Zephany: Two mothers. One daughter. An astonishing true story by Joanne Jowell

Author:Joanne Jowell [Jowell, Joanne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

I’ve been pregnant. Three times.

I once wrote a book about a pregnancy hidden until almost full term.

You don’t even have to have been pregnant, or have written a book about it, to know that denying a pregnancy is no mean feat. Aside from the obvious physical changes to one’s body, the emotional and hormonal turmoil wrought by pregnancy – especially an unplanned one – is all consuming. Lay that on a teenager enduring a life change as traumatic as Miché’s, and it’s a wonder she even managed to keep the baby, let alone embrace motherhood. With this new development in her already turbulent life, Miché had landed herself in the centre of a formidable trinity: from false parentage, to doubtful parenthood, to the challenge of parenting.

Still, the eye of the storm was yet to come: her own court testimony and the sentencing of Lavona.

It’s worth writing a book about.

MICHÉ:

I was pregnant, but still hiding it, when my mother was convicted and sentenced.

For the trial, I could testify for or against my mom. I had some phone consultations with Ann Skelton and my mom’s lawyer, Reaz Khan, about it. But it wasn’t even much of a choice for me because I would never testify against her, and I was told that if I testify for her, people would see that as approving of what she did, maybe covering up for her, and saying kidnapping is okay. I was also told that I shouldn’t mention my disappointment in Celeste and Morné and how they never came to ask if I needed anything, or if I was okay; it would just make me look bad. But I was not satisfied with the reasons given why I should not testify for my mom. I don’t think they took into account how I really felt at the time. Irrespective of how the judge would see me, or how the prosecutor might come down hard on me, I should have spoken what I really felt. But I trusted the professionals because, in the naive, vulnerable state I was in, I didn’t really have another option.

I did get my chance to voice my opinions – in closed camera –

when I testifed in mitigation of sentence, but I don’t know how

much it helped. Ann helped me draw up the statement I used, but we had some disagreements about it. In fact, there were times that I didn’t want Ann to be in my life anymore. I felt she wasn’t including me in what was happening in the court case –

nobody was including me! I would hear bits and pieces from my daddy or my aunty, but I wanted to actually be there, and hear for myself. But Ann felt it would not be a good idea because of all the media attention. She wanted to keep me out of the public eye.

ANN SKELTON:

Miché was very curious about her mother’s trial. At one stage s he asked whether I thought she could sneak in to listen to parts

. I advised against it.

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