Woman of Steel by Lucy Mwelu

Woman of Steel

by Lucy Mwelu

I dug my heels into the seemingly unassailable soil exterior with a feral desire of attaining balance. Angling my head to the side, I stretched my burnished arms forward whilst encircling the hefty, cold steel; a Walther P99 9MM in my miniature palms. I squinted my eyes, all focus resolute on the target dummy aloof from me. It is undoubtedly bone tickling what one can simply impart themselves with by visiting good old Google. For me, it was the divine art of learning how to be a trigger-happy maniac. I pulled the trigger, my mind rushing to paint a picture of the firing pin striking the primer, the primer igniting the gun powder and finally the burning powder creating just enough pressure to push the bullet down the barrel and out the muzzle. I watched smugly as the bullet landed squarely on the dummy’s glabella; the soft area between one’s eyebrows. I took it upon myself to give that area a moniker, the sweet spot. A satiated smile crept on my lips as my arms withdrew from their elongated position. A sudden feeling of weariness swept over me but I swiftly shrugged it off. I removed my hearing protection then proceeded to hang it on a nail plummeted into the wall. I then sauntered out of the range, my legs suddenly feeling airborne. “If it isn’t my favorite student … Lily, the woman of steel … literal steel.” I rolled my eyes and playfully punched Victor Oduor on the side of his arm. Of course I immediately regretted my impulsive action given that the man was of stout stature. My eyes zeroed in on his perfectly chiseled jaw, his most outstanding feature. He was the man who had graciously seen to it that I had daily access to the shooting range in Lanet Barracks. “Well, if you really think I deserve such a title then I challenge you to a battle … .” Victor corked an eyebrow before the ends of his dried lips tugged upwards into a cynical smile. “You do realize that I can beat you with my eyes closed right?” “Driving a hard bargain as usual I see? Men from the west and their egos … how delightful it will be to trample all over it.” “Women from the east and their mouths … how delightful it will be to watch you swallow your own words.” For a moment, we stood there unmoving, our eyes locked in a ferocious duel. There was a humongous contrast in Victor’s appearance; a hard exterior complemented by beady gentle eyes. A shrill ringtone blared through the air causing us to break eye contact. I pursed my lips, my fists clenching instinctively as I stared at the screen of my phone. I let it go straight to voicemail. “Go … we will resume our little dance some other time.” I gave Victor a curt nod before hastening my steps toward the barracks gate. Patting my trouser’s back pocket, I fished out a fifty shilling note. “Ah, daughter of Governor! Beautiful girl, today tea?” “Here.” The soldier’s calculating eyes bored a hole at the back of my head as I trotted towards my Toyota E 100. My anorexic fingers fumbled with the car keys as I blinked away the pool of tears brimming in my eyes. I finally managed to open the door, being careful not to let the soldier see my distraught state. Sliding

onto my leather seat, I let out a strained sigh while my hands, with a life of their own, reached out to grab a packet of farasi cigarettes. I lit one of them, my numb nerves relaxing as I lavished the bliss feeling of smoking tobacco. Back on campus, I had mastered the art of releasing the smoke in chains; I watched them as they formed, dissipating in the air as swiftly as they appeared. The shrill ringtone split through the air once again, jolting me out of my pensive. I stole a glance at the screen, a wave of smoke straining to escape through my clinched teeth. My hands began to tremble as I reached out for my phone. “Hello?” “Lily? Where are you? The court session is about to begin!” “I’m in Lanet … coming in a few, Mercy … have they started?” “Will you just get here? The judge will be on my throat if he spots that you are a no-show! Get yourself together and for the love of God Lily, no smoking!” “Okay, and Mercy is he-” The line went dead. I threw my head back hitting the head rest of the driver’s seat with a silent thud. Nausea swept over me and suddenly the relishing feel ignited by my cigarette turned acrimonious. I rolled down the window and disposed of it, sending the packet of cigarettes back to their haven. Switching on the ignition, my engine roared to life and the car lurched forward. My features hardened as I set the gear and headed for Nakuru Law Courts. Mercy Wahome was as tough as she was beautiful. With sizzling olive skin complemented by a striking voluptuous figure, the woman cracked necks wherever she went. A prejudiced mind would profile her as one of many Nakuru leeches upon sight but in truth, Mercy was hardworking, independent and most of all a brilliant law practitioner. Today she was dressed in bold mauve and she reverberated with confidence. “You look like shit. “ “Good morning to you too, Mercy.” A sympathetic smile crawled on her lips when she locked her eyes with mine. I was then engulfed in a tight embrace, a lavender laden scent lingering after she finally grew tired of sniffing the air out of me. “So … did you finally get me Victor’s number?” A chuckle escaped my throat as she encircled her arm around the low of my back. “He has given his life-” “Yes yes to the country … but what about his-” “Mercy! Stop it! We are in court!” A chuckle emanated from Mercy as we rounded a corner leading to the courtroom. “I was going to say his heart … woman, mind out of the gutter please?” My cheeks flushed crimson as Mercy opened the door of the courtroom. My feet suddenly became heavy, prompting me to remain rooted to the spot. “You can do this Lily.” The atmosphere in the courtroom was sombre. It was half empty yet it still felt crowded. Air constricted in my chest as my eyes landed on the man slumped in one of the front-row seats.

There he was, seated comfortably in his chair with his arms crossed nonchalantly. His ashy hair was unruly, his stubble draped with a pronounced five o’clock shadow. Trepidation suddenly infringed my being as locked-away memories began drilling their way back. He suddenly turned around, his eyes boring through mine. His mouth morphed into a malevolent smirk as if he could hear the heightened sound of my heart frantically beating against my chest. “Lily, sit down … the judge will be here soon after he finishes his sojourn in the washroom.” Mercy let out bouts of snorts which soon trailed off when she took note of my frozen stance. “Lily … he cannot do anything to you, sit down.” Mercy yanked my hand forcing me to plant my rear end onto the wooden arm chair beside her. I could still feel his eyes on me, regarding me amusingly from his table. Searing tears pooled in my eyes, but I swiftly blinked them away, not today Lily.

“All rise.” As if in a trance, everyone rose to their feet as the judge sauntered in majestically. He motioned for people to resume their sitting positions while instructing the prosecutor to unravel the day’s case. My mind reeled away from the prosecutor’s foghorn voice and proceeded down the path of memory lane. I was suddenly 6 years old again, the younger version of myself sprinting towards my father. He hoisted me up with his burly hands then tossed me in the air multiple times as I laughed gaily ... . “I would like to call Lily Senene to the stand please.” I had been so profoundly doused in my thoughts that I had not noticed Mercy addressing the jury. Luckily, I had alighted from my train down memory lane just in time for her summoning. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me as I waddled to the stand. Feigning courage, I swore on the Bible to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. “State your name and the reason for your presence in this court today.” My throat felt scratchy and when I spoke my voice came out as a harsh whisper. “My name is Lily Senene and the reason why I am here today is because …” My voice trailed off as valour dissipated from me. Suddenly I was 6 again, terrified and voiceless. “Miss Senene, you are required by the court to state your reason for attending this session.” My head bobbed as I twiddled my thumbs. From the corner of my eye, I saw the judge signalling Mercy to continue. Mercy’s gaze was unwavering as she repeated her earlier question. I closed my eyes momentarily as I took in the swirl of memories churning within me. My lower lip quivered as each painful memory depicted itself across my mind, enough was enough, it was time. I am a woman of steel. “My name is Lily Senene, daughter of Governor Philip Senene … and today I am here to plead with the court for comeuppance to this vile man … the man who continuously raped me from the time I was 6 years old … my own father.”