Chapter 33 - Time

Ben comes to visit me as much as they allow him to. He told his version of what happened and it’s the same story as I told them.
Rick is dead and I am in prison.

It’s not what I expected to happen when I took off with Ben two months ago.

Two months.
I am on the road for two months. More even, coz I left at the end of July and it’s already October.

The leaves are falling.

And I am in prison for two weeks now.

Alfonso is trying the best he can. Things are looking better as of today. They finally found the knife in Rick’s car. The knife which he stabbed me, Ben and Ventura with.

The knife that nearly killed the love of my life. The knife that killed the best dog in the world.

Ben stands in front of my prison door. Somehow I feel like we are having special privileges. I never saw any of the other prisoners get a visitor at their cells.

“Lynn, I have to go back to the United States within two weeks. My visa expires and I can’t stay much longer without renewing it.” He says with a sad look on his face. “I’ll be out of jail within two weeks and I will come with you.” I say convincingly. But I know deep inside that it won’t be that easy.

We are heading towards a rough time.

“You know, if everything went like we planned, we would be in Paris now.” Ben says with a sigh. “I am sorry Ben.” I say. I know I can never make up for ruining his road trip. “This is not what I planned to happen. I wish I had never asked you to take me with you.” I pout.

“It’s not your fault Lynn. Rick is the one to blame.” Ben says in a loud voice.
I hang my head. “It doesn’t feel that way. I could have stayed in Amsterdam and all of this wouldn’t have happened.”

“If you had stayed in Amsterdam, we wouldn’t have been together.” Ben says simply. “Maybe that’s for the better.” I mumble.

Ben reaches through the bars and grabs my arms. “Never say that again.” His face worried and a glare of anger is visible. “I wanted you to come with me. I wanted to stay with you. Everything I’ve done, was because of you. Don’t turn me down now.”

I’m still looking at my feet. “I just don’t know it anymore. What if I have to stay here for months, or years, with you being all the way back in the United States. I am not sure if I can handle that.” I cry.

“I will not stay there forever. I am going to get a new visa and I’ll be back before you know it.” Ben assures me.

Alfonso walks up to my cell and smiles at me. “You both have to come along with me.” He says while opening my prison door.

I step out and Ben immediately grabs my hand. He gently squeezes it. My heart is pounding.

What is going to happen?

Alfonso leads us into a small room. Three strict looking men are looking at us when we enter.
The guy on the left is wearing a black suit, his hair combed over his head to cover up the bald spot that’s still visible through the hair.
“Sit down.” The man gestures and Ben and I do what he says.

My legs are trembling and I squeeze my hands between my knees to stop myself from shaking. I look at the men and I focus on the middle one. He has friendly eyes and he isn’t scaring me, unlike the other two.

Ben is breathing heavily next to me.

Will this be the moment of truth?

“Senhora, it took us a lot of time to look through your case. Senhora van der Beek, we find you guilty of manslaughter. We sentence you to six months in prison. Your punishment is not nearly as high as we usually give for manslaughter, because it was partly self defense. Case closed.”

My mouth falls open and I look at Ben. Six months in jail. With Ben heading back to the United states? This can’t be happening.
I put my hands in front of my eyes and I start crying. “Wait, this is not fair. That guy stabbed us both and killed a dog. And now my girlfriend will be in jail for shooting the guy that tried to kill her?” Ben asks.

“Case closed.” The man says again. Alfonso leads us out of the room. I am crying uncontrollably and Ben takes me in his arms.
I don’t know what to do. How can they do this to me. I am within my rights.

Aren’t I?

I understand it. I killed a guy after all. The love between Ben and me was doomed from the beginning.

“Will we ever be together again?” I ask Ben.

“I am going to fight for that babe.” Ben assures me.

Alfonso brings me back to my cell and locks the door behind me. I reach through the bars. “I love you Ben.” I whisper and I grab his arms to pull him close. “I love you too Lynn.” Ben leans against the bars and so do I.
He gives me a kiss. “I have to go now. I will be back tomorrow. I promise.”

I lie down on the bed. I curl up under the blankets and start crying again.

I really did not expect this to happen. I hoped they would let me go because of the whole self defense thing.

A thought crosses my mind. It was not really self defense, because he wasn’t doing anything.

Yet.

He would have if he had the chance.

Where did my happiness go? Ben has to go back home and I will be stuck here. For the next six months.

Literally.

I finally run out of tears after crying for what seems like hours and fall into a deep sleep.

I wake up from a nightmare.
I was chasing Ben through long corridors and every time I got close he disappeared. Every time I stepped into a new room there was a bloody Rick lying there on the floor with a note pinned to his body that said. “Mission Accomplished.”
I am sure that “mission accomplished” is about Ben and me being apart. Rick won.

Even though he is dead. He is still haunting me.

The room is dark and I am dying to know what time it is. It’s still dark outside too, so it’s must be really early. I place my hands behind my head and look up at the ceiling. I am wide awake and I am probably not falling asleep anymore.

I am way too bored already.

Will I be sitting here for the whole six months or for five and a half months? Since I am in here for two weeks now.

Thankfully, I manage to sleep some more and when I wake up for the second time, the sun is peeking through my window and I get out of bed.

I walk around in the room, waiting for Ben or Alfonso to arrive and get me out of this misery. I need someone to talk to.

It takes Ben two hours to arrive and the guards let me go outside with Ben, as long as Alfonso is coming too, to keep an eye on us.

We sit down on a bench outside. “I am trying to get you out earlier than six months.” Alfonso says. “But I doubt that they will cooperate with it. Because the outcome of the trial is more than fair. In fact, I think you should be grateful that it’s only six months and not a year.”

I give Alfonso the stink eye. “You promised me to get me out of jail.” I say angrily.

“Alfonso, I need to go back to the United States very soon. And I need to know I can leave Lynn behind with someone who will take care of her. Can I trust you in that?” Ben asks seriously.

“Sim Senhor.” Alfonso replies. “I will take care of Lynn as if she is my daughter.” Alfonso smiles. But I feel like kicking him.

I just want to get out