Ma, He Sold Me for a Few Cigarettes(192)

A name was called, an Jackser jumped up, lookin at me. The man came rushin inta the room an called out me name. ‘That’s us, Sir!’ Jackser said, takin off his cap an holdin it in his two hands.

‘Follow me,’ the man said, lookin at me. Me heart started hammerin in me chest, an I followed behind Jackser, headin up the stairs an inta a big room.

The room was crowded wit men, all detectives an policemen in plain clothes waitin fer their cases te come up. There were no women, an me ma stayed downstairs. Jackser went te the back of the room an sat down. The man brought me along the side an told me te stand against the wall where everyone could see me. I stood up straight, wit me hands joined at me back, an looked up at the judge sittin up on a high bench where he was able te look down on everyone. A detective stood up an read out the charges against me. I couldn’t take in wha he was sayin. An the judge nodded at him, an he sat down. Then there was quiet while the judge read papers in front of him. The judge lifted his head an looked down at me. Then a man wit steel-grey hair an a red face wit a big purple nose stood up an said, ‘I’m the solicitor acting for the defendant, your honour.’ An he looked at a bunch a papers in his hand. ‘I’m Mr Murphy, your honour!’

‘Ah, yes, Mr Murphy,’ the judge said. I don’t know if tha was his right name, cos they seem te mumble. But maybe now tha I’m not on me own it will be better an he will talk up fer me.

I waited, lookin up at them, me heart hammerin away. It seems this is goin te go on for ever. I was swayin an tried te get me feet planted, but me legs was like jelly. An I wanted te stand up straight an stop shakin. The judge was sayin somethin an noddin at another man. Then a skinny little man in a black gown came down te me an took me by the arm an brought me up onta the platform. ‘Take this book in your right hand,’ he said te me, ‘and repeat after me.’

I put me right hand on the Holy Bible an repeated after him, ‘I swear by Almighty God, tha the evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth, an nothin but the truth. So help me, God.’

‘Now,’ said my solicitor, lookin at his papers. ‘Can you tell the court why you took so much butter?’

‘Eh?’

An he looked down at his papers. ‘You are pleading guilty to these charges? Yes! Yes you are. And there’s more than one charge here. Hm! Do you like butter?’

‘Eh! Yes!’ I said, lookin at him, thinkin, he’s makin things worse! The judge doesn’t usually bring me up here an ask me a lot a awkward questions! I looked aroun the room at all the men laughin when I said I liked butter. An a man was writin away in his notebook wit a pencil, sittin in the back a the courtroom an liftin his head an writin down everythin tha was bein said.

I looked again at me solicitor, an he said. ‘Eh! Yes! Hm! Will you tell the court what you do with all the butter and why you take so much?’

I couldn’t believe it. The gobshite was really walkin me inta it! I hesimitated, thinkin. Then the solicitor interrupted me thoughts, sayin, ‘For example, you have a charge here for stealing twenty pounds of butter.’ An all the aul fellas started sniggerin.

The judge banged his stick wit the knob on an said, ‘Order, please!’ an glared down at them.

I stared at the solicitor, knowin he had really got me hanged. He should a kept quiet an not asked me all these questions. I was definitely better off on me own wit just the judge. I heard the quiet in the courtroom while everyone waited te hear what I was doin robbin so much butter. I lifted me shoulders an took in a big breath an said, ‘I took all the butter so tha I could sell it an buy meself sweets wit the money.’

‘You mean you earn your own pocket money?’

I thought about this fer a minute. ‘Well, me ma gives me pocket money sometimes. But I like sweets, an tha’s why I take the butter.’

‘Hm! Yes!’ the aul solicitor mumbled, thinkin. ‘That’s a lot of sweets!’ An people laughed again. An then he looked up at the judge, an they nodded te each other.

‘Stand against the wall!’ the skinny man roared at me.

I crept off the stand an stood against the wall again where everyone could see me. I’m lost! Tha solicitor fella didn’t help me. The judge is shakin his head an whisperin wit the solicitor. Then he sat back down, an the judge lifted his head after lookin at his papers again. He looked down at me, leanin over his desk, an smiled at me an said, ‘I think, Martha, you would benefit from an education!’

I looked at him, his white face round an happy lookin, an he was very gentle. He’s always let me off, an I think he’s a very kind man. But I have a bad feelin. I don’t like the sound of wha he’s sayin an the way he’s lookin at me. It’s like he’s made up his mind te do somethin, an tha stupid aul solicitor has helped him.