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8
8THE FOLOOWING DAY
THE MALEKA HOUSEHOLD
Kutlwano’ s presence really had a positive and big effect to Boipelo. After spending almost the whole night up chatting, she woke up feeling a little better and lighter this morning. Kutlwano drags her small travel bag as Boipelo goes upfront o tope the door for her. Today she’s going back to her house and Boipelo vouched to accompany her at least until town because she needs some air and some time out of the house.
Kutlwano: you really don’t have to take me that far.
Boipelo: I want to, and I need some air. Your presence here helped me a lot.
Kutlwano: since there’s mo convincing you, let’s go then.
They bid their goodbye’s to Reitu who is also up and preparing to leave for the police station. Yesterday after that call she spent a lot of time contemplating whether to go or not, after some much needed thought she took the decision of visiting the place. She felt she owed that to her sister and though she has not said it much, she feels there’s something fishy about Itu’s death too. Because she was unsure where she’d go or not, she kept the news about visiting the police station a secret from her mother. Seeing her smile after a long 2 weeks of nothing but sadness lifted some heaviness of her heart, as much as she wanted to tell her, she couldn’t. she thought this was not the right time to talk about whatever awaits her at the police station. Maybe after she’s caught the jinx of it and believes she can trust the detective from the call, only then she can tell her mother.
AT THE POLICE STATION
Det. Dikana comes to the front desk after being alerted he has a visitor. After pulling an all nighter preparing the materials he has been going through in order he’s not feeling very well but manages to put a smile on his face as he comes in contact with the person he as been waiting for.
Det.: I have been waiting for you. I am detective Kwanele Dikana by the way.
Reitu: morning, I am Reitumetse Maleka, but you can call me Reitu.
Det.: okay, nice to meet you Ms. Maleka, my office is this way.
Kwanele leads the and opens the door to his office. Reitu greets the person they find inside before she’s ushered to a chair. Gina smiles back and excuses herself as she can sense that whatever’s going to be discussed is super sensitive as per Kwanele’s words the previous day. Reitu judgementally looks at the clustered table then shifts her gaze to Kwanele who doesn’t seem to notice anything wrong.
Reitu: sis this how you work?
Kwanele: excuse me?
Reitu: this place’s a pigsty. Is your desk perhaps a trash can?
Kwanele: oh no, excuse that. I was here all night hence the empty coffee cups and a whole lot of other trash. Give me 5 minutes, I’ll clear the desk and then we can resume.
Reitu: you don’t have to do that on my account. You’re probably very tired right now if you pulled an all nighter. Let’s just get back to business and I will leave you be.
Kwanele: okay then. When chatting to your mother when she visited the station, I got grounds to believe that your now deceased sister worked at The Holy Grail Ministries as a secretary of some sort.
Reitu: I really don’t know a lot about what she did but yeah, she did work for those people.
Kwanele: okay… before she--- you know--- on the night she passed on, was there anything out of the ordinary with her behavior?
Reitu: something had been off and odd with her for a week or two before that. On the night of the incident, she came back home way earlier than she usually does and was not feeling well. She came home upset and crying. She locked herself in her room and started smashing stuff in there with the door locked. We later, mom and I had to clean the room.
Kwanele: did she say anything, or give any reasons he was upset?
Reitu: not, not really. I excused myself before mom investigated her. I later came back home and heard from mom she was not home and had run away drunk, after pushing her making her sprain her arm.
Kwanele: oh, she did mention that. Anything else?
Reitu: no.
Kwanele: tell me about the incident you mentioned that occurred a week or two before the preceding one.
Reitu: its more of the same as this one. She came back home angry again, locked herself up in her room and did not talk to anyone. She did that for a couple of days, she looked distraught and in pain, but she did not say anything. It was only later in the week that she started acting like ‘herself’ all happy and stuff.
Kwanele: would you say you and your sister had a good relationship like were you close with her?
Reitu: yes, we were.
Kwanele: did she share anything with you that had to do with her life and work?
Reitu: not really, we never talked about her work. We only talked about other things. Never work or her life.
Kwanele: I see.
Reitu: okay, you’ve been asking me questions forever, but I don’t get where this is going. Why did you call me here detective?
Kwanele: I won’t sugar coat this or try to beat around the bush. I’ll just say it as is.
Reitu: say what? What is it?
Kwanele: I have grounds to believe that The Holy Grail Ministries is actually the reason behind your sister’s death. That place runs a cult and their so-holy forever to be worshiped bishop is a cultist. There’s more that meets the eye to that man, and I will risk anything and everything I have to bring that place down and bring that evil man and his whole empire to justice.
Reitu stares at the man puzzled and lost for wors. Out of all the brainwashed people she’d met and lived with, not once did she think or even dream of meeting someone who saw different and shared her beliefs to a T., she stays stunned and shocked for a good minute until she finds herself again and speaks.
Reitu: what?! Are you saying that place killed my sister? Are you saying this was not some accident? Are you actually saying that my sister never suffered a heart attack and everything she suffered was induced and made to look the way it did because she was of no use?! Just who the hell do those people think they are that they can decide on their own who’s useful and who’s not. Where is the justice in all this?! Why did my sister have to die when all she merely did was work for that godforsaken place?
Kwanele: Ms. Please calm down. I understand how you feel. I know exactly how unjust it feels to have such happen. I get where you’re coming from, I totally do. Believe me. We will uncover the truth. It may hurt and you might want to give up sometime but please take your time to think this through. Whatever decision you make, I will support you. I will be there for you.
Reitu: my sister--- my poor sister--- after years and years she devoted herself to that nasty place, this is how they thank her. When I done said something was wrong with that church. No one ever believed me!!
Kwanele: I am so sorry for your loss again. When my older sister suffered the same fate, I lost all will to survive. I was in a dark space for months and shut out anyone who tried to help me or say a word. You’re handling this way better than I did. You are strong and I admire that about you.
THE HOLY GRAIL MINISTRIES
THE BISHOP’S OFFICE
Two young girls aged 15 and 16 stand in the middle of the office after being showered with praises by the bishop.
Bishop: you girls did great. I may have not praised you as much as I did with the youth, but I enjoyed your show better. When I asked who came up with the idea and I was pointed your way, I could not believe that such young souls did such great work. I rest assured every night knowing that the future of the ministry is in good hands.
Emihle: we are grateful to receive such wise words from you bishop. To be truthful we could not have done it without the help and encouragement from the church. Everything that happened with the showcase was because we have great support and an amazing leader.
Isabele: as she just said, it is an honour to be lamp of this flock and bed led by such a great leader. Coming to this church gave me stability and wisdom I could’ve never gotten anywhere else. Ima very grateful and thankful of all the work you have done bishop. You are a benevolent leader and a man of honour.
Bishop: you guys flatter me. I am grateful too. I miraculously feel young again. For the honour and as a way of showing I appreciate you, I have prepared something. You girls can take a seat in the meantime.
The girls follow on command and sit side by side on the couch across the room. They squeal in excitement as it still feels like a dream that they got to meet with the bishop. It is not every day that teenagers of this congregation get a one-on-one with the bishop. The fact that something of this grand gesture happened to them only means there’s great things coming for them.
The bishop closes the drawers of his desk after retrieving something. He paces two small bottles on top of the desk and moves towards the girls.
Bishop: as per tradition or common practice of this church. I’m usually in charge of discovering the holy ghost within any of you but not any earlier than 18 years. But because you guys have proved to have wisdom, I will be performing the ceremony a little earlier than other for you. You see those two bottles over there, we’re gonna use those to anoint you, to evoke the holy ghost within you and open your third eye. This may not make much sense right now, but after everything you will understand why I have to do this.
Them: yes, bishop.
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