The Stranger I Met On The Altar

My eyes widened as the cold metal came in contact with my wrist. It took a minute before I could decipher what was happening. I stared in horror at the handcuff on my wrist and gasped when I was shoved a bit by the policeman beside me as he urged me to walk faster. Everything was happening rapidly and it felt like my brain was giving way; I could barely think and I felt my entire body go numb.

"I'm. . .I'm innocent," I managed to say but it seemed there was no rationale in this case and from the looks on the officers' faces, I knew I was pouring water into a basket; they didn't believe me and It didn't even help that the woman who had reported this case was fidgeting like she had seen a ghost; like I was a dreadful thing to behold.

"You have the right to remain silent otherwise, whatever you say will be used against you in the court of law." The officer beside me spoke as he ordered that my son be taken away from me. The little child had held unto my leg, crying at the top of his voice and when I tried to hold him, I was shoved once again as they led me down the stairs. I tried to speak but all I could do was whimper as thoughts of all that had happened some minutes ago filled my memory. I was yet to get over the event yet I was being driven into another trouble - bigger trouble. I still couldn't believe it had happened. I would have dismissed this as a nightmare but the blood on my hands was enough proof that it was reality. I was being arrested.

"You can't do this. Let me at least speak to my father," I tried to win them over but all I said fell on deaf ears as they pushed me into the van and drove off.

My eyes welled up as I shut my eyes. God knew I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I was only trying to save my son. Why couldn't anyone understand that?

★ ★ ★

The creaking of the iron bars irritated me as I laid on the cold prison floor - the nauseating smell of the watery beans the officer had dropped for me not helping issues.

I still wondered who it was that prepared the meals at the prison yard. Perhaps, he or she didn't taste the meal before dishing it out for people to eat.

I sighed as I kicked the stainless steel that had been used to serve me, away from me.

I was alone yet again. Veronica had left me after wailing her eyes out. It didn't even help that I couldn't say a word to comfort her or even make some gestures at least. I had sat aloof like a rock instead and had watched her cry.

Though the locking fetters used to handcuff me when I was with Veronica had been taken off, I still felt the tingling sensation around my wrist; the marks they had left ever clear on my skin.

I peered at my skin through the dark but saw nothing. The small window by the side of the wall did little to brighten up the room.