Chapter 2: Arrested

Two days later we flew London to Amsterdam and on to Lilongwe where we boarded a forty-seat Tumali Airways plane to Chapoti. Although the plane was full, only four other women were on the flight, all of African origin. I was very nervous but if anything Roger was more so. We held hands; that was almost a first for us. Although we'd been though college together, neither of us went out much or attended parties, so we didn't really get to know each other until graduation and we both had honours degrees. It came as a great surprise when we met again at the interviews for jobs on Today's World and as newbies on the staff we were together quite a lot. I quite liked him but he always seemed very insecure and wanting to be mothered. We were both teased over our relationship but it didn't make any difference. Now we were being thrown together in a country where intimate sexual relationships were the norm and I constantly wondered if that would change our association with each other.

"We are now crossing into Tumali airspace, please fasten your seat belts." The pilot's voice came over the loudspeaker.

The Tumalian stewardess came to me and I was shocked to notice that her blouse was completely undone and her breasts were in full view. Roger' eyes popped wide open. "Ma'am," she said quietly, "Women in this country are expected to show their breasts at all times. May I suggest that it would be wise for you do so now, before we enter the terminal building?" This was something I'd seen on the web site but deemed that surely could only apply to native women, not white guests invited into their country. Invited, so I'd been told, by the country's second in command.

I turned and noticed that the other women had opened their blouses and some sort of cup on the underside supported their breasts and thrust them forward. They seemed proud of them or perhaps it was the sapphire coloured broach that nestled just above their cleavage they wanted to show. I decided, I just couldn't bare mine. "No," I replied as forcefully as I could, "We are visitors and I have diplomatic immunity from Colonel Nubaro."

A look of disbelief crossed stewardess' face. "If you say so ma'am. On your head be it but I would strongly advise you to conform to our rules. It can be painful if you don't." Deliberately I crossed my arms over my chest and she went away. We knew from our researches that Tumali women went around like the native Africans of former days as a protest against the white colonialists and missionaries, but I was certain that it shouldn't apply to me especially as I had Colonel Nubaro's indemnity document.

While we waited in a small room for our bags to be hand delivered to us from the plane I took the opportunity to look around at the others in the terminal building. Every female did indeed have their breasts exposed, even those too old to have more than sagging sacks. Others looked at us. We were definitely the centre of attention but I put that down to our being white and foreigners and I gathered from the staff at Lilongwe that foreigners travelling to Tumali were a rare commodity. No doubt too, my very fair skin and long blonde hair made me even more conspicuous.

The first hint of trouble came when we presented our documents to a uniformed official. First he didn't like the fact that I went first, then when he'd examined Roger' papers said loudly, "Woman you are in Tumali now, bare your tits!" All eyes turned on me as I tried to explain that I had diplomatic immunity. He threw the paper back at me. "There is no such thing as diplomatic immunity here, we only have diplomatic relations with North Korea. Colonel Nubaro doesn't involve himself in such things, the document it a fake that you have concocted. You obey our laws or suffer the consequences." At this point surprisingly Roger tried to come to my aid but the disturbance brought a senior officer to us and after a few cursory questions called to four nearby guards to arrest us.

By this time I was very angry as well as nervous and protested loudly. The man took it calmly and smiling through gleaming white teeth ordered, "Guards, strip them both and take them to the punishment area. We cannot have the British thinking they can do what they like with us again." I struggled and Roger protested but, outnumbered by powerful men, soon we both stood naked and cuffed in front of all the people in the concourse. I blushed the deepest red from the utter humiliation and I think it was almost matched by Roger's colour. It was the first time we'd seen each other naked and the first time I'd had even a hint of what his prick looked like.

By this time I'd given up complaining and through my sobs started pleading but was curtly told to "Shut up and sit down." We sat on what we knew from its sturdiness and the straps was the punishment bench while the officer opened our cases and bags and in front of everyone examined their contents. All my bras and knickers were confiscated, as were Roger' underpants. "These are illegal items and must not be worn here." Turning to a girl cleaner standing watching, he ordered, "Lift your skirt Malu." She did so immediately and lifted her skirt as high as it would go and proudly showed her bare pubis and her obviously well pregnant stomach.

A cry from one of the guards searching my hand luggage gave a shout, "Look what I've found sir." He held up my pack of contraceptive pills.

"Illegal drugs. Didn't they tell you that no form of contraception is allowed here? Didn't you read the forms you signed to get your visa?" Again I tried to explain about the immunity and he fact the visas had been granted without us having to apply for them, but no one took any notice. By now I was crying and desperately wanting to be home again but I couldn't see that happening unless this Colonel Nubaro came by personally. "You will have to go court and be tried for this offence. That's probably a whipping offence and I don't have enough authority for that."

"Whipping offence? Birth control pills a whipping offence?" Our researches had found pictures of whipping posts and of people being punished on the Tumali web site but they were all small jpg's that didn't show much detail. I almost passed out at the thought and then wondered if the court would take notice of the certificate that now seemed so worthless.