The courtroom was quiet that day. It was a different kind of quiet. It was not heavy like it usually is when they have cases. There was something in the air. People were sitting calmly. Waiting. The police were standing there. They did not look strict like they usually do. The judge came in like he always does, with files in his hand.. There was one woman standing there and she was feeling everything more deeply than anyone else. The woman was pregnant. The courtroom felt different to the woman. She could sense the quiet in the courtroom more, than anyone and it was affecting her deeply.
Her baby bump was really visible under the jail clothes. She kept holding her stomach like she was reminding herself that she was not by herself. For months she was stuck in jail thinking about her baby all the time. She thought about the food her baby would eat. She thought about the medicine her baby would need. She thought about the nights when her baby would cry in pain. She would be all alone with no one to turn to. The jail was a cold place it was cold for her body and it was cold, for her mind. Every day she would say a prayer hoping that she could get out of jail before her baby arrived. She really wanted to be free before her baby came into the world.
The judge needs to sit down and open the file. The judge has to look at the file to see what is inside. The file is very important, to the judge. The judge will read the file carefully.
He read the reports and doctor notes very slowly. The reports were, about the pregnancy and the weeks that had passed. There were some risk words written in the reports. He would look up at her sometimes. At first she would avoid eye contact. Then she would slowly look back at him. Her face looked tired. Her eyes were hopeful.
The lawyer started speaking in a voice. The lawyer talked about her condition. The lawyer said that she had no record. The lawyer also talked about her family who were waiting outside ready to take care of her. The lawyer asked the court for bail so that she could get the treatment that she needed.
You have to stay silent in the courtroom. The courtroom is a place where you have to be very quiet. When you are, in the courtroom remember that the courtroom demands silence.
The police do not say anything. The public is listening quietly. The judge is asking questions about the address, the hospital name and the support system. The lawyer is answering all of the judges questions. The woman is nodding a little like she understands everything that the lawyer is saying. The police are still quiet. The womans hands are shaking. She is pressing her lips together. The woman is whispering a prayer inside her heart. The judge is still asking questions about the hospital name and the support system. The lawyer is still answering all of the judges questions. The woman is still listening quietly nodding a little like she understands everything, about the address and the hospital name.
Time really feels slow. The hours just seem to drag on and on when you’re waiting for something to happen. Time feels slow when you are not doing anything. Sometimes time feels slow. Sometimes it feels like it is flying by. Time feels slow when you are bored.
The judge needs to stop talking. He looks straight at her. That moment feels long. It is even longer, than the nights she spent in jail. Her heart is beating fast. She feels the baby move a bit. She holds her belly very tight. Tears start to come into her eyes. She does not cry. The judge and the situation and the baby and everything just makes her wait for what’s going to happen to her and the baby.
The judge is going to speak at. The judge will finally say what is, on his mind. I am waiting to hear what the judge has to say.
The man says he is thinking about pregnancy and health issues and for that reason the court will grant him bail. He is considering the fact that pregnancy and health’re very important and so the court will give him bail because of these pregnancy and health issues.
For one second she does not understand. It takes a moments for the words to sink in. The lawyer touches her arm gently. He smiles at her. Then it hits her. The bail is granted. Her face changes suddenly. A smile spreads across her face without her trying. Tears up in her eyes too but they are happy tears. Tears of relief. She covers her mouth with her hand. Nods over and over again. She looks at the judge with much gratitude in her eyes. She does not say a word. She does not shout with joy. The bail it is. She just smiles and cries quietly feeling the relief of the bail wash over her. The bail is what she was hoping for and now that it is granted she is overwhelmed, with emotion.
The judge will keep on talking about the conditions. The judge wants to make sure everyone understands the conditions. What the judge is saying about the conditions is very important. The judge is still speaking about the conditions.
Reporting dates are important for care and that is a big responsibility. The woman listens carefully. She is still smiling. The police remove the handcuff from her. That sound is soft. It is really loud in her heart. The woman rubs her wrist slowly. She holds her belly again. She smiles down. It is like she is talking to her baby without using any words. The woman gives a smile and it is a little too much. Some people feel warm inside when they see the woman smiling like that. Medical care and responsibility are still on her mind. Reporting dates are important, for her medical care.
When the woman walks out of the courtroom she feels really bad. The courtroom is a place for the woman. She has just been, in the courtroom. Now she is walking out. The woman is feeling sad because of what happened in the courtroom.
Like heavy weight removed. She breathe deep air. First free breath in long time. Outside sunlight feel different. She walk slow careful but happy. She think about hospital visit. About clean bed. About baby clothes. About home. That day she didn’t feel criminal. She feel mother. And that feeling stay with her long time.