November was the month when the court hearing took place. The lawyers and the judge complied to do it on the week of Thanksgiving, which was not a very wise decision in my opinion. I think whoever scheduled that must be out of their mind, since it should be a week of vacation and leisure instead.

And I did not have a choice on whether or not if I wanted to go, because based on what my lawyer and brother told me, I was one of the victims that was chosen to be placed on the witness stand. Thus, in order for it to become a shorter and successful hearing, all those who belonged in the plaintiffs' stand had to be present.

It wasn't easy for me to talk about the past, but Josh and Paige reassured me that they will support me.

Joshua hired the best public prosecutor he could afford to defend me. His name was Mr. Percy, a middle-aged man around his forties. He had red hair that was about to turn gray, and it was visible that numerous wrinkles were growing daily upon his forehead due to constant stress. Mr. Percy wore glasses that would slide next to the rim of his oblong shaped nose and had piercing eyes that appeared to make him look strict. I suppose that was why he looked very professional in court.

However, that attorney was the least of my problems. What troubled me the most was that I had to face the three culprits who tortured me for numerous days. In addition to this, I met Chino - the man I did not really want to see again.

To this day, I wish I did not even go to the bar that started this fiasco, and went straight home instead.

Nevertheless, I guess fate has a funny way of showing how I am stuck like glue with Owen. We were now like two angry birds who cannot stand each other, but somehow the wind relocated us to meet again.

In addition to this, it wasn't a surprise to me that Owen's aunt hired his own legal representative.

A blonde woman by the name of Mrs. Rowe came through the doors in a elegant blue dress. She was a beautiful lady who represented legal matters with the rich. The lady even had a soft complexion like the 'Mona Lisa' in Leonardo Di Vinci's famous painting. I am sure it could still have been somebody else, but have a feeling Owen put his aunt up to this. Always the ladies man, even if he just got out of the hospital!

Mrs. Rowe was not just any lawyer, but one of the top ones that celebrities would hire in order to back them up, and she almost won every case. If you had enough money to pay her, I suppose any troubled man would take up that opportunity. No wonder the woman in question lived a lavish lifestyle in a mansion with her own family and had hired help; Mrs. Rowe spent her wealth like there was no tomorrow.

***************

"All rise! Department One of the Superior Court is now in session. The honorable Judge George Wagner presiding. Please be seated," announced the bailiff.

The judge, a bald man presumably in his fifties, entered the doors through his chambers as the hushed silence of the audience echoed throughout the room. Towards my right, twelve agitated jurors sat in their seats awaiting impatiently for the trial to begin.

"Good morning ladies and gentleman. Calling the case of the people of the state of Texas vs. Blanchet and Chavez. Are both sides ready to speak?" asked the judge.

Once both the defense and prosecution attorneys replied that they were ready to state their arguments, I started trembling in fear. I did not want to hear the same events that Owen and I went through two months ago all over again. It was a memory that I would rather like to leave in the past.

A pat on the shoulder comforted me and when I turned around, I saw that my friends had come to support me. Paige was behind me with her boyfriend who put his thumbs up to signify that he was rooting for Owen and me. My brother sat to the right of my friend and smiled. He probably knew I was nervous since I was twiddling my fingers together. Thus, this brought me to breathe a sigh of relief.

Owen sat in the front row next to me, but it seemed that he was still mad that a girl pushed him. I did not mean to shove him off the hospital bed that day; anger just spurred right in my head. Therefore, when that occurs, I do not have any time to put up with excuses.

I tried apologizing for what I did, but he did not want to hear it. He kept acting like a girl pushing his shoulders away was bad and gave me the 'talk to the hand' signal instead. I do not think his aunt or cousin knew about the incident either, since they both have been nice to me, so I did not bother to discuss it with them. Yet Owen was acting like a big baby who lost his pacifier!

Therefore, there wasn't any use to bring up this situation anymore.

Despite his resentment, Mrs. Rowe forced him to sit by me. His attorney told him it would look more professional if we (the plaintiffs) sat side by side.

***************

In summary, we won the case. The jury found all three culprits guilty of kidnapping and tormenting us.

Judge Wagner sentenced Gretel to spend the rest of her life in a psychiatric ward, since the jury found her to have a mental illness.

Bryan was sent to prison for a life sentence without parole since it was he who had the fire arm and was about to harm others.

Therefore, the only way Jennifer could meet him now was to visit him in jail. However, I really do not know if she took up that opportunity to see him.

Finally, Chino got a lighter sentence of 25 years due to being the accomplice . I also found out he slipped a sleeping pill in the margarita I drank before he kidnapped me.

I still felt sorry for him though, because Bryan and Gretel ordered him to do those stupid tricks to us. It wasn't his choice. But it was the lust for greed; Chino was probably eager to keep half of the ransom money if my brother indeed gave it to him.

I could still see his selfish desire for wealth in his eyes.

But all I know was justice was served.

***************

Gunther and the rest of the Alcoholic Anonymous group gathered around me. They were in awe as they heard the end of my story. And I'm glad to get all of it out of my system. It has helped me forget about going to the bar for some time, so I have to say I have stayed away from it for at least two months now.

"Do you know the childhood story of the ugly duckling who turned into a beautiful swan?" I asked the group before I left.

They all nodded their heads no, so I continued with my lecture.

"Well, I associate myself with that fairytale where the ugly duckling became a beautiful swan in the end. I might not be 100% sure where my life was clearly headed to now, but I do know that I am no longer that annoying fly on the wall you might just want to swat. From all the experiences, I went through in my past; I could actually say 'Look out world, because here comes Marlene Brennan!' Adventure awaits for me to find them."

Now that I was done retelling my survival story from being kidnapped, I now remember who Gunther resembled as safety responder  Garrett Dawson. Were they brothers that just coincidentally happened to be there in my time of need?

I wanted to ask him, but the group session was over. Everybody was leaving,  so I decided to ask my question to the coordinator the next time that we meet. I can wait.

***************

When I got home, I went into my sister's bedroom. I was careful not to misplace anything inside as Moira wanted it to be nice and clean. But every now and again, I would come inside with a folding chair to sit upon and observe the room where my sister spent her last days in. Even though she once had an apartment on the side, Moira would sleep in her room once in a while.  Her former apatment was leased to someone else, but Joshua and I decided to keep her room at our home just the way it was before the unfaithful night.

I placed my folding chair across from her bed. On it the burgundy bamboo sheets that my mother once bought still covered the mattress. It was Moira's favorite color; a dark red-purplish color. Later, I learned that there is also a wine in France, with the same name, since I saw it in a bar one day. But now I don't feel like drinking anymore. 

After reminiscing a few moments in Moira's room in silence, my brother joined me.  Joshua stood by the doorway that was halfway opened.

"Thought I'd find you in here Mae. I still miss her too."

I nodded. Didn't have to say the words to tell Joshua my problems. Siblings just know.

I stood up from my seat to hug him. 

"Do you want to go out to visit her tommorow? I have some free time tommorow, so we can go the Devoted Gardens."

That place was where my family was buried. My father bought each of us burial sites there before he died, so Joshua and I could also be buried next to her when our time comes.

***************

The next morning, Joshua and I stopped by the cemetery.

My brother  helped me out of the car as I started crying. The place always made me cry, since I always found it to be dreary.

Our first stop was at our parent's graves. We both stood in front of their headstones with fresh Carnations we bought at the nearby flower shop.

Both of my parents died in a car accident after picking up Moira from the airport. When my brother, who was on vacation at the time, and I heard the news from the police, our hearts were badly wounded as if an arrow just hit us.

It was like the mythological God of Greece, Zeus, and his brother Hades, God of the Underworld struck us with a lightning bolt. They (whoever they were) had won, and we lost.

Our dear parents were everything to us siblings. If it were not for them, I would not be here sharing my story.

Since I am the youngest child, people pampered me most of the time, so I had low self-esteem and frankly, that was why I did not truly believe in myself.

I remember that day. A trumpet played the military farewell salute. Everyone in my family, plus our friends and relatives came for the vigil. Joshua was standing right next to me, while my sister stood on my left. A soldier also gave my brother an American flag in commemoration of our parent's death.

On that day, I cried endlessly on Joshua's black cashmere sweater, that it started getting wet as if it was pouring cats and dogs. Till this day, I swear that sweater has my tears engraved all over them, since Josh never wore it again.

And now, a few yards away, my sister's headstone layed before us, so we visited hers after we paid our last respects to my parents.

When we reached Moira, I embraced my brother tightly again and wept.

"I'm sorry Josh, I just can't help it. I miss Moira so much." I blew my nose in a handkerchief he gave me.

"Don't leave me Josh ... since our parents and sister are gone."

"I won't sis. I never will after that scenario, I learned my lesson."

"You really promise?"

He assured me, which made me smile.

The End (for now)