The Lagos State High Court main room was eerily silent. Everyone  present held their breath as they fidgeted on the edges of their seats,  anticipation clearly written on their faces.

The murder case of the accused, Mr Michael Odafe had dragged on for weeks with adjournments and appeals happening on the way. Now, after six months of long, tedious court proceedings, it was finally the moment to present the final fate of Michael Odafe, who shot his friend, Ade Timide to death.

Glory Odafe appeared to be the most disturbed person in the room. She brushed off the hem of her tunic from the seat she was sitting on at the gallery in discomfort. If a seer had told her that things would fall apart in her lovely marriage of fifteen years would fall apart, she would have concluded the seer was the devil himself.

Through the film of tears gathered in her eyes, she clearly saw the fate of her husband. She saw years spent in the gallows, or worse, the hangman’s noose. The shocking confession of the husband at Area C command police station came to her again:

"Officer, I have a confession to make. I killed my friend Ade. I came back from work one day and overheard him and my wife discussing about how to abort the three-month-old pregnancy she was carryingbaby in her womb for him. I thought my best friend stabbed me in the back by sleeping with my wife. I was hurt and swore to kill him. When my wife travelled theat next morning, I invited Ade over and shot him to death. I regretted my actions when my wife told me that their discussion was the rehearsal of the playscript they were to perform in the church. I was so blinded by jealousy that I didn't confront my wife and friend to get the truth. I know I will surely face the law, but please, help me tell my wife here that I am deeply sorry for causing her great pain."

 She had felt the note of sincerity, regrets and pain s crept into the in her husband's voice as he had made the shocking confession. But that didn't make the family of Late Ade Timide change their mind from charging him to the state court.  She wondered why the husband she had been loyal to for the past fifteen years of her marriage could doubt her fidelity.
Here she was, seated with pains in her heart as thoughts of what would be the fate of the husband flashed her mind's eye. Her tears came with loud hiccups as she stared at her the husband standing in the dock who stood in the dock. What would be the fate of her kids if the verdict wasn't to their favour?  
"In the matter of the state and with the pieces of evidence presented before this honorable court, I present my judgements .....“  The baritone voice of the judge pulled her out of her painful thoughts. The time to present what would be accepted as the fairest or unfairest judgement  was finally here. Her heart thumped hard against her chest.

"In the matter of the state and with the pieces of evidence presented before this honorable court, I present my judgements.
“ I hereby fiound, Mr Michael Odafe, guilty of thea  crime levelled against him which is the gruesome murder of  lLate Mr Ade Timide out of misconception on 11th, May 2018 at 10p.m. For this offence, this honourable court sentences the accused to thirty years imprisonment with hard labour in alliance with section 35[1a] of the 1999 amended constitution of Nigeria. This is my verdict."

The judge hit the gavel on the sound block as he rose from his seat. stood up. Hot tears dribbled down Michael's eyes as he stared at his wife and kids over the dock. The family he was going to be far away from. 'Oh! If only I could turn back the hands of time." He lamented as a muscular police man handcuffed him and led him away from the dock. The late Ade Timide had received the justice his family were fighting for. Glory Odafe burst into more tears as she wrapped her arms around her kids' shoulders. In the dim light of Lagos State high court, a broken-hearted woman and kids with a husband and father who had become a convict huddled against the world and wept.