I’ve always loved the rain, listening to its rhythm as it sings its heart away,

somehow I felt that I have a deep connection with its essence, some people would say

that I am a lunatic, everyone is entitled to their own judgement but I, prefer to be called

a Virtuoso. A visualizer, a maestro, an expert, a genius, an artist! My views are entirely

different from those who are around me, maybe it’s because we differ from the concept

of what is right and wrong, what is just and unjust – justice, just thinking about the word

fills my head with exhilaration, justice is blind, it is impartial and objective, it permits no

one but yet people still manage to twist the very laws of nature, Innocent people suffers

while the devil smiles upon the bastard. They say when a lawyer losses a case the

burden is on his shoulder but what if the lawyer is the one who is standing on the trial,

how Ironic isn’t it? The one who is supposed to protect the angel from the devil is now

being judged by god himself, “I hereby sentenced upon you eternal damnation, death,

this trial is over the suspect is to spend his life behind bars until the very end of time

itself and wait for her untimely doom” how it echoes through my ears hearing those

words, I looked outside the window and saw the rain pouring heavily, I saw the people

around, I noticed how some are rejoicing and others are weeping, do not cry I do not

deserve those tears, don’t pity me, I brought this upon myself. The law is inequitable; I

knew that the very moment I step into this court room, I know that I cannot win here,

there is no justice here. When I saw my lawyer smiled at my adversary I knew that I

already lost they were waiting for me to crumble and to confess everything but I have

nothing to say, my lawyer who I despise so much wants me to tell the court what I have

done, the devil’s voice is sweet to hear, but in reality the only thing I did was to protect

the innocent. As I walk towards the door, I look back and took one last glimpse from the
magister, smiled at him and whispered to myself “Human is an existence full of sin.” I

was thrown into my own cell, I could hear the screams of others, screams filled with

pain from suffering, and this place reeks of death. “Your reign ends today your majesty,

I want you to suffer for your sins” is what I did really a sin? Is being real and righteous a

sin? if not then why am I punished? I heard the guard utter those words but I smiled at

him and gently said “When one person is cursed, two graves are dug” he spat on me

and slapped me saying that I have no right to talk back to him because I am his prisoner

now, I have to do everything he says, a woman obeying the every wants of a man, this

place is no different from where I came from, “This may not seem ordinary to you now,

but after time it will.” I’ll get used to it, I’ll get used to this life and someday, somehow, I’ll

extract justice and make this whole scenario feel like a dream, and by that very moment

the rain stopped briefly, Freedom like everything else is relative. Morning came but I did

not wake up from my nightmare “It’s time for your breakfast” I heard the voice of a

young lady probably in her mid-20’s she brought my food inside and she seemed to

smiled at me, you can guess if someone is smiling at you by just the sound of their

voice, after what happened this is the first time that someone smiled at me, I held her

hands and asked her one question “What do people usually do here to past the time?”

she seemed to be amused by my question because she burst out a little laugh but

nonetheless she answered me with such resolute “Kill themselves” and she left out a

chuckle, she stood up, locked the door and sat beside me “Everyone in here has a

story, What’s yours?” I let out a sigh and told her that my story is not valuable, and she

asked me why, I told her one simple thing “Nobody is a villain in their own story, we all

are heroes in our own story and beside you won’t believe me” No one will ever believe
me, I told countless people my story but in the end I was the one who was persecuted

“A story untold will only bring you agony” the lady stood up and walk towards the door

but before she left I asked her “What is your name” but she did not answer “I’m just a

worker here, you need not know my name” she opened the door and left me inside,

wondering what happened, I walked towards my little window and it was raining outside,

the rain that I so enjoy, I want to feel it, I want to be outside once again, I want to leave

this place, this place has no life, it takes your life, I want to break free from these

shackles that was put onto me, I want to walk outside and feel the grassy leaves

beneath my feet, I want to hear the outside once again, they say that if you want to fly

you must give up everything that weighs you down, I do not own anything but why am I

unable to soar the sky, Like a mockingbird that cannot sing, I see my life falling deeper

and deeper into the abyss of darkness, the string of events that happened to me was

never on my plan. I reached outside and let my hands feel the coldness of the rain, I

stood there while my eyes closed, feeling the dripping of the rain as it caress my hands,

moments later the rain stopped, I opened my eyes, sat beside my little pillow and

thought hardly that someday I will be free from this place, the bind that shackled me will

be no more, these chains that I wore is never my choosing.

Days have passed and I’m starting to get used to this place, the people here are

somehow nice if you get to know them and talk to them every now and then but every

night it still haunts me, the voices they still whisper into me, how they sent shivers down

my spine, the loud screams I can hear them all night long, how it frightens me, I did

nothing wrong yet I’m hearing these voices, Is there anything worse than this? I heard

the door open and the lady came once again to bring me my food “Eat, you don’t want
to starve yourself to death” No, death will not be the end of me. I walk towards her as

she handed me my food and sat beside the door “You know how it baffles me that you

can talk to me without giving a little hint of terror” I am a lawyer, I know when people are

frightened just by their breathing pattern but this lady here seems so assertive “Why

should I be afraid of you? Are you the devil that resides here?” I turned to her and asked

her “Why me?” there are many people here but why has she chosen me, “I want to

know your story maybe not now but one of these days, You’ll tell me, Why were you put

in here?” she seems so interested on my life maybe is it because I’m a famous lawyer

who is now in this rotting place because of false accusations? but why should I tell her,

the court didn’t listen to me why should I waste my breathe on someone like her “There

are always two side of the story Jude” a struck of exhilaration hit me, she called me by

my name, ever since I was put in here no one has called me by my name, it was always

savage or lunatic, this lady is the first one to call me by my first name, I looked at her

and I felt her smile “Won’t you tell me your story?” Should I? Should I trust this woman?

“Maybe some other time missy” I’m still not ready, I don’t want to fall apart again, the

only thing you can hear is the sound of the dripple rain as it fell, I am being devoured by

the silence but somehow it calms me down “Why are you so afraid of sharing your

story? Is what you did really that terrible?” No I am not afraid of telling my story, I am

afraid that no one will ever believe me, I have been judged by countless people, the

high court of this country deemed me as guilty, even if I did no such thing they did not

give me a fair fight, they took advantage of my weakness, they used it against me

“Why are you here lady? Why do you even work here?”
she looked outside the window and with a feeble voice she said “I have no one ma’am

both my parents are dead and I have to make a living if I want to continue my path in

this world” such weak convictions, you can hear it in her voice “and what is your path?”

she let out a sigh and followed it with a smirk “I don’t know” maybe I’m not the only one

clueless in here, we both are, “but I’ll find it, I’ll look for it” she said those words with

such excitements it envy’s me, how I envy her, such an optimistic lady, full of hope and

not a hint of despair, on the outside, she really knows how to masked her identity, A

lady I never was and will never be “I’ll be on my way now, I’ll see you later” and by that

she left me and I was again alone, by myself and will forever be until my last breathe.

Weeks have passed and the days never seemed longer, the nights never seemed

lonelier but above all it never seemed more frightening than ever, the thought of just

waiting for tomorrow to come is horrifying, little by little I get weaker and when night

came I can hear the screaming again and again, they never stop, the voices inside me,

ever since I was here they were never silent, I have to endure this all by myself, I want

to cry but tears meant nothing now I heard a knock and it was the lady again she let

herself in and sat beside me, “you need someone to talk to and that someone is me” I

looked at her wondering why of all people, why me? Every time she tells me that she

wants to know what happened it always crosses my mind on why she picked me but

right now I’m frightened. “I’m scared” the only thing in my mind this moment is that I am

terrified, I see people leave me when they hear my story and this lady right here is my

only company in this repugnant place, I hugged her and she does not seem to care, I

hugged her tightly because I couldn’t bear it anymore “It’s time Jude” I looked at her and

fixed myself maybe it’s time to let her hear my story, on what happened to me before I
was put in here, or as I would like to call it the truth “It’s going to be a long night, are you

sure you want to hear it?” she looked at me with such eagerness that I couldn’t keep her

waiting “Let me hear your story” this is the right time, tomorrow is another day after all

and I want someone to know the truth before everything else “Will you even believe

someone like me?” I know she’s right in front of me, I gave her a gaze waiting for her to

answer and she did not disappoint me “Won’t you trust me? Believe in me, everything

will get better even in the darkest of night, the sun will shine again” such optimistic

words from a young lady, I don’t know how to even start my story but I know where it all

began, the screams filled my head once again and all I can do is listen to it. Quiet

demons, I’m blind not deaf.

I am blind but my eyes were never closed nor am I deaf when it comes to the truth.

I was a famous lawyer back in my town but I was not only a lawyer, I am also a

profession that creates other professions, I was a teacher; a genius is what they call me

they throw parties for me, everything that I ever wanted I could get but I was never

blessed with the gift of sight ever since I was a child I was blind it was hard living as a

blind child but my parents did everything they can to support me I loved them with all my

heart but in the blink of an eye they too were taken away from me I never thought I

could go on living without my parents but I have to be strong, no one can help me now

but myself, I have great friends but they were never family, I never viewed them as

someone who I can rely on in desperate time and needs, they were only my friends

because they pity me, they pity the blind lady and though that they could take

advantage of me but I was not that kind of a lady. I became a lawyer because of one

thing I want to make people pay for the crimes they have committed against the weak
and innocent, people laughed at me they thought I was meek they thought that I am not

a threat to them but I proved them wrong, I proved them all wrong I’m blind but my mind

is not, when people ask me what is worse than being blind I always laughed at them

and tell them The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision, you

can see all the colors of the world yet you are the one who are blinded by your own

ambitions, you will do everything in your power to attain what you want even if it means

risking all that you have, you are blind because you close your eyes to the truth, you

shut your mind from what is right and you turned your back against it even doctors can’t

cure you, but for me it was a different story, In the beginning it was always black I could

see nothing but the color associated with darkness people said that I couldn’t live my life

because of my condition that I should end my life because I am becoming a burden, am

I really a burden? I asked them how can you go on living putting a mask every day to

hide your true identity? Why people need to interfere with other peoples’ live we are all

entitled to our own judgement, Why can’t they just let other people live their lives, why

do such people have the need to pull others down? Does it give them the taste of

satisfaction whenever they see other people fail, how pathetic. I was not blessed with

sight but my eyes were never closed, I will never be blinded by lies and above all I too

am impartial and objective but it all changed because of one thing, Love, how pitiful of

me they say love is blind but how could it be for me when I am already suffering from

the condition but it was not the kind of love that you are familiar with, it’s the love for my

job, my true calling, teaching, I gave up my job being a lawyer but the knowledge that I

gained from my profession I kept it within me, it’s part of me now. I was introduced to

the profession that creates other professions, a teacher, I became a teacher because I
want to teach students the truth, and I want to open their eyes to the world how ironic

isn’t it? A blind woman teaching children to see what they can accomplish, my condition

will never be a hindrance to teach my students but the world right now is in the phase

where it is a crime to learn, the higher-ups is afraid of educated people because they

know the people has the power and educated people can see right through their

blasphemous doings, they are terrified because they do not control the people, the

people controls the government, they are afraid of educated people, having education is

one thing but being educated is another and they are afraid that the people they

manipulated will see the truth and turn the blind eye against them. As a lawyer and a

teacher it is my job to educate the masses and I was not afraid to do so, I go to this

University and teach students the concept of law however I was not only teaching them

the basic and concepts of law I also teach them the truth but it is considered a felony to

teach the truth but I was never afraid nor will I ever be. I was not like the others who

bends the law just to gain power and money, Greed only makes the man blind and

foolish, and makes him an easy prey for death, Me being blind is enough, I will not let

my students become unseeing especially on what is happening to my country right now.

I was not teaching them to memorize the law or identify the different articles and

sections of the constitution, no that’s another matter, I was teaching them how to

practice the law, how to become a lawyer that everyone will look up to not because he

have issues or the people is against him but because he is being admired for his

greatness and righteousness, I was not only teaching them the law but I am also

teaching them morality, morals are the luxury of the rich, not everyone is approved of

my teaching they say what I’m teaching the students will not help them in their
professions but I was not only concerned in their professions, I was also concerned on

how they will turn out when this all ends, I want them to know never to be blind when it

comes to what is right, I want them to know that fighting for your freedom is not wrong,

that they have every right to do so, but above all I want them to learn that once you

open your eyes and see the truth it is a sin to act blind. I’ve been given many death

threats from various people, people that I have once defeated in the courtroom, people

that are telling me to stop what I’m doing, people that is afraid because I am producing

students that can see right through them but me, I was and will never be afraid of them,

I will continue to do what is right until my very last breathe and even in death I will

continue to do so.

Tomorrow is my last day at school. How I will miss this place.

I walked inside the room and I could hear the noises from before silenced, earlier this

morning I asked my friend to help me prepare a very special presentation this morning

containing various images that is consist of diversity before I showed then the images I

told them that some of the picture may be blurred to protect the identity of the person.

“A picture tells a thousand stories and I want to know your reactions behind these

pictures” I flashed before them a picture of a police being brutally flog by the masses

and I asked them what are your thoughts about this image, one student answered and

said “we can all clearly see that the people are hurting this guardian of peace because

they are abusing their power” guardian of peace, preposterous. I zoomed out of the

picture and beside the police is a mother with her weeping beside the body of his dead

child, I heard little gasps from the room.

“This mother is crying because she lost someone she loves dearly by the hand that you

call a guardian of peace, the police shot this child during a clearing operation and told

everyone that it was an accident, the mother right here is crying for the loss of his

beloved child, can you imagine the pain that she is suffering? Her screams filled with

antagonizing pain, her screams shouting for justice but did she get the justice she

deserved? Think about that” before I proceeded to the next slide I heard someone

shouted “That’s not our concern ma’am” I am speechless, I did not think anyone would

be this incompetent “Yes’ it is not your concern because it did not happen to you, it is

not your concern because you are not the one who suffered the loss, it is not your

concern because you think by killing the poor we can purge this godforsaken country it

will never be your concern because you are one of the few people that accepts this

practice” I noticed my voice got louder, I was holding back I don’t want any tears flown

today, I proceeded to the next slide and flashed a picture of a dead man I asked them

again on their thoughts about the image, one girl shouted “Maybe he was killed by a

murdered” Killed? Murderer! I think murder is the right term for this situation, I zoomed

out the image and along with the dead man are other people lying in the ground cold

and lifeless. “You are somehow correct, that man was killed but why do you think he

was killed?” the man from the back shouted “He did something wrong, he must pay for

his crimes along with his friends” I gave them a smirk “This man was on his way home

from work, he is the only one supporting his family he does not want his family to suffer

from starvation, he is doing everything he can to support his loved ones but on his usual

route from his way to home there was a shoot-out and we all know it is human nature to

experience fear so he ran to safety but he was caught and accused he begged for
mercy and told them he was innocent but they did not believe him and he was shot to

death, now a man who’s only dream was to see his family once again was taken away

from him” I heard the gasps becoming louder and this time there was no objection, I

proceeded to the next image and this time it’s a picture of a pregnant girl on the floor,

lifeless, I asked them their thoughts on the picture and one girl answered “Dumb girl

ended her life because she thought she could run away from her problems” everyone

seems to agree with her “This girl on the picture ended her life because she was raped,

she tried telling everyone the truth but no one believed her, they all accused her

because she liked wearing short skirts and revealing clothes, how funny on how society

treated her, she was judged because of her choice of clothing.”

“You see, society will always judge you, they do not care on who you are, but does not

that mean that you have to give up always remember that you can make a difference,

Albert Einstein once said Strive not to be a success but rather to be a value your life is

special, everyone has a purpose you might not see it now but you will eventually, don’t

torture yourself, don’t follow the norms of the society, you are not a robot that can be

controlled, you are a human with flesh and blood, a mind that is capable of such

marvelous things, always remember that, you are so much more capable than what you

think you can do, always look at the other side of the picture because it can always tell

you a different kind of story.”

I could not see the looks on everyone faces but I know that at this very moment they

are dumbfounded.
“My dear students you might be thinking on why I showed you this picture and my

answer is I showed you these images because they are the reason why I became a

lawyer in the first place, I want to fight for their battles, I want to prove them right, I want

them to know that there is someone in this world who is willing to fight for them, even if

they’re in the afterlife, the world is cruel enough let’s not make it more barbaric before I

leave this class I want to impart to you that everything you are doing right now will

create a big impact, you might not see it now but the time will come when all of this will

seem relevant to you, your time will come, your job is to protect the innocent, uphold the

law at all cost and always remember It is better to risk saving a guilty man than to

condemn an innocent man” I used my time here well I do not regret any moment that I

have been here, I know my voices have reached them, it’s their moment to shine, a few

moments later a student asked me

“Why did you become a teacher? How can you protect those innocent lives now if

you’re here stuck teaching?”

“I became a teacher because I know I can affect and influence many people, I know I

have the power to teach you on what is the right thing to do, the law is becoming

inhumane as time passes by and little by little people are becoming more and more

monstrous, I cannot fight all by myself, I need your help that is why I became a teacher

because I cannot fight this battle alone I need people like you who are committed to the

truth and I know that you and I have the same views, I want you to know to never be

afraid to speak out because it is your right, our right, freedom of speech is not a political

right, it is a moral duty, and remember that liberty will never exist in the absence of

morality”
The room was silence and I could not blame them, I burden them with such a task but

this is all I can do now my time is running up and I could not waste it anymore, suddenly

a man asked me:

“How do you know the stories of those people behind your pictures?” the glimpse of

what happened suddenly past my mind and the only thing I can do was to smile, how it

hurts me but I need to satisfy their curiosity and I need to tell my story.

“The people behind those pictures are people that I have once known, they are my

family, I was not raised with wealth unlike any of you, and we live on a poor suburban

place, the slums as it is commonly known. The woman on the first picture was my

mother and the child that she was clinging to was my little brother, my brother was

playing outside that night when my mother heard a loud bang, she saw people running

for their safety, screaming, screaming the name of my brother, my little brother so

young and innocent. After that the colors left my brother and everything else went black.

The man you saw earlier was my beloved father who I loved so much but was taken

away from us in just the blink of an eye my mother could not bear the pain anymore,

she tried fighting for it but in the end she lost the war, everything else went black.

and lastly the girl you saw was my sister who battled depression because no one

believed her no one but me believed her, she was always blamed they were always

telling her that it is her fault, my sister who I admired so much because of her bravery

shattered and in the end she was not the victor.

All these precious people who are so dearly important to me was taken away from me

because the society that we are living right now is wicked, am I blaming the society for
the loss of my family? Yes and No, Yes because little by little it is becoming a norm to

see lifeless people on the street, The people are getting more and more terrified with

each passing day. The night is dark and scary, the streets are no longer safe, and we

need to be afraid of it.

I hope you will not become like these people who view barbarous practice as somehow

normal may you be impartial and objective at all cost”

and with that I left the room, I knew my time has come, it is a crime to teach the

students to see the truth, the authorities has finally caught up to me, there was a scene

outside the school my co-teachers have warned me about this but I did not listen, I

know they are waiting for me this is my last day teaching and I couldn’t have spent it

much better, waiting outside the school are the cops to arrest me, I gathered my things,

fixed myself and walk towards what’s instore for me, I walked toward the police,

willingly, I was put into their vehicle where I would be taken to the high court to be

judged and I know I will be found guilty but is it a really a crime to educate the masses?

If it is I am willing to go down, I know I have served my purpose and I, being behind bars

will not stop me from teaching people the truth, the truth is rarely pure and will never be

simple. I was put into trial because of teaching the reality on what is happening to this

country right now, I was put into trial because I was helping the people to wake up from

the nightmare the government has put them, the people need to know that they are

being manipulated, that those who fight for freedom is not only fighting for theirs but

also ours, you cannot notice your chain if you do not move, the shackles will forever be

silenced, it’s better to die fighting for rights and freedom than be a prisoner all the days

of your life, I noticed myself let out a tear. I accepted all of the charges that were put
onto me, I accepted them with open arms, I did not do something wrong, the only thing

that I did was touch the hands of my students, open their mind and touched the heart of

the people, my influence can never be erased, you cannot get rid of what I have put into

the minds of my students that easily, they accused me because they told me I was

giving them false information and I was only living on false hope I said no, I was

accused because I was a teacher.

I noticed the sound of the rain filled the room, the lady seemed speechless, anyone

would be speechless, my crimes were not that big of a deal for others, they thought I

was masking my true doings but I was not, all of what I said was true I was put behind

bars because of my teachings, I fell asleep to the sound of the rain, not worrying about

what tomorrow may bring but I was never afraid, I noticed that the whispers in my head

had stopped, the screams have stopped, the voices they all stopped I fell asleep that

night smiling not knowing what can happen tomorrow, it was all good. Tomorrow came

and I heard the doors open but this time it was not the lady, it was the commander of

this prison I walked towards him wearing the dress that they have given me the night

before and I know my time is up, I can finally go outside now, I can feel the warm

breeze of the wind again, I’ve waited for this for so long and now I can finally feel it even

just for a moment the feeling of happiness lingers within me, before I was cast outside I

asked the commander on what was the name of the lady that always brought me my

food but all I heard was a voice filled with such confusion “What lady? There are no

ladies working here its forbidden” I see, I thanked the commander I walked slowly and

all I can think of is who is that lady? Many things crossed my mind was it a ghost? Is my

mind playing tricks at me but in the end I noticed that she really was a ghost, a ghost of
my subconscious, she was there when I have no one, she was asking for my story

because she know that this is the only way to silence the demons inside me, she was

my help inside that prison, is prison even the right term? I was not put in there because I

committed a heinous crime and it was no prison, it was an asylum, a place for the

mentally impaired or crazy as the people would say, I was put into that asylum to rot

because they thought I was crazy for trying to change the thinking of the people but I

was not, I know that my influence was not enough but nonetheless I succeeded I know

that I have touched the minds of my students and I know it is their duty now to spread

the truth, I know in my heart that they will spread my teachings, they tried to silenced

me but they can never silenced my screams, they tried to broke me but they can never

make me shatter, I am a woman and I will never falter. I walked towards the rocky path

of this place and at last I felt the breeze of the cold wind, I frolicked in the little garden

and smelled the aroma of the flowers, I’ll miss this place, it was cold outside, very cold

it was a calm, like a quiet before a storm, it’s nice that I’m wearing a dress right now, I

can feel the whipping of the hems on my knees, the commander guided me oh so

frivolously, this may not be the moment I was waiting for but I felt the drop of the rain

once again, and told myself that everything will get better the sun will shine again, I

walked towards the platform as I was guided, I stood there with the nice dress they gave

me I asked the commander what was the color of my dress she told me it was red, I

wish I could see it. The commander guided me as he put the rope around my neck, my

time has ended, and by that the rained poured, heavier and heavier with each passing

minute, I could feel it, this will not be the end of me, my legacy will continue, I am proud

to have called myself a teacher, I am pleased that I have spent my time well, justice will
prevail in the end, justice is truth in action and even in death you can never silence me,

my voice will forever be heard. I could see nothing but I was never blind. Black is my

favorite color.