At 10:00 hours in the morning the guests began to arrive. The donkey Trevor and his mother arrived in the night from the hospital. My baby and I decided we were going to stay with Towela during the night because the heat was too high. With the help of a good bottle of wine, I managed to get some sleep but not after getting tortured mercilessly by nightmares.
By 11:00 everyone has arrived. Bana Chonta, Bana Kulu Themba who is considered family since we have known her for such a long time but also Bashikulu Bwalya has arrived. We have not seen him in the longest of times but at 74, he is considered to be the elder of the gathering which mean he is going speak today. They all choose the best place to gather is under the mango tree.
Towela and I take the drinks that are required from the Munkoyo to the few fantas that we know they will be drinking. The next serving will surely depend on how things go and who says what. Bashikulu Bwalya is known to be very cultural and foolish. How one can pick him as orater for such an important even is beyond me. Simply because according to them he is the wisiest of the group.
Finally, when everyone is settled, he stands up to speak. His voice is still quite powerful.
'My dear friends, I greet you. It is unfortunate that we have to meet in such circumstances. Very unfortunate indeed. ehe' everyone agrees with him. He shuffles his stick between his legs as though in deep thought before he speaks again. 'We have all heard that Trevor, mwana pastor has taken liberties with our daughter....'Liberties? is that what he thinks this is about? That we called him all the way from his home to discuss liberties?? I am very angry and Towela spots it quickly furrows her eyebrows and cools me down. Bashikulu continues in his strong hoarse like voice. 'It is very very wrong for a young man to think this kind of thing is OK. Yes we agree that he should not have taken her virginity. But my friends, you will agree with me that this situation is one of a delicate matter....'
'mmmm' they all agree.
'It would not be right for me to kill the boy, when the boy has also lost his father!' I raise my head and figure out how this is going to pan out. This man is not going to be on my side. He is too ancient in his ways. My heart sinks. 'What we need to do is call the young man here and the girl and find out for sure what happened?'
'Are you saying that my daughter is a liar? Is that what you are saying Bashikulu?' I retort with a scornful look. Towela squeezes my hand.
'Bana Clara, I know you are upset but must you talk like one possessed? We are trying to discuss this like adults not like children in a play ground'
'Shikulu, forgive me but if we are going to discuss this like adults, I demand that my child be treated with respect, not like she is ....' Brandon interrupts me and tells me to let the old devil talk. He is first.
'Like I was saying, bring the young man and the young girl here.'
‘You can ask Trevor to come here if you so wish, but my child will not be put through this. It is too painful and she is just a child!’ My sister kisses her teeth and looks at me in disdain. She looks at me as though if she had the chance to kill me right now she would.
‘Shikulu if you permit me, I will speak’ Bashikulu agrees and sits down. ‘This woman here sits and acts like she is the only one to have given birth to a child. Yes. Is she the only here whose child is in trouble...’
‘Except my child did not go raping people. She is in trouble because your carcass of a son robbed her of life? Is it because he is sick? Is he HIV positive and you thought you could cure him with my daughter? Atase! God strike you dead! What kind of mother knows that her own niece is being attacked and keeps quiet?’
‘Well that is not the story that I heard’ my sister shouts back. I look her up and down and feel an urge to strangle her right now. I cannot believe she has the nerve to speak. Shikulu proceeds with calling Trevor.
The smug little creature decides to come and sit majestically next to my husband and he sits so calmly next to him. When he is asked he completely denies it and says that he would never ever hurt a child.
He claims that the only thing he has done for our family is to help us out when we needed him and his mother agrees. Bana Kulu stays silent and just looks down.
‘Shey should come out here and explain what went on’ I reluctantly agree to my baby being brought out. She comes out in a chitenge looking frightened. The gathering obviously intimidates her but I motion her to come and sit next to me. Towela whispers to me not to show any emotion. I instruct Shey to tell us what has been going on and that no one was going to hurt her.
Shey describes how Trevor locked her and Janet in the room and climbed on top of them after beating them. My heart is torn as she describes how she was shaken and dumped in the shomeka to wash off the dirt. She also tells us how Trevor said that this was his way of punishing her for being a bad girl. ‘Mama I was scared to tell you because he said he would kill you and me’
‘Its OK baby you have done well to tell mummy OK? Go back and play with your friends mummy will be there shortly.
‘It is apparent from the child that Trevor you did do this. You cannot have been completely accused in this. What I have decided is that this is a normal thing. We cannot punish Trevor for doing what is normal for a man. It is a man’s nature to have an outlet. It is not realistic.’ To my surprise even Bana Kulu Themba agrees.
‘Now we are all mature people and we cannot let the shame come upon our family so what we will do is make sure that this does not happen again and we continue to live together as one.’
With that we are all dismissed and it has been decided. My daughters’ rapist is going to live with us. According to the others it is history repeating itself so it is time for operation one.
‘Mwaka, I shall go and use your phone now. You know some people are supposed to deliver something for me. My people, I thank you for your wisdom and awe, we have heard you. Very well. Please excuse me’.
The guests are served with more munkoyo. Shikulus glass is specially served as well as his wise counterpart Bana Kulu Themba. How she turned against us so quickly when all the while she has been blaming my little girl. I smile at her and tell her to please enjoy her drink.
An hour later the two are hobbling down the corridor trying to get Shey out of the loo. Shey sits defiantly still as mummy instructed. Before the old man could make it back outside there is a horrible explosion of guts.
His trousers are completely soiled and exuding uncompromising farts. The shit flows down his trousers whilst Bana Kulu clutches at her stomach and begs for relief as she hobbles down to her house. Towela has initiated the first phase.
‘What is the meaning of this? Eh? What is the meaning of this? Will you punish and take the law of God into your own hands?’
The smell is horrifying but I am glad I have someone to clean it up. I play dumb just as I was instructed. ‘If it were me we would all be sick. How can I poison you sure? I think it is just old age eh? Don’t worry we shall keep this in the family yes’
‘Are you stupid or something? How can this be in the family when all the neighbours are watching? This is disgraceful!’ well at least now he know what disgrace feels like. Shey comes out and screams ‘Ahhhh Ambuya why??? You are not a baby!!’
Her ambuya waddles his shit stained self to the bathroom for a wash. The next hour his wife calls distressed. My husband answer and asks her to speak slowly.
‘Our house has been attacked by angry women. There are about 20 of them and they have burnt down the maize field. I don’t know what to do!!...’ She is crying her eyes out. I turn to Towela and notice her filing her nails pretending not to stick her nose where it is not wanted.
‘OK relax I am on my way’ Brandon hangs up and calls Shikulu to quickly dress. Trevor is on all fours cleaning the shit of his supporter off the floor. When he gets up to go and rinse the cloth outside, Nurse Towela takes a sample and hides it. His mother does not have a clue because she is always curious about the fast events going on. She volunteers to go with the men and see what is going on. This should make for an interesting drive with an exploding old man.
Brandon calls me when they arrive and tells me what the hustle was all about.
‘Baby, everywhere there are papers stuck to trees with Grandpas name on it and his picture. The words say…:
Have you seen this man? He is a rapist supporter’
I smile at Towela. Oh dear. That is dreadful!
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