Jackie met up with Robbie in a mid city pub. She had already seen Mr. Thuo who had assured her that the injunction plus a caution on her land would be served before Friday. Robbie had spent the day at work.

“My father called.” He told her after she ordered her drink.

She couldn’t help but smile sardonically, “I’m not surprised. What did he say about us this time?”

“He thinks I involve myself too much in your life. That no decent girl will want to be my wife as long as I’m with you.”

“Do you believe him?”

“Even if I did it, I’m not ready to go off and get married at my age.”

“Hey, I know guys who are married with two kids by the time they turn twenty-five.”

“Yeah, well… besides who will take care of you if I go off and marry some girl my father chooses for me?”

“I can take care of myself, Robbie, you know that. And I don’t think your father would chose a wife for you.”

“Oh believe me, he would. It has to be someone from the slopes, from a family as well off as my father.”

“Whose parents didn’t die of AIDS?”

“Okay, let’s talk about something else. Did you talk to Steven?”

They talked about what Steven had told her. Then she mentioned her aunt Emily’s visit.

“She offered to pay the bank?”

“Yes. And let me keep the piece where the house is. She wants to built flats on the rest of the world.”

“And you said no?”

“I kind of lost it. Accused her of taking the loan.”

“Oh no, you didn’t!”

“Did, too. She didn’t do it, though. I don’t think she knew anything beyond the auction notice. She just saw a good deal. I mean, it is a pretty good place to built flats.”

“Yes. Hang in there, Jackie, we’ll get through this, too.”

They were about to leave the pub when Larry Kaiza approached their table. Jackie hadn’t noticed him until he stopped and said her name.

“Jackie, its good to see you.” He did look really pleased to see her. Larry was Jackie’s cousin. He was just a year older than she was and last she heard, he was studying Law at the Nairobi University.

Larry was a pleasant person. He had always been nice to Jackie and her siblings though his father Owino Kaiza had been barely civil to his brother’s wife and children. After Christopher died, Owino Kaiza had turned cruel even brutal, aggressively throwing Alice and her kids out of all his brother’s homes. Jackie had seen Larry’s eyes then. He had been pained.

“Hey, Larry, It’s good to see you, too. Meet my friend Robbie. Robbie, my cousin Larry.”

As the boys shook hands, Jackie wondered if Larry knew what was going on with her land. He’d never really kept in touch with her, but Jackie was sure he knew that her mother had died.

Robbie hit it off with Larry immediately. In no time, Larry had joined them and they weren’t leaving so fast.

It was going on four-thirty, when Jackie insisted that she had to leave. The boys gave in after a little struggle.

“Listen, why don’t I buy take out for you, so you don’t have to go and start cooking. Larry offered.

Jackie shook her head to decline, but Robbie shut her up, “That’s a good idea, Larry. In fact I’ll chip in.”

A few minutes later, they left the pub, Robbie carrying a bag full of treats that the kids would go crazy about. As they parted ways, Larry patted Robbie’s shoulder, “Take care of her, Robbie. I love her.”

Robbie nodded, ” I love her, too. Call me soon, buddy.”

Larry did call Robbie, The next day. They met at a pub close to Robbie’s place of work.

Larry had noticed that things were off with Jackie. He wanted to know what was wrong.

Over drinks, Robbie gave him the details of the situation. Larry listened with an expression that Robbie read as not- surprised.

“So are you her man?”

“What would that have to do with the situation?” Robbie asked, trying to gauge Larry’s countenance.

“It’s just that I got the impression that you two are close.”

“Yes, we are.”

“But it’s not official? I mean that you are her man.”

“Something like that.”

“Then she must have told you that I’m the son of the man who is largely responsible for throwing Jackie’s family out of their father’s home.”

“She mentioned it. But she says you are different.”

“I am. I care about Jackie.”

“Yet, you didn’t keep in touch with her.”

“Its complicated, Robbie. But I really do care about Jackie. I hate to see what they’ve done to her.”

“She’s fine, Larry. She’s a strong girl.”

“Because of you?”

“No. She’d be fine even without me. But as long as I am around I’ll do all I can for her.”

“So will I. I have some money. I was saving it up for something else. But I want her to take it. It’s the least I can do.”

“You are not responsible for your father’s action. Jackie’s knows that.”

“When my father dies, I will inherit his properties, which include what is rightfully Jackie’s. How do you think I feel about that, Robbie?”

*****

Robbie and Larry arrived at the farm just as Jackie sent of the evening milk to the community dairy.

The kids watched Larry from a distance, not able to trust him. Only little Brandon bounded of to meet Robbie and greet the stranger he couldn’t possibly remember.

When Jackie saw them she left what she was doing to greet and welcome them.

“What are you guys doing here?” She asked kissing each on the cheek with pleasure in her eyes.

“I have to have a reason to visit my favorite girl?” Robbie asked, hoisting Brandon up into his arms, “and this tiger?” Brandon giggled as Robbie tickled him.

“And it’s about time I visited you, don’t you think?” Larry chipped in, glancing at the kids watching curiously from the doorway.

Jackie waved to them, ” Come on, you guys, say hello to your cousin,” she urged.

The kids shook hands with him warily. Jackie smiled apologetically. Larry smiled with pleasure, “It’s so good to see everyone. They’ve all really grown. What class are you in?” he asked Alex.

“First Form.” Alex said briefly and disappeared into the house. Jessie picked up Jackie’s fondness for Larry and warmed up to him, “Come on in, cousin. Will you stay the night?” She took him by the arm and led him into the living room.

“No. I’ll stay with Robbie tonight. But we can arrange for me to stay here some other time.”

Jessie took her younger sisters and guided them to the kitchen, beaming at Jessie, “We’ll fix dinner.”

William and Simon went off to finish their chores. Danielle went back to her collage design, and Brandon went to look for Alex.

“So why are you here?” Jackie asked as soon as they were alone Larry chuckled, “you are so sure its something?”

“Year. I knew you’d see each other again after again after you exchanged numbers last night. Or do you think I didn’t notice?”

“Obviously you did notice,” Robbie couldn’t help but smile. Even when she was trouble, she was still an astute observer.

“So what is it? Did you find out about something? The loan?” Her eyes reflected an urgent desire for an explanation for the pain she had been going through the last few days.

“No, not really.” Larry glanced at Robbie, indicating that he should be the one to tell her.

Robbie pushed to the edge of his seat, “Jackie, the injunction might be able to stop the auction for a while. But if the investigation doesn’t come up with evidence to prove fraud, you might still loose the land.”

“But we will do all we can to prove that I didn’t take the loan. Steve said-”

“Did he mention that there are dozens, maybe hundreds of similar cases that have not ended favorably for the owner of the land?” Larry interrupted asking her pointedly.

Jackie covered her face and fought the tears. Robbie moved to sit next to her and placed his arm around her. “We are not suggesting you give up. We are just saying that you should have a contingency plan.”

“What plan, Robbie? I don’t have the money for any kind of plan! I don’t have any other property!” she looked at them with pain in her eyes, “What? I let Emily buy us off?”

Larry reached out and touched her arm, hoping to calm her down, “Jackie. My family is causing you this pain. Everything they have done to you has led to this. I wouldn’t be surprised if the loan is traced back to them .I can’t make things right cousin, but I can help you now. If you let me.”

*****

Jackie stayed up late after Robbie and Larry left. As she had discussed the situation with the boys, things had come to her mind. Things her mother had said during her last few days of living, things that Jackie had found too painful to bear, things that Jackie had found now nagged her mind.

Christopher Otieno had not written a will. That had been strange because he had been on the forefront of a panel of professionals advising men and women to write last testaments for the protection of their families and loved ones.

The only thing Christopher had left for his family, was a piece of land registered in his eldest daughter’s name, and a small sum of money for her college tuition, that she was unable to access until she turned eighteen nearly 7 months after his death.

Christopher had been a wealthy man. A doctor, and an investor. How it was that his brothers took over everything he owned, leaving his wife and children destitute, Jackie still could not understand. But what confused her even more was her own mother’s lack of will to defend what was rightfully hers.

Alice hadn’t even tried to challenge the brothers’ decision to throw her out of her marital home. True, Alice and Christopher had never legally married, but surely their children had rights under the law, didn’t they?

Alice had only shrunk back, to wither up and die. She had not even been buried beside her husband. She had been buried in a cemetery like a woman with no home. All she had said was, “What will be, will be.”

Now, so many months later, Jackie was filled with bitter anger.

At her parents for not protecting themselves from AIDS, and for dying on their children, leaving them orphaned and unprotected from the cruel world.

At the relatives on both sides for the role they had played in the situation.

At the world for making it possible to have so much pain and suffering.

At God, for allowing so much pain and suffering to haunt the lives of so many people.

Jackie hadn’t cried before, but now she found herself choking in bitter tears. The tears didn’t bring much relief, because soon it was morning, and the light of day shone on all her troubles.

*****

A temporary injunction was granted pending a hearing of both parties on the 1st of October; exactly one week after the auction sale should have taken place.

In the days leading up to the hearing, Jackie tried to live the day as normally as possible, but at night she was sleepless with thoughts that led her around like a cow by the noose.

On the night before the hearing, Jackie woke up from a restless doze with a jar. Shaken she tried to assemble her scattered thoughts. It took time but her thoughts finally formed one bold thought.

Christopher Otieno had left a will!

She couldn’t form the hows or whys, but she was sure of that one fact. It would be the only thing that could possibly make sense, Jackie decided. Somehow, someone had found a way to stop it from being read to the family, making it possible for Christopher’s brothers to do what they had done.

The only people with a vested interest in the will note being read, would be the people who had benefited from the situation.

Jackie had no idea what she could possibly do to find the truth, but she knew that she did have to find the truth. She also knew that no matter the outcome of the hearing, She was going to remain strong for herself and for her siblings.

It was with a heart strong with determination to survive that she walked into the courtroom and joined her lawyer before the magistrate.

After her lawyer presented her case, Jackie listened intently as the bank’s lawyer presented their side of story. It sounded to her like an intricate legal tale that she almost could not believe she was involved in it.

The bank claimed that she, Jackie Wangui Otieno was in a default of her repayment obligations and that the right to sell the land in exercise of the bank’s statutory power of sale had been triggered.

Her lawyer, Mr. Steven Thuo had already pointed out that the alleged loan had not been taken out by the plaintiff, Jackie Wangui Otieno but by an unknown individual impersonating the plaintiff and using falsified documents.

The bank insisted that those claims were yet to be proven, but as for their part, they were only exercising their statutory power of sale. With regards to that they had served valid notices on the plaintiff by registered post to an address provided by the plaintiff on the loan application forms.

Mr. Steven Thuo had already said that the alleged post office box did not belong to Jackie and therefore she had not received any notices.

Jackie was still swimming in the legal lingo when the magistrate declared that she was extending the injunction to stand until a thorough investigation into the alleged fraud had been conducted and the findings presented to the court.

Robbie was waiting for her outside the court when emerged just after partying ways with Mr. Thuo. For a fleeting second it occurred to her that Robbie had been there for her during all the most important events of her short miserable life. That thought was cut short by the sight of Angelie Shinali walking right up to her.

“Jackie.” It was the same shrill squeaky voice, Jackie remembered from Christmas holidays at the patriarchal home in Nyanza.

Angelie was the daughter of Frederique Anyango. Frederique was Christopher’s and Owino’s younger sister and was married to Zablon Shinali of Kitale.

As kids, Jackie, Angelie, Larry and all the other cousins would be sent to the patriarchal home for the holidays. Jackie remembered now, that one of the meanest bullies among the cousins had been shrill squeaky and crude Angelie.

“Angelie.” Jackie was about to step away and walk on, but Angelie reached out for her arm.

“Cousin, I came here because I heard about your case. I just want to wish you all the best.” Angelie’s voice had a hint of softness that almost surprised Jackie.

As usual, Jackie’s emotional barriers shot high and strong. “Thank you, Angelie.” She stepped away, “If you’ll excuse me.”

And she went to Robbie, not looking back for even one second.  Angelie sighed in her heart, ” You are still not smart, Jackie.”

© Juliet Maruru 2009 www.jmaruru.wordpress.com