Arriving On The Rings Of Saturn

Jim looked over at his ten year old daughter.  "Funny," he thought, "I've raised her almost all by myself, but I hardly know her."  He cleared his throat, making a weak attempt to start a conversation, but she continued to look out the window.  He tried to remember the last time they spoke, but the only pictures that came to his mind were blurs of late night returns home and drunken verbal abuse towards her.  For a moment, guilt wrenched his heart.  "No matter, Jim," he told himself, "You have to be in court in 30 minutes."  Clearing his throat (this time to clear away the guilt), he straightened his face, practicing for the jury, and locked his eyes on the road.1

"Jim, no one thinks you did it," Jim's lawyer told him, "But you can't-and you'll excuse the term-screw this up, because we're talking about homicide here.  Honestly, though, there's no pressure.  The judge and jury are all ready to let you go, and we can all get on with our lives.  Accidents are excusable.  Murder is not.  Just leave all the final proposals to me.  You have nothing to worry about."2

One one side of that door, a deal that changed Jim's (and Eva's) life forever was being made.  Eva's ear was pressed to the other side.  She was in her Sunday best-a ratty green dress with the lace falling off the back side.  Her hair was un evenly cut, because one of the boys at school had blown a bubble into it last week.  She was raggedy, but there was a gleam in her eye that somehow shone through, and made her beautiful.  However, no one noticed her listening in as her father weaseled his way out of murder charges.  No one noticed when she wasn't in court beside her father and his lawyer. No one noticed her at school.  No one noticed her at church. No one even noticed when she wasn't at her mother's funeral.  (invisible)3

Walking out from court, Jim shoved his hands in his pockets.  He was a free man.  No more court, no more lawyers, no more interrogations.  He was free to live his own life.  Free.4

*                       *                  *             *5

Eva was in the waiting room, swinging her legs to pass the time. Boredom overcame her, devouring her mind, body, and soul.  In her idleness, she began to daydream.  In her vision, she saw a little girl, not unlike herself, flying through outer space.  Presently, the little girl came upon a beautiful purple planet with sparkling rings.  "It must be Saturn," Eva thought, smiling to herself. "Yes, Saturn might be a nice place to go."6

(Escape)7