Custody War

Chapter 34

Lucas

Arriving back at the courthouse sitting in my car, glancing up seeing Essence standing on the steps of the courthouse talking on the phone. Checking the time, noticing we are due in court in approximately 10 minutes.
 
Getting out of the car closing the door behind, looking up my eyes locked with Essence.
 
Giving her a warm smile the best I could. Returning a smile to me while waving at me.
 
Turning her attention back to her phone, noticing she hung up. Glancing back at me smiling she turns walking into the courthouse.
 
“Good, you are here on time.” Mrs. Mylers states.
 
“I didn’t go too far, I wanted to stay close by the courthouse,” I say as we walk up the steps of the courthouse.
 
“Her testimony will be like yours, very crucial to the judge.” Mrs. Mylers states as she stops in tracks eyeing me.
 
“Lucas, none of this is going to be easy. She is about to pout her pain on display who knows what she went through. Since her parents manipulated all of this who knows what else happened. I’m going to be blunt with you. The judge could end her suffering and give her Kendrick back.”
 
“You can’t stop this?” I ask full of worry.
 
“It is out of all of ours hands now. As your lawyer, I can question her on any and everything except the father.”
 
“Why can’t you bring him up?”
 
“My guess is when Essence was younger, she got caught up with a young man. She got pregnant and he did not want to be the father of the child, leaving her to be a single mother. Her parents concocted this scheme so the responsibility of raising Kendrick would not fall back on them.”
 
“Is this the argument you are going to use?”
 
“I am going to try. Come on we need to get inside.”
 
Taken our respective seats, glancing over I notice Essence, her lawyer, and Andre all talking.
 
Bringing me out of my trance Mrs. Mylers spoke, “sit down and relax.”
 
Releasing a deep breath, “I suppose the worse id behind me now.”
 
“Lucas, you and I both know the worse is not behind you. We do not know what she went through, we also don’t know if her testimony will sway the judge in any way. This case is risky for you and Essence both. Kendrick’s life is on the line, Lucas. Forget you and Essence no mat- “
 
“All rise.” The bailiff says.
 
Essence and I lock eyes for a split second, turning our attention back to the judge.
 
Catching the tail of her speaking, “Mr. Akins call your witness.”
 
“Your honor I would like to call Essence Harrison to the stand.” Mr. Akins states as the courtroom became increasingly suffocating as Essence walk to the stand.
 
Looking on as the bailiff swore her in my mind drifts back to when Essence stayed the night and woke up screaming. ‘Hopefully, I will get some honest answers.’ I say to myself.
 
“What did you say?” Mrs. Mylers whispers in my ear.
 
Shaking my head in a no motion I put my attention back on Essence and her lawyer.
 
“Ms. Harrison, can you please take us back to the day you found out you were pregnant.”
 
Before she even spoke tears pool in her eyes.
 
“Yes sir, I was in my room laying down when my brother Andre came to bring me some breakfast. When the smell of food hit me, I got sick. My brother helped me get cleaned up, then I got back in bed. While laying down realization hit me, I have not had a period in the past few months. Getting out of bed, sneaking out of the house I went to a local store got some pregnancy tests. After taken them all, they all read positive.”
 
Essence stops wiping some falling tears off her face before continuing.
 
“To be completely transparent with the court, as I was picking up and reading each test, I became terrified. Being a teenager finding out I was pregnant shifted everything in my life. For about three minutes I considered giving my baby up for adoption.”
 
Boring into Essence as she broke down crying, while she is being incredibly open and vulnerable in front of us.
 
Essence begins to talk again, “In those three minutes of pondering on whether to give up my son or daughter I broke my own heart. I knew I would not be able to function through life, so by minute four I stared at my reflection in the mirror and I told myself you- “
 
“You are going to be a mom.” She finally spoke.
 
“Ms. Harrison, in that brief moment, was it the only time you thought of giving your child up for adoption?”
 
“Yes sir, it was. I never had another doubt in my mind I wanted my baby.”
 
“Now Ms. Harrison, can you please tell the court about your pregnancy.”
 
“My pregnancy was exceedingly difficult. Not only was I a student, but I was also working at three jobs and doing random jobs for people to make money.”
 
“Ms. Harrison, I don’t mean to interrupt you, but where are you working to provide for your unborn child?”
 
“There are two answers to this question. Yes, I was working to provide for my unborn child; however, I was also working so myself and my child could leave. I was not going to bring my child into that house. I got a job at a hotel cleaning up the hotel rooms and I was also a waitress/hostess for a restaurant, and I worked in the local library. After school Monday-Wednesday I would work in the hotel, and Thursday-Sunday I would be working at the restaurant. I only two days out of a week in the library. On weekends I have worked all three jobs. I would go early at the restaurant do the morning shift, leave there go to the library stay for some hours, leave there, and go work at the hotel.”
 
“Did you have a vehicle to get around in?”
 
“No sir I did not. Either I rode the local city bus, or I walked.”
 
“Were these establishments nearby?”
 
“Not really.”
 
“Yet, you did it regardless correct?”
 
“Yes, sir I did, my baby was depending on me.”
 
“Was this like this for your entire pregnancy?”
 
“Yes sir, except for during the summer break, all I did was work. I was able to work more hours at each job.”
 
“Is this the only way you were providing for your unborn child?”
 
“No sir, a few days after I decided to leave after I had my son I begin to go to churches and other organizations that would have free clothes drive to get clothes and items my baby would need. Before I knew I was having a little boy I was getting some unisex clothes as well as clothes for a girl and a boy.”
 
“Who went with you to doctor's appointments?”
 
“My brother Andre.”
 
“Ms. Harrison, can you tell the courts why you were so adamant about leaving your home and starting fresh with your child. I suppose a better question would be to tell us about your parents and your home life and is that the reason you were adamant about leaving home.”
 
Watching Essence as each word left Mr. Akins's mouth, she got an unreadable look of a torrid horror on her face as tears of pain escape her eyes.
 
Looking at her trying to pull it together, but she succumbs to heartbreaking memories. Glancing back, seeing Eden and Vita out of the corner of my eye as tears escape their eyes. As I was turning my attention back to Essence Mrs. Mylers caught my eye as she was trying to fight back tears.
 
“Everybody can feel her pain and she doesn’t even have to say anything does,” I whisper in her ear.
 
“If her parents did worse to her besides giving her son up and making her think he was dead, they are some sick people.” Mrs. Mylers states focusing back on Essence.
 
Several minutes later Essence faces the judge, “I am so sorry.”
 
“Sweetheart you have nothing to apologize for. Take your time.” The Judge tells her.
 
“Ever since I was a baby in some form of the way my parents tortured me. I because depressed, a cutter, just so much. What eight-year-old do you know who attempts suicide due to their parent’s actions? If you never have now you have. Everything I suffered through barely surviving I knew I was not going to put my child in that same situation. I wanted my son to have better, I was going to be a better parent than mine ever was to me. When I was five, my mom asked me to help her wash dishes, a plate accidentally slipped out of my hand, my punishment for two or three hours is they beat me with thick buckles of a belt. In my eyes that was a good punishment.”
 
“Tell us about the day you gave birth to your son.”
 
“I was actually in school when I began having sharp pains, I saw Mr. Perez in the hallway he called my mom. I thought she could help because she was a nurse, instead of taken me to the hospital she took me home, I was in excruciating pain begging to go to the hospital then everything went black when I woke up.”
 
Essence froze placing her hand on her stomach, “when I woke up my baby was gone.”
 
“What did your parents tell you?”
 
“They informed me that my baby died.” She says breaking down again reliving the memory.
 
“Can you tell you what the past six years were like for you?”
 
“I tried to kill myself to go be with my son. On his first birthday with my bare hands, I tried to dig my baby up because I wanted him so bad. In the past six years, I have been numb, empty, and full of agony.”
 
“That’s all the questions I have for you, Ms. Harrison.”
 
After Mr. Akins took his seat the judge spoke, “Mrs. Mylers you may now cross-examine.”
 
Mrs. Mylers stood up walking in front of the court.
 
“Ms. Harrison, you have suffered an immense amount of pain no one will ever say you have not, and I will be the first to say I am glad you are still here with us. However, you were going to be a teenage mother, can you say wholeheartedly you were ready to be a mother?”
 
“Yes, I was then, and I am now.”
 
“How would you take care of Kendric? What do you know about him, Ms. Harrison? For instance, do you know Kendric’s favorite color, perhaps what is his favorite toy, book, what is his doctor and dentist names, what subject is great at in school? What do you know about him?”  
 
“Kendric’s favorite color is the same as mine, a bright yellow. The others I am unsure about.”
 
“You previously stated you wanted Kendric to have a better life than you had correct.”
 
“Yes, ma’am that is correct.”
 
“Would you say, my client, Mr. McKeen has done that? Has Mr. McKeen raised Kendric respectable, taken care of him, and is giving him a good life?”
 
Essence and I bore into each other’s eyes a few tears spill from her eyes as she responds, “Yes, Mr. McKeen has and is doing an amazing job raising my son.”
 
“Then why to take him away from the only parent he knows. Have you considered Kendric’s feelings in all of this? Forget that question, who does Kendric think you are? What does he call you?”
 
“He thinks I am a friend of Mr. McKeen and he calls me Ms. Essence.
 
“Ms. Harrison in all of you working and going to school as a teenager, please explain how you were going to care for Kendric when you moved. I’m sure you didn’t have millions saved up. As I teenager you wouldn’t have been able to rent an apartment, how were you going to get the baby formula, get to doctor’s visits, how would you even be able to work?”
 
“I had enough saved up to get us a decent place. Single mothers do it all the time. I would have done like all women find a way, but I wasn’t going to not try, my son was depending on me.”
 
“Who is Kendric depending on now?”
 
He depends on Mr. McKeen and his family.”
 
“Is Kendric happy with my client?”
 
“Yes, he is.”
 
“Ms. Harrison, would you agree that what you wanted for Kendric he got?”
 
“To a certain degree, I would say yes.”
 
“Could you give Kendric everything my client has?”
 
“You referring to money? I would give my son so much more than just money.”
 
“No that is not what I referring to, I mean a stable household, food on the table, furniture in the house, a support system that consists of more than two people, a vehicle, clothes, shoes, medicine for when he is sick. Now Ms. Harrison as a teenager could you have given all of those to your son?”
 
“They would not have been in the best condition, but I would have tried.”
 
“Would have tried, that means you know you couldn’t have provided for him. Ms. Harrison, you said you battle depression and had numerous suicide attempts, how are we all to believe that in your care Kendric will be safe? Have you consulted a doctor about this issue?”
 
“I have not.”
 
“Are you even capable of raising Kendric? You know nothing about him and cannot provide for him. So even if he doesn’t suffer in the way you did by taken him away from the only parent and the only family, he knows you will be making him suffer. That’s all the questions I have for you.
 
Mrs. Mylers took her respective seat next to me.
 
“Ms. Harrison, you may step down.” The judge tells her.
 
Taken her seat the judge speaks again; I will go to deliberate on this matter. I do not know when I will have a verdict, we will get in touch with lawyers to come back to hear the verdict. Until then court is in recess, and it will be a long recess.” She says standing walking to the back.
 
“What now?”
 
“Go home to your son Lucas, I don’t know what is going to happen in this case – go home to your son Lucas.” Mrs. Mylers says gather up her belongings.
 
“Son, you alright?” My dad questions
 
“I just want to go be with my son.”
 
 

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