The Remand | Sunday Observer

The Remand

24 January, 2021

Continued from last week

Sarah and Nicolas drive across the border - USA to Canada.They bring Samara, hidden underneath their vehicle as she’s wrongfully accused of carrying illegal drugs and she has to return home to Canada in stealth. At the border, Sarah is arrested for having an ornamental gold pagoda in her handbag. The border officer helps her although he learns from her that they are illegally transporting a friend across the border.

Episode 2

She told her story and perhaps there was much more to it.

“Amazing!”, the officer said, “so you’re telling me that your friend had some bags of this illegal drug in her apartment without really knowing what they were?”

“Yes.”, Sarah replied, “a friend had left some bags with Samara - my friend, for a few weeks; she never thought that they were drugs and before she got back home one evening, a neighbour called her to say that her apartment was raided by the police and in the bags were drugs. So, she never came home; she was hiding from the police and called me asking for help.”

“So, that’s when you decided to put yourself in trouble?”

The officer was sarcastic and she was terrified again. It was the nightmare episode of her adventure in which she was a helpless figure. How unfortunate! Little did she know about the total outcome of it.

“Didn’t you feel hesitant to play such a dreadful drama?”

Sarah was frightened by the question.

“I only wanted to help my friend, who was accused of something she didn’t commit.”

The officer smiled again, another mocking smile.

“I’m going to ask your husband to leave and you will be in police custody till tomorrow for taking gold across. There will be a court case. Honestly, I feel sorry for you and I will mention nothing about your friend, who is hiding there. If I do, you’ll be in bigger trouble. How’s she surviving there?” he asked.

“She has oxygen,” she replied, lifeless and passive.

“She has to be taken to the police now. From there, they’ll proceed”, he said loudly to the police officer who had just entered.

What she least expected was happening now. In police custody for one night! It was the most appalling nightmare! Yes, she really thought it was a dreadful nightmare but there was very much more to it.

Two police officers walked with her, one in front and one behind. Probably, they thought she would try to escape. She had her eyes down and didn’t want to move them elsewhere. It was a short walk but an extremely long walk till they arrived at the police station which wasn’t very far. She was now in custody spending the most difficult hours of her life. At least, she was happy that she was in her own territory, happy that Nicolas was able to proceed with Samara and the truth wasn’t revealed at any time.

It was a little gold pagoda, after all.

Sarah was remanded. She tried to fall asleep but sleep was far away from her. Her eyes kept opening and closing, not knowing what was really happening around her. Soon, it was midnight and some more women were brought to the cell; they were making it their home.

The cell opened and some more women walked in. Sarah looked at them. There were about a dozen.

Some were middle aged and some young. Her eyes stopped at one female who was in her prime and she kept looking at the girl who looked terribly frightened. The other women behaved quite normally. They almost made the cell their home. The young female unexpectedly sat next to Sarah.

She still looked terrified and Sarah was determined to talk to her.

“Why do you look so upset?”

The unexpected question shook the girl.

“Why are you here?” Sarah asked again.

“I’m a call girl,” the innocent girl replied.

There was silence among the two for some time.

“And so are the others who came with me.”

Soon it was midnight. New faces began to show up in the morning. She silently looked at them but never raised her head to show her face. Some eagle eyes were focused on her. The cell opened and she was taken to another. Sarah knew that it was some more long hours before court and she gave weight to her thoughts. She became pale and stiff. She was hungry but didn’t feel it.

Her eyes were directed at one place and never moved from there. Some officers came to her from time to time asking the same question, why was she in custody. The very fact that they didn’t know the reason for the arrest and their failure to gather it from her file said much more about their intention.

To know any reason for her arrest wasn’t part of their duty. They simply questioned her for the sake of curiosity and to fall into a sweet conversation with her.

In the morning, she was taken to the Inspector’s office where she kept standing regardless of the few chairs that were kept for visitors in front of the table. After all, they were there for visitors. But Sarah wasn’t a visitor; she was a criminal, in the eyes of the law.

“How did you get involved in smuggling?” he asked.

“I didn’t smuggle. That gold pagoda has been in my handbag for a long time.” she said.

He could see nothing but incorruptibility in those eyes; she was an innocent who was wrongfully arrested but his assumption would be a barrier for his own motives so he ignored it.

“Had I known you then, I’d have told you how to bring gold from there. There are people I know who do this business.”

He went on talking and Sarah was alarmed by his suggestion. She wasn’t quite certain if he really thought she was a smuggler. But why should he think she wasn’t?

“A lawyer will meet you here very soon. She has already arrived now. Your husband hired her. Give all the details to her and she’ll appear in court for you this afternoon and you’ll be bailed out . And here’s my visiting card. Call me when things are done and I’ll see that you do better business.” he said.

She was quiet, too tired to utter a word. In a few minutes, the door opened and a lady entered, well dressed and somewhat manly.

“Sarah Sanderson?” she asked, taking a seat.

“Yes”

“I’m Veronica Williams, your lawyer;. Your husband sent me here to appear for you in court today.”

The criminal was still standing and the lawyer began her lawyer’s speech.

“There’s nothing else you could do in this case except plead guilty.”

“What will happen is, you’ll be bailed out today until the date of your case.” The lawyer went on speaking. “I don’t understand why people are so stupid to get involved in such a business - smuggling. Don’t they understand that they’ll be caught one day?”

The well-groomed lawyer spoke turning to the Inspector who kept nodding his head, vehemently agreeing with her although he was going to help Sarah smuggle systematically, later. It was a clever pretence.

“I have come across many cases like this. They get into this business without knowing the repercussions.” She stated.

“People are fools to get involved in such things,” the inspector said, agreeing with her.

The young lawyer was making her own statements. Sarah had her head down, gazing at the two from time to time as they carried on their own dialogue, giving their judgements before the judge did. She wasn’t listening to them but the flow of their words came floating and rested in her.

It wasn’t clear if the lawyer really believed that she was truly a smuggler. Really speaking, the truth didn’t really matter to her; she was only proceeding with her profession. Sarah was grieving inside and didn’t really know how severe her situation was. She just let herself be a participant as required by the circumstances around her but she often kept asking herself if she was really a smuggler.

She left the office with the lawyer as the inspector gave one last look at her, trying his best to communicate with her, making eye contact. A constable joined them and soon they arrived at the city courthouse in Niagara. Sarah assumed that she had to confess before the judge as everyone else watched. She watched as many cases were heard. Soon, she was summoned by her name and a number. She waited until the lawyer asked her to speak but nothing like that happened.

The lawyer walked closer to the judge and explained the case to him. Sarah could hardly hear her. The judge took a quick glance at her. It took a very brief time for the case to come to an end.. At last, she was relieved or she thought she was. She left the court trying to figure out any reason for the absence of Nicolas and Samara.

However, she was too simple and naive a soul and thought that her whole blunder came to a beautiful, happy ending.

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