Story: Colonel Williams, Ch. 4

Chapter 4 – The Municipal Judge

The municipal building was on the eastern edge of town, and it took them about five minutes to arrive there. It stood a little back from the road, an unimpressive two-story building made of red brick. The building held not only the municipal court but also the mayor’s office, the police department, and the jail. A small barber shop rented space from the city in one corner of the first floor.
As the cart pulled up to the front of the building, Williams saw a familiar face walking up to the entrance. It was his friend, Judge Paul McDaniel. McDaniel had served as the town’s only judge for the past twenty years, turning down promotions in order to remain in his ancestral home on the edge of the town limits. His reputation for being fair yet strict gave him favor with most people throughout the surrounding region.
“Paul,” Williams called to the man.
“Bill!” McDaniel exclaimed. “I didn’t expect to see you in town again so soon. Weren’t you just here yesterday at Gurdy’s General Store?”
“I was, but I’ve got an important matter that I’m working on. I could use your held on it, actually.”
McDaniel waved one of his large hands in a gesture of invitation. “Sure, Bill,” he said, “I’ll be glad to do what I can. Come on in to my office.”
Tying the horse up at a nearby post, Williams and Alejandro made their way to McDaniel’s office. By the time they had arrived, McDaniel had hung up his coat and hat and had sat down to review his caseload for the day.
“Now, what can I do for you, Bill?” he asked.
Williams launched into Alejandro’s entire story from the moment Alejandro had left Cuba until their recent encounter with Mr. Johnson at the slave market. “Other than trying to get us to bribe him, he wasn’t terribly helpful. He refused to allow us to see the records and told us he wouldn’t let us find anything out without a court order.”
“Johnson is a crooked man,” McDaniel said, “but he is crafty. He knows the law, its limitations, and how to work it to his advantage. Unfortunately, Bill, he’s right. He has no obligation to share his records with you, although a lot of men would’ve done so anyway without all the hassle.”
“Can you give us a court order to see those records?” Williams asked.
McDaniel shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. The law is clear. Those who sell themselves into indentured servitude have no rights under the law, except in cases of owner abuse. That’s difficult to prove, too. So, there’s not much I can do. Unless you can convince Johnson to show you the information, you’ll have to try something else.”
Alejandro had been listening to the conversation with concern, understanding none of the words but understanding the tone of McDaniel perfectly. “Is there nothing he can do to help us?” he asked Williams in Spanish.
“No, there isn’t,” Williams replied.
“Surely there is something!” Alejandro exclaimed emotionally. “We cannot let Maria and Emilia stay out there. Do something, Señor, anything; I do not care, even if it means breaking the law. I want to see my wife and daughter again!”
“Calm down, Alejandro,” Williams said reassuringly. “There still might be something that we can do, but I need time to think.”
Alejandro said nothing more, but sat back in his chair, lost in a mixture of despair and thought.
McDaniel spoke in the subsequent silence. “Is he going to be okay, Bill?”
“I think so, Paul, but I’m not sure.”
“I can’t imagine the pain he’s going through.”
“No one can. Each person handles loss a little differently.” After a thoughtful pause, Williams added, “Are you sure you can’t help us?”
McDaniel’s face became melancholy. “Yes, I’m sure,” he said. “I’m not going to undermine the law as if I sit above it and can change it at a whim. That’s how society wound up in this mess in the first place. I’m sorry, Bill, but there’s nothing that I can do.”
“It’s okay, Paul,” Williams said, “I understand. We’ll just have to find some other way.” He rose from his chair. “Thanks for letting us take up some of your time.”
“Anytime, Bill, anytime,” McDaniel responded as Williams turned to leave; Alejandro followed, still pensive.
Suddenly, McDaniel shouted, “Bill, wait!”
Williams was almost out of the door. He spun around so quickly that he nearly collided with Alejandro, who was so lost in his own thoughts that he had not heard the judge’s shout. Side-stepped the mentally-absent Cuban, Williams re-entered the room.
“What is it? Have you thought of something?” he asked.
“No,” McDaniel replied, his voice a little tentative, “it’s something else – this.” He handed Williams the docket. “Look at the third item,” he added.
Williams quickly skimmed down to the third item on the list. As he read it, his face became pale and his hands clenched the paper so tight that his fingers nearly punched through it. “His sentencing is today?” he asked, his voice distant and pained.
“Yes,” McDaniel replied, “I thought you would want to know.”
“I want to speak at the hearing,” Williams said, his face starting to return to its normal color.
“Are you sure, Bill? It hasn’t been that long.”
“It’s been long enough,” Williams answered determinedly, “and I alone know exactly the amount of pain I’ve suffered because of that man’s actions. Besides, don’t I have a right to speak at the sentencing if I wish?”
“Under current law, yes, but are you up to it?”
Williams’ face became grim, a flicker of pain played across his face. “I…I don’t know. Maybe I’m not ready, yet. It’s been almost four months since that terrible day, and I’ve been trying to forget it for too long. I need to start facing reality.”
McDaniel thought for a second. “How about this,” he said. “You can come in and watch the proceedings. If you want to speak, just let the district attorney know before the sentencing is over.”
“Okay. What time does the hearing start?”
“Probably about 11:45, but it depends some on how fast the previous cases move.”
“I’ll be there,” Williams said, “if I can figure out what to do with Alejandro. I don’t want him to have to sit through a long proceeding that he won’t understand.”
“He could wait in here,” McDaniel said. “I bet we could find him a Spanish-language newspaper – or something like it – at the market.”
“That sounds good to me,” Williams said, “but let’s make sure that Alejandro is okay with it.”
He explained the situation to Alejandro, who agreed to wait in McDaniel’s office. “It will give me some time to think,” he said. “Maybe I can come up with a good idea for what we can do next.”
With that settled, McDaniel put on his judge’s robe and went to work. Williams and Alejandro left the municipal building and walked down the road to the general store. They searched for several minutes through the various isles, trying to find something that Alejandro could read. Finally, they stumbled across a two-day-old copy of a Cuban newspaper from Havana.
After purchasing the paper, they headed back to the municipal building. Upon arriving, Williams headed straight for the courtroom, while Alejandro started towards the judge’s office. Upon reaching the front door of the office, Alejandro stopped for several seconds, his face frowning in some great internal debate. Slowly, he turned and put the newspaper on a nearby bench. For a brief second, he stood there by the bench, an immobile statue of pensiveness. Then, he quickly started walking towards the front of the building, leaving through the main entrance.