Unmasked
Chapter 06

The day has gone way better than I anticipated. I always worry each time mum and my wife are in the same place, not because they don’t get along but mum is highly opinionated and sometimes I fear what will come out of her mouth. I excuse myself when my phone starts to ring, it’s a colleague from the office.

‘Banda.’ I say picking up. We are in the habit of calling each other by our last names at the station.

‘Yes Mwape good afternoon, I am sorry to disturb your off day.’

‘No it’s fine, I am here to serve our country.’

He laughs. The guys always laugh at me when I say that at work, I am not sure why they replace it funny because at the end of the day isn’t that why we were employed?

‘Okay I wanted to give you a heads up, the boss might be putting you back on the Lona case.’

I breathe out deeply. He knows why I had requested to be taken out of that case, Zara is my wife there is no way that I am going to be put on a case that directly involves her.

‘I don’t know how you are going to handle it but I thought I give you a heads up.’

‘Thank you Banda, I guess I just have to go and talk to the boss again and explain why I can’t be put on the case.’

‘I believe there is some new evidence that has been found hence the case getting traffic.’

‘What evidence?’

‘Lona’s lawyer has an witness who is saying that Lona didn’t poison Gabriel.’

‘Witness?’

‘That is all we have heard. You know a case like this gets the numbers up when traffic is coming our way and the boss will do anything to make sure that it gets the attention it deserves. I also know why you don’t want to do it, but Mwape this case is huge.’

‘I am still not taking it up.’

‘You know we were taught never to involve our emotions when it comes to work right?’

‘I know, I also know that I love my wife and I won’t be the man to put her in the interrogation room. Also, what happened to declaration of interest?’

For a few seconds there is silence because my response doesn’t give him room to say anything else.

‘What if your wife is not incriminated? What if the witness doesn’t at all mention her name?’

‘What if he does?’

‘Tell me something Mwape, I know you to never be biased. Wouldn’t you want to know what happened to Gabriel? Isn’t there a part of that case that gives you sleepless nights? A part that feels it could have been handled better? Tell me there is no part of you that makes you feel that there were loop holes in that case.’

I want to respond when mum enters the room so I tell Banda that we can talk later.

‘You look like you have swallowed a grenade.’ She says wearing a gentle smile.

‘Work.’

‘That is why I retired early.’

‘You loved your job, I still don’t understand why you had to leave earlier than your time.’

‘It was stressing me, and I got to a point where I couldn’t handle stress anymore.’

‘I see.’

‘What is it about work that is stressing you?’

‘My boss wants me on the Lona case.’

Her face remains the same.

‘Don’t say it.’

‘I am trying not to.’

‘I really want to say it.’

Knowing mum I know she won’t rest until she says whatever she wants to tell me.

‘Go ahead mother.’

‘Thando I told you when you started dating Zara that this day would come, and you assured me that nothing would ever affect your job or your relationship with her and none of the two would ever collide.’

‘Well it’s always easy to say those things before the bridge is crossed, now that we are here I don’t know what to do. And it doesn’t help that we have a baby on the way.’

‘What are your greatest fears?’

‘What if there is something I missed in the case? What if my wife is not as innocent as she is? What if she came on to me just to distract me from all this?’

‘I remember asking you all these questions when you told me that you two were dating and do you remember what you told me?’

‘I remember mother.’

‘So, you will do your job to the best of your ability whilst keeping your family in place. God forbid if Zara somehow is guilty you will need to replace a way of dealing with all this. Either to burn her down or burn yourself together with your career.’

‘What would you advise I do?’

‘You have a good head on your shoulder, I know you will do the right thing.’

‘Get back to your wife before she gets worried.’ She adds.

…

Kwenje’s Girl

Winnie

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