It was a sunny winter morning. He knew that, because there were very small thin windows in the upper part of the central hall where the cells were located that allowed some sun to shine in during the morning hours. But more importantly, today was his trial! It had been a month since they were arrested and although Marcel had been eating better in the last month than he had for several months before he was arrested, he still was done being in jail and couldn’t wait for the trial to be over, and to be free again.
Most of his time had been spent reflecting on what he’d done. He had convinced himself that he was going to be found innocent because he was a victim of circumstance and not a hardened criminal. So today, he would finally be able to make his case, and since he we sure the judge would agree, he would be found innocent and set free!
Mimi had also been anxiously waiting for this day. She had been busy with her own life for the past month, but not too busy to find out when Marcel’s court date was; and to make time to be there. She had arranged with her new boss to have the day off and she fully intended on being in that courtroom when Marcel was acquitted. She envisioned the judge pronouncing Marcel “not guilty” and her rushing into his arms, declaring their love for each other and living happily ever after! Well that was her dream anyway.
Dreams were problematic for Mimi. Ever since spending that fateful night in jail, Mimi had been having a recurring dream. She dreamt that while she was in jail, Marcel had come to visit her. But the strange thing, as is usually true about dreams, is that Marcel was not a man, but instead he was a butterfly! She knew this was strange and kept it to herself. But the dream didn't stop there.
In her dream Marcel spoke to her using some kind of telepathic voice and told her that she would be okay and that her life would work out just the way she wanted it to. That was probably the hardest part for Mimi to accept considering the situation. But she still had hope. And today she would find out for sure.
At two o’clock, Mimi arrived at the courthouse. It was a very large building and felt very cold. Of course it was also the end of January, so that may have had something to do with why it felt so cold. She entered through the huge doors of the main entrance. Why did courthouses always have such big main entrance doors? Are courthouses mostly frequented by big giant people? Even a giant would seem small in comparison to the size of those doors.
After walking through the metal detectors she was cleared to enter the main hallway. She wasn’t sure which way to go. She stopped at a big board with a map on it. “You are here”, it read in a cold and uncaring tone. It was almost as if it was mocking her for being here and not somewhere else. She kept her composure and looked at the map key for an icon indicating where the courtroom is.
Crap, she thought! There are five different courtrooms. She had no idea which one he was in. She only knew that his trial time was to begin at 2:30pm. Just then, she noticed that each courtroom had a different purpose. Traffic Court, she read. No. Civil Court? No. Criminal Court? Yup. That’s got to be the one. Room 201. Well that’s upstairs. Now to find an elevator or some stairs. Whew, this was all very nerve-racking!
Roger just arrived, spending a few minutes with Marcel to make sure they were both straight on his defense strategy. Marcel assured Roger that he was prepared. At 2:45pm they entered the courtroom. Like everything with the legal system, his trial was running late. The tension and waiting was pure torture for Marcel.
Marcel’s charges were read to the judge. He was then sworn in and called to the stand to give his side of the story. Roger started out by recapping Marcel’s life story up to the point of his arrest. It all sounded very compelling to anyone with any compassion.
However, judges have no compassion. Their job is to uphold the law. Several times the judge interrupted Roger asking if his story about Marcel’s life was really relevant to the case? Patiently, Roger replied why yes Your Honor. Then each time, explaining why Marcel’s story was indeed relevant.
This was all so surreal to Marcel. At one point, while scanning the courtroom, he noticed Mimi. He was so surprised that he nearly blurted out her name! In fact, he was not sure that he hadn’t. The judge and Roger had been talking for a while and he was drifting, not really paying attention. But he noticed that now everyone was silently looking at him. Then Roger repeated, “Marcel, did you in fact plan and prepare to break into the store”? He then realized that he must not have said her name after all.
They were only waiting for him to answer the question. “Well, yeah… I did. But I had to because..”. He was interrupted by the Prosecutions attorney, “So you admit that it was premeditated”? “Well, yeah, but we didn’t have…”. Again he was interrupted, this time by the judge. Marcel, I see no reason to continue. It’s obvious what you have done and you've even admitted it. I’m going to adjourn for ten minutes and when I return, I will hand down my verdict. He banged his gavel and the courtroom became sickeningly quiet.
It was at that moment that Marcel realized that he was in real trouble. Apparently, nobody cared that he and Mimi were about to starve to death. He thought, is this what our society has come to? A total lack of compassion? Uphold the law and ignore the rest? Marcel slumped over in his chair in a daze. He was paralyzed with the reality that was unfolding.
Mimi was also just now realizing that Marcel’s fate was not looking good. Her happily ever after dream was again slipping away, right before her eyes. She too slumped over in her chair like a tattered rag doll.
Everyone rose from their chairs as the judge returned from his chambers. Once everyone was seated again the judge began to speak. You could’ve heard a pin drop!
He started out with, In all my days, I’ve never heard of such crass audacity where someone (glaring at Marcel) would break in and steal from a fine upstanding store owner, while he is home with his family celebrating on Christmas day! This really disgusts me, he continued. Your story about love and kindness to your friend Mimi and your desire to take care of her, just doesn’t add up. If you really cared, you would have gotten another job right away and been the man that you claim you are! I sentence you to six months in prison for this crime. Maybe after that you will come to your senses, get a job and learn to respect what others have worked so hard to earn.
It felt like a locomotive had just run over Marcel. It all happened so fast. The judge again banged his gavel and before he knew it he was being escorted out of the courtroom. On the way out, he caught Mimi’s eye. She was crying. In between sobs, she called out to the bailiff, “can’t I have a word with him before he goes?”
Remarkably, the bailiff did have some compassion and arranged a fifteen-minute meeting in a private room for Marcel and Mimi.
Through a river of tears, Marcel and Mimi cried about just how this could’ve happened and how his fate closely resembled a candle in the wind. What were they to do and how could the judge be so heartless? Without really thinking, Marcel made a comment that he was very concerned for months yet to come. He questioned Mimi, Can I trust that you will be there when I get out? Mimi’s emotions were at their breaking point and with Marcel’s seemingly innocent question, she exploded.
Most of his time had been spent reflecting on what he’d done. He had convinced himself that he was going to be found innocent because he was a victim of circumstance and not a hardened criminal. So today, he would finally be able to make his case, and since he we sure the judge would agree, he would be found innocent and set free!
Mimi had also been anxiously waiting for this day. She had been busy with her own life for the past month, but not too busy to find out when Marcel’s court date was; and to make time to be there. She had arranged with her new boss to have the day off and she fully intended on being in that courtroom when Marcel was acquitted. She envisioned the judge pronouncing Marcel “not guilty” and her rushing into his arms, declaring their love for each other and living happily ever after! Well that was her dream anyway.
Dreams were problematic for Mimi. Ever since spending that fateful night in jail, Mimi had been having a recurring dream. She dreamt that while she was in jail, Marcel had come to visit her. But the strange thing, as is usually true about dreams, is that Marcel was not a man, but instead he was a butterfly! She knew this was strange and kept it to herself. But the dream didn't stop there.
In her dream Marcel spoke to her using some kind of telepathic voice and told her that she would be okay and that her life would work out just the way she wanted it to. That was probably the hardest part for Mimi to accept considering the situation. But she still had hope. And today she would find out for sure.
At two o’clock, Mimi arrived at the courthouse. It was a very large building and felt very cold. Of course it was also the end of January, so that may have had something to do with why it felt so cold. She entered through the huge doors of the main entrance. Why did courthouses always have such big main entrance doors? Are courthouses mostly frequented by big giant people? Even a giant would seem small in comparison to the size of those doors.
After walking through the metal detectors she was cleared to enter the main hallway. She wasn’t sure which way to go. She stopped at a big board with a map on it. “You are here”, it read in a cold and uncaring tone. It was almost as if it was mocking her for being here and not somewhere else. She kept her composure and looked at the map key for an icon indicating where the courtroom is.
Crap, she thought! There are five different courtrooms. She had no idea which one he was in. She only knew that his trial time was to begin at 2:30pm. Just then, she noticed that each courtroom had a different purpose. Traffic Court, she read. No. Civil Court? No. Criminal Court? Yup. That’s got to be the one. Room 201. Well that’s upstairs. Now to find an elevator or some stairs. Whew, this was all very nerve-racking!
Roger just arrived, spending a few minutes with Marcel to make sure they were both straight on his defense strategy. Marcel assured Roger that he was prepared. At 2:45pm they entered the courtroom. Like everything with the legal system, his trial was running late. The tension and waiting was pure torture for Marcel.
Marcel’s charges were read to the judge. He was then sworn in and called to the stand to give his side of the story. Roger started out by recapping Marcel’s life story up to the point of his arrest. It all sounded very compelling to anyone with any compassion.
However, judges have no compassion. Their job is to uphold the law. Several times the judge interrupted Roger asking if his story about Marcel’s life was really relevant to the case? Patiently, Roger replied why yes Your Honor. Then each time, explaining why Marcel’s story was indeed relevant.
This was all so surreal to Marcel. At one point, while scanning the courtroom, he noticed Mimi. He was so surprised that he nearly blurted out her name! In fact, he was not sure that he hadn’t. The judge and Roger had been talking for a while and he was drifting, not really paying attention. But he noticed that now everyone was silently looking at him. Then Roger repeated, “Marcel, did you in fact plan and prepare to break into the store”? He then realized that he must not have said her name after all.
They were only waiting for him to answer the question. “Well, yeah… I did. But I had to because..”. He was interrupted by the Prosecutions attorney, “So you admit that it was premeditated”? “Well, yeah, but we didn’t have…”. Again he was interrupted, this time by the judge. Marcel, I see no reason to continue. It’s obvious what you have done and you've even admitted it. I’m going to adjourn for ten minutes and when I return, I will hand down my verdict. He banged his gavel and the courtroom became sickeningly quiet.
It was at that moment that Marcel realized that he was in real trouble. Apparently, nobody cared that he and Mimi were about to starve to death. He thought, is this what our society has come to? A total lack of compassion? Uphold the law and ignore the rest? Marcel slumped over in his chair in a daze. He was paralyzed with the reality that was unfolding.
Mimi was also just now realizing that Marcel’s fate was not looking good. Her happily ever after dream was again slipping away, right before her eyes. She too slumped over in her chair like a tattered rag doll.
Everyone rose from their chairs as the judge returned from his chambers. Once everyone was seated again the judge began to speak. You could’ve heard a pin drop!
He started out with, In all my days, I’ve never heard of such crass audacity where someone (glaring at Marcel) would break in and steal from a fine upstanding store owner, while he is home with his family celebrating on Christmas day! This really disgusts me, he continued. Your story about love and kindness to your friend Mimi and your desire to take care of her, just doesn’t add up. If you really cared, you would have gotten another job right away and been the man that you claim you are! I sentence you to six months in prison for this crime. Maybe after that you will come to your senses, get a job and learn to respect what others have worked so hard to earn.
It felt like a locomotive had just run over Marcel. It all happened so fast. The judge again banged his gavel and before he knew it he was being escorted out of the courtroom. On the way out, he caught Mimi’s eye. She was crying. In between sobs, she called out to the bailiff, “can’t I have a word with him before he goes?”
Remarkably, the bailiff did have some compassion and arranged a fifteen-minute meeting in a private room for Marcel and Mimi.
Through a river of tears, Marcel and Mimi cried about just how this could’ve happened and how his fate closely resembled a candle in the wind. What were they to do and how could the judge be so heartless? Without really thinking, Marcel made a comment that he was very concerned for months yet to come. He questioned Mimi, Can I trust that you will be there when I get out? Mimi’s emotions were at their breaking point and with Marcel’s seemingly innocent question, she exploded.
The Adventures Of Marcel And Mimi Mime
Chapter 3:
Guilty As Charged
Chapter 3:
Guilty As Charged
