Loving a married Xhosa man

15.

Innocentia

I could hear footsteps approaching the holding cell as i was sitting on a narrow bench, staring blankly at the wall. My mind was everywhere, most importantly to my son who had no idea that his mother was arrested - i wondered if my parents knew about my arrest, but it didn’t matter anymore because i had accepted my fate.

I looked up and saw Stephen, his eyes quickly scanning the area, taking in the sterile environment.

"Mrs. Sobukwe."

"Uhm... thanks for coming, Stephen." I stood up and moved closer.

"Let's get down to business. Tell me what happened."

I took a deep breath.

"I don't know what I was thinking. I was angry after finding out about their... look, i didn’t mean to cause any damage okay?"

He nodded, jotting down notes.

"And what about the documents? The officer's report mentions stolen ID and certificates."

"I wasn't thinking. I just grabbed what I could."

"Here's what we're up against: unlawful entry, theft, trespassing, and vandalism. We'll need to strategize."

He paused, studying my worried face.

"But first, let's get you out of here. I'll post bail and we'll start building your defense."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. We have work to do."

He then turned and left. I was all alone - again.

I thought Msimelelo would come to see me but he never did. I'm not even sure he followed us to the police station or not, something inside me told me that he was tired of fighting for me and i had to let go. He couldn't even look at me last night when the police were handcuffing me - could it be because he was involved in my arrest?

I sat down on the bench again, my mind was about to blow up as i was thinking about the betrayal, my arrest, my son and the fact that it was our anniversary the next day. A part of me blamed myself for what was happening to me but if my husband wasn't a cheater and a good for nothing man, i wouldn't be in that situation.
-
Six hours later, Stephen and i walked out of the courthouse. I rubbed my wrists, relieved to be free from the handcuffs.

"It's not over yet. Bail's just the first step. We need to focus on your defense."

I nodded, looking around nervously.

"What's next?"

Truly speaking, i was looking around for my husband but he was nowhere to be seen - it was just me and Stephen.

"We'll review the evidence, speak with witnesses, and prepare your statement. I'll also negotiate with the prosecution to potentially reduce charges."

As we reached his car, i hesitated.

"Stephen... what if... what if I did do it?"

His expression turned serious.

"My job is to defend you to the best of my abilities. We'll work together to achieve the best possible outcome, whether you did it or not. And i believe someone who's smart like you wouldn't do something like this for no reason right?"

He then opened the car door.

"Now, let's get you home. We have work to do tomorrow."

The drive to my place was quiet, both of us lost in thought. As we reached the driveway, he stopped the car and sighed. I could tell he was worried about me but he didn't want to be the one asking questions, he wanted me to talk - whenever i was ready.