Hearing had continued some days later with Ijeoma in the witness box. 
“Yes, go on Miss Chikamnaele.”
“My mum told me sex inside marriage is beautiful, I believed her until I was 13 then I had to go and live with Senator Nnamani, though, I am still living with him, and he told me sex is okay so long as you are protected and it is consensual. Whenever we are going back to school, one of the things he insists we must take with us is condom. He encouraged us to wear them always because he was not ready to be a grandfather yet.”
“Wait a minute, Miss Chikamnaele; is it your testimony that Senator Nnamani gave you condom occasionally?”
“Yes.”
“Well, you may continue.”
“Even in school too. They will show us videos of naked men and women making love and distribute condoms to us. They told us love making is a natural expression of natural desires.” 
“Just a minute Miss, are you telling this honorable court that you were given free condoms in school and shown pictures of naked men and women making love?”
“Yes, every Thursday, during the moral instruction period.” 
“Did you attend such sex education classes?”
“Yes, I did once or twice before I stopped.” 
“Why did you stop attending these classes, Miss Chikamnaele?”
“I stopped because it offends my religious and moral beliefs.”
“Were you forced to attend such classes?”
“Yes, the school made it compulsory.”
“So did you get a reprimand for objecting to attend such classes?”
“Yes, I was punished once or twice but when I remained adamant, they reneged.”
“You are very close to Miss Nnamani, Miss Chikamnaele, am I right?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Did she ever tell you she will kill herself if she is forced to keep the pregnancy?”
“No, on the contrary, she was excited about being a mother and wanted so much to keep her baby but the school said no and expelled her.”
“Is it your testimony, Miss Chikamnaele, that Frankie was expelled from school because she refused to abort the pregnancy?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Thank you very much Miss Chikamnaele for coming around.”
“It’s my pleasure, my lord.”
“Any cross examination for the witness, defense counsel?” the judge asked.
“Yes, yes, Miss Chikamnaele.”
“Yes, my lord,” the defense counsel said. Turning to Miss Chikamnaele, he asked. “Does the knowledge of wrong lead one into committing wrong?”
“No.”
“No? Then who will be correct say that for the fact that you were advised to use condom to avoid getting pregnant or contracting STDs is not enough reason to be promiscuous?”
“Exactly, it is!”
“Then why are you not pregnant?”
“Because …because I refused to believe in safe sex. My mum told me sex can only be licit or illicit and not safe or unsafe. So I’ve not had sex yet because I am not yet married and so care less about pregnancy and STDs.”
“These said lessons, were you forced to take them?”
“Yes, my lord. It was mandatory.”
“Miss Chikamnaele, would you choose evil over good just to please someone?”
“No.”
“Why did you choose to remain chaste despite all the perceived attacks on your morality?”
“Because I chose to have a way to be.”
“What you are telling this honorable court, Miss Chikamnaele is that in a world of plurals, you can only choose what’s best for you regardless of the temptations or attractions?”
“Yes.”
“Good, will I be correct then to say that it wasn’t necessarily the lessons that made Frankie promiscuous?”
“It contributed a lot because she wasn’t like that until they came preaching safe-sex.” 
“Well, thank you Miss Chikamnaele. We’ll talk again.
***
It was the seventh day of hearing.
“Your witness, Mr. Brown,” the judge said as soon as the counsels approached the bench.
“I call on Senator Nnamani.”
As soon as Chief was called up, the crowd started to boo.
“Order!” the judge yelled, ramming his gavel on the table, but the murmuring continued, “order!” he shouted again. 
The noise simmered down.
“Yes, Senator Nnamani, can you in your own words, in the next few minutes, tell this honorable court all you know about the accusations levied against you?”
“On the 24th of April, the principle of Holy Child College telephoned me around midday, telling me that my daughter, who is a student in her school, was pregnant and had threatened to kill herself if she did not abort the pregnancy. She also said she was becoming a physical and mental wreck and feeling suicidal and that they were sending her home. I was naturally worried.”
“Why?”
“She is my only child and I love her dearly.”
“Go on, what happened next?”
“When I came back home that day, I found her at home. She was looking demoralized and refused to eat something. I comforted her and told her not to bother herself much. But she refused to be comforted.”
“Yes, go on.”
“For three days, she refused to eat but rather, she walked around the house like a zombie and locked herself up in her room. She also threatened to kill herself if she did not abort the pregnancy.”
“What did you do next? 
“On the third day, I took her to a clinic for proper medical checkup. And as soon as we pulled up outside the clinic, she took to her heels and next thing I got was this silly summons. I’m really puzzled, how could I have plotted to kill my only daughter, how?”
“Oh, sorry.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
“You must be missing them so much, especially, your yet to be born grandchild.”
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
“How old is the pregnancy?”
“I don’t even know. That was what I wanted to find out and now look at the bullshit I’m hearing.”
“Calm down, calm down Chief. I understand how you feel. One more Question, Chief, How did you feel about the pregnancy?”
“I felt excited. You know, Frankie is my only daughter, so I was really looking forward to being a grandfather. But she threatened to kill herself if she was forced to keep the pregnancy.”
“I have no further question, my lord.”
“Any question for the witness, prosecuting counsel?” the judge asked Barr. Nwaka.
“Yes, my lord,” Barr. Nwaka answered, rising to his feet. “Chief Alfred Nnamani, the Ochiri ozuo of Umuofia!” Barrister Nwaka, the prosecuting counsel called out as he walked towards him in the witness box.
“Yes.”
“Senator Nnamani, how would you describe your relationship with your daughter?”
“We have a very good and cordial relationship.”
“That means there is no love lost between you two?”
“Yes.”
“What if I turn out contrary evidence?”
“You will prove nothing.”
“Senator Nnamani, did you say you have a very cordial relationship with your daughter? Why then did you beat her up and incarcerated her for days without food?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Yes, you do. Now tell me, did you or did you not on the 25th and 26th of April beat her and locked her up for days without food?”
“I said I don’t know what you are talking about. Agreed, I do spank her once in a while, who doesn’t spank his children once in a while?”
“Yes or no, please.”
“Yes, I gave her some spanking.”
“Why did you spank her?”
“I don’t understand the question.”
“Yes, you do. Who inflicted those wounds on her and why?”
“I don’t understand what you are talking about.”
“You do.” Turning to the judge, Barr. Nwaka said, “My lord, I want to tender this medical report as proof that Senator Nnamani physically abused Miss Nnamani on the 25th and 26th because she got pregnant out of wedlock and refused to abort the baby.” 
“Show to the defense counsel.”
“Objection. My lord, one will like to know the source of the medical report.”
“The source is Holy Trinity hospital, which treated Miss Nnamani for injuries sustained from the bashing and which was paid for by Pastor Okechukwu.”
“Exhibit is hereby admitted in court. You may continue, Barrister Nwaka.” 
“Have you ever given Frankie condoms?”
“Objection. My lord, the question is immaterial,” the defense counsel shouted.
“Goes to motive.”
“You may answer the question.”
“My lord, these things are a necessity these days. I mean, with all these viruses flying around, it will be unthinkable not to encourage kids to wear condoms.”
“Yes or no, please.”
“Yes. It’s a natural thing to do.”
“As the Population Control Chairman, you should be aware of the fact that condoms are not foolproof and offers false sense of security.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that but when used correctly; condoms can block the spread of many sexually transmitted diseases including the HIV virus and unwanted pregnancies,” he said as if it was the most moral and logical thing to do or say.
“Sir, don’t you think Frankie became promiscuous and hitherto got pregnant because she had free and easy access to pills and condoms?”
“Free and easy access to pills and condoms do not necessarily guarantee that.”
“So you gave Frankie condoms and encouraged her to go ahead and do it as long as it was protected and now that the condom failed, you want to get rid of the evidence and now that Frankie is not cooperating, you want to get rid of her too?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Yes, you do. You know just exactly what I’m talking about. Now, let me ask you, as the population control chairman, will you sleep with a HIV carrier with condom?”
“No one will do that, but if…”
“Yes or no, please”
“No.”
“No? Why wouldn’t you do that?”
“Condom is not foolproof, of course.”
“Then why did you give Frankie condoms knowing that it’s not fool proof?”
“It’s in line with the theory of harm reduction.”
“You planned to kill Frankie, didn’t you?”
“Why should I want to do that?”
“There are so many reasons Chief, in the first place, she disappointed you by getting pregnant outside wedlock and that didn’t augur well with your reputation and when she decided to keep the pregnancy, you felt threatened, am I right?” 
“I still don’t know what you are talking about.”
“You never wanted Frankie right from the onset, am I right?”
“Who told you that?”
“How many times did you pressurize your wife to commit abortion because it was not a male fetus?”
“My lord, I still can’t comprehend what you are talking about.”
“You do, Chief and stop pretending. Do you know Dr. Akpan?”
“Yes, he was my family doctor.”
“Yes, he was until he connived with your wife and falsified the scan result about the sex of the baby, the outcome was Frankie. You were so disappointed and never got over the shock because you had wanted a boy instead of a girl. So you dressed Frankie up like a boy, am I right?”
“These things are not so, my lord.”
“How is it, Chief, tell me. You see, Chief, you are suffering from a psychological problem. It’s a sort of mental disorder emanating from the acute hatred you harbor for the women in your life and rightly so because they disappointed you. Your mother was wayward and very promiscuous and had the eight of you from eight different men, am I right?” he asked.
“Yes, go on am all ears.”
“Your half sisters picked up the trait too as they all got pregnant outside wedlock before the age of sixteen each. You thought you’ve had enough and that all women were the same and so you vowed never to have anything to do with women again. But nature and biotechnology refused to cooperate with your whims and caprices. Twice, your wife got pregnant and twice you forced her to abort the pregnancy because it was a female fetus. So when she’d gotten pregnant the third time, she’d lied to you that it was a male fetus. You believed her only to find out it was a baby girl after birth. Naturally, you were disappointed. When you got over that shock, you decided to make sure she did not bring shame to you by coming home with an unwanted pregnancy. So you introduced her to the most reliable pills and birth control devices, including condoms. You didn’t want her to make the same mistake your mother and sisters made. So when Frankie got pregnant, you saw your old fears coming true. You put pressure on her to abort the baby and when she refused, you took to intimidation, that’s what happened, wasn’t it?”
“My lord, I… “
“On the 27th, you bundled her into the car and drove her over to an abortionist clinic to perform an abortion on her against her consent. But Frankie had her own plans for as soon as you pulled up in front of the clinic, she took to her heels. Frustrated, you had sent your mob after her but they ran out of luck and were arrested and they indicted you. So you wiped out the witnesses because you didn’t want them to testify against you in court.”
“It did not happen exactly in that order,” chief complained. “It was for her best interest. I’ve always wanted the best for her.”
“How did it happen?”
“She was the one asking for the abortion and threatening to kill herself if she was denied. You know, she was naturally ashamed and disappointed with herself for getting pregnant outside wedlock and she didn’t want to be a laughing stock among her peers.”
“You said she was the one asking for the abortion?”
“Yes, she threatened to kill herself if her demands were not met.”
“I doubt that,” the prosecuting counsel said. “Why was she expelled from school then?”
“Well, I’m not the school authorities. May be, you ask them.”
“Do you know one Danny Kaku?”
“Yes, what about him?”
“He is dead now. He said you hired them to wipe out Frankie.”
“I don’t know about that and you can’t prove anything.”
“Well, I put it to you, Chief Alfred Nnamani, that you deliberately and consciously taught and imbibed the destructive safe-sex philosophy, which is a disease contaminant and a misguided approach into your daughter without giving her the option of abstinence which hitherto ruined her life. You did not only stop at that, you forced her to have an abortion against her will contrary to her fundamental human rights and the right to life of the unborn. You are also guilty of attempting to murder the complainant on the night of 27th of April.”
“I am being wrongly accused here, my lord. I am not guilty of these charges being levied against me.”
“That will be all for the defendant for now, my lord.”
“That will be all for today,” the judge said, rising up.