JOHN'S POV
Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!
I stretched my arms still in sleeping mode and smashed the alarm clock sitting on the bedroom lamp stand on the tiled ground. That would do the trick , I sat up on the white king-sized bed which was now in disarray. I rubbed my eyes and got up from the bed. James never came back. He probably didn't want to see me, or Mama had notified him that I was coming to meet him.
I hissed , he can go wherever he wants to. I went to the bathroom, it was another sight I couldn't stop feeding my eyes on. James was really rich, but I thought judges are just supposed to be comfortable. My eyes caught a clean shaving stick and I knew my moustache was begging to be shaved. It didn't take five minutes before bits of hair was sprawled all over the sink. I went to the bath tub and scrubbed my body clean. The soap was scented with pineapple and strawberries. I reached to scrub my shoulders as I came face to face with a tattoo I got before the law caught up with me. It was a lion head. Mama hated it a lot, she said it was demonic and tried to clean it when I was fast asleep. It was not a pretty situation when she found out it was permanent. I chuckled.
I wrapped a towel round my waist after and went back to the room. I combed my bushy hair till it was presentable. I looked in the mirror and I was scared of my own reflection. It didn't look like mine, but it looked a lot like James. I made for the closet and grabbed a black jacket and black trousers to match. I laughed. I didn't expect my twin to be so fashionable. I expected him to be nerdy just the way I remember him to be. I went to the large living room and then to the kitchen to get a morning meal. I hadn't taken my time the previous day to feast on the scenery of his house.
The living room was filled with portraits of James. I groaned internally. But a portrait stole my mind. It was a brown-haired lady, eyes so blue and lips were so full and she was smoking hot. I smiled.
She's pretty
She's probably his girlfriend.
I let the portrait down from the wall and used my fingers to explore the picture. But I was disturbed by a sharp door knock and I dropped the portrait accidentally. I tiptoed to the door and stopped to listen. After a few overbearing knocks, it stopped. I sighed and tiptoed back to start my breakfast but was startled when the door unlocked by itself and I came face to face with the lady that I had been admiring in the portrait not so long. It seemed like portraits do come true. We looked at each other in silence.
It was over! She knows. I watched as her beautiful mouth opened.
"Hey, I thought you would be mature since our breakup a month ago but I didn't expect you to be this childish. Have you forgotten I have the extra keys to your house?"
I was dumbfounded. She really thinks I'm James. She can't tell the difference. I kept looking at her as she continued talking. Her big mouth kept opening and closing in an admirable and funny way.
"If you have forgotten, I am Eniola, your ex-girlfriend and your new trainee as a judge. I can't believe I was assigned to you. The court has been calling you non stop. You have a freaking case today and you are being late. You can't even talk to me. You are just so silly. I called you repeatedly and you didn't answer the phone at all. You don't care about me at all, how do you expect us to get back together. You are such a jerk."
And she dropped the keys on the dining table and made to storm out of the house and I found my voice.
"Didn't you know James was a jerk, didn't you know he likes to look down on people? Didn't you know his pride is so fat and curvaceous. Didn't you know he was egoistic? Didn't you know he was so immature?"
Eniola smiled out of the blues, moved close to me and scanned up close.
"It's odd seeing you reflect on yourself James, it's kind of good seeing you admit it. But you have a case this morning and I suggest you change from that jacket to a dashing suit and let's go to the court, J.J"
I smiled too, and I watched as she fiddled with her watch, she stepped out of the house waiting on the porch and moving briskly back and forth. I found a suit in the closet and wore it. It fit me like a second skin and it made me more attractive. I found a phone lying on the dining table and I guessed it was James's. I clicked it open, but it had no password, pin or even a fingerprint. James was really silly and I stuffed the phone into my suit trouser pocket. I ran out of the house and I saw Eniola had hailed a cab and I allowed her to enter first before I did.
The cab driver was playing 97.9F.M, a radio station that I hated a lot. I focused my attention on getting to know the woman sitting beside me.
"So Eniola, what does J.J mean?" I said opening the buttons of my suit.
"It means Judge James, it's a nickname. Do you want me to erase it just like the way you erased our relationship?" Eniola muttered, typing rapidly on her phone without looking up.
"I guess not." I replied, looking at my window for any distraction rather than my supposed crazy and angry ex-girlfriend.
After 30 minutes, Eniola told the cab driver to stop and I wondered why until I realized we were at the court premises. Time to start acting as a judge. I took large deep breaths and got down from the cab. What have I gotten myself into?
Eniola screamed.
"James, it's almost time. Let's get going now." Eniola said as we walked briskly into the court.
I wished she could call me John but I knew I had to endure this, probably for a day till James comes back from his hiding place. Eniola dragged me towards an office, she opened a closet and grabbed a judge’s outfit and pushed it into my hands
"Wear it now!" Eniola said, biting her fingernails.
I wore it in a flash. Before I could speak, we were walking again. In a short while, I was dragged into a room. It was all brown. I was first confused until I realized it was a court. Eniola had found a seat at the front and she had a notebook and a pen in her hands.
There were people, not so much in number. But the court was packed with an audience ready to listen. The clerks looked pointedly at me and gestured to the biggest seat in the court. I sat down , my limbs were starting to betray me as it shook in fear. One of the clerks passed a spiral bound book to me and I looked at it curiously and it was the court hearing of the day. I opened it and I noticed that the only sounds in the court were the sounds of the pages I was flipping, in a stuttering voice I said.
"Let.... the...... trial....... begin"!
JOHN'S POV"The court may rise!"The loud and banging voice of the clerk pushed the people off their seats to respect the judge. But my heart was pounding rapidly and my bladder was growing enormously in urine. That was fear. I rested my head on the tip of the wooden table. Should I continue or should I abscond?"The court may sit!"I groaned internally, my decision had been made. I looked at the masses. The reporters were on standby, ready to write and deliver. The photographers were ready to take all angles of pictures of me.I looked at the spiral bound book once more and started to read aloud."On the 15th of April, 2016, Mr. Tolu Olugoke, the accused was arrested with a charge of physical assault on a thirteen-year-old identified as his daughter, Mariam, the victim."I paused for a second.
JOHN'S POVBreath in! Breath out! Breathe in!Those were the words that I kept saying as I splashed water on my face. After the thorough refreshingly moment, I looked at the mirror and started to undo my tie. A huge feeling of disappointment had settled on my brows and I hit my palm on my forehead severally.I straightened my clothes and reached for the door knob but the knob also moved at that same moment, it caused a frenzy of fear and I screamed."Eniola, what are you doing in the men's toilet?" I said, putting my hands on my chest."I was searching for you everywhere and I figured you might be right here," Eniola chipped in smiling."Thanks for caring," I muttered in a sarcastic manner and fled through the doors.I removed the judge’s robe, placed it on my right
JAMES'S POV Flashback I walked into the court with a confident smile as usual. I knew the hearing of the day and even without glancing through it, I knew the verdict already. It was a planned event and well already paid for. I knew I was doing the wrong thing but the gift Danjuma would give would act as a consolation. "The court may sit!" I was so lost in thought that I couldn't even hear what the clerk was saying. I knew I just had to do this. "On the 4th of April, 2016. Mr Femi Salami was arrested with a charge of murder on the victim, Mrs Sade Salami,who is identified as his mother. He has undergone two trials and this is the last and final trial" "Is the accused present?" I continued.
JOHN'S POV"Now I am really confused ,it was her mother all along. What then was the pity stunt she pulled in the court?" I asked, looking intently at Eniola."As far as I know, only Mariam can divulge that information," Eniola muttered."And how is Mariam going to be the solution. She's not going to be in court and her innocent father will go to jail." I said yelling at Eniola."Quit yelling at me." Eniola hissed."Mariam will come to the court if she wants to tell the truth and that's all." Eniola said fastening her seat belts."We should have probably kidnapped her." I muttered under my breath."Excuse me?" Eniola said frowning."It's nothing. Don't bother." I said hurriedly."So where's the way to your house?" I said kicking the car to a start."Turn left, then go right and drop me,"
ENIOLA'S POVIt was really a bright Tuesday morning as lawyers adjusted their ties and their assistants running behind them to give them a breakdown on the day's turn in. I walked through the stairs with caution as I wanted to impress James with my black jumpsuit. I saw a familiar figure advancing towards me and I smiled and walked faster to catch up with him."You look more handsome than normal." I cooed."You look undeniably stunning Eniola." Ayo said ,blowing an invisible kiss."I know." I said.I grabbed his hands and interlocked it as we walked towards our respective offices."So how's everything?" Ayo said smiling at me."Well it's been a roller-coaster." I chuckled."And James?" Ayo asked."Well he's not so bad and he's kind of annoying" I pouted."It's being a lo
JOHN'S POVI reclined into my seat, reading newspapers were exhausting. The same headlines everyday. I knew that if I wanted to act like a judge at least I should be able to take a book and read on it.I stumbled on a textbook titled Elon Ad Vortem. It was an unfamiliar language that kept me intrigued. I checked it up on the internet and I couldn't belive that the meaning was so simple in contrast to the name itself. It meant Peace and Justice. I opened the pages and flipped through it .It was quite an heavy and voluminous textbook and the bulky paragraphs didn't help my condition.I can't do this. I opted to ask for Eniola's help.I yelled her name but I got no reply. Maybe she was trying to ignore me as usual. I stood up and checked through the glass windows and Eniola was fast asleep like a bird except that she was snoring loudly.I wanted to wake her up but I was scared of th
JOHN'S POV"Eniola why do you have anti-depressants in your bag?" I asked."Well it's for a friend, she asked me to buy it for her." Eniola said smiling."It's half filled Eniola." I stated shaking the bottle."Well it's none of your business." Eniola said grabbing the bottle from my hand."You just made it my business." I screamed."Eniola, get inside the car please." I continued.Eniola looked at me briefly. She waited for me to open the car and she flew into it without saying a word. There was a moment of silence in the car as Eniola kept tapping her hands on her laps in nervousness."I am going to drive to where we can talk about this." I stated.I got no reply from Eniola as she looked outside the window. I sighed deeply and the car kicked into life. There was a provision store nearby a
JAMES'S POV"Are you mad?"That was the first statement that jolted me back to life. The trailer didn't hit me. Apperently, the driver seemed very experienced in situations like this. My eyes opened to meet a furious driver hitting his car in anger."If you wanted to die. You should have taken rat poison instead of saving yourself this stress. Why do you want to implicate me? I can barely make ends meet." He screamed."I am so sorry sir. I didn't mean to jump in front of the road ,I am injured sir. Please help me." I said dropping on my knees.The driver inspected my injuries carefully, drinking in the possibilities of leaving me on the road to die or taking me to an hospital."Are you an armed robber."He said taking few steps backward."No sir, I was kidnapped." I said panting heavily."Alright, I'll get you to a h