A cross the border of love

ess home.' I didn't like the way he put it. ' Tell me,' he went on. 'Is it true that you are marrying the daughter of famous tycoon?' 'Who told you?' I asked, feeling a sense of pride. ' ' Who

ou have brought your se

, nobody was likely to help me out of the jam I was in. Secondly I wanted to keep my affair with Ameria as a secret as possible, so that when the worst happened, nobody would have

sioner's Office.' I felt like kissing David. Why hadn't I thought of it? A couple could always get married in the D.C.'s Office regardless of objections f

ile the matrimonial formalities remained a wait-and-see case. What Francis was doing was a puzzle to us, but one thing was certain: he was ransacking the whole countr

convince the D.C. that you have been refused marriage. If you don't do

hat they can even shot you and get away with it.' David nodded with understanding. ' Then for that matter, you can send elders. Though your man is a bru

s, knowing very well that this would force a showdown. I would then be able to establish a case before the D.C. I will admit to you that you have come to my rescue just as I was about to go

sting herself to her new surroundings.' He nodded casually, but his expression was doubtful. I don't mean to discourage you, but listen to this: a woman in love will do anything to keep her lover. They say love is blind, but it doesn't remain blind forever. Only when obstacles crowd in does blind love start to see. That is when tro

ll definitely walk into the fire to negotiate for you. As a matter of tradition, they reserve the prerogative of negotiating for an intended wedding n

ppearance was a gift to them because I had to buy them a couple of small bottles of bear. That alone made me a hero. When later I told my father about my problem, he

d me to think of the kind of reception they would get from Francis, but it had to be that way and that way only. After all, what other service could I expect from my father and his beer-sodden group? I was invited to join the elders for discussion, which obviously e

one elder. ' How can we go to bargain for something out of sight and for somebody out of sight?' I nearly told t

, we will arrange for a day when we shall all go to see him.' They exchanged glances. ' For that matter,' said the chief spokesperson, our mission

ry important person, they had done everything possible to make themselves presentable for that special mission. One had his white hair well combed and nearly parted. Another one had on an oversized

were now shinning after he had worked on them with the bathing stone. For the first time in his sixty years, he was going to wear shoes. He had a problem in deciding which shoe to put into the other. Worse even, the shoes belonged to my brother whose size

there before lunch, because Francis never failed to go home for lunch. Among them was

ike Moses himself. They even had walking staffs like the one Moses had. But the difference between the time of Moses and this time was that staffs couldn't be transformed into snake's as Mos

thing horrible is going to happen,' I said. ' As soon as your father knows that you are here, a lot of nasty things are bound to happen.' ' But what can we

et me tell you. I won't deceive you by saying that I love this kind of life that much, but it is far much better than being enclosed in a palace with no outside contact. I am a human being, not a pet in a cage. I like mixing with people, visiting place

t seen you studying since I came.' 'Tension,' I lied. ' How could I concentrate when so many things are happening?'. ' But you are still anxious to see it through.' ' Of course, yes.' I meant it. I had decided t

to be back after dusk. So I was surprised when at 6.00pm a child came running to the ri

expected this to happen. On the first point of information, Francis was bound to react one or two way

to explain what happened within that short time, because I saw very little of it. Ameria and I stood like a pair of criminals before a firing squad. She grabbed my shirt firmly, a

ood to to ask questions and I wasn't in position to answer them. From that moment, I was lik

VE: MARATH

judge decides the fate of a man. Just as God decides to ki

trokes'. Woe unto you if you are brought before a judge who is suffering from a hangover or diarrhea. In a hurry to rush to the toilet, he won't b

udge, clad in his official gowns represented a kind of earthly God

storey of the Courthouse. Seated in the first row of the congregation was Francis and his wife. The civil servant looked like

arpenter, an ex- house boy to have a row with a senior civil servant over his daughter. It was equall

daughter of a respectable man. The charges went as far as stating that I had behaved in a way likely to cause a b

alling the police liars, one of my relatives had made it clear that he was going to help me file a suit a

father had lost his shoes, which didn't fit him properly in any case in the rush to get away from the bully who had no respect for the elderly. Another elder had stumbled and nearly lost his four remaining teeth. He explained that since this h

nts what to say against me. A couple of times, she opened her mouth to say something but when she looked in my direction, she became toungue-tied. Apparently

e judge shuffled the files before

Keitesti.'

estured for h

at man?' the judg

e said in a

etained you in his home

r trying to wink at her, but she avoided meeti

re myself and d

with biting ants. The expression on his wife's face reminded me of something I had read about Sodom and Gomorrah; the

re sighs a

d to to disagree with your parents becau

Ye

old ar

ghte

judge said, and t

ur,' I near

old ar

eteen

t is

t became a problem to breathe. Looking a cross at Francis, I saw him busy

ablished that Symon Bworo is a law-binding citizen who has worked for the plaintiff for a number of years, during which time he befriended Ameria, the daughter of the plaintiff. Some

with him and later detained her, is a fabrication in that Ameria

such cases. He even took the trouble to settle the possible dispute in an ordinary manner. There is strong evidence to support the alleg

bout his daughter's disappearance. Under such provocation, the plaintiff was bound to be rough with the accused when they met. If such a t

Bworo not guilty of the

re directed at me like the guns of execution squard aiming at the victi

e mature enough to differentiate between bad and good. Bworo is nineteen, a mature male capable of looking after himself. The

pub, the magistrate could have drowned in beer. Judge of judges, spotless cha

their legs had rebelled. Shielded by my supporters, I slowly walked in the opposite direction to avoid a possible confrontat

ting crowds. She hesitated for a while, looked across at her parents and