Missteps – Chapter Sixty Nine

Thozama Mqikela

@Mightyzama
**************************************

The drive to the police station felt like the longest drive of my entire life, I was shit scared not knowing what was going to happen when I get there. We finally arrived, the female cop open the door for me and told me to get out, she told me to walk next to her, I guess this was to make sure that I don’t run away not that I would be that stupid, I know how trigger happy the police can be, one mistake and you could be kissing a bullet. We went inside and they wanted my details not that they didn’t already have them thanks to my mother in law. They wanted my work address which for obvious reasons I gave them a wrong work address and telephone numbers the last thing I wanted was police showing up to arrest me at work, that would be more than humiliating, I would have to move to a different country and change my name after that kind of humiliation. After giving them all my details and statement on which I stated this was a case of mistaken identity which of course the stupid cops just laughed at and said I was lying and maybe the woman whose name I learned was Lilian Sibeko was sleeping with my husband and that is why I beat her up.

The cops that were taking my details and statement were different cops from the ones that arrested me. They told me to remove all my jewellery, my belt and shoelaces I was told this was to make sure that I don’t hang myself, I assured them that I wouldn’t and I was told that’s what everyone says and the next thing they find them in the cell hanged with a belt, they also took my cellphone and was told I will spend the entire weekend there since the courts only operate Monday to Friday and it was only Saturday. After all that I was taken to a holding cell, as I was being escorted my husband budged in he asked if I was okay to which I shook my head, he told me not to stress he will get me out, he was alone, I was expecting him to show up with his army to bust me out, I asked where the lawyer was he said he was on his way, but I could see something was wrong I didn’t get a chance to ask, the cops told me to keep going they don’t have time to waste. In my entire life I had never been in holding cell or anything that resembled prison, not for public drinking when it was still illegal or for drinking and driving, or for tickets, my husband always manages to get our tickets squashed I didn’t know how I just reap the benefits of driving without any outstanding fines because if you get stopped on the roadblock and you have outstanding tickets you either pay on the spot or get sent to prison. The place is disgusting it’s no place anyone would wish to find themselves in, there were 2 ladies in there sitting on the floor they had wrapped themselves in the filthy blankets from there. The prison guard locked the huge ass gate behind me as soon I entered, I greeted the ladies and remained standing, they signed for me to sit down next to them and I told them I would rather stand thanks, the smell from the blankets was enough to make me want to throw up.

One of the ladies asked “so how far are you?” I gave her the blank stare, I didn’t understand the question and I replied “far from what?” the other one said on your pregnancy, I laughed to which they both gave me confused stares; I told them I was not pregnant not even close. The other one said “yes you are” what was this being told my life by two jail birds? I ignored them and asked how long had they been there, they said since last night, they said they were sisters and the boyfriend had promised to give the other sister money so they went to his house to get the money when they got there they found the man without another woman and beat the shit out of them both, the girl had managed to escaped but the guy is now in hospital, Jesus Christ, imagine being beat up in your own house for your money, damn these girls were brutally, they asked me why I was there I said I beat up the woman who slept with my husband, I didn’t feel like going into details about the whole mistake, at the hearing of the beating of someone they got all excited stood up the other one gave me a high five and the other a hug, we had just formed a bond by beating up other people, this was crazy. I was waiting for that gate to open any second and to be told that I was getting out of this place. The floor was cement, no tiles, no carpet just cement, the place was seriously cold and I was starting to shiver from the cold so the two crazy sisters offered me a blanket, it was now getting late and time for being fussy was gone, I took the filthy smelling blanket and covered myself. The two sisters were all chitty chatty, I answered where I could but my mind was not there at all, not that they noticed, I didn’t know what time it was as I had no watch or cell phone but I eventually fell asleep which means my husband had failed me, I had spent the entire night in a holding police cell.
The next morning I got up feeling extremely cold, some police officer came to tell us about breakfast, eeeuww, there was no way in hell was I going to eat prison food. I asked if my husband was there he said no, shit what the hell happened to him last night? A few minutes later I was called out and I was told that I was being released, I was so happy, I hugged my two new found friends and wished them luck and walked out, I didn’t even get their names they must have said them but for the life of me I could not remember. As I walked out I found my mother in law there all smiles in her wheelchairs, where the hell was my husband. I wanted to grab the chair from beneath her but I had to behave I was still at the police station, I asked what she was doing there, she said she had bailed me out and the least I could do was be grateful. I faked a smile and said thank you, I asked where Mthobisi was and she said he was somewhere sulking because she had told all their lawyer associates not to help him in getting me out, I asked why would she do something like that, she said she wanted to show him that he still needs her, the things this woman does are just too mind blowing. I went and signed my cellphone and jewellery out and by some miracle it was all there. She said she would take me home, she had a driver, who was driving her, she was now showing us her true colours. When we got in the car she said “I have spoken to Lilian and made her understand that you are not all there” she said pointing to her head, meaning that I was out of my mind so she convinced Lilian to drop the charges against me and in return she wanted me to convince my husband to start speaking to her. I looked at her and wanted to ask if she had lost her mind, after all the shit she had put him through, but after spending a night behind bars I didn’t want to get into this woman’s bad books I smiled and said I will.

When we arrived home, my husband was on the phone to say he was surprised to see me would be an understatement, when he saw me he ran towards me, hugged me, lifted me in the air and asked if I was okay, I told him I was fine, he asked how did I get out, I pointed to the door, his mom was being wheeled in by her driver. My husband looked at her and said “you not welcomed here” his mom replied “is that the thanks I get for getting your wife out of jail” I didn’t have strength for this fight, I had just spent the night sleeping on the floor with stinking blankets I was exhausted and all I wanted was a nice warm bath and my bed. I told my husband and his mom that I was going to take a bath and left them there at each other’s throats. I went to my room switched on my phone and I had countless messages, which I decide I would check them when I was done bathing. I left the phone on top of the bed and went to go bath. I took a nice long warm bath which was so relaxing I found myself dozing off a couple of times, I didn’t want to get out of the bath, I wanted to stay there forever, life would have been simple that way and I would not have to worry about jails and defending myself from one person to another. How I missed being young and having no responsibilities or problems, it’s funny how life works, when you are young you wish to be grown up and when you grown up you wish you were young, it goes to show that we are never satisfied with anything that we have. I got out of the bath, feeling rejuvenated, I went back to my room to find Mthobisi’s mom there I asked what she was doing she said she was waiting for me, she said we had a deal, she got me out of jail and I was supposed to speak to her son and convince him to forgive her, I said I will do it but she should wait a few days for him to calm down. She looked at me and said “I’m not a very patient person so I took it upon myself to make sure that you get me back in my son’s good books” I was now seriously getting bored by this old witch, I told her to please leave my parents house and to stop forcing this issue. She cleared her throat and said “whose Mfundo and why does he keep calling you? Earlier on when you were in the bath, he called a few times and the fourth time I decided to answer the first thing he said was “Baby are you okay?” now I’ve already put 2 and 2 together and if I can pass this information to your husband rest assured you will wish you were still behind bars.”
My eyes popped wide opened she continued, “I’m going to ask you a very simple question and your answer will determine your future as my daughter in law.”
Are you going to help me or not?”

****The End****

@dairyofazulugal
Mikeatdiary
Michael Nkululeko Maphoto