Chapter 18
Chapter 18 - MY TESTIMONY
I wore my only dark suit.The one Ellen bought for our nephew’s wedding.
I hated the courtroom.
Not because intimidating.
Because everybody had to discuss my private humiliation under fluorescent lights.
The prosecutor asked:
“Did you sign a limited financial authorization?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Temporary help after eye surgery.”
“Did you authorize borrowing?”
“No.”
“Did you authorize Brian to replace pages?”
“No.”
“Did you agree to M.R. Home Support?”
“No.”
“Did you agree to recurring $2,175 charges?”
“No.”
“Did you know about line of credit?”
“No.”
“Did you intend sale proceeds to repay it?”
“No.”
Then:
“Did Brian and Melissa provide you with housing?”
“Yes.”
“Meals?”
“Sometimes.”
“Transportation?”
“Occasionally.”
“Did you contribute voluntarily?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
I listed.
Groceries.
Repairs.
Taxes one year.
Utilities.
“Why?”
“Because I was not going to live off my son.”
That phrase hurt after dog bowl.
Then defense.
“You told Brian, ‘Use what you need.’”
“Yes, in context of one mortgage problem.”
“You said you trusted him to handle everything.”
“Routine bills.”
“You signed documents without reading every page.”
“Yes.”
“Could you have signed the service contract and forgotten?”
“No.”
“You’re certain?”
“Yes.”
“You were grieving.”
“Yes.”
“You had surgery.”
“Yes.”
“You were taking medication.”
“Not when the contract supposedly signed.”
“Do you remember every paper from that period?”
“No.”
There.
Honesty.
“Then you cannot say with absolute certainty you did not sign.”
I looked at him.
“I can say I never agreed to pay Melissa $2,175 every month, and she has admitted copying my signature.”
Silence.
He moved on.
Then:
“Did you benefit from living in Brian’s house?”
“Yes.”
“Did you pay market rent?”
“No.”
“Could $2,175 be reasonable for room, utilities, food, transportation, and care?”
“Maybe in some arrangement.”
“Then you were not necessarily financially harmed.”
“I was harmed by someone charging it without asking.”
The prosecutor objected? maybe question answered.
Then line of credit.
“Did those funds save the house where you lived?”
“Yes.”
“If house had been foreclosed, you would have needed another home.”
“Yes.”
“So you benefited.”
“I would rather rent than have someone borrow in my name without permission.”
Then:
“You never missed medication because of Brian.”
“No.”
“He cared for you after surgery.”
“Yes.”
“He helped bury your wife?”
The question hit.
“He helped arrange the funeral.”
“You love him.”
“Yes.”
“Do you want him imprisoned?”
I looked at judge.
Then attorney.
“I want the court to decide his sentence if he is convicted.”
No revenge.
No rescue.
Truth.
I stepped down.
Brian did not look at me.
That hurt more than I expected.
At dinner that night, Carol asked:
“Do you think he’ll testify?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Same way he always does.”
“What’s that?”
“He’ll explain why the thing he did shouldn’t count as the thing it was.”
May you like
I was tired enough to sound cruel.
The next morning, Brian took the stand.
