DE JAVU

[Published in the Weekend Nation]

Cloudless skies marked the Saturday morning that welcomed Sabudu when he got up. This being his first morning out of prison where he stayed for two solid years, for mob justice, Sabudu was taking his time. For some years, Sabudu, with much zeal, had helped many robbers to their early graves before the law caught up with him. However, he hated the reason that made him such a mob justice fanatic in the first place. It sent jitters down his spine.

He later reclined into a Ndalema chair outside his house under a shade, enjoying every moment of the beautiful morning. He calmly listened to birds beautifully sing and watched chickens scrap close-by.

Hours later, Sabudu was blissfully getting up, having decided to drive to the bank when suddenly two white cocks stated to fight. For a second his knees were rubbery, and his shoulders sagged. He slumped back into the chair, shaking. The cockfight reminded him of that frightful incident he loathed to be reminded of, that incident that made him the mob justice zealot. He ferociously fought a mental war to purge it from his mind, but failed. He felt its pangs as if it happened just a second ago.

It happened one lovely day when he was nineteen years old. He sat chatting with his parents, a worthy business couple, outside their house when two white cocks started to fight nearby. Then from nowhere three armed robbers arrived in a car. Two got out and one with a gun demanded money from his parents. His mother had screamed with raw fear. He fired erratically before he was out of bullets. Sabudu was missed. His parents were not. They were dead before their bodies had hit the ground. The robbers had tried to escape, but people overpowered them and surrendered them to police. 

Nonetheless, they mysteriously escaped from jail. And the attempt to bring them back to justice was laughable; to be precise, there was no effort at all. The issue eventually died a natural death. Sabudu felt let down. It was this sense of disappointment that turned him into a mob justice fanatic, whether it was a case of mistaken identity or not. He never minded the long arm of the law. To him that ‘long arm’ had calculatingly failed to bring the murderers of his parents to justice. However, when he was arrested, and went through hell in prison he vowed to change.

However, that day’s cockfight made him realize how fresh the incident was still in his life. He now knew no amount of torture would dim his frustration, grief, and anger. He was the same mob justice enthusiast as ever.

He grumpily got up again, painfully ambled to his car, and drove to the bank.

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

They parked their car on PQ. As usual, Manuele had remained inside, left the engine running, and waited for his accomplices robbing the bank. However, they just took too long. According to plan, they would have been speeding off to their hideout by now. He sensed things were horribly wrong. His friends always stuck to plans. Moreover, to make things worse, armed police officers arrived in some vehicle. Seeing outright danger Manuele sped-off.

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

Sabudu was solemnly entering the bank premises when he met a car of similar make as his, making chaotic exit. It nearly smashed into his. Sabudu suppressed a curse, his embattled mood worsening. He moodily packed at the only available space, PQ. 

He was about to get out when gunshots rumbled. People shouted, running helter-scatter. Then two brutal masked men with guns frantically rushed into his car.

“Manuele, drive!” one of them had madly shouted, in a voice recognizable to Sabudu. He could never miss that voice; that voice brutally demanded money from his parents years ago. Sabudu felt a violent gush of blood to his head. He turned towards them, his body quaking with rage. And a sense of distress reigned in the two thugs when they realized he was not Manuele. 

However, unexpectedly stones started to rain on the car. Confused, Sabudu engaged top gear and wanted to speed-off. But it was never to be. A mob descended on them ruthlessly. Within seconds, the car was up in flames. Sabudu felt distraught, fearing for his life. He wanted to shout that he was innocent, but a resolute brick smashed his mouth to tatters.