October, 1983 - Five Months Later Age - 15 months
Finally after completing the necessary paperwork to file for a paternity test to establish Jacob Ellis as the legal father of their son Jayden the day had come for their case to be heard before the court. Jacob had proven stubborn towards the bitter end. Marla just wanted to see the blank space on her son's birth certificate filled with his father's name. She couldn't stand to look at the incomplete form. It felt like he was saying she and Jayden were dirt.
Marla arrived at the corner of Randolph and Dearborn at the appointed time of nine o'clock not knowing that it would be a full house and cases were called on a first come first serve basis.
"You mean to tell the court that you sent regular weekly payments of fifty dollars yet you failed to get a receipt?" The Judge asked the stocky white man that stood before his court as the man pleaded his case before him. As she watched she looked around to see if she saw Jacob. It was a full house and as far as she could tell, he was a no-show. Considering his actions she shouldn't be surprised if he didn't show up at all. Would he really be so extreme as to not even bother to show up for the paternity hearing? She crinkled up her nose and then turned her attention back to the case that was being heard.
"It's the truth." The man replied even though his eyes didn't quite reach the Judge's gaze. The Judge turned a doubtful eye over to the woman. By the expression on his face, it was evident that he already knew the answer to the question he was about to propose to the plaintiff but he asked it anyway.
"Ms. Lewis for the past eight months has the defendant been making regular weekly payments to you in lieu of sending them through our system?" The young woman folded her arms over her chest as she shifted her weight onto the right side of her body. She slightly turned her head sideways to the defendant glaring at him as she cocked her nose up dismissively.
Pursing her lips together her word made a clear and resounding sound. "Nope;" she swore absolutely before the court. She worked her neck in a back and fro gesture of dissing the words of the defendant as she popped her lips together exaggerating the "P" making it slightly echo in the room.
The judge turned his attention back to the defendant with an expression that bespoke what he was thinking: no big surprise there. The defendant's released a loud unbelieving sigh that reverberated throughout the courtroom. He abruptly lifted up his hands towards the ceiling while huffing and stomping his feet as he did a few angry spins in his place.