It seemed Darlene's Dad spoke to Hank. If we could raise enough money we might be able to get a pardon from the high judge. It was the only shot we had, our last chance to go free. I rang my dad for the third time. I begged him to send the money, he said he didn't have it, but he'd get it. I could hear how much he didn't care, how much he thought this was what my life would add up to, like everyone else. The only thing I held onto was this one last chance.
'Why should we trust him?' I asked Hank as we waited in a hall outside the court room.
'Because I know him, he's a good guy. He knows about your case. This judge, he's not in the business.' he assured us, and I felt calmer.
We were summoned with the wrest of the prisoners, many were so old. Like they were only being pardoned because they were close to death. We waited in line as each prisoner before us had their case read out and they pleaded for pardon, if granted they swore an oath and were reunited with their family.
A uniformed policeman took Darlene by the hand and led her into the middle of the room. I tried to follow but someone held me back. Darlene looked back at me and wrenched at the guards arm. Hank spoke very quickly to the guard in Thai and addressed the judge, asking for us to be tried together. The judge looked concerned, but held up his hand, and a silence fell. He shook his head at Hank and spoke. I didn't understand what he said.
'They are to be tried separately or not at all.' the guard holding the case statements said.
Hank rose up again, 'That is not the deal we had!' he shouted.
Darlene's eyes were watering and she looked hopeless.
'I can't go back, Alice, I can't go back!' she screamed at me.
I pulled my arm free and ran towards the judge. I kneeled before him pleading with him to hear me one last time.
'Fang hai di chan, khao mai ruu! Khao mau ruu! Ga roo naa! Fang hai di chan!' My voice screamed in between ragged breaths.
The judge raised his hand and shouted, 'Ngoht!' The guard rushing to grab me let go.
'Let her speak.' he commanded.
'Please just listen to me, she didn't know, it was me, she didn't know!'
Darlene cried to me, 'Don't, Alice don't!'
'She was only protecting me! We've known each other all our lives. Please just let her go. I'll stay! I'll do the time. If you need someone to do the time, I'll do both, just let her go, please!'
Tears streamed down my pained face falling with sobs. The judge stood up, surveying me from his raised chair.
'You sai she didn't know?' he asked, his accent stressing.
'Yes.' I replied the silence growing only interrupted by Darlene's sobs.
'If you are preepared to do her sentence on top of hyours, I will pardon her.'
I looked up at him my mouth stretched and brow furrowed, tears shinning on my face. I nodded slowly. The judge spoke to the guards, waving for me to be taken away. I looked behind at Hank's uneasy wretched face knowing, then at Darlene's distraught emotion.
'No Alice' she muttered. 'Alice!' she screamed at me and reached to grab my hand. But as the guard hauled me up and led me away, I didn't reach back.
Hank held her back around the waist as she screamed and kicked to try and reach me. I just stared at her tears in my eyes, a blank but slightly frightened expression. My head refusing to turn from her sight. I could make it, I could last. I knew she wouldn't have.
'I'm sorry.' I said to her. 'I'm sorry,'
She disappeared from my sight, and it was done. Maybe I had screwed up her life all these years. This was the only way I knew how to make up for it. I'd give up my life for hers.