Angrily Florence asks, "Can you tell me how we reached this topic?"
"I am just letting you know how I feel, and another thing what the child said is more realistic than you think, so stop venting your rage on her for no particular reason."
Florence could sense his frustration but I was frustrated myself because my plan was flopping big time. "So, tell me something Brent, were you going to leave with him tonight if I hadn't stopped you?"
Without a second thought, Brent responded, "As I said I will give him my full support, let us go to sleep now, he seems to have settled down."
Bright and early Brent rose up, after dressing to go to the court he knelt by his bed and prayed.
"Lord, just as you touched Jerimiah's mouth and put words, I beg you to put words in my mouth! Lord's words of wisdom as Solomon. Give me a spirit of intelligence to differentiate right from wrong. Give me the knowledge and understanding Lord to defend my cause, and please grant me favour from on high. And Lord my last request, please touch Jessymintha's body, and heal her, keep her safe in your precious and holy name Jesus, I ask all these mercies, amen."
Now in the courtroom Brent sat quietly taking notes of their complaints one by one, waiting for his turn when the Lawyer would call him.
When his turn did come, and the opposing lawyer was about to question him, Brent turned to the magistrate and said, "You Honour can I speak freely, I didn't take my lawyer to defend this cause This is my business and my heartbeat passionately for it and the workers?"
Hearing the Magistrate say, "Yes, go ahead."
"Your honour for two months I heard complaints from my workers, I listened to the solutions they suggested and implemented them to make them happy and comfortable. Your honour every week something new cropped up. Though matter what I implemented to fix the problem although it was their solution, they were never satisfied.
Opening his folder Brent passes it to the officer that was standing in front of him to pass it to the magistrate.
Brent continues, "Your Honour this has been happening for two months nonstop. I am tired of their dissatisfaction. They are not the only ones I have employed, I have over seven hundred workers, and all the other factories have the same workload and all get the same salary. I pay my workers eight dollars more than minimum wage. Also, I give them time and a half when they work overtime, when they work double I double their pay.
Your honour look at the second page, and view their salary, my workers that operate the machines get thirty and forty dollars per hour, so why is it the others don't make a problem only these here?
I tell you my Honour, I will leave the factory closed, but I will not give them one cent more.
When they work they feed their families and mine, and if they don't want to work I will get new workers. Your honour I will pay them their last salaries and severance pay but if they return to work and sabotage my machines, I will sue the entire bunch until I get the culprit. This is my final decision and whatever your judgement, I accept."
Right before Brent took his seat a few workers stood up and wanted to speak.
Magistrate Khan silenced them immediately, "I have heard all your plight and I understand your complaints. Now I have heard your employer and what he has said is right. He cannot pay you more while the other factory workers remain with the same salary, Why is it you are complaining while the majority work without complaining?
He had been lenient with you, he tried and work to accommodate your problems using your suggestions to rectify the problem. I have viewed the salary you all received weekly, fortnightly and monthly and I am very displeased with your actions.
Now listen to me every one of you, I agree with Mr Larson's decision, if you all don't want to work, he has a right to shut down the factory.
Also, if he hires new workers you all deserve to be jobless. because you all have no willingness to work. Now I warn you if it was me, I wouldn't be hiring any of you again, so if you all know who is behind this conspiracy and hesitate to speak up then don't blame anyone. I tell you it will come back to hunt you and your family.
Now I see no fault in his decision to set things straight because as he said if anyone sabotages his factory equipment somebody must pay."
Repeating what he said earlier to get it into their heads, "I see no fault in him, so now I dismiss this case, it has no bearing. I believe each of you should examine yourself, I see no shortcomings in your employer."