Randy uncle caught preying on daughter

By Iponima Mtabingwa

It had been six months after Uncle Obed’s escapades with the house-help were exposed and the mystery of her baby resolved.

However, for believers in destiny, his worst days were yet to come. Obed’s punishments flowed in turbulent streams.

Incest, among my people is a curse. As any pervert would, my uncle took pride in telling his escapades to whoever cared to listen.

One incident tested his bragging gusto.

The place was Golden Gate estate in South B, Nairobi, on Kenyatta Day at Masandukuni — an off licence bar — our meeting point on national holidays.

The waiter had just served tumbukiza when I caught my uncle ogling at one of the women across the table. It was obvious the yodelling group were university students. As the five of us converged around the steaming tumbukiza — lamb meat boiled whole with vegetable — Obed signalled to the girl he had been ogling to join us.

There were hushed murmurs, with the other girls urging Obed’s apparent prey to honour the invitation. She obliged.

As she took the few steps to our table, my uncle appeared to revel in his instant success. As he was wont to say, only an angel could resist his overtures. He had designated himself a woman pleaser.

He created room for the girl to sit next to him. As the girl took her place, Obed stroked her leeringly. The other girls watched in amusement.

"Karibu, karibu. So, what do they call the good lady?" my uncle asked, sounding soft and seductive as he could manage.

Catching the prey

"Celina," she answered. It rang a bell. It is said, a man who has been bitten by a snake once will scream when he sees a rope. Obed stammered when spoke next.

"Wh . . . what . . . what are you doing in Nairobi?"

"I’m a finalist Bachelor of Commerce student at the University of Nairobi," Celina said. She was obviously streetwise.

Done with the tumbukiza, we shifted gears to more mundane matters — women, football and current affairs. All the while, Obed was getting up close and romantic with Celina, his latest find. We had stopped caring what he did. Women were his pastime and he preferred them young as they came. The easy afternoon turned a nightmare with Abscondita’s arrival. We had recently quarrelled over her clumsiness. In return she accused me of infidelity.

Her arrival at Masandukuni, I thought at first, was to prove to me that she was right. Circumstantial evidence seemed to lend credence to her fears. With all the young women around the place, anyone would conclude the men around were their stalkers.

Matters were not helped by Obed’s hand resting on Celina’s thigh. All present were aware of my domestic woes and her presence put all of us on the alert.

Mission cut short

George, who all the while had been the silent listener to our conversation broke the silence that ensued.

"Welcome, join us," he said, calmly, expecting the unexpected. Instead of responding, Abscondita’s gaze was fixed on Obed. Then came the thunder:

"Good gracious Ipo! How can this go on in your presence? This is incest, this is incest!" she screamed as she rushed towards Obed and Celina. The silence that followed was deathly.

Confused, I sheepishly asked: "What?"

"Uncle Obed, this is a shame — an abominable act. This girl is your daughter. Do you remember Dammars, my mum’s former college mate you used to date? The girl you are kissing and fondling is her daughter — the one she had with you.

I felt the walls of the pub caving in and the floor under my feet sagging. Celina screamed on hearing the man fondling her was her father. Celina had been told her father was a CEO of a state corporation. It is the story her mother stuck with anytime Celina asked about her father.

That Celina could meet her biological father in such circumstances had searing effect on her fragile emotions. She passed out.

Big relief

I was numbed. We took Celina to a nearby hospital where she was admitted unconscious.

In the meantime, her friends had called for ‘reinforcement’ from the university and the male students who had arrived were baying for Obed’s blood.

The past has a way of catching up with mischievous people. After Celina came around, Abscondita said she was not there to spy but get grocery money.

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