Alexandria of Africa Read Free Page B

sunglasses … her
Versace
sunglasses.”
    I could understand how that would hurt.
    “Do you have Versace sunglasses, Ms. Hyatt?”
    I shook my head. I didn’t like the look. I had a pair of Guccis and a really cute little pair from Chanel. I looked
so
good in those.
    “Perhaps your mother could buy you a pair to go along with your new car. But again, I digress. My point is, this young lady didn’t care if I was injured. She didn’t care that two cars were badly damaged or that countless lives might have been put at risk. Aside from her distress over the sunglasses, she showed no remorse or concern. None!”
    He practically yelled out those last few words, which startled me a bit.
    “And do you know why I decided to tell you this story?”
    Again I shook my head. I had no idea, although I had to admit he hadn’t been boring.
    “Because of this report,” he said, as he slammed it down on the bench in front of him. “You, Ms. Hyatt, are without remorse!”
    Mr. Collins jumped to his feet. “Your Honour, my client is willing to plead guilty and she has offered to pay forthe merchandise and she feels terrible about what has—”
    “Sit down, Mr. Collins! You know full well that your client feels terrible only about getting caught. You’re here to speak on her behalf, not to issue bald-faced lies believed by no one.”
    Meekly, Mr. Collins sat down beside me.
    “My report also states that you have been expelled from three private schools.”
    “But she’s doing very well in her new school,” my mother chimed in.
    “Is she? And how long has she been in attendance at this latest school?”
    “It’s been almost two months,” my mother answered sheepishly.
    “That is quite the accomplishment. Let’s organize a parade and declare a national holiday!”
    “There’s no need for that tone or attitude!” my father said.
    The judge slammed his hand against the bench. I jumped, and my mother let out a little shriek.
    “Mr. Collins, please advise your client’s family member to keep his comments to himself. Otherwise he will either be escorted from the court or he will find himself in contempt.”
    “Well, if that isn’t—”
    “I will apologize for Mr. Hyatt,” Mr. Collins said, turning around to face my father and gesturing for him to be calm and silent.
    “Now, back to the reason for our little gathering. Ms. Hyatt, you readily admit to stealing the items. There is no argument, correct?”
    “Yeah.”
    “I appreciate that. You are a thief but not a liar. Goodfor you. And my report states that when you were apprehended you had over four hundred dollars in your purse. You must have a very lucrative job.”
    I shook my head. “I don’t have a job. I’m only fifteen.”
    “Then how did you come to have such a large sum of money? Are you a drug dealer?”
    “Your Honour, I ob—”
    “Mr. Collins, I wasn’t seriously thinking that your client was a drug dealer. Dealing drugs would involve actual work. I was just curious as to how she got such a sum.”
    “It’s my allowance.”
    “You get a four-hundred-dollar allowance?”
    “No, that was two weeks’ allowance,” I said.
    “Only two hundred dollars a week—however do you get by on that?”
    I could tell that he was mocking me. He was just upset because he couldn’t be that generous with his children. After all, how much could a judge make? Certainly not the sort of money my father did.
    “So the question I really want answered is very simple. If you had that amount of money, and you knew that each week you would receive your allowance, why did you not simply pay for the items you stole?”
    I shrugged.
    “Not the most articulate answer. Think again, because this, Ms. Hyatt, is perhaps the most important answer you have given thus far in your young life. Why did you choose to steal these items?”
    “Well …”
    “Well, what?”
    “Well, I guess I just wanted them.”
    “But why did you not simply pay for them? You had the