The crucifixion of Rudolf: Day 15

08 Jun, 2014 - 00:06 0 Views

The Sunday News

Nigel Mabiza Short Story
KHAMI Prison will welcome Rudolf P Ndlovu next week. For the next eight years he will be surrounded by gaga psychopaths; murderers; rapists; fraudsters and jail guards. I told him his girlfriend had some skeletons in her closet but he continued pursuing her. She is too beautiful to be flawless and too humble to be clean.
“She is like a wounded buffalo man that leaves a blood trail,” these were the exact words I told him last year on 5 November. He sniffed the winds of the north, raised his head then left me standing aloof as he trailed his prey.

There was that kick of intuition that told me I would find two carcasses somewhere in the Serengeti of forsaken Savannahs but I prayed for the buffalo to heal. I think I misdirected my petitions, I should have helped my friend but I knew him too well to pray for divine intervention. He hunted for sport not for meat. He liked chasing after women so that he could use their weakness as virtues of his masculinity.

“You are still a pessimist my friend, not every woman is like your ex,” he shot an arrow at me, I swayed. He missed. He always uses my ex as his shield, and yes she got married and has a bouncing baby boy. I’m happy for her. I have moved on. Not that I’m being defensive but I lost because I had no intent to do what my competitor had in mind. Ok, I had no money then, are you happy now? His words were enough to silence me till Day 15 which is today.

“The buffalo has healed and now lives to wound the hunter,” I spat venomous adages to puncture Rudolf’s healing wound. He smiled wryly and nodded.

“Rudolf Patrick Ndlovu do you plead guilty to the charges,” the judge asked as he handled the papers with freshly found evidence.
“My client pleads not guilty your honour,” I am the one representing Rudolf. I was warned by the bulk of the grey haired lawyers not to even try being a pseudo lawyer but Rudolf insisted.

“I would rather have you to sink my ship Bizmak than a stranger who will do it for his profession and money,” that’s what Rudolf said to lure me into a snare of having to draw swords with proven lawyers.

I knew he had no money to pay a professional, not only that, Rudolf is a bastard; he rejected the chastisement of his own father. I knew his father had many black spots but he still had good wise words.

The complainant was called to the stand, from what I read and saw in movies I was supposed to ask her questions that would leave the jury to evaluate and pass judgment through assessment of the evidence and trial.

“Miss H Gore, according to the medical papers you are four months pregnant,” I pointed the obvious. She nodded.
“When you were raped on the 7th of January by Mr Ndlovu had you discovered that you were pregnant,” I asked. Heather paused and bowed her head then snivelled. Heather was promised more than she expected by Rudolf. I have to admit my friend is subtle, he uses words and pictures to poison the mind of his prey before he strikes. He is like a python, sluggishly encroaching into the centre of emotion using his flatulence. I am simply rehearsing what I asked Heather before the court and she could almost tell the sequence of my questions.

“I had already missed my period but that had happened some months back and I thought it was only a recurring thing,” Heather answered.
“Do you still love Mr Ndlovu?” I asked.

“Objection Your Honour!!” her lawyer Mr Muza stood up and barked some legal terms. The judge echoed and warned me. I looked at the jury and fired my next question.

“On the day you were allegedly raped was there use of protection?” I asked and waited for the response. I knew she was under oath and any lie would sink her.

“Yes!!” she answered. There were murmurs in the court room then there was silence. Her response was enough. I sat down and started jotting down notes. I never liked the idea of fighting to lose. Rudolf was going to plead guilty at the end anyway, so I did this to stage a fight. Mr Muza stood up and buttoned his suit jacket.

“A rapist who has the time to wear a condom, comical as it may seem but the issue here is not about pregnancy but about Rudolf passing HIV to Miss Gore. The results here show that both Plaintiff and Defendant are both positive.” Mr Muza was sharp in expressing the facts. I will refer clients to him. The jury nodded.

Heather’s family was present and were waiting for the verdict. There was no way in which I was going to win this even if I tried. Rudolf was HIV negative when he met Heather. He came to me and confessed that she was a virgin. He badgered me to back him up on marrying Heather. She was the only girl he backslid to sleep with.

“Shall we sin because grace has abound, if you burn then marry but don’t think marrying will deal with lust,” that’s all I said to him.
Heather was a 3rd year student in Chemical Engineering at Nust. She was one intelligent damsel I know but she was a wounded buffalo. Her beauty hid the poisoned chalice of bitterness. Her parents lied to her and failed to tell her that she was on the waiting list, now she has been damned to be reaped before time all because of them.

When I talked to her she confessed to the fact that she was born HIV-positive and she knew it before she even slept with Rudolf but due to the inconsequentiality they indulged. If I can prove that one of her parents has the virus then Heather goes to prison for consenting with a man with the full knowledge of her status. That though doesn’t fully prove that she was born with the virus, 21 years is too long but her siblings could all be tested. Still that would be a vicious circle. I would lose the jury in the rabbit trail.

“I would have dropped the charges Bizmak but my parents said they want the bastard behind bars, that’s why they hired the best lawyer and bribed the witnesses,” Heather confessed before we got in the court room.

I called the next witness to the stand. Mr T Gore, the father to Heather. Rudolf looked at me and shook his head then wept. I was a novice but I was never going to let an innocent man go to prison for the sins of the woman he loved. Rudolf called me and whispered in my ear:
“Please bro, Let me be like Jesus for once.”

I endured the trial by saying nothing yet I knew everything. I sat down as I heard Muza wafting pleasing the jury with points that he learnt at law school. Rudolf is out on bail till Day 18 which is two weeks from today. His ship had sunk, all for the mistake of loving Heather.

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