Battles in the shadows

VENGEANCE IS MINE

Warning: This chapter contains some violence and use of very strong language. My apologies. Thank you!

"The Watchman is an organization that existed long back in the eighties. The urgency came after ten of of our children were involved in terrible tragic "accidents" in the homes of those that adopted them." Mama Joe's hard face turned soft and almost vulnerable. She sat back and closed her eyes as she reminisced on the past. The overflowing tears, the screams, the scars - emotional and physical, made her heart sore beyond description.

"You might be wondering where I was when all the terrible things happened to Lauretta." She said with her eyes closed and her hands clasped together. Lauretta. The child she carried in her arms from the dumpsite; the child that called her "Mama" and gave love even though abandoned by her parents. Tears began to flow down Mama Joe's face. She stood up with the gun still dangling on her right index finger. Her audience sat down still paralysed with fear and perplexed beyond words. She knelt in front of Lauretta and begin to sob.

"I am sorry my child that I could not protect you from those cruel humans. I am so sorry I wasn't able to be there for you."

"Mama Joe, you are not responsible because you are not God. You can't be everywhere and even with all that happened, I am here alive."

"Alive and broken!" Mama Joe yelled and stood up so fast as if jolted back into reality by an electric wand.

The doorbell rang again and this time, it was none other than the invalid Koketso.

She came with a friend.

Mama Joe took her cellphone from her pocket and dialed a number.

"Say "goodbye" to your friend if you don't want me to blow her head out." She said in an authoritative tone and opened the gate. Soon enough, Koketso's friend wheeled her into the Rakwela's compound and left.

Koketso wheeled herself inside to join the party.

"What is happening here?"

"You are welcome to our beautiful family gathering." Mama Joe said with a sardonic laughter and wheeled her right next to Vincent, leaving the latter at the center with his wife at the  other side.

"The ex-girlfriend and baby Mama as well as the legal wife. What a lovely sight!" She said in a thunderous voice like she was a lead actor in a play.

"We have the other parents... the betrayers? I mean those who love to abandon the innocent just like the biological parents...you guys should exchange notes on improving your skills." She said sarcastically and smiled.

"Next we have the adoptive parents who claim to be righteous and my child's saviour. Unfortunately Lorato died a miserable death but anyway her husband is doing well in prison as a handicap." She laughed out loud and began pacing around slowly.

"Mompati, you found out about the evil perpetrated under your roof but you decided to do something about it. Please share it with us or do you want me to share with you my beautiful finds?" Mompati didn't respond and this earned him a cheek crushing slap from Mama Joe.

Everyone seem to gasp all at once.

Mama Joe gave him another slap then pointed the gun at him, with tears running down her face she screamed over and over again.

"Your good for nothing son sexually abused this innocent child in your care and you did NOTHING! about it!!!"

More gasps escaped her captives' throats then a piercing scream broke the near silence. It came from Latoya. She stood up abruptly as if she couldn't get away fast enough from her husband.