From Sweet to Bittersweet

I just came from court this morning and while waiting for my case to be called, I got to hear the testimony of a husband in a protection order case. I was seated beside the wife in the gallery section as the lawyer's table was already full and I was able to observe her demeanour as her husband talked about their marriage that had gone sour. Her face was blank and expressionless with a grunt every now and then with what I surmised was her disbelief at what was being said on the witness stand.

They had a teen age daughter who looked very much like her father and was also present in court that day. I wonder how she felt hearing him say such unsavory things about her mother in front of so many people. Her face was also bereft of any emotion, as if it was but a stranger who was now testifying and she a mere observer and not his child. Was it a front, or was she just so used already of the usual animosity between her parents? I could only guess as I have not read the records of their case nor heard previous testimony. But it is more likely the latter as they would not have gone to this point if it was otherwise, to have the dirty linen of your private life put on display for all the people who go to court to hear.

After his testimony, I watched the husband as he got down from the stand and made his way through the gallery. He had to pass by us, me and his wife as we were seated at the edge of one of the benches. Both avoided each other's glances and if I had not known any better I would have thought they hardly knew each other. Such apathy on faces which in earlier and happier times showed so much love, I would like to imagine. For what other reasons is there for one to enter into a lifetime convenant? Yes, lifetime here in our country as divorce is not legal and judging from the influence of the Catholic Church on our political affairs, might never be, at least in the immediate future.

I was quite sad for them both and their children who had to suffer the indignities of such a public scuffle. But that is life and marriage, a series of both right and wrong choices and the children become collateral damage.

Welcome to another day of drama in Family Court.