Chapter 9 - The Verdict
The justice system moves slowly, but when it finally strikes, it strikes hard.
A year after I returned from Saudi Arabia, the trial concluded. My mother, completely broke and abandoned by her friends, pled guilty to wire fraud and forgery to avoid a harsher sentence. She was given five years in a federal women’s facility, with mandatory restitution that she would likely be paying off for the rest of her natural life.
Valerie fought the charges, arrogant to the bitter end. The jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding her guilty. She was sentenced to seven years.
I didn't go to the sentencing. I didn't need to see them in jumpsuits to feel vindicated.
I received a single letter from my mother a month after she was transferred to prison. It was four pages of justifications, apologies wrapped in excuses, and subtle guilt trips about how she was aging and scared.
May you like
I didn't read past the first page. I struck a match, dropped the letter into the fire pit in our new backyard, and watched the paper turn to ash.
The wind caught the embers, carrying them away into the Texas night. It was finally over. The debt was paid.
