CHAPTER TEN

Friday morning, she called Maider to inform her she would be coming to Francistown after working hours.

“This is eating me up, Maider, I want to get it over and done with and see how far I will go.” she convinced herself more than anyone that she was just feeding her curiosities with Gil but deep down she knew otherwise. She wanted him, to get intimate with…

“Okay love, everything will be in place, I will even book an appointment for you with the lawyer.” Maider was determined to help. They agreed on the time of the appointment and cut their conversation short. Though she was extending the helping hand to her friend she was a bit fretful. For her other best friend to be accused of something like that was a bit cruel and unfair. She tried very hard to think of anything to convince her that Gil was capable of doing such a thing, her conclusions pointed to nothing. And if Gil found out that she was in on the conspiracy to bring his downfall, she didn’t see this ending well. She hated the situation she was in, being caught in between like this. And if she were to give Jane the cold shoulder she’d come off as unsupportive of her friend’s woes.

*************

To Gil, it had been nightmare after nightmare. He had been unable to sleep for nights on end. One night he dreamt of sixteen huge black monsters in the form of dogs chasing him and he ran as if he was being carried by the wind. During the chase, he approached a point where there was a huge crack on the ground. He paused at the crack, contemplating what to do; he wanted to go in but was afraid that the monsters would follow him into the crack. He woke up just as the dogs were about to attack him. He was panting, and his pulse had doubled.

He checked the time. It was two o’clock in the morning. He tried to analyze the dream; dogs in Tswana culture are believed to be cops and the black color reflected bad luck. Cops…why are they chasing me? He quizzed himself. And the answer was crystal clear: Jane is going to bring them to you. He was sweating at that, and he now believed that indeed it was all over for him.

He took his cellphone and called her, she had not communicated with him in several days. He suspected something was not right. It rang and went unanswered. He pushed the idea of redialing her aside. He rolled instead on his side and faced the wall. It was not that worrisome for someone to miss a call at that time. He chided his insecurities.

“I accepted her at my own peril, so I should dance to the tune.” he thought. The image in his mind of her naked body the night he broke into her house left him helpless, itching for it, and the day he met her at the club proved that it was what he’d always desired, what had haunted him—well, at least for the past six months. Ooh, I’m already fucked. Then he thought of just calling her the next morning and telling her they can’t be lovers, because of reasons only known to him.

He brushed the idea aside. Not before I fuck her, then everything and everyone would be screwed. Stop torturing yourself. After all, it’s not over till the fat lady sings, the reassuring thoughts were taking over.

He tried to pray and only managed; “Lord, the father…” he stopped and asked himself why he was praying. He had done wrong to an innocent soul, and so God was punishing him. “I should ask for forgiveness; He does forgive regardless.” He was voicing the words to the wall.

The city started to come to life, voices and car ignitions together with music. These prompted him to look at his watch; it was just a few minutes after five, and he decided to rest.

**************

The sun rays poured into his house and they blinded him as he opened his eyes, rubbing the eye-boogers away. He noticed it was almost ten. He called his boss, and lied to him that he was not feeling well, and requested the night shift. The boss acknowledged the request after a considerable amount of tongue lashing. He went back to sleep. He had missed his shift for the first time. “Fuck Jane, fuck this whole situation,” he said out loud, balling his hands into a fist. His phone rang and it startled him.

It was Jane; he stared at it, the call ended unanswered…after a few seconds, it began to ring again, this time he picked up.

“Hello, Babe, I am coming to your area today and I’m going to spend the night at your place, and fulfill your every...”

“I am on a night shift.” He interrupted the offering. His voice had a chuck of anger to it. How could she call and tell him she was coming to sleep at his place, without even asking if she could sleep over? Does she think she has complete access to me? Though he was fuming, the other part of him was much delighted at the offer and hated ever missing his morning shift.

“Why do you sound jumpy, anything wrong?” She asked.

“I am fine,” he lied.

“Night shift, that sounds bad. I will come in the morning then, when you knock off, and help you relax your tired body. What do you think?” She winked at the phone.

“I would love that,” he chuckled and Jane joined him with endearing laughter that melted away all his worries. They chatted for a while like all new lovebirds do.

He took a cold bath after the conversation to ease his hard-on. “Women are powerful creatures when it comes to seduction,” he uttered to himself. How could a simple chat like that one give him such a stiff boner? He went into the kitchen after the bath, poured a glass of orange squash, took four slices of bread and leftover meat. After the meal, he decided to drive around the city, with no particular place in mind, and stopped by Area L bars. A couple of guys were having drinks. He joined them after buying an Iron brew, they talked over a couple of drinks about this and that, then it was time for him to leave, just before three. “Time for work guys” he stood up and strode to the car.

Jane Paul left the school staff room at 15:30. She rushed to her house, took a quick bath, packed the things she would need for the weekend in her handbag, and left for the hiking spot. She arrived there at 16:00, and thirty minutes later she was on her way to Francistown.

The female driver, who offered her a lift seemed to be in her early fifties. They talked about ladies’ stuff, life, and about the youth of today, how they indulge in bad things like drugs and alcohol abuse, casual sex, and criminal activities.

“These kids are rotten down to the core; I mean from head to toe, you know. I am a warder at Maun prison and there are a lot of juveniles at that prison. Some of them are so intelligent but eish! this world.” The warder shook her head. Jane commented, “I see them every day at school, we already have four on expulsion this year and two are on trial for rape; these kids need to be prayed for.”

They were quiet for over twenty minutes as they listened to some gospel music, then Jane broke the silence.

“Are you a native of Maun?” she asked.

“My accent tells it all, no need to be asked,” she laughed at her question, and Jane joined in.

“Do you know any Tshwenes, Gilberto Tshwene to be precise?” The woman shook her head and silence ruled the interior of the car. Jane had not expected a negative answer. Out of the large population of Maun, how could she seriously expect her to know just a single person, nonetheless it’d been worth a try. Wherever they stayed, they were mostly known for their wayward behavior. The lights of the city appeared, Jane stole a glimpse at the time from the lady’s car clock. 19:45. Wow! That was a quick drive, she thought.

After fifteen minutes, the lady dropped her at Maider’s place. She rang the bell. Maider came rushing to welcome her friend. They hugged and went into the house. She prepared supper while Jane was bathing; then they sat in the living room with everything in place.

“Someone has gained,” she remarked, with a wry smile.

“I’m in love, what do you expect?” They locked eyes and laughed. Her laughter was mixed with a bit of a frown. She was more into this love thing than she had intended. Would Gil give her much love to conceal and heal what she’d gone through? Would her naiveté eventually cloud her judgment? What if Gil was not feeling the same way? What if she did get too involved, and end up diverted from the mission of digging up Gil’s true identity?

If she didn’t go about this the smart way she was going to end up being the one in a ditch, her trap having backfired. Perhaps Gil too had gotten into this relationship with ulterior motives, because he wanted to coax her into pardoning him of his offenses.

But then what if he genuinely fancied her and she ascertained it? Would she continue with her quest for the truth? Time and the outcomes of the so-called love would tell, she concluded.

“That’s good, and when are you going to seal the relationship?” Maider gave her friend a cheeky wink. She was startled from her mini daydreaming. “Tomorrow morning.” Just like that. They burst out in laughter again. Maider reminded her about the appointment with the lawyer. She swallowed hard and nodded with acknowledgment. Why was she trying to ignore her feelings? She had to finish what she’d started.

“He said two o’clock, tomorrow at his place, somewhere in block 8, we will call for directions.”

“That’s cool, girl, I really appreciate it,” they cleared the plates, dropped them in the sink, and headed to the bedroom. It hit her then that seeking out the lawyer was likely to decide his and Gil’s future—depending on what she was going to find out. She set the alarm to six a.m.

Morning arrived partly cloudy and warm, and the breeze was clammy. Jane bathed, put on a tight zip-up dress, and did not bother to put on any underwear. Satisfied with her appearance, she woke Maider, who was still lazing in bed.

“Girl, I am going to blow him away.” She unzipped her dress in a demonstration. “He won’t know what hit him.”

“Good luck! I feel sorry for the poor guy.” Maider giggled and added “I find it quite strange and rather foolish to like him the way you do and still accuse him of your misfortunes. You know at first I thought it was a trap like you said. But no, you’re into the guy, one might even suggest love.” Jane knew her friend was right, and of course, she had grown fond of him. She had discovered her deep feelings for her delinquent Adonis over the week, and thinking about him brought unconcealed joy to her face. She had developed a habit of smiling at any thought that made a vivid picture of Gil in her mind.

Telling a lie was always easier than admitting the truth, especially when dealing with matters of the heart. But she was not about to lie to her friend today. She sat gently beside Maider, tears filled her eyes, and her almost sobbing mouth formed the words.

The words that were hard to articulate, finally she managed a few. “Yes it is true I like him and I’m sure he is the one that robbed me.” There was more conviction in the words than Maider could have imaged it. Maider looked into her teary eyes and wiped them off with the back of her hand. She opted not to say a thing. After all, everyone on earth deserves a little love. It is a pity her friend was in love with a criminal. And the most hurtful part of it was that she wasn’t even sure Gil felt the same way. That would clear up in time, and she somehow convinced herself she had a very precious ace over Gil. One mistake and he would be in jail.

Jane called a cab, and thirty minutes later she was at Gil’s place. They met at the gate; Gil was just knocking off from work. She opened the gate and Gil drove in with a huge grin on his face. He locked the car, unlocked the house, and they stepped in. Without a word, they hugged each other and a long, passionate kiss followed.

Jane stepped back, “You look exhausted, darling, you should take a bath.” Gil licked his lips. He winked at her and took her hand as he led her to the bathroom. He opened the taps, undressed, and stepped slowly into the bath. Jane watched him with much longing. Her mind was taken back to the kiss they’d just shared. She felt it—she felt the connection. The chemistry was overwhelming and she was quite confident Gil was attracted to her just as much. More than she could imagine for that matter.

He smiled as he watched her unzip her dress, first exposing her breasts, then her flat tummy. The dress dropped to the floor…Jane tittered at him as his manhood stood erect. Gil was blown away; a thought raced into his mind, a thought he’d now had a million times before. I have seen this sexy body before. That fateful night. It was just as sexy then as it is today, and ooh yeah I have the chance to do what I’ve longed to do since that night. For a moment he was taken aback, guilt washing over him.

Her naked body had been the thought he used to lighten up his mood whenever he was having a bad day. Now all was in reality, not in dreams, not an illusion. Jane was in front of him naked! But that nagging thought that he had wronged her made him hate every piece within his body.

Jane leaned against the doorframe, one hand on her hip. Her movement brought Gil back to attention. He wished he could tell her. Tell her he could not have sex with her, but her body was so enticing…he flushed all those contrary thoughts to the back of his mind, archived them for later. Gil was still taking in and salivating at the sight. There it was: the flower, clean-shaven and so inviting—perhaps calling out, “come and have me.”

Jane approached him, touched his chin, and kissed him. His thoughts vanished. She was there in front of him and ready to submit her body to him…She dropped her hand between his thighs, he gasped at her touch, and she whispered in his ear, “Nice piece.” They both laughed. She ran her fingers along his member’s length. Its veins shot out as if they were about to blast.

She took it into her mouth and circled its tip with her tongue. Gil gasped at the touch. He leaned back and a tiny cry escaped his lips. The joy was pure. He caressed her hair as she deepened the blow. He bent over to reach her lips, and he kissed them with passion.

He had pulled her into the tub. The warm water warmed her as his manhood rubbed against her. He made her sit at the edge of the bath, legs apart, and knelt in the bath…he had an artful way of playing with his tongue, which made her gasp and ask for more. He rose, cupped her breast, and gently sucked the nipples. Already wet, she could not take it anymore; she pulled him, directing him into her warm moistness for the ultimate penetration. She gasped and breathed heavily as she accommodated his penis—large but good enough for sex.

The stamina he had was amazing; months of bottled up emotions exploded into one steamy session of hot sex. They made great love for nearly thirty minutes. They sat on the tub arms around each other. He playfully helped her wash off the sweat, then with their eyes locked, she tried to search for any evil beyond them. The eyes today had no other emotion to show, except love and affection. Doubts crept into her mind. How could her boyfriend have done all that? She brushed the thoughts aside. They were disturbing her. She had to stick to her initial plan: pin him down.

Nothing was there to see. For a moment she doubted her gut. She felt stupid in front of this young sexy man. They had dried up, went to the living room, and naked as they were, their passion returned. They crouched up on the couch, had some passionate kisses, she had his penis in her mouth, Gil groaned to the sensation. They had another session of love-making. Exhausted, Gil left Jane in the living room, threw himself on the bed, and with a sated grin he fell asleep.

Jane pulled a teddy bear close to her chest and recounted all the excitement she’d just had. Her body vibrated from the climax, she had exclaimed at the sensation. Her guilt came creeping in when she thought of Gil as her wrongdoer, and a tear rolled down her cheek. She was stuck between love and justice. The thoughts of her just ended romance with Gil clouded her mind. Their mist was so thick that she was unable to make a coherent decision.

She took her phone—four missed calls from Maider—and she returned her call. “How was it?” Were the first words from Maider.

“He has a nice dick Maider, and it was awesome.” She laughed at her response.

“Where is he now?”

“Sleeping as we speak, and I’m on my way back. I’ll give you all the dirty details when I arrive.” She cut the call.

She went to the bedroom. Gil was stone dead asleep. Indeed, sex is a sleeping pill for men, thought Jane. She searched his drawer and found a certified copy of a driver’s license, but the print was too faint for her to decipher the other details…only the first name was visible, and the other details like place of birth and date of birth were completely faint. Gil rolled to the side and that startled Jane. She quickly closed the drawer and pretended to have been fixing her face.

“Thought you had already left, I am beat.” He yawned.

“I was on my way out, darling. I have to do my hair.” She could feel the panic in her voice.

She rushed off to the door with her heart racing. She paused at the door, recollected her breath before proceeding out. Damn, that was close. So the bastard can see and sense even when he is dead asleep. An actual thief with fake documents. One thing was for sure, she didn’t regret having sex with him.

She arrived home after forty-five minutes. The first thing she told Maider was her findings.

“I have a feeling there is more evidence lying in that drawer of his, Maider,” she said as she recalled the copy of the license and the other paperwork that she was about to have a look at just before Gil turned.

“What are you going to do now? Clearly, you care about him.” She looked at Jane who was now in a land of thoughts. Of course, she liked him, but she told herself she would not allow love to blind her. She would fight for the truth, and maybe…maybe after the truth she would decide what to do with Gil. Take him to jail or…or perhaps play some mind games and watch him suffer. A little sweet revenge would still do.

“I don’t think I’ll ever love him. I’m suspicious of him and I’m trying to lay a trap for him. And even if I loved him, I have no other option, not after what he did to me, and…” She paused, realizing that she was trying to convince herself more than Maider. Who was she kidding? Her feelings for him were already much stronger than she was willing to admit.

Her mind rushed back to the earlier events of the day when she’d walked into the bathroom and Gil was there naked taking a bath. They'd kissed and connected, and to her, that was the best kiss and sex she’d ever had in her life. She swallowed hard to the thought, trying to convince herself that good sex didn’t necessarily imply love. It was mere carnal pleasures of the flesh, a little bit of erotica, a burst of lust that in no way substantiated love. She knew she was lying to herself.

Why was he that startled, when he awoke to me standing by the drawers? A smoke of wonder crept into her mind. He seemed to have been alerted, his eyes shone, and there was worry in his voice when he asked her what she was doing there. Why?

She needed to meet Professor and get Gil convicted if indeed he was guilty. She dropped her head, hiding the threatening tears. She called Rose to update her. The latter wished her luck.