The Trial

SCENE – 1

Setting: Queen Bluebell’s Castle

Narrator: Trial of a person, Jet Black, one of the greatest criminals of the kingdom, is going on. Everyone in the kingdom is here to witness this event.

Queen Bluebell: My dear subjects! Thank you for coming here for the trial of Jet Black. Prime Minister Gary Grey, please proceed.

Gary Grey: With your majesty’s permission, the trial of Jet Black begins now. Officer Ray Red, please make us aware of the charges against Black.

Ray Red: Jet Black had fled from his cell and impersonated a teacher at a local school. He taught the children how to escape ‘dangerous situations’ as he called them. He went to the hospital as well, causing havoc. He visited a patient, Lily Lavender. Your majesty, as you know, the Lavenders are the disabled population of our kingdom. Their contact with a criminal with such a record is, well, I can’t describe it, but please allow me to call the people who can. I would like to call Mr and Mrs Orange. They are the people who are taking care of Lily.

Gary Grey: Here’s the summon, your highness.

Queen Bluebell: Proceed.

Mr Orange: Good day your blueness, I am Nurse Ian Orange. I am taking care of Lily Lavender.

Mrs Orange: Good morning my queen, I am Dr Shelly Orange. I am the doctor treating Lily Lavender.

Ray Red: Doctor, Nurse, did you notice any change in Lily as Jet Black visited her?

Mrs Orange: At first, we thought that Jet Black was John Yellow, the teacher. We allowed him to visit Lily every day. I didn’t notice any immediate changes, although Lily was stressed out a little more after Black visited here. Apart from that, everything was normal. Until one night…

{Narrator: She starts to sob, and Mr Orange takes the story forward }

Mr Orange: My wife treats all her patients as her own children. She can’t bear to think of the events of that night again. If you allow me, I shall continue.

Queen Bluebell: Permission granted.

Mr Orange: One night, we were going through the patients’ room as always and found Lily missing. We searched everywhere – the bathroom, the rooms, the whole hospital. She was nowhere to be found. We even called the police.

Ray Red: Yes your highness, I went there. 

Mr Orange: Even the police searched high and low for her, that’s when they found Lily, at Jet Black, or as we knew him then, John Yellow’s place.

{Narrator: Everyone gasped. It was true then. Jet Black HAD committed an unforgivable crime}

Queen Bluebell: Are there any other allegations against Jet Black?

Ray Red: Yes your blueness, he has done a few more crimes, for which we have got witnesses. Please allow me to continue the hearing further.

Queen Bluebell: Definitely! We need a fair trial.

Ray Red: Now, I would like Flower Yellow to come forward.

Flower Yellow: Present.

Ray Red: I would like to tell everyone that Flower Yellow is the Principal of the school Black was in the school, teaching. Please tell us what happened in your school while Jet Black was there.

Flower Yellow: Um, where to start. At first, I was a bit overwhelmed that the teacher, John Yellow had decided to re-join. When Black came for the first day, I was sure of it that he is John. He looked so similar to him. His teaching style hadn’t changed much too. Then I noticed the small changes the students from his class were going through. It was slow and small at first. Then it increased. Such was the extent that the students were striking in the hall – FOR A ‘GREENER’ SCHOOL. I couldn’t do anything to budge them. So, I called the officers.

Ray Red: Again, I would like to vouch for that.

Gary Grey: Messing with the minds of little Pinks. That’s another unforgivable offence, my Queen.

Queen Bluebell: That’s two strikes, Black. I am obliged to ask you this question: Do you wish to accept these crimes and make us aware of your other crimes, or do you wish for the court proceedings to continue?

Jet Black: I plead not guilty, Queen.

Queen Bluebell: Then Prime Minister Gary, you may proceed with the further crimes after the lunch hour. Or are there no more crimes of Mr Black left to be tried?

Gary Grey: Yes majesty, we do have two more allegations on Jet Black.

Queen Bluebell: Very well then, we will continue the hearing after the lunch hour.

SCENE – 2

Setting: Queen Bluebell’s castle, in the throne room.

Narrator: Everyone came back in, after the lunch hour. Jet Black is standing in the corner of the hall, his head held high.

Queen Bluebell: Thank you everyone for coming back. We shall continue the investigation.

Ray Red: Your highness, please allow me to call upon Barry Brown. The farmer whose land was destroyed due to Black.

Barry Brown: I am obliged to be here, my Queen. As Officer Ray Red said, my land was destroyed due to Jet Black, You see, my Pink, Barry Jr. Pink goes to the school where Black was the teacher. He taught my child that land gets better if we give it its medicine. And laughter is the best medicine. I don’t think that Barry Jr. understood that the ‘medicine’ was fertilizers and things like that. He asked all his friends and their grandparents to come over for laughter yoga. Not only they crushed my saplings, they also left so much garbage, that my land is now unfit for cultivation. Now tell me, your majesty, how will I sustain my family?

Queen Bluebell: You will be compensated, Farmer Barry Brown.

Barry Brown: Thank you, Queen Bluebell.

Gary Grey: Do you have any more things to say, Ray Red?

Ray Red: Yes sire, I have one more person to call.

Gary Grey: Your highness?

Queen Bluebell: Continue.

Ray Red: At last, I would like to call, Gwen Green, the accomplished businesswomen.

Gwen Green: I am a businesswomen, your highness. I can’t do anything without my business. This man comes into my shop, the finest in the kingdom, may I add, and wrecks everything. He comes in, followed by the whole police force. It confused and angered my customers. To this day, your majesty, to his day, my shop has not seen any customers. They all are too scared to buy anything from me.

Queen Bluebell: Gwen, I know that you’re one of the only Greens left with a thriving business. Your business is very important for the kingdom. As a result of the events that you have brought lights on, we will waive off your taxes for this quarter.

Gwen Green: Thank you.

Queen Bluebell: On with the investigation.

Ray Red: Prime Minister Gary Grey, Queen Bluebell, I have nothing more to say.

{Narrator: With this, Ray Red backed off and sat down on his assigned seat. All eyes were on the Queen, who appeared tensed, as if she was thinking hard. }

Queen Bluebell: As per the laws of the kingdom, I need to give Jet Black, a chance to speak.

SCENE – 3

{Narrator: The Red Officers holding Jet Black let go of him. He steps forward and starts to speak. Everyone hears him, without uttering any word.}

Jet Black: It is true, your majesty, that I did everything everyone so far said. But I am not guilty. Yes, I did everything, but not in the way the witnesses have portrayed it. I ran away from the prison, because I got to know about the sudden death of my brother, John Yellow. I had to make sure that his family was safe. I went straight to his house. I didn’t know that I had a niece. The girl that you mentioned, Lily Lavender is John’s daughter. I impersonated John so that the students he taught, weren’t affected by his death. HE was too close to his students and if the Pinks had known that he had died, they would have been shattered. Yes, I did teach them to protest, but it was for the right cause. Pray tell me, is speaking for the betterment of the environment bad?

Next, about Lily, she is my niece. I have complete right to visit her. After my twin’s death, I am legally, her guardian. I went there to meet her yes, but I also wanted to make sure that she gets better. I might not be a doctor, but I knew, somehow, that she could get better. Slowly, she did overcome her illness and get better. That was the night I had asked her to leave with me. It was her own decision, to come with me and since I am her guardian, there is no law against that. I am sure that if she would have stayed in the hospital, she would never have recovered fully. If you want, you may call her here too.

As for the farmer. What Barry said was a hundred percent true. But I do not take the blame for his field. Barry Jr. failed to understand the meaning of ‘medicine’ and the laughter yoga group was irresponsible to leave the garbage on the field. Moreover, according to a survey your own guards conducted, Queen Bluebell, Barry’s filed was nonetheless going to be used to make a shopping complex, a mall in the next two years, as its fertility was little to none.

Lastly, about the businesswomen’s claims, I had nothing to do with that too. Yes, I went to her store to get something for Lily’s homecoming, but I didn’t create the mess due to which the customers got scared. It was because of the police who came after me.

So, again, your highness, I had nothing to do with any of the allegations against me.

SCENE – 4

  Queen Bluebell: After hearing both sides of the case, I need some time to think. I also need the spiritual guidance of my gurus. Please, oh great WHITES! Come and help me.

{Narrator: The Great Whites, spiritual leaders of the kingdom come out of thin air, into the throne room.}

The Great Whites: Queen Bluebell, you called us?

Queen Bluebell: Yes. Please help me impart justice on Jet Black.

The Great Whites: We see a sign of purity, of wisdom and of truth in him. The truth is greater than anything in the universe. True that he had committed the crimes he was imprisoned for the first time, but he changed his heart. What he did this second time that were acts of kindness, of empathy and of love. He did nothing wrong. In fact, we advise you to take back his Black amulet and his title. Change his name to Jet White. Also, we suggest you to start a program where, after routine tests, all the Blacks of the kingdom can have a chance mend their ways and become Oranges, Greens, Reds, Yellows, Browns, Greys, or even, if they are like Jet White, they could become a White as well.

Queen Bluebell: Thank you, The Great Whites! I will act upon your suggestions.

{Narrator: The Great White disappear into nothingness, just as they had come. Everyone is left in awe after their verdict. There is a moment of silence. Then, all at once, the crowd starts murmuring and whispering. They are talking about Jet White, the reformed Black.}

THE END

Narrator: Well, it is not the end, until we think about it, right? I want you all to think about what Jet did. Was it good? Was it justified? Is he capable of becoming a white? Think about it, I am going to take your leave.