Story: Conflicted Destiny - Season 1 Episode 52

8 years ago

Story: Conflicted Destiny - Season 1 Episode 52

An Igbo proverb says that the cow that does not have a tail relies on the almighty God to fend off flies for it. I hadn’t realized that the people who had witnessed my beating with seeming nonchalance had indeed been concerned. I later found out that some of them had reported the incident to an anti-racism and civil liberties organization that had an office a block from the plaza. The organization immediately set a campaign in motion against the municipal police, but I was completely unaware of what was going on outside of the detention center. The only things going through my mind were when the humiliation would end, what Maria Joana’s reaction would be, and if this incident would stop me from getting my immigrant status.
I was abruptly released from custody right before my court hearing, and this baffled more than pleased me. Perhaps some other person would have accepted the news and gone on his merry way, but not me. I had to know what had happened. As I started questioning the authorities, I saw her—a slim brunette of average height. She flashed a smile of satisfaction as she walked up to me and introduced herself as a representative of the anti-racism and civil liberties organization that was fighting on my behalf. She explained what they had been doing behind the scenes, and also that Maria Joana had been very worried about me, but they had assured her that everything would be fine. I thanked her for their effort, but I couldn’t leave the court until I found out the implications of what had happened. I had the lady confirm from the authorities that I was indeed innocent and that the record would reflect the truth. She also received assurance that the incident would not in any way affect my pending application for a resident’s permit. She also explained that her organization had already taken my case a step further by filing a legal suit against the municipal police authority.
I followed her to her office, where she took down my statement. She advised me to stop by from time to time to check on the case, and also to be available when the court started hearing my case.
Maria Joana was really happy to have me back and, as fate would have it, a Good Samaritan found Quis, managed to locate Maria Joana, and returned her dog to her. But I was uneasy. Even though I had been assured that the incident was not my fault and would have no negative effect on my application, I wasn’t completely convinced. There were still a few months left before the final adjudication for my permit, and until then, my nerves could not be calmed….
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