Geraldo by Abby Moran (best historical fiction books of all time .txt) 📖

"No, this is Jim Bunsen...I was told to call this number..."

"Jim? Uncle Jim?"

That name made my hairs stand up on end, I hadn't been called that since Geraldo...

"Who is this?"

"Ava...Ava Mackson. Where's my father?"

After a long overdue conversation it was found out that Mike had an affair way back when and kept very good care to keep it a secret...even when that affair had created a daughter. He was a caring man so sent money whenever he could and kept in contact with her. I told her about the situation. She was in her late twenties or early thirties I presumed. The affair would have had to have taken place at the very beginning of Mike's pitiful marriage. 

She knew of Geraldo and his wife through the phone calls with Mike, though she never met either one of them. She wanted information. I could tell by the gleam in her eyes that she was not going to stop interrogating until there was enough information to satisfy herself. There was no turning back or running from her. I gave her as much as I could - that is as much as I knew which as of now was not a very long time. I had no history for the boy except for meeting him on a couple of holidays. Then came the questions of her father.

"How is he?"

"I think he's a little unstable myself...but I guess he's taking everything the best he can."

"And Mae?"

"I don't think she's ever sober enough to know what's going on."

Ava rolled her eyes. It was clear that many stories about Mae were given to her and made her unfond of the woman. Although, it could have also been because this was the woman her father chose over her mother. 

"Good-for-nothing bitch. She's never there for him. I bet she didn't even get out of bed this morning."

It was a fair assumption.

"Listen, I only have so much time. The trial is on March 22nd. Your father would want you to know that."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

March 22 - Date of Trial

I couldn't believe how tight the cuffs were on my underfed wrists. I had no appetite to really eat much after all that had happened with Mike and I. He seemed more at peace than ever. He was smiling and acting like everything was perfectly fine in the world. I took a glance around the room to see a young woman sitting and watching intently. I was hoping that it wasn't her - she shouldn't have to see her father be sentenced like I knew he would be.

"For the murder of Lewis J. Mackson, how do you plead?"

"Guilty."

Mackson...

Could this have been the man that was supposedly a "father" figure for Ava? Was it a simple coincidence? Just for reassurance I took a glance behind me to see that same young girl with mouth wide open. It was no coincidence.

In this moment, the lawyer stood up and made his way to the lawyer's desk. Somehow or another, he had convinced them to let Mike say some final words before the sentencing. Mike stood.

"I would like to respectfully say that the man I've killed, had a right to die and before anyone objects to this, please hear what I have to say. Years ago, I did something that was very wrong - I cheated on my newlywed wife and also became the reason why a woman cheated on her husband. It was wrong, but I made a beautiful child with her..."

"To the point! Out with it!" the judge voice bellowed

"The point is the man I wronged was Lewis Mackson and he found out about the affair as well as my life with children. He took it into his own hands to kill my child and attack me, so I killed him. He had a right to die and there are a lot of people who need to know that." 

I glanced behind me again and that young woman was crying. I knew exactly who his statement was for - and it wasn't for his life or to save himself from years of imprisonment. It was a story to them - something without evidence that couldn't be proved and something that definitely could not save him, but it could make his daughter understand why her second father wouldn't come home. That was worth it. 

Publication Date: 08-08-2012

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