Sometimes he didn’t have a choice.”
“Thank you. No more questions,” Mia said gleefully as she pranced back to her seat, full of confidence. JJ got up to cross-examine the witness.
“So you know the defendant well, you say?” JJ asked as they looked over at Damon, who was totally tuned out, concentrating on his video game and blowing bubbles with a big wad of grape bubble gum.
“Yes, very well,” the witness answered.
“Is he an instigator?”
“No.”
“A bully?”
“No.”
“A troublemaker?”
“No.”
“A man who isn’t afraid to defend himself?”
“No more questions,” JJ said.
“Mia?” Zach inquired.
Mia and Taylor had their heads together.
“The prosecution rests,” Mia answered.
“You may step down,” Zach said to Essence. “The defense may call its witness.”
As Essence left the witness chair, JJ got back up.
“I would like to call Ezekiel Carter,” JJ stated.
Zeke went through Taj’s swearing-in process and took the seat Essence had vacated.
“How long have you known the defendant?” JJ asked his brother, turning toward the defense table to see and hear Damon loudly slurping the remains of a juice box, still oblivious to the attention.
“Since I was a baby.”
“Would you say you are good friends?”
“More than that.”
“Would you lie for him?”
“No.”
“Did he tell you what happened that night?”
“Yes.”
“What did he tell you?”
Taylor poked Mia in the side as she wrote something on a piece of paper.
“Objection!” Mia yelled, reading the paper and jumping to her feet. “Hearsay!”
“Because of the unusual nature of this case, I’ll allow it. Objection denied,” Zach said calmly. Zach had planned to overrule every objection because he wanted to hear everything the children had to say. Mia was livid.
“Denied?” she asked, pouting.
“Denied, sweetie,” Zach said lovingly. “The witness will answer.”
“He said that he went to sell some computers and it was a setup. The guys who had given them a down payment to make the delivery just to get them off campus had no intention of buying the computers. They had planned to rob them all along. It wasn’t his idea to take a gun, but he remembered they had it, and he just got to it real fast thinking that he was going to die. He didn’t want to die. He said he didn’t want anybody else to die either; he just wanted to sell his computers, but it was a setup that backfired, and fortunately, he didn’t get hurt. Unfortunately, the robber did,” Zeke testified.
“Your witness,” JJ said, looking at Mia with a deal-with-that expression.
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