Prose

The next few days had been the best of Jono‟s life. He had been fed three times a day
with delicious meals, had a nice bed to sleep in, had a friend, had a new home and had not
been beaten by his father. Boris still went to school in the week. Jono was still awaiting trial.
It was Sunday morning and Andrea Brown was teaching Jono how to cook bacon and eggs.
He wasn‟t that bad at it.
„Now that you have been cooking the bacon in this pan,‟ said Andrea, „You can now
add the eggs.‟ Jono picked up a egg, still in its shell and began to place it in second frying
pan.
„No,‟ said Andrea. Jono stopped holding the egg an inch above the pan. „You need to
crack the shell and remove the egg inside,‟ she said patiently. Showing him with another egg
by first tapping it lightly against the rim of the pan then holding the two sides and pulling
them apart. The egg yolk dropped onto the surface of the pan.
„Don‟t worry. You‟ll get it,‟ said Andrea, looking at Jono. „Have a go,‟ Jono tried to
mimic Andrea. He managed to first crack the egg then release the yolk into the pan next to
the other yolk.
Later as the family were eating Andrea and Jono‟s bacon and eggs, they had their
normal family discussion. They talked about various different things that had been happening
during the week.
„There are rumours going around at school,‟ Boris addressed Jono.
„So,‟ Jono grunted, he had recently developed quite a distaste for his old school.
„Well, there are lots of bad rumours going around,‟ Boris continued despite the
warning look shot at him by his mother, „But there are also some good rumours.‟ Jono looked
up in surprise.
Surely people didn‟t want me back around, thought Jono.
„Yeah. A girl named Veronica Frix has been protesting at the school about your
expulsion.‟ Boris stated, sipping his coffee. Jono almost dropped his knife and fork.
„Are you serious man?‟ he said, his voice one octave to high.
„There were also people beginning to make death threats to you on YouTube,‟ Boris
began to inform Jono, „Yeah they are being really offensive and stuff-‟
„What are you doing today,‟ interjected Steve Brown, seeing Johnno‟s hands tense
and shake.
„Dunno,‟ said Jono, beginning to relax.
„Jono, I was thinking that you might like to learn to play music,‟ Boris announced.
Jono thought about this for a few moments. If he wanted to learn to play an instrument, he
couldn‟t afford to buy one.
„Okay,‟ said Jono.
„Come on,‟ Boris gestured toward the doorway on the left. Both Jono and Boris raised
themselves out of their chairs and took their plates, placing them in the sink.
„Can you get the mail?‟ called Steve Brown.
Jono walked with Boris into the hallway. Jono opened the door and walked out to the
mailbox. As Jono walked back he flipped though the letters. Bill, bill, bill, coupon, junk, and
a letter for Jonathan Green. With his heart pounding, Jono opened the small white envelope.
As Jono unfolded the letter he read,
Dear Mr Green,
Your court date takes place on the 15th March. It begins at 9:30 am.
Sincerely,
Police Department‟s Attorney At Law,
Mr K Johnson
A feeling of dread fell over Jono, he had forgotten all about the trial. As Jono walked
back into the house, Boris was curiously looking at the open letter in Jono‟s hand.
„What‟s that?‟ Boris asked curiously.
„Court date,‟ Jono replied.
Jono walked back through the house and into the kitchen, where he dumped the other
envelopes on the table. He handed the letter to Steve Brown wordlessly. As Steve Brown read
it he said, „We will provide you will a lawyer,‟
„Okay,‟ Jono replied.
„We need to get you a suit today,‟ Andrea Brown stated.
„Okay,‟ Jono said nervously.
So ten minutes later after everyone had dressed, they left to go buy a suit for Jono.
The drive to the shopping mall was a tense atmosphere. Jono felt that his morning had turned
stressful upon the arrival of the letter. Once they had pulled into the parking lot they were all
looking for a good spot. Boris was the first to point out a good park. As Steve parked,
everyone unbuckled their seatbelts and opened their doors.
Once inside the men‟s suit shop, Jono saw that even the ties alone were more
expensive than all of what he already was wearing put together. Jono tried on different suits
until Andrea and Steve believed that they had found the right one. His suit was a plain black
trousers and blazer, with white button up shirt, red tie and shiny black leather shoes. They
paid for the suit and left with it in a shopping bag.
Once they got home Jono told the Browns‟ that he was tired and went up to bed where
he lay and watched television for the rest of the day. Later that night Andrea and Steve came
home to tell Jono that their lawyer was taking the case and that he has a couple of witnesses
to say that he was just protecting Boris.
Jono slept badly that night. He tossed and turned in his sleep as he heard the banging
of gavels and the face of a person that he did not know firing a sniper at a bleeding figure that
looked disturbingly like an older version of Jono. When morning came he was exhausted, he
had to force himself out of bed. As Jono was trying pulling his blazer on, he looked in the
mirror. I look stupid, he thought to himself. He tie was in a knotted ball and was all
misshapen. Just as Jono was trying to do his hair, Steve came in to see how he was doing.
„Do you want help with your tie?‟ offered Steve.
„Yeah, thanks,‟ replied Jono.
Steve undid Jono‟s red tie with difficulty and started to do it up in a perfect looking
Winsor Knot. Steve turned Jono around to face the mirror. Jono‟s reflection looked back
grimly. Steve patted Jono on the shoulder, turned and lead him out of the bedroom. When
they got to the bottom of the stairs, Andrea came out of the lounge room with Boris and who
Jono supposed was the Lawyer.
The Lawyer was the type that you saw in English movies, brutal and expensive. The
Lawyer had small expensive glasses, an expensive suit, and the same shoes that Jono saw for
seven hundred and fifty dollars in the suit store.
The Lawyer held out his hand to Jono in a pompous fashion. Jono took the Lawyer‟s
hand and shook it.
„Well, Jonathan. My name is Larry Gean. Let us get started. We have an hour before
we have to be court,‟ the Lawyer said quickly. Larry had a strong English accent. Steve
Brown lead Jono and Larry into the living room.
„Tell me what happened in your own words,‟ Larry said bored. Jono retold the story
of the fight to Larry and he was quiet unless he did not understand something. When Jono
was finished he waited as Larry finished writing the last of Jono‟s words down in a black
leather covered notepad, he flipped it shut.
„I think that I have all that I need,‟ stated Larry as he stood up, „I will meet you at the
court house at eleven-thirty a.m,‟ Larry left Jono sitting on the lounge and Steve showed him
out the front door. Jono looked at the wall clock. It was already ten-thirty am.
Whenever you are dreading something, it seems that the clocks and time are set to go
at double speed. Jono was being ushered into the 4WD at eleven-fifteen. When Jono and the
Browns got to the court house it took longer for everyone to get out of the 4WD than the day
before at the shopping mall.
Larry Gean pulled up in a black BMW M5. Larry got out of the car and walked
briskly up to Jono and the Browns.
„Why don‟t we go in now?‟ offered Larry to Jono and the Browns.
„Give me a moment,‟ said Jono to Larry.
Larry and the Browns walked on ahead inside the court house. Jono looked on after
them, dropped into a nearby park bench and sighed. His head held in his hands. As two pairs
of feet appeared, Jono looked up.
Standing in front of him were two men in dark suits, black shoes, white shirt, black
ties and black sunglasses covering their eyes.
„Mr Jonathan Green,‟ whispered the man on the left as Jono just stared up at them.
The man repeated himself, „Mr Jonathan Green,‟ Still Jono did not answer. Whilst pushing
aside the jacket of his suit to reveal a holster containing a gun the other man asked, „Do we
have to ask you again?‟
„Yes, I‟m Jonathan Green,‟ Jono said weakly, „What do you want?‟
Both of the men reached into their jackets and removing two badges, „We are agents
from the CIA.‟ Bewildered Jono just stared at the men.
„We are here to offer you a favour,‟ stated the agent on the right.
„What kind of favour?‟ Jono said suspiciously.
„Well,‟ the Agent on the left hesitated, „a favour that would ensure that you are found
not-guilty in the hearing. Jono stared at them. „If you do not want our offer, we can be almost
certain that you will be found guilty by the court, we know your rapsheet isn‟t clean,‟ said the
Agent on the right.
„Assault, break-and-enter, trespassing, verbal abuse, possession of illicit drugs and
chemicals, robbery, assaulting a police officer, and manslaughter. In all of these offences you
have served a total of 18 months over two separate sentences. The only thing keeping you
from being locked perminately behind bars has been the fact that you have been under the age
for the majority of your offences. Now you are less than a few months from being legally
able to be trialled as an adult. They now have the power to do so,‟ said the agent on the left.
„Was this a threat?‟ wondered Jono. „What do I have to do for you?‟ asked Jono a
little more aggressively than he had intended.
„No, and nothing Mr Green,‟ replied the Agent on the left.
„Just answer us, or should I say the CIA, when called upon,‟ slyly said the Agent on
the right.
„What do I have to lose?‟ thought Jono, „at the worst all I have to do is answer a call
later on.‟
„Okay,‟ agreed Jono, „Do you need me to sign anything?‟
„No, we have all we need,‟ whispered the Agent on the right, smirking.
And as Jono watched the Agents walk away he wondered about that smirk, something
about how the Agents smirked just creeped him out.
„Jono,‟ someone called him, „hurry up its about to start.‟ Jono got up and walked brisk
fully towards the entrance of the court house, where Andrea Brown was holding the door
open.
* * * * * *
„May the defendant please rise,‟ ordered the judge. Jono stood up slowly.
„Here we go,‟ thought Jono as panic rose in his mind.
„Despite the previous charges and accusations, we find the defendant, Mr Johnathan
Robert Green, Not Guilty on the charges of Assault and Grievous-Bottley-Harm,‟ stated the
judge, then a single strike of the gavel and it was official. Jono was free. Happiness welled up
inside of him.
Jono kept repeating the words inside of his head, „I‟m free, I‟m free.‟ As Jono walked
out he was shaking the hands of each and every one of the browns and larry.
„You did it!‟ came the excited cry of a girl. And as Jono turned he was hugged around
the chest by a flying figure. As he looked down at Veronica Frix he was feeling happiness
that he had never felt before.
„Come on,‟ said Steve, „Let‟s go home‟. But as Jono and the Browns began to file out
of the court house, Jono saw the two Agents in the car park, one in a black SUV and one
walking away from the Browns‟ 4WD.
He thought, „What if they actually do ask me for a favour in return?‟ Jono felt
concerned.