Chapter XXXIII

A Chapter by Calypso

The man, the beast, the monster was chained and as he walked the courtroom was filled with the sound of them.

Chank, chank, chank

And the sound continued until he sat down to face the judge. The judge, a large New Yorker, looked down onto Jared.

Maxine was truly to act nonchalant, but she was deeply in groused in the fear in Jared shriveled face. He’s lost weight. 20 pounds maybe, but probably 15, but the true irony was that Jared will be, or has been raped while in prison. Men who go to jail for hurting women or children are treated less than dirt, at least that is what Jamie said.

Mr. Key turned off his smart phone and posted a sticky note onto the dark screen. He pushed the thin phone over to Maxine and January. It said, ‘This should only take twenty minutes.’

And that’s it, January mused in her head. She was not sure what her life would be like after that day, but she knew this day would be a point of no return.

The quiet was killing January. Within those few minutes of noiselessness January thought she felt herself cramping, but just considered it nerves.

The judge looked down on to Jared and said. “You have ruined the lives of two young women; you have taken much from them. What does the jury have to say?”

A thin, older woman stood up. Before speaking she looked down onto the paper in her frail hands. “We the jury finds him guilty on two counts of sexual assault.”

There was a deadly salience. It seemed deeper than the quiet from before. Maxine looked pale, but like weight was finally off of her. January only tough about Willow; she hoped this would dive the simple girl some sense of justice too.

After looking at the paper the older lady was holding the judge said, “You are sentenced to 20 to 30 years in the Rock Regional jail.”

“Oh thank Jesus!” Lily hollered. January wondered if that would get her mother thrown out, but no one really looked at her.

So not to watch Jared being handcuffed January faced her family. Jamie, Celia, her mother and father looked like they were ready to cry. January couldn’t stomach the sight so she looked back at Jared.

As she watched him being handcuffed she felt a sense of sadness. With that her child would never know it’s father, not that January wanted it to anyways.

Chank, chank, chank

When Jared left she stood up, but doubled over in pain. Her body had been acting weird, and he OBYGN had acted like she was close to giving birth.

“Mom…” January whispered. Celia ran to her side and when she came near her a flood of warm liquid ran down January’s leg. “I think I peed myself.” She whispered in Celia’s ear.

“Miss Rossi, are you ready to push?”

January’s legs were up in the stir ups and after an epidural she was feeling loopy. Now the baby was crowning and ready to come out.

Celia stood on her right, holding her hand tightly and Lily was on her left, rubbing her sweaty forehead.

Gritting her teeth and pushing down hard January gave it her best go. The head was out and with another hefty push the shoulders were out. At this time the doctor gently pulled the rest out.

“It’s a boy Miss Rossi!” The doctor said. The nurses wiped the baby and the child began to cry.

“He looks just like you.” Celia said smiling.

One day later January had just woken up when the nurse brought in her son.

Celia was right. If the child had inherited anything from Jared it wasn’t much. Everything down to the shape of his feet was like her’s.

Lily had been with January ever since she gave birth. The nurses were kind enough to set out a cot for her.

“So what are your plans now?”

“I’m considering something.” January positioned the baby’s mouth over her n****e just like the nurse showed her.

“What’s that ‘something’?”

He latched on and January couldn’t help but wince since her breasts ached. “I’m considering transferring my credits from ABAU and taking online classed from Duke next year. Can I come home?”

Lily laughed, “Of course. I’ll be happy to have the baby at home.”

“Great. I know you had made a room for him anyways.”

“Well cause I knew you’d come home anyways. What are you going to name him?”

Glancing down at the child she said, “I had been looking through your baby book and I found one.”

“What?”

“Abele. Abele Rossi, it rolls off the tongue.”

After that day January knew her life would never be the same, but she knew that there was now something to life for.

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