HIS ROYAL BRIDE

CHAPTER 39

CHAPTER 39

[KULANI]

‘My lady…’ the prosecutor continues trying to fortify her stance. ‘A woman was killed in cold blood. The stats keep going up in this country whereas there is absolutely zero justice being served most of the time. We surely cannot discredit the only witness to parts of this act just by ASSUMING that she did not have her glasses on and therefore couldn’t see’
‘Then let us go back and scrap the entire meaning of eyewitness. Shall we, counsel?’ Kurhula counters. Advocate Masilo closes her mouth and bites her tongue just when she was about to speak.
I have just made eye-contact with the judge and all my pseudo-calm is crumbling internally. She’s busy studying the documents nobody can see behind the high wood in front of her – with a grave face that reports on the seriousness of her thoughts. Whenever she raises her eyes, I’m always the first they find. She gently takes off her glasses, squeezes the inner corners of her closed eyes and puts them on again. She then elegantly clears her throat as she turns in the direction of the witness stand.
‘Mrs Lekgotla, what time did you call the police after seeing the accused allegedly walk out of her mother’s house?’ the judge begins questioning the witness herself. Mrs Lekgotla starts sweating bullets. It goes silent, while we are all waiting for her to answer.
‘I… I am not the one who called the police’
I see Kurhula trying to repress a smile.
‘The information given to the court by the police confirms that they were only alerted of the crime around 5AM. What could be the reason why you had to wait that long for you to reach out to the arm of the law? Seeing that you’re the key witness?’
The whole court starts rumbling again.
‘Silence!’
Mrs Lekgotla starts stammering when the noise dies down. The judge keeps her eyes fixed on her, unfalteringly awaiting an answer.
‘I think I was traumatized Your Honour. I mean… My Lady’
The whole court starts laughing. The prosecutor is visibly chewing on steel.
‘Are you aware of the gravity of being under oath? I could charge you for being in contempt of court if I were to find you guilty of perjury. I do not appreciate it when citizens do not respect my courtroom’
‘Objection My Lady but—’
‘Overruled!’ the judge cuts off the prosecutor mid-sentence. ‘The only leg the prosecution is standing on is the motive that the accused apparently had, which is information relayed by somebody else, automatically rendering it inadmissible. Ms Baloyi, I am terribly sorry to hear about the loss of your baby. May the Almighty heal your heart. The court would also like to apologize that in your condition, you had to endure two nights in prison. Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977 involves the right of the accused to be discharged from the offence, he or she has allegedly committed where, at the close of the State’s case, there is no evidence on which the court may draw the accused to the charge. The prosecution has failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt how this case should return a verdict of guilt. I therefore acquit the accused of all charges laid against her. This trial cannot be allowed to proceed and has therefore reached its conclusion’ she pounds her gavel and immediately stands up after the statement that has just emancipated me from the shackles of being a prime suspect.
I am already in tears by the time she steps out of the courtroom. Kurhula approaches me with an endearing smile, with his arms wide open. I fall into them and he envelopes me with his black gown. Under the wings of a legal eagle, I’m feeling my most protected. Aunt Lydia and my dad come down to hug me as well. My face is a wet mess.
‘You will find us in the car’ dad says before giving Kurhula a firm handshake. He releases a loaded sigh and Kurhula silently shakes his head in what I don’t know to be disapproval or something similar.
‘I’m definitely running you a bubble bath with rose petals when we get home. You need to get rid of the filthy stench of prison’ Aunty Lydia says.
‘She needs a traditional healer for that. Not a bubble bath’ my dad argues. Aunty Lydia jerks her head in his direction and I’m already feeling embarrassed of what is yet to come out of her mouth.
‘And you claim to have sense. How is using more unpleasantly smelling—’
‘Okay, okay. Let’s meet outside family’ Kurhula extinguishes the fire before it blows up and engulfs us all and encourages both of them to walk out. I laugh when they do.
‘If I allowed her to speak she was going to dissect his chieftaincy, all his qualifications and entire existence’
He did say no one is spared from her slicing tongue. She wasn’t going to shock me if she rained insults on Chief Baloyi – a man revered by most and feared by many.
‘I’m sorry for ever doubting that you could ever get me out’
He wipes the streaks of my tears with his thumb and secures my face with both his hands, making me look him in the eye.
‘There’s not a thing I wouldn’t do for you. I just wish that you had trusted me from the onset of this mess’
He turns when he notices that the prosecutor standing behind him, still covering me with his one hand. The court was almost empty at this point.
‘And he strikes again huh?’ she says with a narrow smile and he laughs lightly.
‘I… I just came on here to say I didn’t know about your miscarriage however, I do know the pain that comes with it – very well. I hope you know that I was just doing my job’ she directs this to me. I just nod. I have no idea what to say. She purses her lips and turns to my husband.
‘See you next time, learned friend’
‘We both know you don’t want that’
‘As painful as it is to admit, I learn a lot from you each time’
‘The first time? I can agree, even if I say so myself. Now? I doubt there was anything to learn. You my friend, just don’t know how to pick your battles. I think you should start calling me to ask which cases to take because I’m questioning the respect I have for you right now’
‘Wow Jaguar. Ever so arrogant…’
They both laugh before she turns and walks away. He frown-smiles at me.
‘Why are you pouting like that?’ he asks. I start playing with his tie.
‘Why was she looking at you like that and speaking that way? Wow Jaguar. Nyweva so nywarrogant’ I imitate her nasal English tone. He laughs out loud.
‘Wait. Are you jealous?’
‘Mciim…’ I gently brush his rich hairline forward with my fingers. He’s still laughing.
‘Awulavi kutwa chumu hi nuna wa wena? Hm? Love seeing this side of you. I feel claimed. I feel loved’ he expresses with semi-serious countenance. I lightly hit him on the chest as I chuckle.
‘I’m serious. These women must know that this wedding band is not for the purposes of drip and swagger. But if you must know, Masilo is a great friend of mine AND she only has eyes for women. You stand a greater chance of hooking her interest than I could ever do’
‘Friend? Are you serious? One would think you’re enemies from the lack of grace you guys were showing one another just moments ago’
He huffs out laughter.
‘This is a courtroom, not a social media platform. I have no friends in here. Ask Khalanga’
‘You once went head-to-head with your best friend?’
‘I obliterated him and later bought him drinks to nurse his wounded ego’
‘I could watch you play defence all day. I even forgot I was the accused for a moment there. All I could see was my husband at his sexiest’
He bites his smiling lower lip. Is he blushing.
‘Thank you baby. I appreciate the reassurance’
‘Pssh please. A beast like yourself needs to be reassured?’
He pulls me closer and briefly kisses me. ‘You clearly have no idea how much your opinion means to me, do you? You’re the only person I don’t find it hard to respect’
The last part shouldn’t be as funny as I find it.