A Tigress in the Chapel

By Jimmy Chasafara

A Tigress in the Chapel, a novel about power of speaking out in exposing those people in positions of power who sexually abuse children. Set in a seemingly charity-minded school whose administers not only rape the students but also allow donors to the school to do so. A Tigress in the Chapel focuses on two girls, Gigi and Zara, who become determined to put an end to this practice by exposing it and its perpetrators for all the world to see. With rousing soliloquies and gripping dramatic tension, the novel serves as a call to action to put a stop to child sexual abuse and human trafficking for purposes of sexual abuse.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Feb 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9798823081115

Jimmy Chasafara

Jimmy Chasafara is a former teacher who works as a qualified mental health nurse in the UK. Formerly from Zimbabwe, he has experience helping those with learning disabilities, alcohol and drugs addiction, homeless challenges, and crime victims as well as political organizations. A Tigress in the Chapel is his first book.

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© 2023 Jimmy Chasafara. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Published by AuthorHouse 02/24/2023

ISBN: 979-8-8230-8112-2 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-8230-8111-5 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Prologue: Welcome to St Gabriel’s

Chapter 1Baptism of Fire!

Chapter 2Enter the Chap

Chapter 3The Brutal Murder of Innocence

Chapter 4The Child Whore Enforcer

Chapter 5The Tigress Uncaged

Chapter 6Hypocrisy Writ Large

Chapter 7Word!

Chapter 8The Guilt Trip

Chapter 9A Charlatan on the Prowl

Chapter 10The Sadist Spy Chief

Chapter 11Telling It like It Is

Chapter 12The Chink in the Armour

Chapter 13Shades of a Tormented Past

Chapter 14Who Let the Genie Out?

Chapter 15Piecing Together the Jigsaw

Chapter 16Whodunit?

Chapter 17Hobson’s Choice

Chapter 18Diary of a Savvy Ex-con

Chapter 19Of Bloody Oaths and Secret Societies

Chapter 20Operation Tigress Claw

Epilogue: Karma’s a Bitch!

About the Book

About the Author

Such was the culture of cover-up, such was the culture of brutality.

—Nigel Scullion, Australian

Indigenous Affairs Minister

It’s clear the company’s management was complicit in this pattern of misconduct. They knew what was happening. It was flagrant, it was flamboyant, they knew how pervasive it was, and not only did they fail to stop it, they enabled it and covered it up.

—New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, before falling

by the same sword, commenting

about Harvey Weinstein’s

sexual abuses

This book is

dedicated to all the brave boys and girls, and all the brave men and women, who painfully endured sexual abuse at the hands of the influential and powerful and who lived to fight and witness justice being served on their own behalf and on behalf of their fallen peers.

PROLOGUE

WELCOME TO ST

GABRIEL’S

G igi’s joy at her new school was somewhat poignant. It’s not that she simply didn’t like the school; it’s that she hadn’t liked it since day one. She would have preferred staying home over being here, but she didn’t seem to have any choice. This was her only option if she wanted to be away from her mother. Being at school was much better, a lot more preferable, than being home, where she always had to watch over her mother as the woman continued her process of self-destructing. Gigi’s new school, St Gabriel’s Secondary School, appeared more opulent compared to her previous one, St Caldecott High School. But still, I can’t make any friends here. Actually, nobody likes me here, she mused. Girls laugh at me, and boys mock me like I’m some weirdo.

To make matters worse, teachers seemed not to have any eyes or ears at all. Gigi longed for her father, but she could only sigh dejectedly at the mere thought of him. She reckoned she would just have to endure this misery if she wished to get an education. After all, I have been here for only a little while. Perhaps things will change for the better with time, she thought, attempting to comfort herself.

Gigi Kay was an incredibly attractive girl of mixed-race parentage, aged eighteen years. However, she did not look her age, owing to her petite build and rather shy demeanour, which made many mistake her for being much younger than she really was.

CHAPTER 1

BAPTISM OF FIRE!

‘M other Teresa’, as Gigi’s fellow pupils mockingly referred to her, could not tell exactly in which part of her body the pain manifested itself the most. It always began with a feeling of very tight constriction in her throat, followed by interminable cramping in her groin area. Though Gigi could no longer bear it, she nevertheless surprised herself with her strength of character. She was determined neither to succumb to the pain nor to allow anyone to see her break down. The pain she felt not only left her an emotional wreck but also tore through her entire body, leaving her physically spent with sharp pangs all around her tummy area. This seemed to be the source of all her misery—coming monthly as it always did. Her mother had somehow managed to get the debilitating pain from Gigi’s amenorrhoea treated. Gigi’s periods had since commenced with excruciating pain, many tears, and a significant number of tampons, which she was now replacing with toilet paper because of financial constraints at home. If toilet paper was not readily available, then anything would do, newsprint even! Besides the unbearable pain, Gigi also experienced a heavy flow. At times this happened simultaneously with migraines, which were so insufferable that she sometimes missed her lessons.

To her, it seemed everybody knew about her embarrassing situation. Unlike other girls, Gigi had commenced her periods very late, and they had come with excruciating pain. She knew menstruation happened to every girl, but she was angry with herself for not handling it the way others seemed to. It had become the same story of late: girls whispering behind her back and boys giving her odd glances. A few of the unexpectedly kinder ones among her classmates would pull her aside and give her pain relief tablets or something else to help. Gigi knew all the girls were aware of her situation and that they spoke about her in her absence. Most boys knew too. Their girlfriends must have whispered it to them, she thought. The glances directed her way told her that they all knew—and she hated it. Through the unusual kindness of some of the teachers such as Mr Thames, she knew they were also in on her predicament, which further humiliated her.

She felt very cheap, grotesque, and vulnerable, and this made her hate being at this school. Her monthly period was nobody’s business, she thought. Though she didn’t mind the female teachers knowing about it, she felt very uncomfortable and violated at the thought that the male staff knew. It was as if everyone just stared at the very chair from she had just arisen whenever she stood up to do anything in class. She felt miserable, especially in biology class with Mr Thames staring at her as if she were indeed Mother Teresa in the midst of a group of teenage girls gossiping about the intricacies of sex. The way he looked at her was always exaggerated, but at particular times it was also embarrassing. She hated it, but she liked his warm, sympathetic eyes, which reminded her of her dad’s. However, Gigi was angry at her father for not being there for her when she needed him the most and for his cowardice at being arrested. She always wished the earth would simply open up and swallow her. She never cried in public about it, though. Her defiance had helped her remain sane.

Worse still, she hated her mother for burying her head in the sand like the proverbial ostrich and ignoring all Gigi’s pleas. As far as Gigi was concerned, her mum was thoughtless and an uncaring alcoholic because she had allowed her to be dumped at this shitty school. Gigi recalled one of her favourite teachers at her former school once saying, ‘In most cases, as if inevitable and a necessary precondition to human suffering, it is those one loves the most, those who matter to one the most, who will cut the deepest and most painful emotional wounds in one’s life.’ It was as if her teacher had been addressing her directly. Gigi now sorely missed her previous school.

‘You left that filthy mess on the chair,’ Brendon whispered to her as she was leaving the room. Instinctively, she turned and looked at the chair she had just vacated. There was nothing. She was livid. All the girls giggled, and the boys ran out laughing. Gigi immediately went back and sat on the same chair, leaning forward with her face between her hands. Despite having told herself to do otherwise, she let the tears stream down her cheeks as she heaved and cried. A few boys peeped at her through the windows and fled, laughing. The girls were talking loudly whilst conspicuously looking at Gigi through the windows, pointing at her and then vanishing into the corridor of the classroom block.

The middle-aged biology teacher, Mr Thames, stood up and approached her, asking with a soft voice, ‘What’s the matter, Gigi? Is it something I can help you with? Would you care to talk about it, or do you need somebody else to talk to?’

‘No, thanks,’ she said, standing up as if she had not been in tears just a couple of seconds earlier.

‘OK, that’s fine,’ the teacher said, retreating to his desk.

Gigi picked up her school bag, which she had dumped by her side. She was about to exit the classroom when he softly called to her: ‘Gigi, if you need anything, I’m ready to help.’ He added in a very low tone, ‘I promise, it will be between you and me. No one will know about it. I know it’s very hard now, dear.’ He raised his arm limply as if giving up, as if powerless over the students tormenting her.

Gigi heard only the last part of the sentence as she was stepping out of the classroom. She headed for the girls’ toilets. Unbeknown to her, some girls were quietly following her. No one said a word. Gigi sensed them and stood emotionless but felt a lump of pain in her throat once more. The girls finally giggled, but she held her peace. Expressionless and defiant, she stared blankly at the floor, and then she forced a brave cough. Silence. She cleared her throat. Silence. And then as if on cue, the girls all suddenly scurried out, leaving Gigi alone in the toilet. She got into the cubicle, undressed, and spruced herself up. As she was about to leave, someone startled her by coughing just above her head. She looked up. One of the girls was staring down across the wall partition at her. The girl called out aloud, ‘No wonder we always run out of toilet paper! You finish it all!’ There was a raucous laughter outside with boys clapping their hands and whistling. Gigi looked towards the floors, and this time around she could not help but break down. All the girls fled.

When she left the toilet, there was no one around. Everybody had left for lunch. Gigi went straight to the dormitory, where she met the matron, whom she told she wanted to take a shower. Feeling a lot better after showering, Gigi left for the dining hall and ate at a snail’s pace, sitting alone quietly. One of the girls came over and started a conversation with her.

‘Don’t mind those jerks. It’s as if they’re not female themselves. I’d understand the boys behaving like that, although there’s no excuse for them either. They have sisters and mothers too.’

‘Thanks,’ Gigi answered, continuing to eat, not wanting to appear discourteous.

A few seconds later, the girl stood up as if to leave, then said sarcastically, ‘But this doesn’t mean I’m tight buddies with some uptight chick like you who fails to use what she has to change her wretched circumstances. You need to think and think fast, girl. Enough with the holier-than-thou nonsense already. It won’t get you anywhere in this school. Pride is not some badge of honour for the poor to wear. Get up, wise up, and sort yourself out like the rest of us!’

Gigi neither looked up at the girl nor showed any emotion, nonchalantly eating her meal. ‘Buzz off, bitch,’ she cursed under her breath. Initially she had thought to defy the girl, but this pain distressed her. She really would have wished to be in bed at this time, yet she couldn’t miss her extra lessons, and today she had no pain relief tablets. She was the last to leave the dining hall, although she could see some of the girls mingling around outside.

As Gigi was walking out, the school chaplain, Reverend Carter, was just arriving at the dining hall. No one ever called Reverend Carter by his name, and very few people would even be able to recall it promptly if asked to. The chaplain smiled at Gigi as they met. All the girls stood and stared. He, sensing it, turned and looked behind, sending them scurrying for cover into their dorms and classrooms. He asked Gigi to follow him to his office.

‘I have already told your next teacher that you will be late,’ he said in his famously low but rumbling baritone as they walked down the corridor.

Gigi looked puzzled but nodded her head in agreement. When she went to his office, he seated himself behind his majestic mahogany desk, which was littered with biblical pamphlets and different Bible versions.

With his compassionate eyes, he looked at her, ushering her to a chair. ‘Take a seat, Gigi,’ he said, motioning for her to sit directly opposite him at the desk. ‘The weather is so lovely today, don’t you think? Yet to my utter dismay, you seem gloomy,’ he said, smiling at her. Gigi did not know how to respond.

‘OK, Gigi. Let me cut to the chase, and I’ll be as blunt as I tend to be about issues such as these. Just like everybody else, I know what’s going on with you,’ he said, looking at her keenly. She instantly felt violated, emotionally drained, knowing now that he too knew what everyone else knew, and thinking what everyone else thought, about her.

‘The truth is that every woman goes through such a phase unless she is abnormal. You really have nothing to be ashamed of. Instead, you should be proud that you are fine and normal …. And, eh, eh, men … men, you see, men, ah, um, actually love you. You are an amazingly beautiful young lady, Gigi. I know it. Believe me, girl. Us … men, for instance—I, I mean … men like myself—love you. They love your beauty,’ he stammered, looking at her with a smug grin on his face.

Blushing, she looked down at the floor, lost for words, upset, and elated all at the same time, but in any event pleased. It had been a little while since anyone had told her she was beautiful.

If I’m that beautiful, if men do indeed fancy me, why then would they torment me like this? she asked herself, her eyes still fixed on the floor, partly in disbelief that the school chaplain had just said this to her.

Gigi was almost in tears. And it didn’t help matters that she was a shy girl. The subsequent tension in the chapel office was so palpable that a knife could have cut through it. Gigi was shivering too, judging by her uncontrollably shaking hands. The chaplain gave her a glass of water. Once she had taken a few sips, he continued, calmly and confidently.

‘Mr Thames and I just want to help you. We know things have been pretty hard for you both here and at home. We will sort this out, you’ll see. With your dad being where he is now, things must be pretty tough for your family, right? It must be hard for you too after being accustomed to the kind of lifestyle you had before. It’s hard, I know. Now I hear things have got very bad for your dad. It seems he no longer has any assets at all to his name. So, so sad, Gigi. I feel sorry for your mother. Oh, poor woman, all by herself with no shoulder to cry on. So sad. It must be depressing for her. I hope she’ll be fine soon, especially now that she has got this … this job. Anyway, I’ll personally help you as much as I can, or as much as you’re willing to be helped. At this school, my numerous friends and I have helped a lot of people in similar or worse-off situations. Take it all as part of my calling, Gigi. It is amazing how God always blesses us in diverse ways. Even some of these girls and boys laughing at you today are what they are because of my generosity. My eminent friends and I have helped them and their families. We have taken care of most of them until their parents could get back on their feet. A gorgeous girl like you doesn’t have to be the laughing stock of these idiots,’ he said slowly, in a composed voice. ‘Does that make sense, Gigi?’ he asked, his eyes probing for her facial expression. Gigi’s expression was blank but for her misty eyes as she struggled to stop the tears from streaming. She just nodded her head. Her tears now began wetting the floor as she wept uncontrollably. The chaplain seemed unaware of her distress as he proceeded with excitement.

‘I knew you were a clever young lady. That is all it takes, my love, the magic word yes. That’s all it takes to change your life forever. It opens many avenues to a totally different kind of life. Just like that,’ he said, with a snap of his fingers. ‘Believe me, Gigi, you will never regret this moment. It has changed your life already. Our circumstances are at times changed by just a few words said to the right person at the right time—and maybe at the right place too. It’s simply a matter of striking a deal once an opportunity has availed itself, just like you’ve done now,’ he said. Gigi’s eyes were still fixed on the floor.

He continued, saying, ‘When you get to your dormitory, you will find all the little amenities you have been desperate for, ready for you. It’s your day. You deserve it, dear. You can now go and see what awaits you. I’ll write your mother and tell her that with regards to the matter of your school fees in arrears, you can stay behind with a few others who are in your situation when school closes and do a bit of work in the school farm projects as part payment for your fees. It’s really not hard work, just enough so that other parents don’t complain, thinking you are learning here for free. I will sort everything out for you, my … my love. OK, now. Let’s meet later. Bye, dear.’ He smiled broadly as he looked at her standing up to leave.

When Gigi stood up, she imagined the chaplain looking at the chair she had just vacated. She left the office in a hurry, wiping tears off her face with the sleeves of her jumper. Without a thought, forgetting about her extra lessons and her pain, she headed straight to the dorms. The place was deserted. As she entered her room, she instantly noticed, in shock, that her trunk containing her personal belongings was slightly open. True to the chaplain’s every word, her trunk had been well stocked. Gigi cried again, although she was inwardly euphoric. But she was also confused—a mixed bag of emotions—because she knew the implications of all this. In her mind, she thought, At least no one is going to be laughing at me for a while. Another voice in her mind was telling her not to entrap herself by accepting this stuff.

Going into the toilet, she took a shower. Soon after, she headed for her extra lessons. When she went into the classroom, this time no one laughed or even bothered looking at her. When the lesson was over, everyone left the classroom quietly, though a few threw glances her way. Gigi didn’t care about what had abruptly changed her circumstances; she cared about herself—and at this moment she was just elated that things seemed to be taking the right turn. The last extra lesson for the day in history had been exciting for Gigi because it was her favourite subject. They’d discussed the aftermath of the Second World War, especially its effect on the status of women. Gigi actively participated in class and was one of those who always drew the teacher’s attention with her intelligent analyses of issues.

When the lesson was over, the girl who had earlier spoken with Gigi in the dining hall joined her, walking beside her. Making sure no one was eavesdropping, she whispered, ‘So, Holy Mother Teresa, did you really have to wait for a man to make you realise that that little holy cunt you’ve got between your virgin legs can indeed lift you out of your misery after all? Welcome to the club, girl. So who is it who will—?’

A boy called to the girl before she could finish her question. She dashed off to him, and after each had spoken a words into each other’s ears, they burst into laughter. At that moment, the chaplain opened his window and called the two into his office. Whatever he said to them must have worked instantly because not only did Gigi never hear from any of them again, but also the students no longer made any snide remarks about her within earshot.

CHAPTER 2

ENTER THE CHAP

G igi neither saw nor heard from either the chaplain or the biology teacher outside the classroom for a couple of days. From the few girls who bothered talking to her once in a while, she had heard that Mr Thames, the biology teacher, was away on sick leave.

The chaplain frequently taught Religious and Family Sciences and would occasionally teach history if one of the history teachers was absent. Reverend John Carter, affectionately referred to simply as ‘the Chap’, was the founder and principal of St Gabriel’s Secondary School. He loathed school administration paperwork and, instead, preferred leaving the day-to-day running of the