Richie left the court on that day as a lonely victim of his own sordid past, only his parents remained standing with him, and even they were highly ashamed of him!
And two weeks to the end of the two months adjournments, he received special order from the office of the Mayor that the Mayor will like to see him in his office. He was very afraid of this sudden summons and he tried to give a faint excuse that he is very weak bodily and would not be able to make it on his own to the Mayor's office.
The Mayor's messenger with rough voice told him that if he knows what is good for him he better find his way to the office to see the Mayor. Even his parents who were present because he has been staying with them since he became paralysed tried to put in words for him because they too were by instinct afraid that this summons will not be for his good.
But with total disdain, the messenger replied them when they told him he would not be able to make it there on his own, "What is your own duty, do you want to tell me you can't wheeled him to the office? Or you don't know that parents who failed to clip the wings of their Son's troublesome wings must share in the burden of his offenses? You better get him to the office in the next one hour or else you will have your entire families to blame for his sordidness. The man hissed and went out as they watched his back in panic, they were of the thought that the Mayor is about to deal with him for the defilement of his wife and the soiling of his image.
An hour later, they were in the waiting office for the Mayor's visitors trembling! The Secretary went inside to inform the Mayor of their presence, when she returned she told them the Mayor will soon call them.
But they waited till the sunset and the Mayor did not call for them, visitors who came after them were all attended to, but he kept them waiting in their state of apprehension.
They were sweating in fear in the air conditioned office, but these elderly parent only have Richie their son to blame for this put down.
At the last minute of the office hour, the secretary heard on the intercom that Richie should come, the parents wheeled him into his office but they were stricken with terror with how he received them!
He said, "Are you so useless that you can't wheel your withering body from the visitor's room into my office or you pretentiously want your parent to be with you while we talk?
He was too dumb founded that he only opened his mouth but no answer came out. The Mayor turned to the parent and pretentiously said, " See how you are troubling your old parents because you could not keep your trouser zipped up" He then told the parent that his secretary did not tell him that they came with him that he is sorry that he kept them waiting.
After this he told them to excuse him because he only want to talk to their son alone. The parent went out in fear for him, but they can't stay when the Mayor says they should go out.
The moment they stepped out, the Mayor threw a letter on his face and said, "That is your case withdrawal letter, this useless case is close because you don't deserve justice or do you think you deserve justice? Richie could not answer but he held unto the letter. The Mayor shouted on him, " Ate you deaf or dumb that you cannot answer my question? Richie shook his head in confusion.
The Mayor said, open that letter and read it as you will read it in the court when the hearing resumed. With trembling hand Richie opened the letter, he spares the address and read only the content.
THE LETTER
With great regret and shame, I plead with this court that this case be stopped because I do not in any way deserve any justice in this matter. Truly she warned me that she was engaged to another man and I should have put that person in my own shoe.
But i was too full of myself as I always believed that I can have my way with any lady, I pressed forward when I should have withdrawn.
Apart from this, am a total disgrace and disappointment to many people who truly loved and has done so many great things to help my destiny, in that I messed around with their wives.
Nothing can wash the evil that I have done to the great Mayor of this city, a perfect gentleman who loved all the citizens of this city and is always ready to do anything to defend their rights.
I want to use this opportunity to beg the Mayor and all the people that I have offended with my sordid childish stunts, and I want also to beg all the citizens of this great city to keep cherishing our selfless Mayor, he is a rare great leader that is almost irreplaceable! You can see the way he stood up to fight my case, but am a great undeserving ingrate that let him down!
Am pressed to say more, but I do not deserve to waste the precious time of this court, so I pray that you will grant my plea and strike out this case, because Tolu is not guilty, thanks.
When Richie finished reading this letter he understood that the Mayor wants to use him to redeem his battered image and he said, "I will do it sir"