Ten years is a long time. It is very long. Some people move to a city in ten years. Some people even change the way they look. Some people change what they want in life. For him ten years was being stuck behind walls and bars counting time by the meals he ate not by the dreams he had.
That morning the courtroom looked different.
This place is not crowded all. It is also not loud. Everything is quiet like everyone knows that this is the end, not the start. The judge is already seated. The file is really small now it is very thin. The police are standing,. They look relaxed. There is no tension in the air like there was before. The atmosphere is calm. The police officers seem to be at ease which is different, from how things were earlier. The judge and the police and everyone else knows that this is the end of the case and that is why the file is small and thin because everything has been taken care of.
A criminal has come inside the house. The criminal is now walking around. What is the criminal going to do? The criminal is looking for something.
He was older now. His hair was a grey. His body was more thin. The orange jail clothes did not look the same on him like they did before. The orange jail clothes looked normal on him now like they were a part of his life. His walk was slow. He was not scared. He was not angry. He was just calm a calm. The orange jail clothes were something he wore every day now. He walked slowly looking very tired and very calm. The orange jail clothes were a part of him now, like his body and his grey hair.
The person has finished ten years now. He has been doing this for ten years. The ten years are complete, for him.
Ten years full sentence.
People in look at him quietly. Some people remember him from a time ago. He is a face to them.. Some people do not remember him. The thing is, time makes us forget faces faster than being in jail makes us forget things. Time forgets faces and jail forgets things. Time forgets faces faster. People in look, at him quietly because some people remember him from a long time ago but time forgets faces faster than jail does.
The judge needs to take a look, at this person I mean really look at him. The judge should pay attention to him. Judge look at him.
Long look.
The judge asked for something simple. He wanted to know my name and the date. That is all I had to say to complete my sentence. Everything I said was correct. There was no drama all. The judge just wanted to know these things about me my name and the date.
Criminal answer softly. Voice little heavy. Not nervous. Just deep.
The judge read the paper. He was very careful when he read the paper. The final paper was important, to the judge.
The man says that the sentence is complete. The man says that the law has been applied and the punishment has been given. The man says that today is the time we have to go to court for this particular case.
Those words really hit me in a way. The words I heard had an effect, on me. Those words were very powerful. They hit different.
Criminal swallow hard.
I waited for this moment for ten years.. When it finally came it felt strange. I did not feel happy exactly. The sentence felt empty too. The sentence made me feel something also. I was waiting for the sentence for ten years.
The judge asks the criminal if the criminal wants to say something. The criminal is given a chance to say something to the judge. What does the criminal want to say to the judge about the criminals actions? The judge is waiting for the criminal to say something.
I do not want to hear anything from lawyers. I do not want to hear anything from police officers. I only want to hear from him.
The man lifts his head. He slowly lifts his head up. The head of the man is lifted now.
The man says he does not know what the world outside is like now. He says the time he was able to walk around freely the phone was different and the people were different. The man says he is a little scared. He is also ready, for it.
This persons English is not very good. He starts a sentence. Then stops in the middle. He says that being in jail has taught him to be patient. Jail has also taken a lot of things away from him. He says he missed his mothers funeral. He missed seeing his son grow up. He says that some nights he thinks he will not make it through his time inside the jail. The jail experience is very hard, for him. He says it has taken many things from him like the chance to say goodbye to his mother and watch his son growing up.
His voice cracked,. He did not cry.
This person says he is okay, with being punished. He says he will pay for what he did. He says he hopes that people will give him another chance, not an one, just a small one. He wants society to let him have a space again.
Courtroom silent.
I want the judge to listen to what I have to say. The judge should pay attention to my words. I am talking to the judge.
The judge nods slowly. He is the judge and the judge is taking his time to think about this. The judge is moving his head up and down slowly. This is what the judge is doing.
The judge says that ten years is a time. The judge also says that the punishment is already very severe. The judge says that the law says he can be released now but life is going to be even tougher for him. The judge is right the law is letting him go but life will be a test for him the law will release him but life will be very challenging, for him.
I want the judge to wish him luck. The judge should definitely wish him luck.
Not in official way. In human way.
The police took off the handcuffs.
That sound. Click.
That sound mean freedom.
The criminal looks at his wrist. The mark is still there. He rubs it slowly like he is feeling the air for the time.
The man turned back one time. He looked back at the thing that the man was looking at before. The man turned back once to see the thing again.
Look at courtroom. Walls. Judge. Police. Public.
The man nodded his head. He did nod.
No smile. No tears.
Just nod.
The man is walking. He walks for a while. The man keeps on walking.
Door close behind.
The courtroom needs to stay very quiet. Everyone, in the courtroom must be completely silent. This is because the courtroom is a place where important things happen and people need to be able to hear what is going on. The courtroom has to stay quiet so that everything can go smoothly.
People sit there for a seconds more. They seem to be waiting for something. It is like they do not know what the next case will be. This is because this case is finishing something that’s much bigger. The people are just sitting there looking like they are not sure what to do. They are waiting to see what will happen with the case because this case is finishing something big.
Ten years end.
But real test start now.