The trial which was transmitted live via the internet, started at 9:00 am on the dot on Wednesday, the 18th of May. The crowd was unprecedented as a large number of people besieged the court house. It was the first day of hearing and as usual, journalists, photo journalists, camera men, press men and reporters hustled and jostled for space and vantage positions. The press had given the trial excessive coverage and over reporting. In fact, the trial was already being referred to as the biggest court case in the annals of the country. 
Outside the court room, pro-lifers who have grown in bounds and heaps ever since the information leaked out waited impatiently. They had placards with different inscriptions that aptly stated their state of mind. Some of the placards read, ‘Down with Discrimination,’ another read, ‘Abortion on Demand is a Sham; It’s Someone Else’s Demand,’ while another read, ‘The Fetus is a Human Being too.’ 
On one corner of the court house stood another protest group, comprising of students from Frankie’s school who call themselves ‘Friends of Frankie’. They had pro- gender placards which equally stated their state of mind and position. Some of the placards read, ‘Down with Gender Discrimination; the Boy must leave School too,’ ‘No More Forced Abortion,’ ‘It Takes Two to Tango; the Boy Must Leave School too.’ 
But contrary to the confusion outside, inside the court room, everywhere was as quiet as a grave yard.
Frankie is in the witness box, testifying.
“Yes, go on Frankie.”
“Every Thursday, during the moral instruction period, for two hours, they will teach us how to commit fornication, abortion and how to use condom. They told us sex is a natural expression of natural desires and that it’s okay to have sex but we can prevent infections by using condoms.”
“Do you mean to tell this honorable court they gave you condoms and told you to go ahead and do it?”
“Yes.”
“Go on,” the prosecuting counsel said. 
“They will also demonstrate how to wear condoms and show us pictures of naked men and women making love and…”
“Wait a minute, are you telling us the school authority show you pornographic materials and encourages you to be wayward?”
“Yes.”
“Go on.”
“Naturally, we had… I mean, I had no problem believing them because even at home, my parents used to give me condom too. Besides, it was in the papers, on the radio and billboards. Nobody told me not to have sex.”
“Wait a minute, are you saying your parents used to give you condoms too?” the prosecuting counsel asked.
“Yes, and now that the condom has failed, they are blaming me, why?” she started to cry. 
“Calm down Frankie, pull yourself together. So what you are telling this honorable court is you became promiscuous which hitherto ruined your life because the society and the government okayed safe sex and so you had no problem indulging in risky and irresponsible sexual relations?”
“Yes.”
“How did you feel when you discovered you were pregnant and infected with the HIV virus?”
“I felt demoralized and devastated. I thought that was the end of my life. I also felt shocked because I was always protected. I was really mad because I felt they lied to me.”
“Why, I mean, how?” Barr. Nwaka asked, “Please can, you be more explicit?”
“They told me condoms offer protection, but it’s just a lie. They are not foolproof.”
“Frankie, will you in your own words, in the next few minutes, tell this court exactly what happened?”
“When the principal told me I was pregnant, I didn’t believe her.”
“Why,” the prosecuting counsel asked.
“Because I was always protected.”
“Always protected? What do you mean by that?”
“I use condoms always and consistently, although it sometimes slips off or bursts during use.”
“Miss Nnamani, when you found out you were pregnant what did you do?”
“I was so shocked and devastated so I told the principal it was safe sex.”
“You told her that?”
“Yes.” 
“What did she say?”
“She was shocked too and she asked me to go back to the classroom. She said she will send for me later.”
“Did she send for you again?”
“Yes, she did.”
“What did she say to you when she sent for you the second time?”
“She asked me to go and see the school doctor. She told me she’s spoken with her and that she knows what to do.”
“Did you go?”
“Yes.”
“What did the doctor do?”
“The doctor started talking to me about abortion and how safe and easy it is and all that stuff.”
“What other stuff? Frankie, be open.”
“She said the principal asked her to perform an abortion on me.”
“What did you do?”
“I told her I didn’t want the abortion and that I want to carry my baby to term.”
“Just why don’t you want the abortion?”
“Because I …I know abortion ill not make me unpregnant again and could even lead to a whole lot of problems.”
“So in other words, you didn’t consent to the abortion? I mean, it was not your wish to terminate the pregnancy?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, what happened next, Frankie?”
“The principal was mad with me when she found out I flaunted her directives. She threatened to deal with me.”
“Are you telling this honorable court you were sent out of school just because you refused to abort the pregnancy?”
“Yes, my lord. If I had been sent out of school because I broke any of the school’s rules, I wouldn’t have minded. But I was sent out of school because I dared to protect one of our tiniest neighbors and what is most painful about the whole thing is that the man who made me pregnant is still in school, continuing with his education as if nothing happened and contributing nothing to the upbringing of the child he fathered.”
“Are you accusing the ministry of education of gender discrimination then? Are you saying the law is unjust towards mothers who have to leave school to nurse their babies without help from the men who made them pregnant or a punitive measure from the society? “ 
“Yes.”
“And is it also your testimony, Miss Nnamani you were sent out of school not basically because you got pregnant outside wedlock but because you refused to abort the pregnancy?”
“Yes.” 
“When you were sent home, what did your parents do?”
“My parents were mad at me, especially my father. He put pressure on me to have an abortion but when I refused, he beat me up and threatened to disown me.”
“Did your parents take you to the hospital for treatment?”
“No, rather it was pastor Okechukwu that took me to the hospital for treatment.”
“Did they issue you a medical report?”
“Yes.”
“Is this the medical report?”
“Yes.”
Turning to the judge, Barr. Nwaka said, “My lord, I wish to tender this medical report as evidence.”
“Show to the defense counsel,” the judge said. 
“Objection. My lord, one will like to ask for an adjournment until the source of the report is known.”
“The source is no other place than Holy Trinity Medical Centre that treated Frankie for minor injuries she sustained from the bashing by her father.”
“Exhibit is hereby admitted in court,” said the Judge. 
“Thank you my, lord.” Turning to Frankie, he said. “So Frankie, because you refused to abort the baby, your father beat you up and imprisoned you for days without food or water?”
“Yes.”
“Go on.”
“On the 3rd day, my father came back from the office and ordered my mother and I into the car and he drove us to the hospital.”
“Yes, go on.”
“When we got out of the car and I realized what they were going to do to me, I ran away.”
“Do you mean you ran away when you discovered they were forcefully going to terminate the pregnancy? That abortion on demand is someone else’s demand?”
“Yes, it was them who wanted the abortion not me.”
“Go on, what happened next?”
“My dad sent his boys after me and the rest is history.”
“Do you mean when he found out you wouldn’t bulge and that you have run away from home in order to keep the baby, he sent his hatchet men after you to kill you?”
“Yes.”
“I have no further question, my lord.” Barr. Nwaka said, dropping his pen on the table to signify an end to the discussion.
“Any question for the witness, Mr. Brown?” the judge asked.
“Any chance for a recess, your honor?”
“Of course, the court will be in recess for 15 minutes,” the judge ordered. 
Barr. Brown stormed out of the court room immediately, Chief and his wife ran after him.
“Mr. Brown, Mr. Brown, what’s wrong?” Chief asked, trying to catch up with him, but Barr. Brown snubbed him. “Mr. Brown… what is it?”
“Look, as your attorney, I advise you to stay the hell away from me.”
“But …but why?” he asked worriedly. “You are my lawyer. You are here to defend me.”
“Get the fuck away from me.”
“But why?”
“The kid, the outrage, you definitely had me fooled,” Barr. Brown blurted out.
“But you know she is lying.”
“She is lying, eh? She is lying, is that all you can say? Do you know what I’m thinking? Why don’t we put you in the dock so you can jack off with the judge?”
“Look, Brown, you are my lawyer. You are here to defend me. She is lying. She is feeling cheated because I wouldn’t allow her to abort the pregnancy.” 
But Barr. Brown was hardly listening. He was so mad with the Chief. He went into the men’s dressing room and splashed cold water on his face and all at once Chief’s voice tumbled down again. ‘She is lying. She is mad at me because I wouldn’t let her abort the pregnancy.’ 
The penny has dropped. 
Smiling crookedly, he went back to the court room.