I stand in line for the courthouse, dark brown boy in front of me, menacing expression trying to cover up the braces glinting out from between his lips. His puffy coat squeaks as he moves. Behind me stands a woman, 6'8" if she's a foot. Elegant long clothes, turban, shining earrings, blue-black skin. She moves like an underwater creature, slow and graceful, granting every gesture the blessing of ceremony. High sharp cheekbones, almond eyes.
The guard at the metal detector is younger than me, smiling apologetically as he rifles through my purse. I'm reassembling bag and purse when the woman behind me sets off the detector.
"Is it my earrings?" she asks. Her voice is baritone, deeper than the guard's, and for the first time I notice an adam's apple. Suddenly, I love her even more.
I have high hopes for jury duty, filing expectantly into the jury waiting room. I'm happy to wait, and look at my fellow jurors. They try criminal cases in this building. I'm dazzled at the thought of years of material, coiled behind one of the courtroom doors.
There are signs posted on some of those doors. "No iPods." "No reading newspapers." "No gum chewing in courtroom."
Jurors become strangely still, waiting to be called. They are individuals outside, but here they disappear, becoming Citizens.
Finally called into a courtroom, rising as one for the Judge. He promises an exciting case, criminal. "Nobody'll be falling asleep for this one!"
Then we're dismissed to return the next day.
Day two, everybody looks the same. Faces blank, waiting. This Judge posts his rules inside the courtroom.
"No!!!reading
"No!!!listening to music
"No!!!talking
"No!!!chewing gum."
We aren't asked to rise when the Judge enters, this time. I wonder if the clerk knows he's back there. But then he starts to speak, his words illustrated by the sign language translator in front. She widens her eyes, her translation a performance, a dance.
"Some machinations have been going on," begins the Judge, "the case won't be going to trial today. So that's it, you're all dismissed."
Is that it? I wonder, people filing out of the courtroom around me, Is that all there is?
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5 comments:
that's it? just "some machinations," and justice is thwarted?
"some machinations"
Or maybe that should be
"Some!!!machinations"
Rockin, chems.
Awww, that's kind of disappointing for you, I bet. I would have loved watching the people there, even if jury duty would have been a pain. The one time I was called, I had to get out of it because it was last-minute, and I had already made a number of vacation plans, including making reservations and buying tickets, so I had to get out of it. I always thought it might be kind of interesting. Even if I couldn't chew gum, talk, listen to music, or even read...They do let you take notes, though, right?
Bones had it right, monkey: some!!!machinations. Surely that's justice.
You speak from first-hand experience, Jason. Thanks for asking about the book. It's done! But oh, how much more painful is the whole query letter/synopsis/please read my book stage. Can I just skip this part?
I dunno if I could've taken notes or not, Caryn. Jason, do you know?
Thanks for the encouraging words, Jason!
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