Nora's Verdict

By Thabi Majabula

Nora is sentenced to death for a crime she committed. In prison, she wishes she was dead. The head of Correctional Services visits her, and stuns her with his kindness. After his visit, she decides that she needs a new plan for dying.

Unexpectedly, she is released from jail, and starts a new life. She is told to her face that she slept her way into her job, and that shocks her, because it is not the case. She meets the owner of the company that hired her, and he asks her to do something that stuns her.

She eventually agrees, and starts a new life with him and his sons. The younger one takes to her immediately, the elder ones are unruly.

Nora’s and her stepbrother are shocked to come face to face. Seeing him takes her back in her mind, to a place that she prefers to avoid.

Her half-sister turns up, and makes a nasty discovery after talking to Nora. Nora’s stepbrother demands to see her, and she feels horrible hearing his voice and meeting him.

Nora finds that she has to deal with her past, and forgive, before she can accept, appreciate, and enjoy the new life that she has been given.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thabi Majabula
• Release date: Jan 29, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301691319

Thabi Majabula

Good romance stories are mood enhancers. I am thankful to all the romance writers who improved my mood many times. I am also thankful to be among romance writers, and I am thankful to all entities, physical and spiritual, who make it possible for me to write. I am thankful to you, reader, and I am thankful for every single person who has read any of my stories. I hope reading the stories gave you as much pleasure as writing gave me. Best of all things, Thabi

Book preview

NORA’S VERDICT

By

Thabi Majabula

Published by Thabi Majabula at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 Thabi Majabula

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this free ebook. Although this is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed, this book, please encourage yourfriends to download their own copy at Smashwords.com. Thank you for your support.

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and should not be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons (living or dead), actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER ONE

Nora Debane, you are a murderer, and you show absolutely no remorse for the crimes you have committed. There is no proof that either of the men you murdered ever did you any wrong. You murdered them in cold blood, because you have bloodlust, said the judge.

Nora looked at the judge without expression. Standing at five foot ten, with a shaved head, a medium complexion, and of medium build, she towered over her lawyer.

You are sentenced to two life times in jail, with hard labour! continued the judge. Nora heard the sentence, and looked down. It was worse than she had expected, but she had known things were going that way.

Do you have you anything to say for yourself? asked the judge. Nora did not look at him, or respond.

Get that murderer out of my court, the judge said with disgust. Nora was escorted out of the court room with photographers vying to take her picture. She did not acknowledge them as she was led to a police car, and driven away.

She stared unseeingly out of the window, but she smiled when she saw children playing on their way from school.

You won't get your hands on them, said the policeman that was with her.

I wouldn't want to. I'm just wondering when I was last that carefree. As long as I can remember, I've been afraid of something or someone. They look like they aren't afraid, I wish I had that. I don't even ask for a whole day of not being afraid, fifteen minutes would be fine.

They arrived at the holding cells.

We have to transfer you at once to the maximum security prison, said a warder. Nora picked up the few belongings that she was allowed, then she was escorted to a transfer van.

Where are the others? she asked.

Just get in, said a warder. Nora climbed in and sat down. She thought it odd that she was not chained to the van, and that the chains that had been on her legs and feet were removed. She opened her mouth to ask why that was being done, and the warder frowned at her. She closed her mouth.

The door was closed and locked. Soon afterwards, the truck started moving. Nora closed her eyes. After some time, she opened them, the van had stopped. She waited for someone to let her out, but nothing happened. She felt cold, and heard animals. She pounded behind the driver's seat, nothing happened. She went to the door and tried it, it opened easily. She almost stepped out of the van, then she felt an urge to not do that. She closed the door, and tried to get as comfortable as possible.

She was woken by a light shining on her face.

What’s the matter with you? Why didn't you leave? demanded a female voice. Nora covered her face, and sat up. The light was removed from her face, she saw a silhouette standing before her.

What's going on? she asked.

You're going to prison, you stupid woman! You were given an easy way to leave, but you refused to take it. What is wrong with you? Why didn't you get out of here? demanded the woman before her.

Can we go to the prison now? she asked.

You want to go to prison?

I'm not going to live my life on the run. The woman made a sound of disbelief, then she sat down. There was a small silence.

Look, Nora, I know all about male pigs doing what they want to us women, and getting away with it. I admire you for killing those that hurt you. I wish I'd had the guts to do that. My kids were taken from me by the man who abused me sexually, verbally and physically, just because I married him. I arranged for you to escape, because in my book, and in the books of many women and some men, you don't deserve to be punished for protecting your rights. Do you know how much trouble we went through to make this happen? asked the woman.

No, I don't, said Nora.

Well, it was a whole lot of trouble, and we don't appreciate your wasting this opportunity! Many people worked with me to make this happen, and we will not be denied! You are going to get out of here, get out of the country, and disappear, so you can live your natural life in freedom! Do I make myself clear? shouted the woman. Nora sat back wondering if she was being trapped so that she could be shot as soon as she climbed out of the van, or if she was dreaming.

I'm talking to you! said the woman.

I'm not running, said Nora.

You better run, woman, unless you want me to shoot you.

Shoot! shouted Nora. She could hear herself and the woman breathing heavily.

Why are you wasting this chance? Lots of people would give their right arm and leg for it.

I'm not running, said Nora. She felt her heart beat increase, she could hear it in her ears, as she heard a gun cocked.

Please help me. I know you hate me, and that I'm going to hell, but not now, please, she prayed. She had stopped praying when god had not heard her, when she had asked him to stop her stepbrother from hurting her at night, just after she had started school.

She heard a gunshot and gasped, covering her head and closing her eyes. Feeling no pain, she uncovered her head and opened her eyes. The woman was no longer sitting where she had been.

Hello? said Nora. There was no response, she crawled to where the woman had been and felt about for her, thinking that she had shot herself, and was bleeding on the floor of the van. There was no body. She heard dogs barking, and running footsteps. Lights suddenly shone into the van from outside. Nora hid her face behind her hand.

Hands up! shouted a voice. Nora closed her eyes, and raised her hands. She felt a heavy blow on her cheek, and fell onto her side.

Where are they? Where are your accomplices? demanded a voice. Nora nursed her jaw, she felt wetness, and realised that she was bleeding.

Where are your accomplices? she heard. She sat up, and received another blow on the side of her head.

I'm talking to you! shouted the voice. Nora fell onto her side, she sat up quickly, knowing that staying down would make her more vulnerable. She heard the wind as a weapon came towards her, and moved out of its way. She heard a thud, as the weapon landed on the floor.

Beat her! shouted someone. Nora moved quickly, and felt a blow to the head coming from the side that she was going towards. She fell, picked herself up quickly, and worked on listening for the weapons that were meant to hurt her. She evaded several blows, now coming from three sources, but some blows landed on her.

What is going on here? bellowed a voice. Everyone stilled and looked at the entrance to the truck. The lights were too bright to see anything but a silhouette.

Answer my question! shouted the bellower.

This prisoner planned her escape and... said one of the people in the truck.

She planned her escape? Are you saying the system you have in place is that easy to penetrate?

No! Sir! This prisoner...

When did she plan her escape?

Yesterday.

Then why is she still in the transfer van, and not at large? Did you catch her and bring her here?

No...

Then how did she get here?

We found her here.

So she planned her escape, and didn't leave? Is that what you're saying?

Sir...

Answer my question!

This woman...

She was in the van when you got here?

Yes, Sir.

So she escaped and came back?

Sir...

Why would she come back?

Er...

Prisoner!

Yes, Sir, panted Nora.

Did you plan to escape?

No!

Then why did the van not reach its destination? It's been unaccounted for for twelve hours! said someone in the van.

If I’d planned my escape, twelve hours would have been enough for me to have vanished, said Nora.

Then why didn't you? demanded the bellower, who was clearly the leader.

I didn't plan the escape. When the van stopped, I was asleep, when I woke, I was alone. I stayed here because I don’t want to run. There was a silence.

Take the prisoner to her new prison, said the leader.

She's lying! You can't believe her. Her driver must have bailed out on her or something, someone said.

I said, take her to her new accommodation.

But...

Are you questioning me? demanded the leader.

No, Sir.

Do I need to repeat my instruction?

No, Sir. Nora was grabbed by two people, one on each side, and made to sit down with the two people keeping her in place. The truck was closed up, and it started moving a few minutes later. Nora felt her hands cuffed to each person beside her, then she was beaten by her companions, and verbally assaulted, until she passed out.

CHAPTER TWO

When she woke up, she was in a strange place. She sat up, she was in prison. Her face and belly hurt. She felt her face, it was swollen. Her cell door opened, food was brought in, then she was left alone. She was glad that she was able to get up and clean herself up in the small bathroom.

Over the next few days, the person bringing her food was the only person that she saw. Occasionally, someone that she assumed was a nurse came to check on her. She lost all track of time. Eventually, she was released from what she assumed was solitary confinement, and allowed to eat and exercise with the other prisoners.

Why didn’t you run when you had the chance? asked several prisoners.

I don’t run, Nora said curtly.

She watched the inmates closely to establish the pecking order. While she had been in solitary confinement, she had decided that she had to get herself killed, by the prisoners, as she had no intention of spending years in jail. She would have to get on the wrong side of the head prisoner and be killed by her, or by someone else. In order to attract the wrath of the head prisoner, she refused to do the work that new inmates were expected to do.

Several inmates warned her that she was courting trouble, but she did not listen. Several times, she was beaten very badly, but she would not change her ways. She lost count of the number of times that she was in the nurse’s office, having her bruises attended to. She wondered why all that had been broken was skin. She had hoped for bones to be broken, or to catch an infection from her wounds, but that did not happen.

The head prisoner cornered her.

You think just because you planned a failed escape, you can come here and do as you please, huh? the woman demanded. Nora continued with her dishwashing chore.

I'm the boss here, and everything that happens, happens because I okay it. No one breathes unless I want them to breathe. Do you want to stop breathing? demanded the woman. Nora did not respond. The woman punched her, and she fell. She picked herself up, and returned to the sink. The woman punched her again, and again, until they were on the floor. Nora closed her eyes, and did not fight back as she willed the woman to hit something vital and kill her.

As suddenly as she had started, the head prisoner stopped. Nora sat up. The head prisoner was twitching beside her. Nora looked about, there were several warders surrounding them, one was standing over the head prisoner, a tazer in her hand, she had obviously incapacitated the head prisoner with it.

What's going on here? asked a man. Nora remembered his voice from the night that she had been accused of trying to escape from the transport van. He had been the leader of the prison staff and he had told them to take her to the maximum security facility. He was about six foot one, broad shouldered, and dark in complexion, with a commanding presence.

Nothing, said Nora, as the other woman could not speak.

Get up, continued the man. Nora stood.

Was she beating you? he asked.

We were fighting, replied Nora.

You know that fighting is not allowed?

Yes.

Yes, what? demanded the man. Nora looked at him questioningly.

Yes, Sir, a warder whispered to Nora.

Yes, Sir, she said tiredly.

The warders and the man left, Nora finished the dishes and decided on a hunger strike. She did not understand why the prisoners had not killed her. The authorities were also not harassing her about her so-called failed escape, and the fights that she had been involved in.

She had been on hunger strike for two days, when she was told to go and see the head warder. In the head warder's office, was the leader who had been at her capture when she had been accused of trying to escape. The head warder introduced him as Head of Correctional Services, General Mkhuba. She and the general greeted each other, then the general asked the head warder to leave. The head warder left.

Sit down, said the general. Nora sat down.

Why aren't you eating? he asked. Nora did not respond.

It is customary to respond, when asked a question.

I don't have an appetite, said Nora.

You need to eat. You do realise that you are here doing hard labour?

Yes.

Then you need energy to do your work. Nora looked away from the general, and noticed the view outside the window.

This is a nice view, she said.

Yes, it is, said the general. He was suddenly standing behind Nora. She moved quickly, standing a few steps away from him. She glanced at him, he was watching her. The silence in the room stretched. Nora started to feel nervous. She looked away from the general as her heart pounded in fear. She did not need problems from the authorities. She tried to think of a way to ask him what he wanted, but she did not want to annoy him.

Her knees gave way, she returned to her seat. The general returned to his seat, and continued to watch her.

Can I go now? she asked.

No.

Oh.

Why are you on hunger strike?

I want to die.

"Do it in your own