For Better And For Worse
Chapter 20

Anti-drug squad.

Marlene goes to see her commander in his office. Inspector Kevin joins them.

Boris: So what do you have?

Marlene: Well, I didn’t find anything suspicious about these people. Mr. Bernard studied law in France. He is chosen from time to time as a member of the jury. He has a clean record. He also has a wife and two children who both study in France. As for his accounts, I see nothing compromising there.

Boris: and Doctor Romuald?

Marlène: nothing compromising about him either, nor the judge. In fact, what exactly do you want to know, what are you actually looking for?

Boris: look for Bernard’s wife and tell me where she went on the day of Krist’s trial.

Marlene: okay.

She returns to her office.

Kevin: Do you think she could be kidnapped to force Mr. Bernard to give a false verdict?

Boris: It’s possible, or he was simply corrupted.

Kevin: he wasn’t the only one who gave the verdict?

Boris: It’s true. So either the entire jury is corrupt or there’s something we need to find out.

Prison.

The detainees line up to eat their meal. Aristide and Krist follow each other and sit down at the same table. So they eat while talking.

Krist: So, can you tell me how I’m supposed to put an end to this traffic?

Aristide: well…

He hasn’t started yet when two inmates arrive with their food and sit down with them.

Fabrice: so pastor, who is the new guy?

Aristide: he is a brother in faith.

Crépin: oh yes, so he’s as generous as you?

Crépin takes Krist’s bread and Fabrice takes his sauce. He therefore finds himself without meals.

Krist: What does that mean?

Aristide: leave it to my friend, we’ll share it.

Krist: how can we share this food that looks like pig food?

Aristide: It’s better than nothing, my brother. Hold !

They therefore share the same dish.

Crépin: ah yes, you are true children of God.

They finish their meals and leave.

Krist: who are they?

Crépin and Fabrice, they are sentenced to life imprisonment so they annoy all the new ones. It’s better not to look for them, otherwise you will find them.

Krist: also tell them not to look for me, otherwise they will find me too, easily than they think because where I am, only God knows the degree of anger and rage that animate me.

Aristide: who are you angry with?

Krist: I’m angry because I suffered an injustice and I don’t know against whom, because if I hadn’t lost my first job, I might never have become a waiter, I might not have- having never met Mr. Gauthier, nor my boss’s daughter, I would therefore not have lost my job and I would therefore not have gone to Gauthier so that he could trap me and accuse me of using drugs.

Aristide: you only followed your destiny, my brother.

Krist: my destiny, and who is responsible for it, me or God?

Aristide: God of course.

Krist: So tell me, does God take pleasure in making his children suffer?

Aristide: God never makes his children suffer, rather he tests them because he does not accept just anyone as his child.

Krist: why not test me fairly instead of making me suffer injustice?

Aristide: I can’t put myself in God’s place and tell you why.

Krist: say, how long have you been here already?

Aristide: I have already been there for 10 years. My brother became a pastor and teacher. He’s doing great and it makes my years here more…happier.

Krist: I see.

Aristide: and if you want to finish your five years without worry, avoid trouble and submit.

Krist: I can’t submit, at least not to a man like me. If I have to submit, it will be to God and the law.

Aristide: okay but it’s better to avoid this team, they are boxers.

Krist: Boxers?

Aristide: yes, a boxing championship takes place here every year, in January, that’s in three months. The champion becomes the king and all the other inmates do his will. And the guy over there, his name is Francis, he’s convicted of drug possession, consumption and dealing. He refused to confide in Jesus.

Krist: Where are your brothers in Christ in this prison?

Aristide: there are many people who are here due to injustice like you, I will present it to you later.

Krist: Okay.

Krist looks around and sees strange looks. They return to their cells a little later.

Krist’s home.

Stella returns from university and finds Isabelle in the living room while Krist’s mother is in the kitchen.

Stella: Isabelle, I’m glad you’re finally out of the room.

Isabelle: I had to go to the hospital following an emergency.

Stella: wow, but that’s great, you should take care of yourself from time to time and change your mood a little because I learned that the mother’s mood has a lot of influence on the child.

Isabelle: thank you Stella. How was it at university?

Stella: It went well. Tomorrow, I start classes.

Isabelle: okay, I’m delighted for you.

Stella: Thank you.

She returns to her room to change. Afterwards she thinks of Krist and everything he endured, she thinks of her love story with Isabelle and now her thoughts come to Master Célestin.

Célestin: I love you Stella.

Stella: what an idiot! Is this how you pick up a girl? I don’t even know why I think about him. He can never be like Krist. No, I don’t know him yet, I shouldn’t say that. Why not try to get to know him? I want a real relationship, not a messy relationship. No, but what’s happening to you Stella?

She gets up and goes back to Isabelle in the living room.

Anti-drug squad.

Marlene goes to see the commander again.

Marlène: commander, Bernard’s wife is a woman who works normally, she has no criminal record. However, the day before yesterday she had not gone to work and she gave no reason for her absence.

Boris: okay thank you.

Marlene leaves and the commander calls the inspector to give him an update.

Boris: very early tomorrow, you will go and question Doctor Romuald while I go see Mr. Bernard.

Kevin: Okay.

At Master Célestin’s.

Célestin has just returned home. He takes a shower then he gets dressed and thinks about going to Krist’s to see how his wife and Stella are doing and if possible invite the latter to dinner and chat but at one point he stops and wonders: Célestin: is

it that she will be happy to see me, won’t she be angry with me for not having succeeded in getting Krist innocent? All in all, it wasn’t my fault, I did what I could. I have to go there to find out the depths of his thoughts. No, she will definitely still be in shock. Now is not the ideal time to go. Maybe she needs support right now and my presence could comfort her. No, there is no connection between us yet, I will surely arouse his anger. Better not to go there, next time will be better.

He decides to go out for a walk.

Prison.

In his cell, Krist remains thoughtful. He takes out the photo of his wife to contemplate. Aristide finds him completely in another world.

Aristide: what are you thinking?

He gives her the photo.

Krist: to my wife.

Aristide: she is a very beautiful woman.

Krist: the most beautiful and wonderful thing that God has given me. It gives me inestimable happiness. We haven’t had a child in five years, she just got pregnant almost two months ago.

Aristide: I had the vision, my congratulations my friend. I’m sorry you’re not here to assist him right now.

Krist: Thank you.

Around 11 p.m., it was announced that the lights would go out and the lights were cut off throughout the prison.