Falsely Accused

Falsely AccusedOne  ‘’Nada!’’ the officer calls harshly and I turn to look at her.  I have been in this hell hole for about three months now. Her expression softens when she looks at my face and that is new because every time a sentinel comes knocking as if we are in charge of our environment, anyway, comes calling a name it’s usually a sign of trouble!  Ours is a doomed life devoid of hope from visiting kinsmen but visiting strokes and rations and hard work.  I have that innocent look and most people don’t believe that I killed him.  Well, that remains the truth, I didn’t kill Neal. Even though in the prison, everyone else is innocent including the guilty ones.  I didn’t do it is a well-known and very popular phrase here.  ‘’Yes, officer,’’ I say innocently.  ‘’You have a visitor.’’ I shed a tear, it just happens, and another follows. Who could that be? For the few months that I have been here that almost seems like years, no one, and I mean no one has tried to visit me. I was sentenced to ten years for killing Neal, something that I am truly innocent about. The world is full of such things. The innocent ones are the ones that suffer more often than not. ‘’Did you hear me, Nada?’’  ‘’So sorry officer, what did you say?’’ ‘’Someone is here to see you.’’ ‘’Who? Me! Did they say who they are?’’ ‘’You are wasting my time Nada!’’ she shouts and I cower. I stand up lazily then move towards her, she is too tall and huge for a woman. She looks scary and muscular with her towering physique but I have to deal with it. I have met way worse people than her. At least she has a cool look on her face. Her looks aren’t so much intimidating, she has this soft look on her. I am surprised. In fact, astonished and flabbergasted to find my sister, my best friend, or should I say former best friend? The only person I knew to be there for me. When I found Neal stabbed, she was the first person I called and I knew she was the one who would stand in for me. Only to realize later one day that she would be the one and only eye witness in my case. Testifying against me. I am tempted to ask the officer to throw Naomi out but that’s not me. I am always very quiet but investigative, I would like to know why she is here. I want to know why she has never visited me and her reason for testifying against me. Let me at least talk about myself for your sake  My name is Nada. I am twenty-three years old. Born to a family of two, my elder sister and I are the only survivors in our family. My mum and dad died two years ago in a grisly road accident. My dad had money like s**t. But when they passed on, my very gluttonous uncles took everything away from us. We were left literally with nothing to show. Left to beg on the street.  It was so miraculous that Naomi and I survived the accident. Here we are today, Naomi is or rather was a very sweet sister, so loving and caring.  Naomi and I were the envy of the estate when we were growing up.  She never did anything without involving me.  I am the exact opposite of her, I am full of scars all over my body. I have earned them here in the prison. I am thin, famished and emaciated.  I look vulnerable but I will have to survive because so far, I have accepted fate.  She is beautiful and has a shiny glow on her face. Unlike me who has been beaten almost to death. I have decided that I will get out of this place and unveil the person who killed my love.  I loved him. I couldn’t possibly have killed Neal.  ‘’Hello prison girl.’’ She says when the officer walks out and I blink rapidly to keep a threatening tear at bay. I cannot break down in front of Naomi.  She must be here to mock me and I can’t allow that to happen. She has this wicked grin and evil gleam in her eyes and she is probably here to finish what she started. I look at her straight in the eye. ‘’What do you want Naomi?’’  ‘’I am here to visit my sister. Can’t someone visit her sister in peace?’’  ‘’You haven’t visited me ever since I was imprisoned. Why today?’’  She smirks evilly. ‘’You aren’t smart enough Nada, you should already have figured out why I am here.’’  ‘’If I did, I wouldn’t ask you the question.’’ ‘’Good!’’ ‘’What is ...’’ ‘’Don’t interrupt me Nada!’’ she shouts and I feel sad, I feel disgusted for the friendship we shared, the sisterhood and trust I thought we had. I trusted her with all my heart. ‘’Okay Naomi, you are here, you have seen me, you are shouting and trying to scare me. How can I help you?’’ She laughs dramatically at that. ‘’you? Help me? With what? You are a prisoner.’’ ‘’Says the person who is here and asked specifically to see the prisoner.’’ I harden and shout a bit, just a little bit. ‘’Listen, you little brat! You cannot challenge me! Don’t even dare because I will…’’ ‘’Do what Naomi? Do what? Testify against me the second time?’’ ‘’Even worse, kill another person and blame you for it.’’ My mouth drops open. I hope it is not what I am thinking nor heard. I wouldn’t be too shocked though, her behaviour since our parents died is just disgusting and always made me want to puke. ‘’Officer, please take her out of here.’’ The officer comes in and tells her that her time is up. What did she really come to do? Anyway, that’s practically none of my business. She can do whatever she wants but I still have to find out who killed the man I loved so much. Am I too naive to think so when the culprit has just owned up in my very eyes? Or is it denial that Naomi can't kill Neal? She loved our love!  He was a brother we never had to both of us. I walk back into the prison room dejected and heavy at heart! I don’t hear anything and I don’t feel anything!  Am just dragging my heavy self home! It’s my home for the time being and after Naomi’s visit am resigned to my fate. The fate of surviving and eking out my sentence to go and fight later. I meet this beautiful woman, she has been my pillar in here. She is always making me feel better. Her name is Rue and let’s just say I love her so much, she gives me joy and even though prison life is always very hard, she never lets me suffer much. She’s been, my guardian angel!  ‘’Hey cheer up Nada.’’ She says cheerfully and my heart warms. ‘’Do I look that bad Rue?’’ ‘’More than just the words, you know where we are coming from is not so easy, where we are headed is not known but where we currently are is not that bad.’’ She says calmly. One of the reasons why I love her so much is because she is always calm and collected. She never lets anything intimidate her. She never lets anyone control her life. She is here because she was caught stealing, her sentence was a bit short and she will be leaving in a couple of months. Her dad is a lawyer and one of the reasons why she is here is so that she can learn a lesson. He was always getting her out but this time around, he decided that she be left there to learn her lesson. She looks up at me with a warm smile. ‘’So, who had come to see you?’’ ‘’My one and only sister, the only person that mom had left me with, that one person who should be taking care of me. She is my elder sister for bid’s sake. Why is she doing this?’’ She moves much closer and hugs me tightly. ‘’Don’t worry Nada. Life is always like that. The people who we think are our best friends can do more harm to us especially because they know us best.’’ I nod lazily at that sigh very audibly. ‘’She has decided to frustrate my life.’’ ‘’That will not be for long.’’ ‘’Why’s that Rue? Anything should I know?’’ ‘’A lot baby girl.’’ ‘’Like what?’’ a bell rings and an officer within the prisoners moves around to tell us we should be eating. We walk hastily towards the kitchen area. We are having a half-cooked ugali and white cabbage cut almost into halves. It’s cabbages because you are lucky to have a leaf in your full bowl of soup which also has the morsels of raw ugali dancing inside. We are almost getting used to that so we miss the food some times when others eat two plates and we feel bad about it. I walk with my plate of food side by side with Rue and guess what happens! Someone puts their leg on my way and I trip falling down and spilling the food on her. She starts to fume and before I say sorry she is on me with blows all over. I am tired of letting people take advantage of me. Rue starts to fight on my behalf but I raise my hand in a bid to stop her, this woman here is called hot mama, she’s hot no doubt. She looks down upon everyone, she is cruel and most of the time behaves like an angel. I believe for her to be here is because she is a criminal, well, all of us are perceived to be criminals so she cannot behave like she is holy.  ‘’You know what hot mama or whatever you call yourself,’’ I tell her sarcastically. ‘’I am tired of you being so cruel to me. I have always tried to be as polite as possible with you but it seems you will never learn.’’ She looks at me as if sizing me. I am quite slender and I look fragile but I will not let her do this to me. She has done this a number of times and most of the times she is always looking forward to frustrating me. I move towards her and hold her by the neck, I am taller than her so it is quite easy to access her face. She starts to protest but I sweep her legs in the confusion and she falls. This might hand me a punishment but I want to tell this i***t to let go of whatever she holds against me. She is not an angel, neither am I. I fall on her and sit on her broad chest, I hit her hard in the face so many times and when her friends notice that I am overwhelming her, they start to pull me away but they are stopped by some of the inmates. ‘’Why don’t you let her fight her battle?’’ one of them asks and they stay away to watch. She turns me again and hits my face, I know what to do next. I gather all the strength I can, push her away and then I move swiftly, when I land on her, I give several blows to her breast and she groans in pain. A warden comes and when she realizes that it is her, she takes her away to be locked in her own prison room. She looks sad and apologetic but the warden takes none of it. She is taken away and I am surprised when her friends move closer to hug me. I don’t trust anyone anymore so I pull away as quick as I can. I have given everyone some sort of news to talk about for the next few days. Hot mama has never been beaten by anyone and she is always beating one inmate or another. One thing I am sure of is that from now henceforth I will be respected by so many people. I turn to look at Rue and she winks. You are a b***h girl.’’ She says jokingly and I smile lightly. I am not very proud of that because she is now going to suffer and that’s not a nice thing.  I have heard about those having rats everywhere and I don’t think I would wish that on anyone, not even my worst enemy. We walk towards our prison rooms. Thank you for teaching that fool a lesson, she needs to learn not to joke with everyone.’’ I shake my head. ‘’I feel bad for her.’’ ‘’Typical Nada. You are always good for everyone.’’ She says calmly. ‘’One thing though, I am so proud of you.’’ ‘’Why’s that?’’ ‘’Because that bitchy woman will not tempt you ever again.’’ She says with a smile.