Jabali's Redemption - Episode 1

 

Neema’s hand trembled as she listened to her mother wail, her hands were sweaty and the phone threatened to slip off her trembling fingers, ‘’Neema, your brother has been caught, Jabali accused him of trespassing and vandalizing the Kasri’s property. The police have refused to grant him bail because he is a repeating offender. Oh Neema what will we do? The last time I visited him in the cell he appeared brutalized, he is suffering Neema,’’ the name Kasri was able to turn Neema’s blood cold but add Jabali to it and Neema was visibly shaking.

‘’Mama don’t worry, we will work something out,’’ Neema tried to calm her mother but she didn’t know how, her mama was a wreck . She didn’t know what she would do but her brother would not perish in the hands of the Kasri’s again history will not repeat itself.

‘’Work something out? The Kasris’ are not relenting people. You and I both know that. They will send him to prison. A prison. Ngao is not that tough, he cannot survive such a place,’’ her mama was turning hysterical now.

‘’Okay. I will come home straight away mama. I am sure that together we will do something about it,’’ Neema tried to search for a solution

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. Anything to get her younger brother Ngao far away from the clutches of the Kasri’s.

‘’But you can’t leave your job, it’s our main source of income,’’

Neema swallowed, she had forgotten to tell her mother that she had been laid off from work because the company she was working at as a receptionist was undergoing recession. They had decided to cut off some workers and Neema had been part of the group sacked.

She had barely been surviving on her savings and sending some money home. She had thought of ways to tell her mother about her job but failed to do so but it seemed an opportunity had finally presented itself.

‘’We will discuss that when I get home mama, for now let us focus on getting Ngao out of that filthy place,’’

‘’Okay Neema, you always know what to do. You come home, it has been far too long,’’

Yes too long, four years too long. It had been five years since she had been in her home town of Tembo. A small town in the western part of the country. A town where one family reigned supreme and controlled the economy and lives of its residents.

The Kasri’s were rich and affluent. They owned several tea estates in different parts of her mountainous town. They were the best in tea farming and they exported high quality product making them the richest family Neema knew.

‘’Karibu Nyumbani, (welcome home)’’ her mama ended the call and Neema was glad the woman had stopped panicking even if it was for a short period of time.

She looked at the meager lodging she was sharing with a friend who had was out hustling. They were staying in a one room apartment at the outskirts of Nairobi city.

After her job ended, Neema had not been lucky enough to secure another one but every morning she woke up and looked for a new one. She had dropped her CVs at different offices but no reply had come forward. She still hoped that someone will get back to her.

What kept her motivated was her younger brother Ngao was in school and he excelled in school. The money she was pouring in his school was not going to waste. Neema didn’t want her brother to end up like her, working at a bare minimum wage and having to scrap practically to make ends meet. She had barely finished high school and had a secretarial course. She hoped Ngao would be able to surpass her that was why she was working hard.

And now this. Ngao was arrested by the formidable Kasri’s.

Jabali Kasri.

The bane of her existence. The man who had managed to bring her up only to tear her down in such a brutal manner. Neema shook her head to clear her head, she would not think about Jabali now. He didn’t deserve to even exist, leave alone in her head. She tried to cast him out of her head but just like glue, Jabali was stuck, holding her and attaching himself to her.

Neema decided to go back at Tembo and try to fix whatever problem her brother had managed to wrap himself in even if it was to face Jabali Kasri and beg him to release her brother from custody. She was willing to do anything to save her younger brother. She would not lose him to Jabali.

 Not like she lost Naiti, to the cruel hands of Jabali Kasri.

………………………………………………

Jabali Kasri looked thoughtfully at the picturesque view outside his wide office window. Acres after acres of green tea spread across the land. He watched as the tea pickers go on their daily basis but even as his eyes were fixed on the fields, his mind was far away from all that.

A rapt knock sounded on his office door and he turned his chair to see his best friend and the Senior Accountant of Kasri Holdings frowning down at him, Jabali wondered what his Aluvisa’s problem was.

‘’What?’’ he grumbled, looking expectedly at Aluvisa.

‘’An arrest warrant for Ngao Kadiri? What is the meaning of this?’’ Aluvisa practically shouted. He was furious.

‘’Yes. What about it?’’ Jabali turned his attention back to his laptop intently tapping on it. Finishing a report that he had to present before the board of directors in the next meeting. A lot of changes were coming and he wanted the board to be updated.

‘’I thought we agreed to drop the charges against Ngao,’’

‘’Well I changed my mind. I gave him several chances to reform but you see what he did. He rammed down a fence not once but thrice. I have to teach him a lesson or else he will do it again,’’ Jabali answered not raising his head to his friend. He kept on typing, the scowl on his face didn’t change either.

Aluvisa sighed and sat down,’’ Jabali, you know he is acting out. You have to let him go,’’

Aluvisa talked as if he was talking to a child and in some ways. Jabali was being stubborn and hard headed for no reason. It was true Ngao had done damage to the southern part of the property but with some punishment the boy would be released. That is how they had dealt with his accomplices.

Ngao and his friends had decided to break fence at one of their property and sneak in. the guard had caught them and they had been escorted to the police station. All of the boys had been released after promising to help repair the fence but Ngao was still in remand and Aluvisa wondered if Jabali had a hidden agenda with this treatment.

‘’Is this a way of you luring ‘her’ back in town?’’ he impulsively asked Jabali. They both knew who ‘her’ was.

 Jabali growled, stopping the typing and squarely facing his friend. ‘’Stay out of Ngao’s case Aluvisa, it is none of your business,’’

Aluvisa chuckled and shook his head, ‘’this is definitely about her. It is the only time you will tell me to stay out of your business. Jabali look, if you want to get her back…’’

‘’don’t you have work to do Aluvisa,’’ Jabali cut his friend short and closed off the laptop. He stood up and paced the room, his hand deep in his pockets and a scowl on his face. A sign he was tense.

Jabali Kasri was never agitated.

Aluvisa knew he had hit a soft spot. Jabali was a serious guy, and workaholic who almost lived like a recluse. Apart from meetings and other company activities, he mostly kept to himself. Jabali was a composed man who rarely showed any emotions but all that changed when Neema Kadiri’s name was mentioned and then he turned into a different man depending on the situation. A sweet cuddly bear or a hungry lion. Now the angry lion was poking his head.

There was a time when Jabali was happy and carefree. Some time ago that felt almost like a lifetime.

Aluvisa stood up, ‘’I have work to do but think about it. There are better ways of getting Neema in town and not by bullying her,’’

Jabali didn’t move he just stared at his friend as if Aluvisa had committed a sacrilege. His jaw muscle twitched, ‘’ Ngao is the ring leader of the boys that vandalized my property. He will pay for his mistakes. This has nothing to do with Neema,’’

‘’Of course.’ Aluvisa stood up, ‘You are already a devil before her eyes Jabali. Don’t make it worse than it already is,’’ Aluvisa patted his friend and walked out of the room but not before seeing the melancholy look that registered in his friends face.

………………………………………………

Neema pulled the sweater tighter to her body to ward off the chill that was settling. It was evening and she was at the bus station waiting to board a bus home. The station was busy and chaotic as always but it gave Neema a sense of comfort unlike her hometown silent and serene.

Touts were shouting on top of their voices trying to attract customers and people jostled her from all corners. Neema clutched her ticket at one hand and her small suitcase at another. She didn’t have a lot of clothes and it hadn’t taken long for her to be set. Her roommate insisted to accompany her to the bus station and Neema was sure she would miss her. They had gone through a lot together.

‘’Make sure you call me when you get home and greet your mother for me,’’ Laura had hugged her tightly and Neema figured out that it was probably the last time they are seeing each other.

A very rough jolt pushed Neema forward and she released a yelp. She braced her head as she tumbled down her ticket flying out of her hand and the suitcase cracking open. She fell down but not on the hard ground but she on top someone. A man. A well-muscled man, since he managed to cushion her fall.

Neema quickly apologized and tried to get up but she ended up getting tangled in the man she had fallen on top of.

‘’You know beautiful ladies buy me dinner first before they try getting frisky with me,’’ a deep amused voice rumbled and Neema stopped her fretting and focused on the man she was practically man-handling.

He was laughing at her his eye twinkling with pleasure. Neema held her breath. He was handsome with dimples on both his cheeks a dark stubble adding to his allure. He appeared too relaxed in their predicament. 

‘’are you okay?’’ the obviously concerned male voice asked and Neema managed to tear her eyes from the handsome man who broke her fall.

She remembered that they were in packed bus station and quickly stood up. This time she managed. She stood up apologizing, ‘’am sorry for that. I was lost in my thought and didn’t….’’

‘’Hey relax, its fine. I was on the phone too. I should have watched where I was going,’’ the man stood up too and helped her collect her spread clothes. Neema was embarrassed when she saw him pick her flowery underwear. The commotion had attracted the attention of bystanders who formed a mini circle around her.

‘’And here is your ticket,’’ the man stood to his full height, he was tall. Dressed in jeans and a shirt that showed off his muscled physic. He didn’t have a coat on and Neema wondered if he was feeling a bit of cold. He was well built and Neema was sure that was how he was able to break her fall without a sweat. Speaking of breaking her fall. Neema remembered her manners.

‘’I hope you are not hurt,’’ she checked him for obvious injury but he was fine.

‘’No I am fine, what about you?’’ the man countered flashing her his dazzling smile. Neema found herself smiling back to him.

Before she could answer the announcer shouted her bus was ready, ‘’I have to go,’’ she hurriedly collected her things.

‘’Wait…’’ the handsome stranger called her back but Neema didn’t stop. She rushed to the station. She had no business dealing with attractive men. Not ever again.

Neema always managed to attract the attention on the opposite sex. No matter how much she avoided them. She blamed her body.

Read " The Dancing Bride And Her Spirit Warrior " by the same author ( Razia Iminza )

. She was curvy according to her mother. A figure she had hated for a long time. She had learned to come in terms with her body shape. An ample chest, clinched waist and round hips. Her mother had the same figure and she encouraged her daughter to appreciate herself more.

No matter how much cloths she put on, her figure still managed to come out.

Akila looked at the retreating back of the pretty girl that had knocked him down and smiled. She might have run away but he had captured her name and destination. Tembo town. How interesting. He pocketed his hands and walked away. He was sure he would meet her again. One way or another.

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Hey guys, a new story for you.

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