CIRCLE OF REVENGE

CIRCLE OF REVENGE

First Published in The New Vision, Saturday April 19, 1997 at page 19 

By Daniel R. Ruhweza

“I…. I am sorry Mom,” Dave gasped for his breath.“You were right all along. I should have listened to you. 

You were right all along.”                                                                                                                

“It’s alright Son, only you matter now, you are going to be fine,” Jemimah, tear choked, said.   After a heave, a weak one at that, Dave breathed his last. His father looked out of the hospital window, red hot tears burning in his eyes. He heard Jemimah sob -  deep painful heart wrenching sobs.

Dave was borne to a religious family; his father, Didymus Rweseremeza, was a wealthy farmer owning large heads of cattle and immense hectares of land. Dave’s mother, Jemimah, a slim light skinned long necked beauty in her early forties was the headmistress of the powerful Zoro Academy, one of the leading schools in their home area in South Western Uganda.

A lone child, Dave seemed to have all the physical features his father had – he was tall, strongly built with a deep forehead and an unexplainable mischievous look – he had attended his mother’s school and having passed A’ levels with straight A’s, he was admitted to the prestigious Makerere University where he had attained an honours degree in Political Science and was employed at the Secretariat of the Governing political party – People’s Patriotic Party as Assistant General Secretary.

The day was January 20, 1987, Dave was seated in his office one dull afternoon, gazing out to the world outside his window. Marabou Storks pecked hungrily at a dustbin nearby, a group of children were playing “Cops and Robbers” and for a moment, Dave was engrossed in their happy, jolly laughter and fun. Suddenly someone knocked sharply at his door, his young secretary Becky pocked her head through the door;

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

“A Miss Naiga to see you Sir,” Becky announced with a wink.

“Send her in,” Dave said, adjusting his tie into place.

A while later, a striking figure walked in, Ms. Naiga was a tall slender beauty with a lovely chocolate brown skin. Dave did not fail to notice her uneasy attitude. Having offered her a seat, Dave leaned back in his well cushioned suede seat and asked briskly,

“Well Miss, what can I do for you?”

“My name is Sandra Naiga, a graduate from Soroti Flying School”

She went on to narrate how she was a staunch supporter of the party and wanted to participate fully in the same …...as she talked, Dave scanned her face; she had a fine set of teeth he noticed; she smiled as she handed him a copy of her CV, she had stopped talking.

“Oh…...um so, you have been participating in the party’s affairs, right?” Dave stammered, ashamed he had been caught off guard.

“Yes sir, and I would love to be employed as a pilot,” Sandra chipped in. Dave tore his face from hers, he couldn’t help noticing the smile playing at the side of her lips. A chill run down his back.

He buried himself into the CV in his hand, and as he scanned through it, he noticed that one of the referees was a Mr. Isaac Okwu; the Director of Uganda Small Scale Industries. Dave’s face developed a deep frown. “You know Mr. Okwu I see?” Dave quizzed.

“I worked for him during my long vacation,” Sandra quickly said. “He is now my fiancée,” she quickly added.

“Do you know him too?” she asked.

Dave’s mind was already lost in thought. Mr. Okwu was Dave’s worst enemy. Right from secondary school, Dave and Isaac never saw eye to eye. Dave beat Isaac at the elections for Head Prefect and went ahead to ensure that Isaac was expelled from the school for harbouring drugs (Marijuana) which Dave had had placed in Isaac’s suitcase. Dave could still remember the look on Isaac’s face when he was expelled from school. Dave’s joy was short lived because that very night, Isaac organised a gang of rogues who beat up Dave leaving him with an ugly scar on his left shoulder. Sandra noticed as Dave’s right hand slid across his chest and touched the scar which was bulging under his well pressed Van Hausen shirt. She coughed loudly and once again, brought Dave back to reality. “Oh sorry about that, you see, this foo…...Sorry Mr. Okwu and I go far back,” Dave said.

“Do…. Do come back tomorrow, I’ll have an answer for you then,” he continued.

“Thank you Sir,” she replied, “I’ll be very honoured working with you”

She walked out in the most seductive way possible, leaving Dave contemplating, her strong perfume still lingering on.

When she was out, Dave leaped out in joy, threw Sandra’s CV in the air and punched the air;

“Yes, it is show time – time to revenge,” he yelled at the kids outside his window, sending them running.

Dave while in Makerere University was chairman of Lumumba Hall and Isaac while in drunken stupor had raped Dave’s girlfriend Nancy. Isaac had been expelled from the university thus forfeiting his medical career. Being a brilliant chap, Isaac had established himself as a serious entrepreneur, thus his present status.

In the events that followed, Dave in his excitement of pending revenge, told his parents of his plan. Despite their warning and pleading, he refused to budge. Jemimah pleaded further, “Revenge is not yours but for the Lord, My Son. Let the Lord do Justice on your behalf.”[1] Dave’s heart was too hard to listen.

Sandra Naiga was now Dave’s personal pilot. Flying him in and out and around the country as he carried out his duties. She pretended to ignore Dave’s advances towards her but as he persisted more and more, she gave in.

Two months later, Sandra announced that she was with child and as expected, Dave sacked her from work under the umbrella of incompetence, he refused to recognise the pregnancy as his responsibility. As Sandra packed her bags and left his house, Dave imagined he saw Isaac way back in school being expelled too.

To Dave, all was going on as planned, he had had his way with Isaac Okwu’s fiancée and nothing was much sweeter than the revenge he had tasted.

December 23, 1989

Dave was cleaning his desk for the Christmas holidays, he was now full General Secretary of the party. He felt like the luckiest man on earth.

Becky knocked at his door and placed a pink coloured card on his desk,

“Another card for you Sir.”

“Thank you Becky,” Dave smiled at her as he slipped the card into his briefcase and walked out to his black Volvo.

Dave had planned to spend the holidays with his parents, and as he drove to his parents’ home, he reviewed the events of the past year and smiled mischievously.

As fate would have it, he opened his briefcase which was lying in the co-drivers’ seat, removed the card with his left hand and tore it open. The card looked neat and attractive but its handwriting that pulled his eye, and the message was simple.

“It worked out as planned. Sandra Naiga was HIV positive. She died last night. You sure did fall for the trap – She was never pregnant. You should have seen us laugh as she came back to me – What a lovely circle of revenge. I am going to die; happy you are going to follow suit. Merry Christmas – HAHAHA – See you in Hell!!”  Isaac Okwu

 

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Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Romans 12:17-19 (NKJV)

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[1] Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Romans 12:17-19 (NKJV)