Chapters removed for “not enough horror”; on my profile
Chapter 9: Confabulation
“…I haven’t played the guitar in nearly twenty years. I bought one in Salisbury when I arrived. I don’t know why” Father Gomez, writing in his diary November 3rd 1959
At the start of 1966 the international community was starting to turn against the Rhodesian government. The Communist block had started training and arming the revolutionaries while the Capitalist block imposed sanctions on the white minority government. The USA would impose sanctions on March 18th 1966. By the end of the year the United Nations would unilaterally vote for mandatory sanctions against them (December 16th 1966). Internally violence was becoming more common as decades of tensions began to spill over. In the region around Leaf-Point Sargent Brown instituted a strict curfew and draconian laws on assembly:
Police Station 6607W
May 29th 1966
NOTICE OF CURFEW
Due to recent events in Hartley that resulted in the deaths of two citizens a curfew has been instituted for all residence of Leaf-Point Mission, Chifamba Village, Brown Farm, Potter Farm, Smithy Farm, Stanford Farm and all small plots and homesteads within the area. The curfew will commence immediately and run from 18:00 to 6:00
All those found in violation of the curfew will be subject to a $20.00 fine or a minimum of 3 days in jail
All gatherings of more than 10 people must receive approval first. Failure to do so will result in imprisonment and prosecution to the full extent of the law
Signed
Sargent John Brown
The notice was published on a Sunday hours before Father Gomez started service. As a result the Leaf-Point Church had more than ten people in attendance when Sargent Brown arrived flanked by several officers. Farther Gomez was arrested for holding an illegal gathering and held in the local jail for three days before the Archdiocese intervened. Below is an excerpt from their legal filling against Father Gomez’s detention
“…furthermore it is the belief of the Archdiocese that Sargent Brown is abusing his office and utilizing the current political environment to persecute Father Alexander Gomez. We therefore request the immediate release of Father Alexander Gomez and the cessation of the manipulation of the law to intimidate a member of the church” Marston & Morgan Law, June 1st 1966
The Archdiocese would dispatch two representatives; a priest by the name Farther Jefferson Davis and a lawyer Solomon Morgan. The two men would arrive in region the day after Father Gomez was released on June 3rd 1966. The experience had left little physical scars. But it had awakened memories and psychological trauma that he had attempted to suppress for nearly thirty years:
“They kept me in a dirty and dark cell for six days. An empty bucket was the only furniture. They did not provide me blankets or a jacket. I attempted to sleep on the damp floor the first night and was awoken by rats gnawing at my feet. I didn’t sleep after that. I just sat there in silence, hearing the rats and insects crawling along the floor and walls. I began to think of my time at St. Michael’s. How I would scream and pray for salvation from my sickness. But in that cell I knew that it was the guards that are sick. They are the ones inflicted by insanity. Perhaps even at St. Michael’s I was the sane one” Father Gomez, writing in his diary June 7th 1966
Mr Morgan advised that Father Gomez abandon Leaf-Point. Due to his Canadian citizenship he would be granted passage back home; fully paid for by the Church. Father Davis would replace him as head of the mission. But Father Gomez refused. The two representatives wrote to the Archdiocese, expressing concern of the mental state of Farther Gomez.
“He is refusing to listen to any of our suggestions. Yesterday he began ranting that it was the will of God that he stay and fight in Leaf-Point. When I told him that he could be transferred to Salisbury and imprisoned for months if not years he started a sermon on Daniel and the lions. Father Davis attempted to change the subject by suggesting he play his fiddle. Father Gomez then responded that he didn’t own a fiddle. Both of us told the clearly confused man that he had a fiddle in the corner of his office. According to the Simon (the local handyman) it’s been there since Father Gomez arrived. But the man refuses its very existence. I suggest you send more men up to assist in forcibly relocating him” Solomon Morgan, writing to the Archdiocese of Salisbury June 10th 1966
An additional team of three men would be dispatched to assist in the forced removal of Father Gomez from Leaf-Point on the 11th of June. However when they arrived on the morning of the 13th, Father Gomez was found dead in his study. The cause of death was not disclosed but a burial order issued by the Police station stated it would be closed casket. Both Farther Davis and Mr Morgan where at the Leaf-Point Church the night of Father Gomez’s death. Both would remain silent about what had occurred for years to come. However at some point an elderly Solomon Morgan would recount the story to his son. This story will be shared to the general public for the first time below:
“My dad (Solomon Morgan) told me this story once. I must have been fifteen or sixteen. It was from when we were still living in Zimbabwe. He had been called out to some place in the bush to assist with a crazy Priest. The guy had done something and was facing years in prison. So my dad shows up with another priest to try get this guy out of this situation. The first priest, the crazy one refuses to go with them so they are forced to stay in this old creepy church for a couple of days while they wait for backup
My old man notices that this priest got an old violin, or was it a fiddle. Think it was a violin. So the priest got this old violin just sitting in his office. The priest doesn’t play it or touch it and allegedly this thing just been sitting there for a decade. So the first night they are there they hear the priest playing the violin in the middle of the night. So they go tell him to stop playing but the find the violin untouched and the priest is fast asleep. Obviously this spooks them out but they think it might be stress or someone else playing a prank
The following night they hear the music again but this time they find the priest playing the violin and singing some creepy song. The Priest is crying while his singing and my dad and the other guy are just looking at him. Suddenly the Priest bites down on his own tongue. Blood is oozing from his mouth but he keeps trying to sing. My dad says they tried to save him but he wouldn’t stop. So they just watched him bleed to death. Really messed him up” Lawrence Morgan, virtual interview February 9th 2021