Posted by Dredwalker on August 27, 2008 at 10:15pm
Murder In Nufrika (Part III)Diana’s family home was in the middle of a Uganda safari, miles from modern civilization, although civilization was very evident in this well established mansion. Its structure was fashioned after the American White House. The house itself was deep purple, black and gold. Carter would joke that it could be seen from the same distance of a satellite. The front lawn was divided by a path of rubies to the front gate.Diana was born in New Orleans, United States. Her father was a gospel singer and minister. Her mother was an author who wrote many books. After many of his fans turning their backs on him for being “too secular”, he brought his family here and started a Yoruban choir. They travel all over the world while Diana’s mother traveled the continent so that she wouldn’t be to far away from their child. Of course they always use the holographic transporter from where ever they were stationed and transported their images home to keep Diana company.Diana, 15, has been here since she was nine. She was labeled privileged by her peers- even Carter. But she never liked being looked upon like that. Her family was rich enough to have a home in every continent. She cried every time they had a family reunion in New Antalaska. That’s a town in Antarctica that her family founded.So she often stayed behind in school to see what the kids were doing. That’s how she learned about the Yoruban culture and the Ghostbeat phenomenon. She met Carter about a year ago in a Ghostbeat match. Someone challenged him to a dance match and all the women went crazy over how he moved. By then she know how to ghostdance herself and she made him her partner. But now they have been more than just partners.Diana looked at Carter as he starred at panoramic wall that televised the news. The news recapped Tunde’s death and Diana was with Carter the last time he was alive.“Wanna talk?” Diana asked. They were both on the couch. Carter was motionless. He just stared. “Carter?” she was worried.“They found my DNA at the murder site.”“Huh?”Carter sighed. “They found . . . my DNA . . . at the murder site.”“How could they have done that? You were with me until you went home. By then we haven’t seen Tunde for hours.”“My father doesn’t think so.” Cater said with frustration. “I’ve always appreciated and supported the gift of technology, but even I know that it is only as limited as man allows it to be.”“We all do Carter. You me, Professor Penda, all our friends. Its part of why the next election is important.” Diana then had a thought. “Do you think his death had something to do with the election?”“Why?”“Tunde’s companies have a big influence in Nufrika. His fashions and accessories is pretty much the monopoly. You remember what Penda was discussing about Old Ashanti’s profits soaring due to the Ghostbeat generation?”Carter laughed out loud. “Ghostbeat Generation?! So now Ghostbeat is some political fad?”“Didn’t Tunde ask you about it the other day?”“Yeah, so? I love Ghostbeat music, but it isn’t some angry ancient hip-hop, or sleepy sad jazz. Ghostbeat music is about personal challenge--”“I know, I know.” Diana knew all too well. “Which is why our bodies become the beat themselves. But don’t you think that is what scares the elders? Personal challenge is what Penda is against.”“He wasn’t against it. He just saw that personal challenge is something to be taken seriously in a person’s life. Not to be some fad like Ghostbeat.”“It’s not a fad.”“Maybe not.” Said Carter. “But it’s not connected to Tunde’s death.”“So why was Tunde so nervous?”Carter thought for a moment. “Maybe it is connected to the election. Maybe it is more personal since somehow I’m connected. Who would know both me and Tunde?”“Most of Nufrika?” Diana suggested.They both laughed.The house audio system interrupted. “There is a visitor at the door.” It said. “It is holographic.”“It’s probably my father.” Said Carter.“House Computer, permit image into the living room.” said Diana.To their surprise, appearing before them was the holographic image of Rocky. Rocky was dressed in 20th century police uniform.“Carter Danjuma.” Said Rocky. “The correct greeting is Hotep, right?”“Hey Mr. Calhoun-““Officer Calhoun.” corrected Rocky.The need for Rocky to change the formalities was a clear message. “I have nothing to do with Tunde’s death.” defended Carter. “He was like family to me.”“I can witness to this.” Said Diana.“Carter, you know better.” Said Rocky. “And if you have listened to your father and I am sure you have, I am a hard ass. But I have some respect for your father, so I will contact him.”“You’re arresting me?” Carter asked.“For you, I will go against the book and bring you in as a friend. No cuffs, no reporters, no embarrassment. Just stay put for a half hour and I will arrive personally to pick you up. But don’t fuck me Carter. I will have every Bionic-Hound, every satellite, and every cop come after you like you shot the Prime King and the American President. Understood?”Carter and Diana looked at each other.“I’m coming with him.” Said Diana.“Fine.” Rocky said. “Let me get out of the best tub in the world so I can contact-” The holograph froze.A freezing holograph is usually a sign of a glitch in a computer. But soon the image regained animation. There was now a surprised look on Rocky’s face.“How did you do that?” Rocky asked.Carter was confused. “Do what?”“How did you get here so fast?” Rocky said.“I don’t understand” said Carter.Rocky stepped back. “Canes are outlawed Carter!”“I’m not holding a cane.” Said Carter.“He’s not talking to us.” Said Diana.Rocky’s hands went up in defense, swinging around as if he were being attacked. He screamed as it seemed to be losing the fight to an unseen attacker. Something struck him and he crouched down into a fetal position for protected. Whatever struck him did it again and again.“Somebody is in his house!” shouted Carter.Then the image dissolved into thin air.“Call the police.” Said Carter. “Get them to Rocky’s house.”-----------------------------------------------------I had a hard time looking at Tunde’s wife Ababuo as my holographic image stood outside the autopsy room. I was ashamed because I knew what she was thinking. My best friend was dead and I send a hologram to offer my condolence instead of being there myself. And somehow, a heart attack was not a good enough excuse at a time like this. I realized that when I saw her. I was alive. He was not. So I accepted her turning her back to me and continued into the room.Examining the body with a doctor, I saw many cane marks on Tunde's body. It was a clear cut case. Death by caning.Orisha, please bring calm to my people.Caning was outlawed well over a hundred years in Africa. It was one of those strange laws to enforce. If you bat or shot someone to death, you go to jail and serve life. But caning had a cultural message that proved problematic to the attacker. It stemmed from Madi’s method from keeping migrated African Americans in their place a hundred years ago. A new type of lynching; if you would. So today, if you were accused of caning, you would be lucky if you made it to jail. Often the police would have to protect the murderer from being snatched away by mobs. And often the mob was successful. So if you were seen with a cane, you were to receive heavy jail time.I looked at Dr. Elijah RaKeith of Ethiopia as he shook his head, examining the body. “I don’t know what to tell the public.” He said “I thought we as New Africans were past this.”“Hate wears new masks” I said.“All the time.” Dr.RaKeith agreed. “You are aware that this man was responsible for the Prime King’s previous election.”I laughed as I reminisced. “Tunde never wanted responsibility for that. All he did was dress the Prime King with fashion that identified with the youth. You don’t win an election for looking good.”“Why not?” Dr.RaKeith chuckled. “Happens all the time doesn’t it?”“I disagree. The people of New Africa have more depth than that.”“Of course Vinza. But you do realize image is everything. The Prime King’s fashion had a style that said: I may be old but I welcome fresh ideas. Just by wearing a Ghostbeat fashion jacket designed by Old Ashanti. He was the first to do it.The Prime King was already charismatic in the election. But that jacket secured his position.”“You’re talking crazy, doctor.” I said. “But you were not the first to ever say it.” I looked down at my friend Tunde before the doctor covered him. I pray to Orisha that Tunde has crossed over knowing that he will always be loved.My hologram left the room a few minutes later and I saw that Ababuo was still outside.“Ababuo. Please. You know he is my highest priority.”“Vinza. Stop being a cop for a minute and pretend to give a damn!” she shouted.“Why are you talking to me like this?” I asked. “I am sorry that I appear as a hologram to you, but don’t say I don’t care!”“Then why haven’t you called me! Why haven’t you called to find out what was going on! You care? Bullshit!” Ababuo started to then walk away.“Ababuo, stop!”Ababuo turned back to me. “Are you this ‘professional’ with your own family? Yurobans have heart. You didn’t call to say I’m sorry or anything.” She shook her head. “I pity you. Being Atraba’s Number One Sergeant has gone to your head.” She walked away again.I turned off the holographic transporter and crawled into my bed and stared at the ceiling, fighting my tears. I didn’t think I deserved what she said to me. And yet maybe there was some truth to her words.“Hotep Sergeant Vinza” Zula appeared before me. “DNA analyses have been confirmed.”“Let’s have it Zula.”“As confirmed before, the first DNA sample is owned by Carter G.W. Danjuma.”“The second?”“The second is owned by Fredrick Khufu Penda.”The name, at the moment was unfamiliar to me. “Who in the world is Fredrick Khufu Penda?”Ifama walked in with a man who I haven’t seen in weeks. He was my boss, Commissioner Calif Ali. I was surprised to see him here. And yet he and Ifama had a worried look on their faces.I got up from my bed. “Hello sir.”Calif sighed. “Hello Vinza.”I didn’t like suspense. “What’s wrong?”“Zula,” said Ifama. “Monitor my husband’s heart and stand by on yellow alert”“Vinza, a video is being downloaded into your computer.” Said Calif. “Officer Rocky Calhoun has been murdered in his own home.”I was more confused than surprised. “What? Two murders?”“By caning.” He said.“By caning???”“Please look at the video.” Said Calif.“Zula,” I said. “Play the recent video that had just been downloaded.”My window clouded and cleared into a screen. I watched with the greatest fear as a young man with a cane maliciously beat Rocky until he was dead. And then I fell to my bed when the man turned him face to the camera.The face was Carter’s.“Impossible.” Said Ifama. “He’s in Diana’s house right now!”“That may be true.” Calif. “Airbikes fly very fast.”“No!” said Ifama. “You don’t understand. He wouldn’t know where Rocky lives!”“I’m sorry.” Said Calif. “Carter is being arrested as we speak for two murders.”-----------------------------------------------------Reporters swarmed Diana’s house as four policemen cuff Carter's hands and shackled his feet. They lift him up and carried him out the house.“He’s being framed!” shouted Diana as she attempted to free Carter from the cop. But it was useless. Two of the policemen shoved her off them and she fell to the ground. She sprang back to her feet to try again but she was intercepted by another man who held her away from the chaos.“Diana, not like this! Stop it!” said the man as Carter was put into a police van. The reporters went chaotic. They took pictures of the arrest and overwhelmed Diana with questions.Diana looked to see that it was Professor Penda who pulled her away. “He didn’t do it!” she shouted. “He didn’t do it! He didn’t do it!”“Okay, he didn’t do it!” said Professor Penda, who was breathing heavily as if he was engaged in some exhausting activity. “You have to calm down, Diana. Let the courts handle this.”“Oh my lord Jesus!!” Diana cried.And the Satellites teleported to the minds of many citizens to watch the evening news of a Murder in Nufrika.Details at Eleven.TO BE CONTINUED
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