Justice under microscope

It was Saturday morning, the weather was just nice to sit outside and enjoy the cool air which was just moving around without disturbance. But my plan was to go to the bank to update my account. The bank asked every client to do so, otherwise they will block the account. I went to the bank and it was much more fast than what I was expecting. Driving back home the car started behaving so strange. It was just my prayer that I should reach home. By the care of God I arrived at home.

I opened the bonnet to inspect the problem, but I was not able to find it. I was busy thinking about it, when I just heard, boom! I was so shocked. Instantly I thought maybe the pipe from the radiator burst since I saw that it was having high pressure. But the pipe was looking fine. Then I saw a stone which was beside my car and I knew that somebody throw a stone in our compound. These had to be the children who usually provoke the dogs. I was so frustrated about it. I reported the matter to the leaders of the community before, and I just wanted to find the person who did it. I walked out and I didn’t see anybody around. I went to ask the neighbours if they saw someone throwing a stone and lucky enough she saw and talked to the boy. I asked if she could take me to him so that I could talk to his parents. We found the boy and he was about 15 years old. His parents were not at home, but his elder sister was there.

‘Since the parents are not at home, can you come with me together with the boy to see where the boy hit with a stone, so that when your parents come you can be my witness,’ I asked. She agreed and I took them to our compound. When we were there I showed the places where the stone hit, it was on the bonnet first and then on the wind screen. Lucky enough it did not break the glass. I told them to go and that I would come back in the evening and that I will bring the leaders of the community to discuss about it. They moved out. After five minutes the boy returned and he knelt down to beg for forgiveness. I told him that I have forgiven him but that I had a task for him. He had to be my eyewitness to see others who are throwing stones here and if he would see, he had to report it to me. He agreed and moved.

Sunday afternoon we heard someone knocking at the gate and I went to checkout. There was a woman and girl. I recognised the girl and I greeted them and asked if I could help them. The woman started to say that she is the mother of the boy who throw a stone yesterday, but that the boy did not return home, since the incident happened. I told her about what really happened. Adding to that I showed her the movie when the guy came to apologise up to the point that the he moved out of the gate. The woman started crying so loud, but I advised them to go and report it to the leaders of the community.

After this, it took one hour and I heard knocking again on the gate. Going there I found 5 people with angry faces, I invited them to come in. I greeted them but few responded the greeting. They asked me with angry voice to explain what happened with their son. I told them that I explained it already to his wife and that his daughter was also here when I took the boy, so he could better ask them to explain. Then he said he wants to see the movie that I took. I showed the movie to him. After seeing it they went out. I sensed that something is not going fine. I informed the community police and the landlord and friends and family just to be alert, because the community can easily do mob justice. But the people who came to our house went to the police station. After 40 minutes I received a call form the police, asking me to come to the police station. I got prepared and the moment I was about to move out of the gate, the chairman of the community police came and said that he would like to escort me to the station. I thought of also picking our maid, because she was there when the boy came.

We reached the police station and we found one officer at the reception. He offered us a to sit on a metal bench. His first question was ‘Who is the guy?’ The people pointed to me and he asked me: ‘Where is the child?’ ‘I don’t have the boy,’ I answered, ‘but I can explain to you what really happened’. The guy was really looking me in the eyes. Then I explained what really happened. ‘Yes, but the child was in your hands, and we are going to charge you with child abduction.’ I asked him how that was possible. He said that we charge people here and the court of law will see if its true or not. Then the community police interjected and said, ‘Officer, leave this issue in my hands and I will find the child. I believe the child just freight because of fear’. ‘You hear that officer! You hear that! These men knows where they have left my child!’ The officer concluded that the case in the hands of the community police now and that we had to go to find the boy. ‘If the boy will not be found in two days, we are going to put this guy in cell’.

We went back home, and it was my prayer that the boy should be found soon.

After being one hour at home, someone called me. It was a new number and when I picked the call the man said that he was waiting for me at our gate. When I opened the gate I saw that it was the father of the boy. He started by saying that he was so sorry and that the boy was found. ‘He is a stupid boy. He told us that after he came to your house he was afraid to be back home, because he was afraid of me. Because I don’t tolerate nonsense. I have my own children and they are all well behaved, but these children I found with the woman that I stay with now, are just rude. And I have decided to send him to his grandmother.’ Then I said to him that he was just able to say this now, because the child was found. ‘I tried to show you everything that the child was not in my hands when he went missing, but you could not believe it or you just wanted to find someone to blame for your problem. For now you have to call the police and the community police to tell them that the child is found. By tomorrow we have to go to the police station to close the case and you should bring the boy with you. And the other thing, don’t send the boy to his grandmother, because you as parents are responsible for him and it won’t save aa problem when you send him to her.’

The following day the case was closed. This story reminds me that I have to do everything with precaution. Because the same straight story, turned to me as a child abductor which is a serious offence in the country. It reminded me as well that in everything we are dependent on the Lord. It turns out especially when we cannot do anything ourselves anymore, that He can do anything and that it is the Lord who can help us even in this kind of situations!