Jabali's Redemption - Episode 13

 

Ngao looked at his sister and sighed, ‘I didn’t do anything,’

The deputy principal raised the bamboo cane higher and threatened to strike Ngao but Neema intervened.

‘Mwalimu (teacher) stop. We have to listen to what he says,’

‘He is lying, the other boys claimed that he had been seen drawing graffiti on the toilet walls,’

‘They are lying. I can’t even draw,’ Ngao continued to pledge innocence and Neema wanted to believe him but if witnesses said that they saw him then there had to be some truth to that . But then again Ngao can’t draw and from the graffiti drawings Neema had seen on the smelly toilets, the culprit was quite an artist.

‘Then explain what happened Ngao Kadiri. You were found red handed at the crime scene,’ mama spat at Ngao furiously.

They were at Ngao’s school for a disciplinarian action. Neema had taken advantage of Jabali’s absence to go to her brother’s school. Ngao had been suspended from school for vandalizing the toilet walls by drawing explicit pictures and writing dirty words.

‘Why would I mark my name on the walls it was me?’

‘Just tell us what happened young man before I lose my temper,’ the be spected deputy fumed.

‘It during the evening classes.’ Ngao started, he was standing while the others were seated, and ‘I had a free period and was going through my chemistry notes when Rono called me…’

‘Who is Rono?’ Neema asked keen to follow the story.

‘My desk mate, he had been missing since the afternoon classes I noticed. He came in and told me my presence was being requested outside by the prefect on duty,’

‘Did he tell you the reason?’ Neema prompted, he wanted Ngao to clear his name as soon as possible and if he was guilty she would be disappointed in him but he would have to face the disciplinarian action

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. The worst being expulsion from school.

All this time she tried to avoid checking her wrist watch and tapping her foot on the tiled floor of the deputy principal’s office. She had to get to the office.

‘Don’t ruin Rono’s name, his father is a respectable man in this town,’ Mwalimu scolded Ngao harshly and Neema frowned. Wasn’t the teacher supposed to be fair and just? Why was he so hard on Ngao? Her brother might be a delinquent but he still looked up to his teacher as a mentor and role model.

‘You have been prone to being in trouble Ngao, not once but several times, the school cannot take much of your insolence now,’ the deputy principal didn’t give Ngao a chance to finish his story and went ahead to judge him.

‘No wait Mwalimu, we have to listen to the whole story. We should also summon Rono and question him. His all involvement in the issue sounds suspicious,’ Neema wanted Ngao to get a fair trial in the matter.

‘That’s right Mwalimu, we have to get to the bottom of this,’ mama supported Neema.

‘I assure you Ms. Kadiri, Rono is not the culprit,’ the deputy principal wiped his forehead with the white, well pressed handkerchief, ‘Ngao was seen performing the act, we have a witness.’

‘Then let him present himself here to give us his statement,’ Neema folded her arms across her chest ready to end the show. Mwalimu seemed hell bent on accusing Ngao for a crime he didn’t commit.

‘Rono has paint underneath his fingertips, such paint is not easy to wash off,’ Ngao who had been silent the whole while commented and Neema could see the deputy wiping his brow frantically.

‘Unfortunately Rono is out of school for now,’ Mwalimu stated.

How convenient, Neema thought. Of course he was out of school because he didn’t want to face the consequences of his action.

‘Then there is no case here Mwalimu, until Rono is here to explain the whole issue Ngao is free to go back to his studies,’ Neema finalized the meeting, she really had to get back to work. Her duties stalled because of the case against Ngao.

 ‘Now Miss Kadiri, that is not how the school works,’ the deputy shook his head in disagreement, ‘we have rules and regulations. Ngao here committed an offence. He is a troubled young man that needs a firm hand to deal with,’

‘Perhaps if he lived with a male relative, an uncle…I would suggest…’

‘Are you suggesting I am not a good parent, Mwalimu?’ mama jumped from her seat and fastened the leso on her waist properly. She placed her hands akimbo and faced the deputy. Neema could only stare at the teacher in horror. How would he even suggest such a thing?

‘Mama if you will just calm down and hear me. Considering what happened to Naiti years back…I…’ the deputy straightened his beige tie on top of the crisp white shirt he had on and Neema wished she could jump on him and tighten the knot. He would choke to death and she would be happy for that.

‘I can’t believe you would say such a thing. A teacher is supposed to be fair to all his students and not subjective,’ Neema could not ignore the hurt in her mama’s voice. The teacher had no idea what he was talking about.

‘And a mother is supposed to guide the children into the right way. You couldn’t control Naiti and he ended up in such a cruel fate and now look at Ngao, he would probably face the same destiny if he is not handled,’ the deputy matched her mama’s ire, his voice loud and the cool composure gone, Neema felt like the deputy had been waiting for a long time to say such words.

What they couldn’t predict was Ngao’s Next step. He approached the teacher and pulled the hefty man from the seat by his collar and growled on his face

‘Don’t ever talk to my mama like that.’ Ngao spat bitterly.

‘Ngao stop,’ Neema tried to pull her brother from the openly scared deputy, Ngao held on tight and mama joined Neema in breaking the tight hold.

Neema was sure that Ngao had lost a chance to redeem himself.

…………………………………………

By the time Neema arrived at the office, it was well past noon. Hanifa waved her over once she stepped inside the revolving glass door of the front office.

‘Neema, where have you been? Mr. Kasri has been looking for you.’ Hanifa worriedly asked and Neema lost the energy on her knees. She was in trouble.

‘Why didn’t you check your phone? I have been calling you the whole day,’ Hanifa went on and Neema reached inside her handbag to retrieve her hand phone. She had it on silent mode and had several missed calls. Jabali’s probably.

‘I will see you later,’ Neema hurriedly rushed to the elevators praying Jabali wouldn’t be mad at her. Their last encounter didn’t go so well and if Neema was correct Jabali would be furious at her even more.

The elevator dinged and opened on the last floor. Neema hurried to her desk, she sighed a relief seeing no one around. If Jabali was to go off, it would be better if no one was around to witness it. She dropped her purse and straightened her clothes. She hoped her hair had not come from the bun she had painfully made.

She knocked on the door and pushed only to find her boss bent on his laptop tapping rapidly to it.

‘Jabali,’ she called and folded her fingers on her front anxiously waiting for him to acknowledge her. She ignored how the shirt he had on hugged his perfectly muscled shoulders. From her point of view she could ogle him as much as she wanted.

‘Where have you been?’ his voice was calm. Deathly calm and Neema was right, he was mad at her. He didn’t even raise his eyes to her direction but the typing stopped.

‘I had an urgent matter to attend to, I left…’ Neema started explaining herself but Jabali suddenly stood up, sweeping everything on his desk to the floor. Surprising Neema, who squealed and took a step back as the laptop and the in tray hit the marble floor.

‘Jabali…’

‘You left?!’ he exclaimed walking towards her. ‘You have no right to leave Neema,’ Neema could see his jaw ticking rapidly a clear sign he was mad, angry and agitated. Neema could smell the slight sweet scent of alcohol in his breath. Was he intoxicated? The day was barely on.

‘What…are…you talking about?’ Neema tried to control her trembling limbs. She couldn’t move because apparently her legs had stopped taking orders from her brain. She wondered what had happened to set Jabali off like that, she thought he would be mad at her for coming to work late and but she couldn’t guess he would be raving stark angry. Something else must have happened maybe the deal didn’t go as planned in Kampala.

‘I own you Neema, you do everything I say and when I command you to stay here, you stay here,’ he shouted at her anger dripping from each and every of his word.

‘You can’t do that. I…’ Neema didn’t deserve to be spoken to like that, Jabali was out of line. She wanted to explain her reason for arriving late but Jabali wasn’t giving her a chance.

‘You can’t come to the office the time you want and leave when you feel like. The rules are against you now,’

‘What are you talking about? I didn’t do this intentionally,’ she argued, Neema had a feeling he was talking about something else. The past.

‘This time Neema, you won’t be able to leave like you did the last time.’

‘What?’ she whispered, why did he feel like it was necessary to bring up the past whenever he wanted?

‘You left like this too, took off after condemning me to hell,’ he growled the last words and Neema was transferred back to the past when Jabali was hand cuffed and seated on the bench waiting for the judge to deliver his verdict. His eyes never left her throughout the whole trial.

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

. Neema had been beside herself with grief and she avoided looking at his direction.

She grew angry at him, how could he accuse her of leaving? ‘You are a cruel man Jabali and I can’t deal with you when you are like this, drank like a fish,’ she spat and turned to leave, forcing her legs to work.

Jabali didn’t let her go, he fastened her large hand on her wrist and pulled her to him, ‘Not so fast sweetheart,’ his fiery eyes pierced her, Neema struggled to release her hand but he held fast, ‘you are the cruel one here,’

‘Let me go, you disgust me,’ she increased her struggled, hitting him with her other wrist but he didn’t let her go, he only released a rough laugh and hold her other wrist as well. He pulled her to his firm chest and Neema was trapped. His upper strength weakening her resolve.

‘You didn’t think I was disgusting when you were spread on my bed and screaming my name,’ he whispered the words on her ears, his warm breath tickling her sensitive skin. The image he created flashed before her eyes and Neema’s whole body flushed with heat. The fight left her for a second.

‘Do you remember? I can’t seem to get you out of my head Neema, you are in my dreams, in my reality. You are on the T.V I watch and every corner I turn,’ his lips travelled lower and he kissed a sensitive spot behind her ear, Neema bit her lips to stop from crying out with pleasure.

Of course she remembered, no matter how much she tried to forget, she couldn’t.

His hands released her wrists and travelled to her waist pulling her to the obvious bulge on the front of his trousers. The action jolted Neema’s brain back to the present. She jumped from his arms. Jabali let her go, a sly smile on his lips.

The bastard knew what he was doing.

‘I told you I own you and this time, there is no getting away Neema.’

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