Zephany

Zephany by Joanne Jowell tells the astonishing story of 22-year old Miché Solomon who was kidnapped as a baby and later discovered that the life she knew was built on lies and deception. In this extract, Miché remembers the day the woman she called Mom was sentenced to 10 years in jail for kidnapping her as a baby.

- Joanne Jowel

I was at work the day my mom was sentenced. The minister’s office is in Queen Victoria Road, right near the courts. It is so close that I could have bumped into people going to and from my mommy’s trial any time – and once I almost did, when I was at the coffee shop nearby and my colleague told me to hurry and run back to the office. I knew my mom was going to be sentenced that week, but I didn’t know exactly when. On the day, Minister came into the office where I was sitting and said, ‘Did you hear the verdict?

Do you know what’s happening?’ I went on Google because the Minister didn’t want to say. I immediately saw that she was sentenced to ten years concurrent. My phone was ringing. It was my daddy. ‘She got ten years,’ he said. ‘Ten years.’

My entire family had been to court and my dad told me that when the judge announced the sentence, my cousin fainted and everyone was so emotional. How is this even possible – that she can be away from us for so long, yet she was in our life every day?

My daddy asked how I was feeling. I couldn’t describe it. I just said, ‘It’s fine, it’s going to be okay.’

Minister said that I could go home, that he’s going to give me off for an entire week and I must just take the time. Past 11 am, my daddy came to fetch me. As I came out of the office, there were a whole lot of people standing outside. Everyone was looking very worried. ‘Are you okay?’ they asked. ‘I’m fine,’ I said. ‘It’s going to be okay.’