"Mr. Stewart... Mr. Edgar Stewart... are you listening, sir? Mr. Stewart!" The judge's stern voice pierced through the fog of Edgar Stewart's thoughts, pulling him back from the depths of his memories. It had been a lifetime since he'd found himself in a courtroom, entangled in the complexities of the law. Throughout his existence, Edgar had never brushed shoulders with the police or the legal system. Yet, here he was.
"Could you please tell us, Mr. Stewart, where you were on the 11th of September, at 4 o'clock in the evening?" The judge's polite inquiry brought Edgar back to the present moment. Edgar Stewart was the epitome of a respectable man – a devoted family man, well-dressed, employed at a bank, blessed with a wife and two children. But the real focus wasn't on him.
"I had just left my office," Edgar began, gathering his thoughts. "I was on my way to my car with a few colleagues, fellow bankers like myself. Then, I received a phone call from Andrew's father, asking me to meet him at Shephard Public Ground. I rushed to the location, and that's when my wife called me, filling me in on everything," he explained, realizing where this line of questioning was leading.
"Could you please share with the court what your wife told you? Why were you leaving the area?" The judge's inquiry was firm but fair.
"Your Honor, before we proceed, I'd like to point out that Mrs. Stewart's perspective was formed after the incident had already occurred. Therefore, her statements should not be considered as primary evidence in this case. I respectfully request the court to give weight to the accounts of individuals who were present at the time of the incident," Matilda Ivanov, Adin Stewart's defense attorney, interjected, leaving the judge momentarily spellbound and prompting a reconsideration of Mrs. Stewart's testimony.
"Very well, Miss Matilda Ivanov, your appeal is accepted, and we will consider only Mr. Stewart's statement at this time. Please proceed, Mr. Stewart," the judge concurred. Edgar Stewart gained a modicum of confidence after Matilda's intervention. She was Adin's unwavering defender in this case.
"My wife informed me to hurry to Shephard Ground as fast as possible. According to her, our son, Adin Stewart, had severely injured Andrew while playing baseball. I arrived a little later, only to find the area stained with Andrew's blood, dripping from his injured eye. My son, Adin, was said to have kicked the ball with such force that it had pierced through the boy's eye, causing brutal trauma," Edgar Stewart recounted. He cast a heavy gaze upon his fourteen-year-old son, Adin Stewart, who sat in the courtroom, shamed and unable to meet anyone's eyes.
But deep within Adin, he knew he wasn't the one at fault. The true story was different, but he feared that no one would believe him, so he remained silent. "With Mr. Stewart's statement, it seems clear that an attempt on Andrew's life took place on the field. Andrew's parents have every right to seek justice for their son's current condition. However, it's crucial for the couple to recognize that Adin Stewart is still a minor, and this case could profoundly shape his future. The court accepts the appeal and seeks further evidence," the judge declared, acknowledging the case's complexity and adjourning the hearing for the day. Matilda's eyes remained fixed on her client, the lifeless figure of fourteen-year-old Adin, who bore the weight of the world upon his young shoulders.
On the 11th of September, 1994, at Shephard Ground, a group of boys engaged in a spirited game of baseball. Andrew, an aggressive player, relentlessly targeted Adin, who had a deep love for the sport. What started as playful taunting escalated into bullying, with Andrew humiliating Adin in front of their peers. In one pivotal moment, when Adin was supposed to catch the ball, he fumbled, and Andrew berated him once more. Frustrated, Adin decided to abandon the game and retreat to his home to study mathematics. In a moment of frustration, he gently kicked the ball towards Andrew, but an inexplicable event unfolded. The ball halted mid-flight, then rebounded with extraordinary force, striking Andrew directly in the eye. Accusations flew, and Adin was blamed for the gruesome injury. Andrew's friends restrained Adin, refusing to let him leave. Adin's face paled, unable to comprehend the magnitude of what had just transpired. A murderer, that's what they called him. But was he truly?
"How was your day, dear?" Harry asked Matilda. She sighed, weariness etched across her face. "Another day, another innocent ensnared in the clutches of the law," she replied. Harry inquired, concern in his voice, "Who's the unfortunate soul this time?" Matilda's eyes clouded with the weight of her work as she answered, "This time, it's a fourteen-year-old child, accused of attempted murder. It's harsh, Harry, and the boy's side of the story is heart-wrenching." Harry, empathetic, responded, "That's too severe. What does the boy have to say for himself?"
Matilda, lost in thought, continued, "Well, not much, but I don't want him to start loathing himself. Yes, he may have committed an offense, but it wasn't his intent." That night, Matilda couldn't escape thoughts of Adin and the immense burden he bore. The following morning, she resolved to visit the Stewarts.
"Hello, I'm here to discuss the upcoming proceedings," Matilda told Edgar Stewart, who stood at the door, welcoming her. Edgar, filled with gratitude, began, "I can't thank you enough for your help. What you're doing for us and Adin is..."
Matilda gently interrupted, "Oh, it's my pleasure to assist you and Adin. I encounter many such cases, and while I can't always prove innocence, I always strive to mitigate their sentences, even if they're guilty." Mr. and Mrs. Stewart exchanged a tense glance; they were not pleased with the ordeal they were enduring.
"How is Adin holding up?" Matilda inquired. Mrs. Stewart, overcome with emotion, broke down in tears. "He hardly eats, and sleep eludes him at night. One evening, we found him crying silently in his bed. I don't understand what's happened to our child. This is not what we envisioned for our family. We've never wronged anyone in our lives, so why must we endure this? Why us?" Edgar asked, his eyes brimming with tears, staring at Matilda for answers she struggled to provide.
Matilda stepped into the garden, where Adin sat on a bench, silently watching raindrops fall from the sky. "Hello, Adin, I've come to talk to you," she greeted him with a warm smile. Adin avoided eye contact and made room for her on the bench. "Have you ever heard of Lush Hills?" Matilda asked.
Adin looked at her, shaking his head. "No," he replied. Matilda's eyes sparkled with a distant memory. "It's a breathtaking place
, with dense forests and mist caressing your cheeks. Everything is lush and green, the most beautiful place I've ever been." Adin, perplexed, inquired, "Why are you telling me about it?"
"Because," Matilda answered, "once all of this is over, you and I will go there for a vacation. No worries, no troubles, just you and me enjoying life." Adin lowered his head, and Matilda realized how much of his spirit had been drained.
"I have something to tell you, something about that day. But you might not believe me, just like everyone else," Adin confessed. Matilda reassured him, "I will believe you, Adin, please go ahead and share everything. I promise I will believe you." Overwhelmed, Adin blurted out, "I never kicked the ball too hard. I was fed up with the game and kicked it gently. But in mid-air, it inexplicably stopped and rebounded with incredible force, as if some unseen force propelled it. It struck Andrew. I know it sounds absurd, but it's the truth. I don't care if no one believes me; I didn't harm him." Tears flowed from Adin's eyes as he revealed his heart-wrenching story. Matilda enveloped him in a comforting embrace.
"The boy is beginning to unravel, and I fear for him," Matilda confided in Harry. "Why do you say that, Mat? It's a traumatic situation," Harry empathized. "He spoke of a mysterious force affecting the ball, some sort of supernatural occurrence. It's deeply troubling," Matilda explained. Harry contemplated for a moment and replied, "Perhaps he's genuinely concerned, or perhaps he's cracking under the pressure. Either way, we must support him."
That night, the Stewarts rested more peacefully. Matilda, however, awoke with a renewed determination to gather further evidence. She couldn't allow Adin to face such a dire situation without pursuing every lead. The following morning, two boys named Jameson and Travis approached Matilda's office. "Good morning, Miss Ivonov. I'm Jameson, and this is my friend Travis. We have crucial information regarding Adin's case, though it's rather unbelievable," Jameson stated, piquing Matilda's interest. Now, her doubts about Adin's story began to take root.
The two boys corroborated Adin's account, confirming the strange and inexplicable events surrounding that fateful day. "Would you be willing to testify in court and repeat these details?" Matilda asked, and the boys readily agreed. In the next hearing, Jameson and Travis recounted their stories, leaving the judge and the entire courtroom baffled by the extraordinary tale.
"Miss Matilda, we know you enjoy cooking, but this isn't the place for concocted stories," the judge mocked her. "I apologize, Your Honor, but I assure you that these stories are not concocted. I was not present at the time of the incident, but these boys are providing truthful accounts of what they witnessed," Matilda asserted. "Miss Matilda, while I appreciate your dedication to your client, we must remember that this is a court of law. We do not entertain fantastical theories," the judge cautioned. Matilda pressed on, "Imagine if someone were struck by a falling rock from a cliff, a rock dislodged by gravity. Would you blame gravity or the person unknowingly standing at the cliff's edge?" The judge responded, "Well, in that case, it was Sir Isaac Newton who scientifically explained gravity to the world. Thus, no blame falls on gravity."
Matilda persisted, "Similarly, what if this event occurred due to some phenomenon beyond our current understanding? Maybe this case needs its own 'Newton' to unravel the mystery." The judge, albeit skeptical, conceded, "In that case, you must search for your 'Newton.' Until then, Adin Stewart will remain under suspicion unless this story is proven to be something other than a hoax." With those words, the judge concluded the hearing for the day.
Matilda left the courtroom, her pride wounded but her determination unwavering. She was now on a quest to find someone who could validate the extraordinary story that Adin and the two boys had shared. Adin, in the meantime, found a glimmer of hope, knowing that someone was fighting for him.
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