“We all hope that by the end of the process Obed and Beth will reach an agreement,” says the man. “But even before we start the process we need to reach our first agreement: we are going to listen to one another, aren’t we?”
Both Obed and Beth agree that indeed they are going to listen to each other.
The mediators display great excitement at this, but I suspect they are faking it. The woman says, “You see, it shows that we are capable of agreeing on something.”
This gives me hope that Obed will cooperate and forget all ideas of “walking.” But I am wrong. After the mediators ask the parties to tell their stories, and when Beth gets to the point where she switches on the light and spots the cowering flesh-and-blood Nicodemus, Obed shouts that it was not him. He was never anywhere near the sorority house that day. In fact, he does not even know where the sorority house in question is located. In any case, he goes on with his rant, how does Beth know it was not the real Nicodemus who fondled her breasts? Where does she get off blaming a poor man just because he is poor and is not white and is not from the university?
Beth is astounded. She starts to weep and the female mediator hands her a box of tissues. I spring to my feet and, begging the mediators’ pardon, drag Obed out. In the passageway I tell him how disappointed I am in him: “Do you think you can just piss on all the trouble I took to get this girl to agree to withdraw the case if we have mediation? I tell you, if you continue this way I will not be in your corner anymore and for sure you will find yourself in jail.”
We return to the room and Beth is able to complete her story without further interruption. The woman mediator is curious to know why she wants mediation in what should rightly be a criminal case…why she doesn’t let the police and the courts handle the matter. Beth tells her that she could feel the sincerity in my voice when I begged her to withdraw the case and believed me when I said the young man had no evil intentions. Now that she has heard Obed’s denial she will not withdraw the case and doesn’t see the point of the mediation. The man suggests that perhaps Beth and I should have a private talk to decide whether the mediation should be salvaged or not. He gives us thirty minutes. The woman is not pleased with these repeated attempts to save Obed’s ass, as she delicately puts it. She is obviously disgusted with him and would like to see him rot in the county jail where he rightly belongs. I must admit that I share her disgust, though I think I must not give up on him just yet. Otherwise what am I going to tell Ruth?
I suggest to Beth that we go to a coffee house downstairs and see if we can sort this matter out, without Obed. I ask him to wait in the hallway and not dare go anywhere until we come back.
Over steaming mocha I once more plead with her to withdraw the case and continue with the mediation. She admits that she is more inclined to withdraw the charges because she hates the adverse publicity that will surely follow court appearances. However she will definitely brave the publicity if Obed refuses to show remorse. Already she is taking a lot of flak from some of her sisters for even considering withdrawing the charges. If the breast fondler gets off free, they argue, that will help perpetuate sexual assaults on women, which have increased in the city lately.
I feel very sorry for Beth Eddy. She looks fragile and all the confidence I’d seen earlier has disappeared. She confesses that she feels partly responsible for what happened. She went down to the basement to provoke the ghost. I can see her anguish and this makes me mad at Obed. I am no longer interested in persuading her to withdraw the case, and I tell her so. She must not be scared of publicity, I now argue, because she is the victim here. The press will be sympathetic to her and will expose Obed for the scoundrel he is. Yes, Ruth will find out about it and will be unhappy with me for not letting her know in the first place. But really Obed does need to learn a lesson. I am sick of his attitude: his lack of appreciation for the trouble I took to set this up and for Beth’s readiness to forgive.
It is Beth’s turn to talk me out of the case. There was a rape in Athens a few weeks ago, she tells me. It was in the papers every day and the case dragged on and on, with lawyers questioning the reputation of the victim. She doesn’t want to go through that. She fears that her reputation will be tainted by the revelation that the girls enjoy playing naughty games with the real Nicodemus. Lawyers always manage to dig up such scandals. She can do without the publicity. After all, she was not actually raped. The scoundrel merely touched her breasts in the manner that Nicodemus had touched them before…to her pleasure. Yes, the mediation should continue.
“Okay, but if that boy continues with his silly stunts I’ll insist that you do not withdraw the charges,” I tell Beth. And I mean it. “I think it’s high time our breast fondler learned a lesson.”
After this the mediation continues without further incident. I notice that the mediators listen very attentively. After each side has given its story they summarize the key points, all the while complimenting both parties for trying to work out their differences. Obed’s story is a very simple one. Yes, indeed, he went to the sorority in the spirit of the day. He had heard of the ghost of Nicodemus, who had died at the sorority house more than a hundred and fifty years ago, when it was one of the stations of the Underground Railroad. He decided to appropriate Nicodemus’s identity because there were rumours circulating that he haunted the sorority house and the girls enjoyed his company. He thought he would share in the ghost’s good fortune because in any event Nicodemus was his relative who was mercilessly murdered by slave catchers. He really did not have any intention of committing a crime. All he wanted was to scare the girls, and then proceed to the Court Street parades to enjoy the evening.
After Beth Eddy has expressed her own feelings about the incident — how she felt soiled and violated by it and how she thought her life was in danger — the mediators ask the parties what they think the solution should be. To my surprise Obed expresses his remorse and asks to be forgiven for his foolish and thoughtless behavior. He vows that never again will he play such dirty tricks on anyone as long as he lives, and he is willing to put that in writing, provided Beth puts it in writing that she will withdraw all the charges she has laid against him at the police station. Beth is ready to forgive him unconditionally when I butt in. Surely the young man must not get off so lightly. I remind Beth: “When I spoke with you yesterday you said there should be some restitution before you withdraw the case.”
“He has shown remorse,” says Beth.
“Obed and I think that is not enough,” I insist, looking at Obed for confirmation. “We think there should be some kind of restitution.”
“We don’t think no such thing,” says an indignant Obed.
“Oh, yes, we do!” I stand my ground.
“Hey, you ain’t even supposed to be here,” he screams at me.
“Perhaps he can paint your sorority house,” I suggest. “Why don’t you discuss it with your sisters? I’ll help him if he needs an assistant.”
The woman mediator does not think it’s a good idea to let Obed loose anywhere near the sorority house. Who will guarantee the girls’ safety?
Once again Beth surprises me.
“I think it is a good idea,” she says. “I’ll call you after talking with my housemates.”
The mediators incorporate that in the agreement and both parties sign. The mediators are happy. Especially the man. The mediation has been a great success. We all shake hands. Beth and the female mediator are the first to leave while the man asks me about my origins and what I think of their beautiful city and the fine weather that was quite foggy in the morning. As we walk out of the office Obed glares at me and mutters: “I thought you was my friend, man. I thought you was my freakin’ friend.”