My Story Part 2– The Crime ***
Our Meeting
I met Nathaniel Tumbwe at a business networking function sponsored by a church ministry. Trying to reactivate my business after serious illness I attended the function. Nathaniel Tumbwe had a booth promoting his ministry. I picked up his material and chatted with him a short time as I did at other business booths. I decided to attend his ministry meeting to get a better idea of his ministry. There he asked me to be his guest speaker at his next meeting and later asked me to be on his board. I refused both however I agreed to help him prepare for one meeting.
We met at public places numerous times for ministry business. He was polite and soft spoken. That was the beginning of his grooming process. In my mind we were church associates. He needed help with his ministry. I felt no threat from him. I had no interest in him. He was a fellow church member and an elder. I thought he was safe. But he was a master deceiver. In our meetings most of what he told me about himself and his ministry were lies.
The Attack
Saturday, October 4th started out great. Saturday morning as my best friend and I drove to the movie theater, I told her about my Friday meeting with Tumbwe. Tumbwe had given me the impression that he had few friends and that he desperately needed help with his ministry. We had a casual fellowship that Friday evening but were to have the business meeting Saturday. I realized Friday Tumbwe’s theology was off, he did not know scripture. He was not the godly man he portrayed himself to be, but I promised him we could have a business meeting. It was important to me to keep my word (mistake!). After that I thought is wise to end my association with Tumbwe. He was coming back Saturday afternoon to have our business meeting. We were to eat first then have the meeting.
What I thought was a business meeting was far from it. Was I wrong! He was insistent on talking about scriptures, philosophical theories and African culture on premarital sex and marriage. He portrayed himself as a man of great wisdom and knowledge, however his theology and philosophy made no sense. His blandishments did not work. Realizing it was not working it, that he could not confute my belief, it was then that he overpowered me and raped me. My phone rang while I was being attacked. I wanted so much to answer the phone, but I was afraid if I moved, he would have more leverage. I never answered the phone. It was my best friend on the phone calling to check on me. Oh my God! Help me! Oh my God! I cannot have another stroke or a heart attack. Help me survive this.
I was frozen in shock, disbelief, numb, confused, and scared. HE HAD NO RIGHT! HE HAD NO RIGHT! HE HAD NO RIGHT! He had no right to violate me! THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION ON EARTH THAT GIVES A PERSON THE RIGHT TO RAPE!!! For twenty minutes or so I laid there frozen and weeping. I knew I had to get up and get him out of my home. He did not want to go. He sat on the sofa, legs crossed, drinking coffee. Fearful of what he might do I told him I needed him to leave so I could pray. He said “I will pray with you.” God help me get this man out of my house. He left when I told him I had to pray alone and ask Jesus why I cannot stop weeping. He wanted to leave a CD with me. I said no. I didn’t want him to have an excuse to see me again. God help me.
To be continued…..