Jabali's Redemption - Episode 35

‘Flashback.

‘Jabali open this door!’ the loud voice of Mzee Kasri woke Jabali up from his sleep. He had spent most of his time in the hospital with Neema and he hadn’t got much of sleep. Earlier he had taken Neema from the hospital to home. That was after he was assured that Majid was at the hands of the police. Naiti had promised to stick close to his sister like glue and not let anyone come near her. only then did Jabali feel like Neema was safe and gave in to her pleading to go home and have some sleep.

‘Jabali I know you are in there; I can see your jeep on the parking. Open up,’ the loud banging continued and Jabali opened his sleepy eyes and tried to walk towards the door. He didn’t want to deal with his father now but he wanted the insistent knocking to stop.

Mzee Kasri came flying in as soon as the door opened.

‘I don’t have time for this baba, can we talk later,’ Jabali yawned as he looked at his furious father.

‘You have been avoiding my calls, my text messages and you have not been seen in the office in a couple of days,’

‘Am not a dog to bark at your every command,’ Jabali answered sarcastically.

 He saw the punch coming but he did nothing to avoid it. Mzee Kasri socked him squarely on his nose and Jabali was taken aback by the force of the blow

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/jabali-s-redemption

. He took a step back but he kept his gaze on Mzee Jabali all the time. He could feel the blood dripping from his nose and wiped it with the back of his hand. The blow took away any remnants of sleep he had.

‘You are my dog and I am your master Jabali, don’t forget that,’ Mzee Kasri spat wiggling his pointy finger at Jabali who stared back at him with rage. ‘You waste time with that loose skirt, the child of a smuggler and an all-round good for…’ Jabali didn’t give him time to finish the sentence. He pulled his father by the lapels of his coat close to his face, ‘Don’t you dare say her name, you don’t deserve to know her,’

‘Or what? Will you hit me?’ Mzee Kasri released a sarcastic laugh, ‘Neema is not any different from your mother, attaching herself to a very wealthy man for materialistic gain. She is after your money and you are hear panting after her like some lost puppy,’

Jabali raised his fist and did was ready to smack his father, ‘Stop talking about my mama, you used and dumped her at your own pleasures. You sucked the life out of her left her to die a depressed soul. You are an animal and I wish I never knew you,’

‘Nyota always came back for more. You will never know how many times I tried to get her off my back.’ Jabali always knew that the relationship between her father and her mother was toxic. His mama would drink herself to sleep whenever Mzee Kasri failed to visit her. Jabali hated him for that.

Jabali released his father and the old man stumbled a bit before he got his bearing, a second of silence passed between them before he continued, ‘You are my blood Jabali. A seed of my loins, I can see the passion and the fire inside your eyes and that is what I need in my heir. That fire will be able to lead my legacy to greater heights...but Neema will only hold you back. She is a weakness you can’t afford to have. The board of directors are like ravenous crocodiles, they will tear you into pieces if they realize that. I have to stop that.’ The last sentence was added in silence as if he was talking to himself.

‘I don’t want to continue your legacy. I never asked for any of this.’ Jabali sighed. He was tired of fighting with his father, it was always like that whenever they talked. They hardly ever had a normal conversation it forever ended in fights. It was no secret that Mzee Kasri was grooming him to take over the organization’s leadership. It was like that ever since he was young. The only difference now was that Mzee Kasri was more open about it and not as secretive as he was when Jabali was younger. When Nyota, Jabali’s mama threatened to expose Jabali as Mzee Kasri’s illegitimate child to the public, the old man decided to take the matters into his own hands and made the announcement himself to soften the blow. The calculated move worked for Mzee Kasri as the publicity didn’t affect him as much as it would have been if Nyota had done it herself. Jabali had realized a long time ago he was just a pawn in the cruel game that his parents were playing.

‘I am an illegitimate child. You have Rashid to take over you…’

‘No. I chose you,’ the answer came out strongly. It seemed that Mzee Kasri had made up his mind on that and he rarely went against his words.

……………………………………………………

‘Neema come to the sitting room with we have visitors,’ Neema heard her mama shouting from the living room. She was lying down in her bedroom following doctor’s orders. She was not to strain or do any heavy work or she would remove her stiches. Not to mention the amount of medication she had to take made her drowsy and sleepy.

Naiti had left for work with a promise to be back home much earlier than normal. Neema was glad he was out of the way and not fretting over her like a mother hen. She wanted some alone time and yet everyone was around her walking on eggshells. She wanted everything to go back to normal and she could live her life normally. She actually missed Ma. Zainab’s boisterous laughs and her work at the restaurant.

‘Neema,’ her mama called out again. Neema wondered who the visitors were and why they would visit at such a time. The sun had already set and it was evening. She hoped it was Jabali but he had been there earlier in the day after dropping her from the hospital.

Her head was a bit dizzy but she managed to stand and meander her way to the living room.

 She found her mama seating in the room together with three men whom she could vaguely identify. One was Officer Mukabi from the police station. The other two she couldn’t tell their names though she was sure they were from the town. After greeting them respectfully she took a seat beside her mama.

‘Neema our guests have a favor to ask of you and I want you to listen to them, okay?’ by the tone of her mama’s voice Neema didn’t like the tension in it. Something told her she was not going to like the favor they were going to ask of her.

‘Neema, am officer Mukabi and I…we have come to plead with you to drop your charges against Majid.’

‘What?’ Neema didn’t believe what she was hearing. They wanted her to drop the charges against Majid? The same man who wanted to rape and possibly kill her?

‘It will do you much better to drop this case,’ one of the other men said haughtily his voice full of arrogance, ‘you are a pretty girl and he couldn’t help it to do what he did,’

‘what?’ Neema was dumbfounded.

‘Mama what are they talking about?’ Neema looked quizzically at her mama who was firing lasers at Officer Mukabi.

‘Neema…um…what my friend here meant was that. A case like this can be damaging to your reputation as a young woman, if the media hears of such case, they will publish the story and everybody in town will learn of your ordeal. I know you want to get married and have yourself a family…’

The arrogant man interjected, ‘which normal man will want to marry a girl who was raped and dumped at the side of the road. No one will want spoiled goods,’ the man said looking down on Neema with a deep frown.

‘Refrain from calling my daughter names or I will throw you out of my house this instance,’ Ma. Neema found her tongue and lashed out.

‘You are a widow here Ma. Neema. You are the one who will hold back from losing respect to your elders. We have let you live here at peace and accepted you as one of our own and you pay us back by filing a case that will drag my family name through the mad. I will not accept that, show me some respect woman,’

‘How sure are you that am a widow? For all I know my husband could walk in here this instance…’

‘You must be dreaming if you think Mzee Kadiri is still alive, he is long dead and probably buried deep in the…’

‘Let’s not get carried away now brother,’ Officer Mukabi cut short his brother with a deadly glare, ‘your insensitive comments are not allowed here. We didn’t come to condemn Neema and her mama rather we came to talk about a resolution to this case.’ Officer Mukabi turned to her mama, ‘mama we have a solution that will benefit both of us. ‘Here,’ he extended an envelope towards her mama, ‘we have contributed some money to compensate for the assault. You can set it aside to help for her college fees in the future,’ Ma. Neema looked at the envelope with shock and disbelief clearly mirroring her daughter’s feelings.

‘What?’ Neema couldn’t believe the what she was hearing and seeing, ‘if we accept this then Majid will walk scot free? No any punishment whatsoever?’

‘I will personally make him stay far away from you. You will most likely never hear from him again,’

‘it will also be better to teach your girl some manners but what did I expect a child brought up by a single mother never amounts to nothing,’ the other man remarked, and Neema could see her mama clenching her fists hard. She was raging mad.

Mr. Mukabi intervened again before her mama said anything, ‘you are not helping antagonizing them. Please Ma. Neema think about it. Neema’s reputation will be saved and you will also have some cash to help you in the rainy days,’

‘I will not accept that money Officer, put it away,’ her mama proudly pushed the envelop back at office Mukabi’s hands. ‘Clearly you want Majid to go unpunished for his crimes and I don’t think that will happen. You have wasted enough time here when my daughter should be resting and recuperating. Now I want you out of my house and we shall never speak of this again.’ Ma. Neema stood up and walked towards the door and opened it letting a gust of cold air in.

The action seemed to surprise the men and they looked on with wide mouths.

‘Think about it Ma. Neema, if this case goes to court you will lose the respect and support of the community.

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

. You will be ostracized and condemned for nothing. Neema will lose her value as a girl and she may never get a husband. Think about it carefully,’ the arrogant man repeated before marching outside the house. Officer Mukabi collected the envelop and walked out too. His head bent in defeat.

Ma. Neema closed the door sending a string of curses after the men. Neema sat down tears streaming down her face she couldn’t believe what was happening to her. her mama came close and sat down next to her.

‘Neema,’ her mama called out softly, ‘you don’t have to cry. Forget about what those men said and focus on getting better. On Monday morning we will go to the courts and Majid will get what he deserves.’

Neem didn’t answer but she hid her face in her hands and leaned against her mama’s shoulder silently crying out. The world was not fare at all.

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Hey guys what do you think about Jabali's father?

And do you think Neema will drop the charges against Majid?

Tell me what you think....

Much love.