Nonhlanhla - Fortunate

One

Nonhlanhla

I'm having trouble swallowing, my throat feels tight, like its closing and I can't breathe properly.

This is my first time in a police station and I can't help but feel nervous. I came in a while ago and the police woman I spoke to said to sit down and someone would come speak to me shortly...that was 30 minutes ago.

I'm feeling confused about these charges and anxious because I haven't seen or spoken to my husband since they took him away. My husband and I are law abiding citizen's, we pay our taxes, he is involved in community watch groups, I volunteer at our church's soup kitchens and Warren doesn't have so much as a driving ticket and yet here I am. Sitting on a police station bench, with police officers walking past me, some even dragging people in handcuffs, hoping and praying to see my husband.

The only reason I haven't completely lost my mind is the child sleeping in my arms. I hold on to him a little tighter, and kiss his forehead my precious Khanya, he really is the light of my life.

It's as if the weather chose to mirror my mood today because it had changed drastically from clear sunny sky's to thunder and lightning with dark clouds looming with no rain.

If someone had told me when I woke up this morning that I would be sitting at the police station, waiting to see my husband behind bars I would not have believed them...

On the 14th of April at 10:32 am the police came knocking on our door, I had been surprised having never been visited by the police before. They were looking for my husband and as soon as he had shown his face, they came in and arrested him.

I honestly froze. I watched speechless as they handcuffed him, told him what he was charged with and repeated his rights to him then led him to the back of the police van.

Rackettering, Money Laundering and Murder.

Rackettering, Money Laundering and Murder.

Those were the words I kept repeating to myself, like a mantra so I wouldn't forget as I stood frozen. I watched as the police got into the van and drove away with him, leaving me alone.

As the police van drifted further away from view, I snapped out of my daze and quickly went to the kitchen, grabbing my phone off the counter and I scrolled down to the only person I could think of right now, Hlelile, one of my few close friends and more importantly, my attorney.

"Nhlanhla?", "uboshiwe (he was arrested), the police just knocked on our door looking for him and they took him away"

"Slow down! Who did they take away?", " Warren!"

"Which police station did they take him to?", "I don't know"

" Did they have a warrant?", "I don't know"

"Why did they arrest him?", " It's ridiculous Hleli, like Warren would ever commit a crime like..", "I know but lets focus what are they charging him with?", "Rackettering, Money Laundering and ..and M-Murder." This is followed by silence on her end.

"But you can get him out right, this is Warren, you know him, he would never!" She doesn't respond to this instead she asks more questions, " Did they say anything else?", "No!, all I heard is what I told you and I'm scared because I don't know what's going on, just... i don't know... just help me! "

Panic had begun to set in and my feet were pacing trying to keep up with how fast my mind was racing. " They probably took him to the nearest police station so I'll call you once I've found him, don't worry I'll take care of this just...stay calm."