Tony was in court in the next hearing and as usual, after the oath taking, Barr. Brown took him on.
“Do you know Miss Frankie Nnamani?”
“Yes, my lord.’
“Can you tell this honorable court what she is to you?”
“I once had a one night- stand with her.”
“Once? You sound as if the relationship never lasted?”
“There was never a relationship. It was a brief fling, a spur of the moment thing.”
“Now, Mr. Tony, can you in your own words, tell this court about your brief relationship with Miss Frankie Nnamani?” 
“I met her one afternoon at the bus stop. She asked me for a ride, which I obliged her and soon we got talking and she asked to know my house.”
“That same day?” Barr. Brown asked.
“Yes, that same day.”
“Go on, what happened next?”
“When we got to my house, she said she liked my décor and requested to watch a movie.”
“What type of movie did she request?”
“An x-rated movie, my lord.”
“Did you oblige her?”
“I told her I don’t keep such movies, but she said she had one and would I mind if she could watch it? I said no problem. We started watching the movie and before I could know it, she was making love to me. It was horrible.”
“Eh ya! Sorry. Did you use any form of protection?”
“No, she said she doesn’t like using condom.” 
The crowd booed.
“My God! This is unbelievable. You didn’t use any form of protection at all?”
“Yes, my lord she said she doesn’t like it and I don’t either.”
“Do you mean you don’t use condoms at all?” 
“Yes, only occasionally. That is, if the girl insists.”
“She did not insist?”
“Yes, she was totally against its use. She said she wanted to feel the wet patch, the real thing and not artificial as she put it.”
From the witness box, Frankie seethed with anger at the lies. the lies, like hot arrows shot through her fiercely. She swallowed hard and dabbed the tears with her handkerchief. She wondered what it will cost him to tell the simple truth and end a viscous circle. Then a thought occurred to her, he must have been handsomely rewarded.
“So what are we talking about here?” The defense counsel asked. “We all can see here that this case is an open and shut case. There is absolutely no denying the fact that Miss Nnamani is a professional prostitute who hops from bed to bed for a token. It is also an established fact that she did not use any form of protection at all and that she doesn’t even give a hoot to what happens as long as she is having fun. Now that she is pregnant, she is looking for a scapegoat to pin it on. Tony does not use condom. In fact, he hates them. My lord, the plaintiff has no moral or legal standing in this case. She is merely a girl with a grudge against her father and who wants to pin the blame on condom failure to foil her father’s presidential bid. There is also no proof that the condom failed at all or that Tony used one. Based on this premise, I’ll like to move for a motion of dismissal.”
“Any question for the defendant, Barrister Nwaka?” the Judge asked.
“Yes, yes. I have a few questions,” Barr. Nwaka replied, taking slow, menacing steps towards Tony at the box.
“Mr. Tony Chukwuma Umeh,” he called out, spelling the names out slowly.
“Yes, my lord.”
“How many times did Frankie visit you?”
“Just once”
“Just once? I doubt it,” the prosecutor asked, shaking his head in the negative. “Only once and you jumped into bed with her, is that what you want this court to believe?”
“It was the devil’s handiwork.”
“Yes or no, please.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know one Ijeoma Chikamnaele?”
“Yes.”
“Has she ever visited you with the witness?” 
he hesitated, scratching his head irritably.
“You understand the question, don’t you?” 
“Yes.”
“Has she ever visited you with the witness?”  he repeated.
“Yes.”
“But you just said now that she visited you only once?”
“You know we stay in the same neighborhood and sometimes she visits with her friends. I… I …”
“Have you slept with her before? You know what I mean, have you ever made love to Frankie before?”
“What sort of question is this? Are you going to ask me how many women I have slept with before?”
“Please, answer the question. Did you sleep with her?”
“Yes, but it was only once.”
“Good. How long ago was that?”
“A couple of months back. I guess, 2, 3 months ago. I can’t really remember, but the date is in my dairy.”
“Did you use any form of protection? I mean, did you use condom or give her any birth control pill?”
“No, I rarely use condom.”
“No? Do you mean that you don’t use condoms at all?”
“She said she doesn’t like condom and I don’t use them either.”
“Mr. Tony Umeh, what you are telling this honorable court is that even in the light of life threatening diseases such as AIDS, you still sleep with women without condom?”
“Only prostitutes use condom, besides I don’t enjoy sex with it. As for AIDS, there is nothing like that. It’s just a sham and hoodwink and the acronym, AIDS stands for ‘American Idea to Discourage Sex.’ I have fun while I can. I don’t have need for a condom. Man die go, woman born another-that’s my belief. If we don’t have unprotected sex, how will the women get pregnant and if in the bid to get a woman pregnant, one gets AIDS, so be it.”
“You have not answered my question.”
“Use what, condom? No, I don’t.”
“I have spoken to some of your friends, do you know what they might have told me you are not telling me?”
“Objection, my lord. If he has other witnesses, let him call them now.”
“I’ll sustain that, Barrister Nwaka. Please, rephrase your question.”
“As your lordship pleases.” Turning once more to Tony, he said. “You lied about not using condom. Yes, you do use condom, but this time around it broke and for whatever reasons am yet to fathom, you are lying. Now, tell me, Tony what do you stand to gain by lying?”
“I’m not lying.”
“Yes, you are.”
“I am being wrongly accused here. It’s my life, my belief and opinion. I don’t like condoms and I don’t see how that concerns you.”
Barr. Nwaka was completely fazed. He didn’t reckon that Tony will ever deny not using condom. “One more question, how much did they pay you to lie?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.” 
The Barrister looked at him for a long time, shrugging, he said. “My lord, that will be enough for the witness for now, thank you.”