The First Sleep
Thaswa is in his mid 40s. He has a beautiful wife, a handsome son of university attending age and a daughter in her late teens. Thaswa is still a full time staff of a recruitment service agent. The recruitment service agent is a well named agency for giving employment to the job seekers who mostly are, of course, youth. The process is simple. The Agent recruited staff go to companies, schools, transports, constructions, hospitals and government offices etc., collect vacancies and promise suitable candidates. The agency seeks applications from job hunters. Job seekers apply with their caliber and interest to the agency. The agents match the requirement of the employers with the interest of the seekers and make a deal. Once the job is fixed, the company pays the agent a fee equal to the half of the recruited employ’s salary. And the person who gets a job pays an amount equal to the half of his salary within two to three months of the start of the salary.
On June 26, 2008 the morning was calm and the door bell of Thaswa’s house rang unusually too early. His wife wiping her pus filled eyes opened the door to find three police men in front of the door showing a warrant and each one’s police identity medals. Thaswa was arrested and taken away. No one knew, why and where.
Thaswa is under police custody for a rape of a girl. Soon after the news of his arrest leaked from the police department, the mob took to street. The uncontrolled mob dismantled the first two floors of the three storied building where Thaswa was a full time staff of the recruitment service agent and stole all the furniture and office items from two of the three floors. Though late, police intervened and prevented the third floor from being destroyed and sealed it up.
On July 24, 2008 the court house was full of people. Policemen brought in Thaswa, removed his handcuff and let him occupy the podium. The hall was full of people and three members of his family sat behind, speechless motionless and ashamed. He was made to take oath. He took it saying he would speak truth, only truth. Some one read aloud the reason for presenting him before the court. On June 23, 2008 a girl, recently out from senior high school, reached the recruitment office; there were just two people in the room Thaswa and the girl…..the girl was raped. The details ran quite long…Then a few questions were asked to Thaswa. He denied his involvement in sexual approach. The lawyer for Thaswa begged for time to collect evidences to prove his client innocent. 15 days were granted.
On August 7, 2008, the court sat for another hearing. Both sides supplied evidences to prove their sides correct. All evidences do match. There is no evidence for the said 15 minutes when the very action took place. The agency has a system of recording audio videos of interview related events and of public places. The videos were lost during the mob psyche when the office was destroyed and looted.
The police and both the parties started searching for the video of the time. It was discovered. It did not show the entire bodies and face part but some actions were evident: action of forcing the cloths out, pull down of inner cloths, a shout, lay down of school bag, scattering of the pens…. The court closed with an order to present the victim girl in the next hearing.
On August 21, 2008 Thaswa was presented before the court where his wife, son and daughter took the back court seat. Thaswa with his new wrinkles and freshly swollen veins on his face occupied the podium swallowing larger bowls of saliva. He appeared as if he was freshly removed from an oven. The crowd filled the room and silent killed the crowd. The victim chose not to appear in front of all but behind a curtain from where she would speak and answer questions. All can hear but only the two lawyers and the judges can see her. If victims choose not to be open, they can do that. At first victim’s lawyer asked a serious of question to prove that she was raped by the convict. Then Thaswa’s lawyer made a few questions. Unable to tolerate the girl’s voice, Thaswa’s daughter left the court room and gave herself some peace on the lowest rung of the staircase outside the court. The victim finished her role and went out all drenched in tears and holding a rough turmoil for a thunderous cry. The Victim and the convict’s daughter had eye to eye contact. The court adjourned for another hearing. This time the lawyers made a plea and a guarantee on behalf of the convict. He was let to live with his family for 2 weeks until the next hearing when the decision would be taken by the court.
At home, the wife was addicted to alcohol. Alcohol you know is the solution to all worries and answer to the unsolvable situations. She had passed the test of two major strokes. The son pulled out of university and took up a part time job. Daughter left her preparation for the university entrance and became an assistant to a tailor. Thaswa remembered the sweetness of the bread he took in the custody and drank the tears internally, smiled a little and said “My children have become independent”. Next morning, he woke up unusually early, dressed up neatly, went around the house, made tea and prepared breakfast for the entire family- first time in his life as per his memory, and waited, at times fixing his neck tie in front of a mirror and other times looking through an open window. His wife came out with a hand bag under her arm pit and wishing him good morning, went out. While she was walking out, he stood up and asked where she was going. “A part time job” she replied and continued with a learned smile. The son kept on the bed dead or alive but motionless. His daughter came near him, looked closely what he had prepared and took a tea cup to express her courtesy to him. Sipped and went to her room. He opened the window wider and intensified his look of appreciation. By mid day he made around the house and all over inside at least a dozen times. His son came out hanging a big bag. “I need to catch up the job”. He rushed out throwing a bright smile at Thaswa. It wasn’t a natural smile. Father knew it correctly. Then he approached to his daughter and asked her to continue her preparation for university examination.
“How can I?” she replied. “The letters in the book tell the story of the court room, the answers for the practice questions come from the girl’s lips. I tried reading as revenge to the incident but dad, I simply could not. I go to the tailors, not because I get money to buy wine to mother to excite her stroke but because it is dark there and no body see me and I see none.
He spread almost exhausted smiles, arranged his neck tie and looked outside the window to see the changes in the leaves. “The autumn made the leaves brown and red, they look more beautiful” He does not understand what he says; will the troubled girl understand him?
He takes a walk outside his home, thought he was not permitted to do that. Far away, clothed in blue jacket and pants, his son was weeding a park. He was actively working to clean the park. He turned away, before the son saw him. In the town, he saw his wife down loading boxes of vegetables from a truck for a supermarket. He changed his way and entered a client deserted bar. He was there to forget himself. He met his boss, the owner under whom he worked for the recruitment agency. The boss approached him and from behind his shoulder he said “I did not wish to meet you here. She was of your daughter’s age”. Boss left the bar. Thaswa arranged himself and ordered a cup of un-tasted liquid. He added the order upon order. He forgot what he drank and he forgot who he was. Even in his control free motion he reached the park wheew his son was cleaning his last part and fell over a heap of dried autumn leaves collected for dumping. He supported his father to walk and the two went home shoulder to shoulder. All through the way Thaswa made big speeches as what a human should be. At home, daughter was back and preparing a family dinner. Instead of mother a message came. It said she was hospitalized for a stroke. Father was already on the floor with his silent stroke.
September 2, 2008 the court was full of people. Thaswa appeared in his best attire. His wife, son, daughter and the boss took the last seat. All stood up to welcome the chief Judge. Upon his approval seats were occupied, many did not have seats to sit. The days proceeding started. As per the system, First turn was of the victim’s lawyers to ask final round of questions if any and make final comment or suggestions or appeal. Then it was to be convict’s lawyer’s turn and on the rating of the judges, the chief judge was supposed to hammer the verdict. When the victim’s lawyer stood up to speak, Thaswa interrupted and said “I am guilty, I am the criminal. Please stop the proceeding here. I will take all responsibilities and punishments”. The hall turned into a frozen glacier. Pleased with it, the lawyer on other side took her seat. Judge gave a chance to convict’s lawyer for the final comment. He proceeded to show the two videos prepared earlier. Thaswa requested “The only worry I had was of my family. Now they are on their feet. I can go jail or hell. I am ready for it. Next worry is that if by your wit you prove me wrong, the little girl, of my daughter’s age will have to be guilty. I don’t want that”. Neglecting his words the two set videos were shown. The one recorded from the boss’s room on the third floor. Third floor that was saved from the mob’s destruction had all the savings safe. The third floor room was used as the remote control room to observe and record all the activities on the lower two stories. In this video, the girl enters greets talks and goes out starring all the walls as if frightened or nervous. Other video was the one shown earlier where only limited sections are shown. After an analysis of the Video, the convict Thaswa was declared innocent.
News papers carried the news. People made and spread other news that Thaswa bought the court with money. Thaswa could not live in the society and the town. He moved to this country with the aid of his friends. Just before, he drank for the second time, told the story for the first time. While I am typing his story here instead of my thesis, he is lying on my bed down ward. He seems relaxed for the first time.
By Govinda Rizal
kyoto Uji Okubo Asakura Danchi 50-1,
Nishi Okubo Banchi 22-204
Postal code 611-0033
Ph: 0081 (0)80 3812 9610