THE JAILBIRD Episode 15 ®18 Snvl
©Aaron A.A
Elaine turns the lock of the door, and then she walks forward and holds Effe’s hands in solidarity.
Chris turns away from her.
He cannot bear the sheer hatred in her eyes.
He walks to the window and stands still, with his back to her, and his head bowed.
He squee-zes his eyes shut ti-ghtly, but the tears seep throu-gh anyway, and fall down his cheeks.
He can hear sirens now, and knows the police have arrived.
He feels someone beside him, and when he opens his eyes he sees Eyram standing there.
She t©uçhes his arm gently, and her eyes never leave his tortured face.
EYRAM
I’m really sorry, CB.
He cannot speak. His tears are threatening to bur-st out like a dam.
The door rattles.
Elaine moves forward and opens it.
Two policemen come in.
One has an eye-patch over one eye. It is Chief Inspector Danso Cuger.
With him is the hvge Sergeant McBaiden.
CHIEF INSPECTOR CUGER
There he is. The ****ing b******! Seems you’re going to serve the rest of your five years after all. Cuff him, Ato.
Cuger takes out his gun and points it at the back of Chris.
McBaiden takes out a pair of handcuffs and approaches Chris.
MCBAIDEN
(nastily)
Hands behind your back, Bawa.
Chris puts his hands behind his back, and McBaiden locks the handcuffs on him.
The policeman shoves Chris forward savagely.
EYRAM
(angrily)
Hey! Is that how you’re supposed to treat a prisoner, sir?
McBaiden looks at her with his nas-ty little eyes.
MCBAIDEN
Bet you’ll sing a different song if you had been the r@p£ victim, doctor!
Effe shakes her head sadly at Chris, whose eyes still glimmer with tears as he looks at her.
Elaine has her phone out, and she is recording.
Cuger wags a stern f!nger at her.
CHIEF INSPECTOR CUGER
I’ll advice you not to do that, Ma’am.
They take Chris out.
Effe is trembling as she walks dejectedly towards her sister.
EFFE
(weeping soundlessly)
How could he, Rammy? How could he? How could he do that to Junior? Oh, Lord! When will this b****** st©p hurting us?
Eyram says nothing. She takes her sister in her arms and consoles her, fighting ha-rd to keep her tears away and to st©p the pain in her own heart.
Elaine is bur-sting with excitement.
The video she has captured is perfect, and will serve for her programme. She can’t wait to get to the studio and her live audience.
ELAINE
(gently)
Seems to me you guys can’t make it to the studio with me now, right?
EFFE
(distraught)
Sorry, Elaine. Another time. Can’t take it now.
Elaine nods, and then she leaves the two sisters alone.
STUDIO 44, HEARTBEAT TELEVISION
The Studio is filled to capacity for the recording of GIRL VIBZ, the most popular talk show in the country hosted by the beautiful Elaine Boateng.
The downstairs and upstairs seats are all taken, mostly by women. The main stage is a beautiful design, with stands for performing artists.
The talk area has beautifully-moulded armchairs and a breath-taking background art.
A crimson ceiling to floor p@rtitioning to one side of the talk area suddenly p@rts, and Elaine emerges, walking on a red carpet.
She is dressed in a spectacular cream Sk-irt suit.
The c@m£ra pans to follow her from above, to the side and finally to a full facial sh0t as she enters the studio.
There is applause as the studio audience get to their feet and give her a standing ovation.
She smiles and waves to her audience, and then as the applause dies down slowly she faces the c@m£ra, and her face is sad, and millions of viewers nationwi-de watch, and wait for her intro.
ELAINE
(sadly)
Today, our t©pic is BEASTS IN OUR MIDST. We’re going to talk about the criminals we lock away, who do time, and come back to society. Do our prisons really change some of these ha-rd core criminals, or make them worse? What happens when they come back and commit even more heinous crimes? What about ha-rd ened criminals who are supposedly pardoned by special presidential orders? What does that mean to our safety as a people and as a nation? Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to GIRL VIBZ, where today we talk about a p@rticular beast who has been re-leased into our midst!
Once again there is thun-derous applause.
Elaine waves to the audience as she walks to the talk area and stands behind a beautiful glas-s-t©pped podium. She holds up her hand, and the noise dies down slowly until silence reigns.
ELAINE
Before I continue, let me show you something. Welcome one of my special guests for today, Miss. Adwoa Timtim!
The p@rtition p@rts, and a young lady is seen wheeling herself in.
She is sitting in a wheelchair, and she has only her right leg.
Her left leg is missing.
The c@m£ra gives a close-up sh0t of her face, and she appears to be in some pain. She is a pathetic sight, and the audience is silenced.
The millions of people who are watching the show on television are also silent.
Eyram, who is with Effe in her house, is sitting in an armchair. She is eating vanilla ice cream, and she st©ps with a scoop raised to her mouth, and looks over at Effe.
Effe is sitting dejectedly in her seat, watching the programme.
EYRAM
Isn’t that girl the one Chris knocked down with a car five years ago?
EFFE
(numbly)
My God! Yes, she is!
Eyram puts the spatula back in the ice cream and shakes her head sadly.
EYRAM
(accusingly)
Did you know Elaine was going to do a programme on Chris tonight?
EFFE
(shaking her head)
No, I didn’t, Rammy. But why do I hear a note of anger in your voice? Chris doesn’t do himself any favours, don’t you think? And he did r@p£ Elaine. I don’t think she’s ever going to forgive him for that. She’ll pick on him at any given opportunity, and I don’t blame her so much for that.
Back on the television the c@m£ra is panning around, picking up the faces of some of the people in the audience, concentrating on their looks of sadness and horror.
The c@m£ra comes to rest on Afful and Steve sitting on the upper terraces, and they are both smiling.
The c@m£ra swings back to Adwoa Timtim, who has brou-ght her wheelchair to a st©p at the talk area, and is sitting still with a sad look on her face.
She is young, about sixteen years old.
Elaine walks forward solemnly and stands besides Adwoa Timtim.
She places a hand on the girl’s shoulder, and then she looks into the c@m£ra again.
ELAINE
(sombrely)
Five years ago Adwoa Timtim was a happy girl. She was eleven years old, and she was walking along the beach road on her way home with her father. That was the time Mr. Chris Bawa was driving his car. You all remember Mr. Bawa, don’t you? He was then co-foun-der of FINE GOJU. Chris was drun!k, and he was high on cocaine that day. He smashed poor Adwoa into a coconut tree on the wayside. Adwoa was rushed to the hospital. She lost her left leg that day. She was a victim of that beast, Mr. Chris Bawa!
Elaine pauses for effect.
The c@m£ra zooms in on the tearful face of Adwoa, and the looks of horror on the faces of the audience.
Elaine kneels down besides Adwoa and takes her hands gently. Her face comes back to the c@m£ra.
ELAINE
(sadly)
We were all horrified by that, and thought it was just an accident. But, we all know one thing
for sure. Mr. Chris Bawa never said sorry to Adwoa for ruining her life, whether pri-vately or publicly. Adwoa, has Mr. Chris Bawa ever apologized to you?
The c@m£ra zones in on Adwoa, who has tears in her eyes.
She closes her eyes in anguish, and tears drops down her face.
ADWOA
No, plea-se!
There is a gr0@nof anger from the audience.
Eyram gets off the couch and pushes her ice cream away.
She reaches for the remote.
EYRAM
This makes me sick! Why now? Why is she doing this?
Effe pu-lls the remote out of Eyram’s hand.
She looks at her sister throu-gh moist eyes.
EFFE
I’m watching the programme, Rammy, plea-se.
Eyram looks at her sister for a moment, and then she walks away and picks her bag.
EYRAM
Well, I don’t see any use in watching that. Today is a Sunday, so bail won’t be set for Chris. Would you go to the police station tomorrow and bail him?
Effe looks at her sister sadly and smiles wanly.
EFFE
(sadly)
Why should I do that, Rammy? I don’t know what’s wrong with that man. I don’t see why he thinks he nee-ds to get violent in all situations, and why he thinks he can r@p£ any woman around him!
EYRAM
You didn’t listen to him, Ef. He was saying something before you entered. He was genuinely shocked when I told him Baaba levelled r@p£ claims against him.That girl has always been weird, Ef. Her head is not scre-wed on right. I don’t believe Chris did that to her.
EFFE
(almost shouting)
He’s a liar, Rammy! Don’t you realize that? He’s been lying all his life! He R@p£d Elaine, and I saw it!
EYRAM
(softly)
So you’re going to allow him to rot in the cells, Ef? He’s the father of your son, for Christ’s sake!
EFFE
(desperately)
St©p judging me, Rammy! What’s got into you anyway? Did he respect me? Did he respect his own son? He promised the boy he would never go to jail again, and in just two days he tries to r@p£ a woman who’s been kind to him?
EYRAM
Ef! You didn’t listen to him!
EFFE
(angrily, hurt)
I don’t nee-d to listen to him! I gave that man my life and my soul, and he trod on it! Rammy, I’m not going to give Chris Bawa the chance to hurt me again, never! I won’t have anything to do with him! I’m going to marry Steve and try and be happy. To hell with Chris Bawa!
EYRAM
(sadly)
He was in prison for five years. He comes back and finds you almost married to his friend, the man who was his best man at your wedding. His family has disowned him, and he has nothing on him. He told me he couldn’t even afford his treatment. Do you know what you do to such a man, Ef, dearest sister? You cut him a little slack! That’s what you do! Don’t worry, tomorrow morning I’ll go to the police station and bail him.
Eyram sighs, and turns to leave.
EFFE
(desperately)
Don’t do this, Rammy, plea-se. Don’t let Chris be a bone of contention between us. If you want my advice, just let Chris be. He’s trouble.
Eyram pauses at the door and turns and looks at her sister.
EYRAM
(softly)
I’ve never seen a ra-pist carrying his victim to the hospital, Ef.At least, think of that.
She turns and walks out, closing the door gently behind her.
Effe bites her lowerl-ip, and her hands tremble. She clamps her hands to her temples and ru-bs them ha-rd .
EFFE
Damn you, Chris! I won’t allow you! Do you hear me? I won’t allow you!!
JAILBIRD continues…… Like and
NEXT (episode 16)