The Last Straw

  * * *

  The parents shipped Kathy's body to Ohio for burial. There was no effort on either family to communicate. Aileen talked to Nicky several times over the next week, while waiting for the court date. Nicky was unable to get permission for her to see her son. Jack had a load to Texas and on to Kentucky from there. He wouldn't be back before the sentencing.

  The day of Bobby's sentencing came and Aileen arranged to work the evening shift at the Horsey. She refused Joyce's offer to accompany her to the courthouse. It was Aileen's intention of getting through the ordeal as quickly as possible with a minimal amount of stress. Flashbacks of Bobby's earlier years haunted her. All her efforts to help him ended in failure. She had asked herself many times where she went wrong, but deep down, she knew she hadn't. There were just those people who chose a different path than the one you hoped they would take.

  Because of budget cuts and the summer vacation schedules, the courtroom was packed. The judges and the public defenders cases kept them buried in work. She found a single seat near the back of the courtroom. The judge appeared promptly at 10:00 am as scheduled. The acoustics were excellent in the old courthouse. There had been major renovations to city buildings during the last governors' reign in office. She could see everything that was going on in the front of the room, due to the arena style arrangement. She sat through an attempted rape case, a vehicular homicide an assault case and then a break for lunch.

  The bailiff called Bobby's case after the lunch break. The judge read the charges and asked Bobby how he pleaded. His court appointed attorney stood next to him. Bobby tried to speak and explain that it was an accident, but the judge would not listen to him. The attorney spoke up and asked for leniency in the sentencing because it was an accident and because he had been a productive father before the accident.

  The judge said she would deliberate and return with his sentence in half an hour. Bobby had seen his mother in the back of the room. He spoke something to the attorney then the attorney asked permission to speak to the judge.

  "Your honor, my client has not been able to speak with his mother since he was arrested. She is in the courtroom and we would beg for your permission to allow them to spend a few minutes alone before you hand down your decision."

  "You may take him to one of the side rooms and he has fifteen minutes. Be sure he is back in the courtroom before I return at 3:00."

  "Thank you, your honor." The attorney motioned to Aileen to follow him as they headed towards one of the side rooms. Once inside the private chamber, Bobby embraced his mother. The attorney motioned them to chairs and said "Mrs. Priestley we are hoping to get parole on the table as part of his sentence. If we do, and I don't see why we shouldn't, it could cut his time significantly. If you need me, I'll be over here. I'm not supposed to leave you alone."

  "I understand." Aileen said.

  "Mom, how are the kids?"

  "Karen's parents took them and Karen's body back to Ohio. It didn't matter that I was a grandparent too. DCF would not give me any information about the children. I just don't know what to do. I am sure they do not want to talk to me, but they have no right to shut me out like this. "

  "I guess I can't blame them, after what I did. I may never see them again. Look, I'll be going to Stark. Will you come and see me?"

  Aileen's first motherly instinct was to say 'yes', then a vision of all the past episodes of Bobby's indiscretions along with the repercussions of his actions surfaced in one horrible moment. The discussions she and Jack had about her responsibilities to herself and her own happiness.

  She did not deal well with stress well since being diagnosed with fibromyalgia She took great effort in not letting herself get in a rundown state physically or mentally and had been practicing meditation when she couldn't run because of the summer heat,

  "I'll see what I can do. Write me as soon as you can."

  The attorney approached and advised them that they should be getting back. They proceeded to the courtroom to wait for the judge. The judge arrived moments after their return. She sat and began speaking: "Mr. Priestley it is within my power to either be lenient or give you the maximum sentence. Only you know what really happened that night. There is no evidence to show one way or another. Evaluating your arrest history is the only way I have been able to get a true impression of who you are. Your juvenile record is technically sealed, however, the fact that you have one tells me a lot. Your second offense you were still a minor but because of your first offense they treated you as an adult. These facts indicate to me that you have a real problem with authority. Taking your past along with the brief from your attorney into consideration, I am hereby sentencing you to fifteen years in the state penitentiary with the chance for parole. I went right down the middle on this one; the rest is up to you."

  Then he was gone. The bailiff removed him from the courtroom. Aileen stayed glued to her chair. Tears began to fall for the first time since she got his phone call the night Karen died. There was no way to stop them. Her surroundings became a blur. She had no idea how long she sat there before she pulled herself up and left the room. Most of the cases were through and only stragglers remained. The fog around her continued and followed her home. Without knowing how she got there, she found herself sitting at her kitchen table. Joyce entered the room and immediately knew Aileen was in distress. She pulled up a chair next to Aileen and took her hands in hers.

  "Are you able to talk about it?"

  "I'd love a cup of tea." was all she said. Joyce got up from her chair to fulfill the request. She decided Aileen would tell her when she was ready.

  "I'm going to be late for my shift, I'd better call Charlie."

  "Are you sure you want to go in? I could do a double for you." Joyce sat the tea in front of Aileen and waited.

  "No, I need to do this. It's my responsibility and it will be good for me to stay busy. Bobby got fifteen years with chance for probation. I did talk to him so it's technically over, though the next phase has just begun. It just doesn't stop. It just changes faces." She took her phone from her purse, called work to let them know she was running late, but would be there within the hour. She then sipped the tea, turned to Joyce, and asked, "So tell me about your day. I need to hear some good news right about now."

  "You are such a trooper. I had the dearest older couple in the place today. They must have been in their eighties. They joked, laughed, and carried an intelligent conversation with me as if I was their daughter. It was so refreshing. Figures they were just passing through. It would be a pleasure to have more people like that coming around. When will Jack be back?"

  "Not until next week some time. I sure could use his strength about now."

  "Well, if I'll do' how about we share a pitcher of margaritas and watch a flick when you get home tonight?"

  "It's a date. In addition, you'll do nicely for a Jack substitute. Now let's see what I can do to make the other man in my life happy and get my behind to work. I swear you put some magic in that tea. I feel much better."