Barrister Foreman pulled up at my gate about two hours later in his dusty old Jaguar. He was our family lawyer and, from as long as I knew him, which was from when I was a child, he had been driving that same Jaguar. It was old then and was even older now. It was so old that the paint was stripping from off the car and it needed a proper ‘duco’ job. In Spanish Town where his office was located his car was nicknamed ‘scratch and win’ (the tagline for the Lotto) due to the discolouration from the many patchworks done to the car over the years. He could easily buy a new car but he refused to do so, saying that he sometimes had to work late at night and all the vagrants and extortionists in the town knew him by his car. His biggest fear
was that if he changed his car he might become a statistic of the crime and violence that the town was known for just because someone did not recognise that it was him in a different car. I laughed every time he said that. As he struggled to get his 6’ 2” , 250lbs self out of the car I also remembered the many times he would tell me that he needed to lose some weight.
Maud had briefed him on what was taking place and his advice was not to do anything until he arrived. He also said I was not to let the Reverend’s wife, Miss Brown or the Police Officer into the yard until he was there. I had relayed this to them so as soon as they realised that it was Barrister Foreman they came out of their vehicles and approached the gate once again. Barrister Foreman said I was to invite them inside the yard so I did. I had them sit on the bench under the trees while Barrister Foreman and I went into the house where Maud had been keeping Conroy quiet. Before going inside Barrister Foreman assured Miss Brown and the Police Officer that he just needed to discuss the matter of Conroy leaving with me. The Reverend’s wife, for the life of me I could not remember her name, and Miss Brown were not amused with this but the Police Officer, who obviously knew Barrister Foreman, told them that everything was okay and that they should give the Barrister some time to do what he had to do. When we reached inside the living room I showed Barrister Foreman the warrant that Miss Brown had given to me. He glanced at it, smiled and placed it on the coffee table. He then asked to hear the full story about Conroy as it related to Reverend Julian, so myself and Maud told him everything that we knew. I also showed him Cassie's and Maud’s birth certificates that proved that we were all sisters. I then gave him the birth certificate that the Reverend’s wife had given me purporting to be Conroy’s. Barrister Foreman perused the document and I saw a smile on his face. “What is it?” I asked. Barrister Foreman patted my hand and said I had nothing to worry about. He took up back the warrant and said he was returning outside to address the matter and I should come with him. He told Maud to stay inside with Conroy. The Reverend’s wife jumped to her feet when we reached outside. When she did so the dogs began to growl, luckily for her they were chained because they definitely saw her as a threat! She quickly sat down and said that she thought we were bringing Conroy out to her! “I am sorry but we will not be handing over the child to you or the CDA.” said Barrister Foreman. “You are forgetting that we have a warrant!” exclaimed Miss Brown. She turned to the Police Officer and told him that he should execute the warrant right away! The Police Officer, who introduced himself as Officer Grant, told us he had to comply with the orders of the court so we should hand over the child. I looked at Barrister Foreman in terror because he had just assured me that everything would be okay. Barrister Foreman took off his jacket and handed it to me. It was hot and it seemed as if things were going to get even more heated! Barrister Foreman rolled up his shirtsleeves and calmly said, “Officer Grant, did you know that it is a crime to serve a pre-signed warrant?” What do you mean by that?” asked Officer Grant. Barrister Foreman said it was one of two things. It was either that the warrant was pre-signed by the Justice of the Peace, whose signature was on the warrant, and then someone filled in the information at a later date or someone had forged his signature. Miss Brown chimed in to say she didn’t know anything about a forged signature or it being pre-signed as she had made the arrangement for the warrant to be prepared and collected from the office of the Justice of the Peace whose signature was affixed to the document. “Well, said Barrister Foreman, you must have made arrangement with his duppy because I know for a fact that he died six months ago!” Miss Brown was shocked when she heard that. “That’s the problem with you Civil Servants, you never take the time to do your work properly! Apart from the fact that the warrant was pre-signed, or forged, did you even check the date on the warrant? This year is 2020, not 2019 which makes this warrant null and void!” said Barrister Foreman. Officer Grant was so embarrassed when he heard that and the Reverend’s wife was livid! She turned to Miss Brown and said, “Go and get another warrant because I am not leaving here without Conroy today!” Barrister Foreman then did something that confirmed why my father always said he was a master at his craft. He went and fetched his briefcase from his car. When he reentered the yard he opened the briefcase and handed Miss Brown a document and handed me a copy. It was a court order, which stated that the officer from the Child Development Agency should make arrangements with me within fourteen days to have a DNA test done to prove whether or not Conroy was the Reverend’s child. If the child was proven to be the Reverend’s then I should hand over the child to the Reverend’s wife forthwith, until then I was appointed the sole guardian for the child and he was not to be removed from my premises. The document was duly signed and sealed by one of the most prominent judges in Jamaica. Miss Brown read the document aloud to both Officer Grant and the Reverend’s wife. Officer Grant told them that he had to obey this court order and even if the warrant was valid the court order took precedence over it. Miss Brown tearfully asked me if I could make the arrangement today because she did not want to lose her job. She had already secured an appointment for the DNA testing for Wednesday of the following week and it would be another six weeks before she could get another appointment. I hesitated and Barrister Foreman said it was okay, as he would have a week to follow up on the case. The Reverend’s wife angrily said she was going to report Miss Brown to her superiors for her incompetence in dealing with the matter and she would see to it that she got fired! I ignored her and gave Miss Brown my email address and told her to send me the name and location of the DNA Centre and the time of the appointment. They then left. I hugged Barrister Foreman and asked him how did he manage to get the court order so quickly? Barrister Foreman smiled and said that he always walked with blank documents for various types of court orders in his briefcase and I should guess whose chambers he was in when Maud called? Barrister Foreman and the Judge were smoking cigars when Maud called him! I laughed and shouted HALLELUJAH!!!
Barrister Foreman reassured me that I had nothing to worry about. He said that even if the DNA proved that Conroy was the Reverend’s child he would be taking the matter to court to prevent the Reverend’s wife from getting him. When I looked at him quizzically he smiled and said there were ways and means to circumvent the system. “Wow!” I said. It was really hot and he took out a white handkerchief from his briefcase and mopped his brow. I couldn’t help but noticing that it was the same type of white handkerchief that my father always used, and come to think of it, the Reverend Julian always had a white handkerchief wiping his brow too! We said our goodbyes and Barrister Foreman went through the gate. I watched him as he squeezed himself back in the Jaguar and drove off before I ran into the house to give Maud the news!
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