In Nakalawo’s first episode, we stopped when, the boy, Isaac, her step son, was going for holidays to his mother’s home. He had parked Nakalawo’s knickers and a brassier. Nakalawo had seen them when she stealthily checked the boy’s bag. Surprisingly, she parked the items back into the boy’s bag before Isaac went away. What was Nakalawo up to?
“Hajji Ashraf, since we got married, up to that time, I had not cried, because Moses was such a good husband to me. We were not merely married, but we were also good friends. I could even pick his ATM card whenever I was in need of money, and he would do otherwise with mine. We trusted each other to that extent.
“When they left I was overtaken by thoughts about this boy, whom I really loved so very much like my own son, to betray me to that extent. I cried. I knew the intention of taking my knickers was not good.
“Hajji you would ask yourself; why I left this boy to go with my knickers?
“I wanted to see how this boy is going to deal with it when he got back. I wanted to test his integrity before he would do even bigger bad things.
“That night, I pretended and asked Moses whether he had picked my knickers off the peg. He answered in the negative while laughing as if it was a joke. We left it there and continued with other things.
“The holidays ended and Isaac returned home. It was Saturday evening. The academic term was to begin the following Monday. We slept and nothing unusual happened. On Sunday, Moses and I were to attend a marriage introduction function with at Nabbingo, but I pretended sick and he went alone.
“That Sunday, I watched Isaac’s movements very closely, but in a relaxed mood. He did not suspect me of knowing anything. He also pretended to be normal, but you could see that he was up to something.
“I tried to call Moses to come back home and see; it was the only way he would have proved my complaint, but he was not picking the phone. Next, I tried my brother-in-law, who picked, but he was too far away.
“When I started mingling posho for lunch, Isaac saw a chance of planting the knickers back. I saw him running to my bedroom. I gave him some 45 seconds before I went slowly into the bed room and stormed the bathroom.
“My God, I found him hanging the knickers back to the peg. I really got mad. I hit him with the mingling stick on the head.
“The boy was so scared that he went into an asthmatic crisis. I went out of the bathroom, fell onto my bed and cried. It took me five minutes to recollect myself. I wanted to interrogate him. I called him to come, but the boy was not coming out of the bathroom where I had hit and left at.
“Checking the bathroom, the boy was lying face down. I over turned him but he was motionless. I called Isaac but did not respond. I remembered my profession and checked his pulses but they were no more. The boy had dropped dead long ago!”
Readers, I have to remind you that this is a true story of one Nakalawo who is serving time in prison. I met her during my research on domestic violence for my play series.
“Hajji Ashraf when I proved to myself that the boy was dead, I got confused. I was about to start screaming to invite neighbors for help, but I saw it unwise. How would I explain the death of the boy? They might even apply mob justice and kill me!
“I decided to leave the body as it was and touched nothing in the bathroom for the Police to come and investigate.
“I went in the guest room and bathed. I went back to my bedroom dressed up and packed my small bag. It was at this time that the maid invited me for lunch. I even remembered that I had been preparing posho. I don’t know how she managed to finish because the mingling stick was there lying next to Isaac’s body.
“I pretended that nothing had happened. I locked the bedroom and went to the dining table. I asked the maid where Isaac was, but she said that she didn’t know. I tried to eat but food had turned sour.
“I paid the maid that month’s salary which was unusual because it was still the twelfth day of the month, and we used to pay her around at the month’s end. She came from our village and I wanted her not to suffer in case Moses became mad with her.
“Then, I pretended to go for the introduction ceremony where Moses had gone. She never suspected anything.
“I left and took myself to Police. At the Police….”
Best regards. Allah a blesses you!
