Do they know its Christmas

Here's the story of a Johannesburg romance and how Kotie Pike spent her Christmas.

This romance begins in 2006 in the Northern suburbs of Johannesburg at the ‘Mean Greenies’ stables where Martin Pike, 39, meets Gida Marshall,40. Martin’s wife Kotie introduces them at the stable where their children ride. Martin is a hard drinking two packs a day smoking, commercial lawyer. He is married to Kotie, 41, with whom he has two children, aged 9 and 14. Gida is married to Dayne with whom she has 3 young children.

The affair between Martin and Gida becomes public in early July shortly after Dayne and Gida returned from a family holiday in Kenya. Kotie phoned Dayne to tell him that Gida was 'fucking' her husband. Dayne confronts Gida with this information. Gida admits to the affair, expresses remorse and undertakes to stop seeing Martin. Gida and Dayne agree to try to save their marriage.

In August it becomes apparent to Dayne that the foul stench of deceit is in the air. He confronts Martin at MEAN GREENIES and requests that Martin desist in the matter of copulating with his wife. Martin does not agree. Fisticuffs ensue.

Dayne tries to save his marriage through September and October. On 30th October, Kotie, Martin, Gida and Dayne all meet up to discuss the situation. Martin tells Dayne he will 'back off'. Both marriages it seems are now back on track.

During November it becomes obvious this agreement has ended in failure. Evidently the love struck couple cannot resist each other. It becomes apparent to the two respective rejected spouses that the affair continues. Gida goads Martin towards a choice between her or Kotie. Martin proceeds divorcing Kotie with astonishing haste. He moves out of the matrimonial home, and takes up temporary residence at The Mean Greenies.

By December 15th his divorce is finalized. Kotie is extremely upset, perceiving an injustice in having her man stolen from her. Kotie is awarded the matrimonial home in the settlement where she remains with the children.

Martin in the meanwhile has shown commendable foresight and guile in feeding Kotie information regarding the qualities of his friend, divorce lawyer Terry Fine. Martin has intimated to Kotie that Terry is a terrific lawyer who is going to represent Gida in her divorce and 'take Dayne to the cleaners'. Unwittingly Kotie relays this information to Dayne who promptly hires Terry himself, not knowing of the relationship between Martin and Terry. This feed of misinformation via Kotie illustrates Martins impressive insight into his wife’s mind set.

With one obstacle to their love removed, Gida’s divorce proceedings commence. Gida continues living with Dayne at their matrimonial home with the children and meeting Martin whenever possible. The build up to Christmas is a tense time for all concerned. Dayne meets regularly with his lawyer, Mr Fine, who assures him that he has nothing to worry about in the divorce settlement, and indicates the settlement that he is putting forward is 'virtually certain' of success.

Christmas day dawns. Martin has arranged to take the children away for ten days of holiday, leaving directly after lunch with their Mother.

Martin arrives at Kotie's house for Xmas lunch with Kotie and the children. It is obvious that Martin has experienced an insight bypass at this time, becoming very suddenly completely unaware of how Kotie's mind would be working. How else do we interpret the act of taking the children away from the Mother for a ten day holiday starting right after Christmas lunch.

After Martin and the chldren leave, Kotie, left at home alone becomes increasingly depressed. She calls her maid into the bedroom. She asks the maid to take good care of her children.

Kotie then puts a gun to her head and pulls the trigger. She does not manage a clean shot. It takes 24 hours for her life force to drain completely. Her two children have a Christmas to remember.

This bloody mess on the matrimonial bed does not however dampen the rampant lovers ardor. Ten days after Kotie’s death Martin moves back into the former matrimonial home which belongs to Kotie, forming a part of her estate. Gida, who is following legal advice and remaining in her matrimonial home, is now spending weekends with Martin at his former matrimonial home.

They are consummating their love in the same bed that Kotie shot herself in. We must assume they have responsibly cleared away any sundry brain debris that might otherwise appear at an inopportune moment in the love making process and cast a possible dampener on proceedings.

Clearly Martin must have felt it to be in his children’s best interests to avoid any period of grieving for a lost Mother by replacing her without delay. When Gida moves in with Martin and gives up her car in her own divorce settlement, they agree that Gida should use Koties car. Kotie has no further need for it. And Gida has no problem driving it.

In the contest between Gida and Kotie, it now appears we have a clear winner. Gida has the kids, the house, the car and the man. And she is pretty too. Kotie has..... well. The bullet. 'The gods they rolled a dice with hands as cold as ice.'

Evidently moral turpitude relies on a comprehensive lack of insight into karmic balance.

Months go by, it’s June 2007 and Gida’s divorce hearing takes place. Dayne’s lawyer, Terry Fine, does a stand up job of doing exactly what Martin told Kotie he would do. Take Dayne to the cleaners. In the UK Courts Mr. Fine's conduct might well merit investigation by the Law Society examining any number of ethical offenses associated with this abrogation of professional office, including, it might be alleged, breaching client confidentiality. It remains to be seen whether the moral turpitude that characterizes the participants in this romance extends to the legal process in South Africa. Will Mr Fine be required to explain himself?

All of us here at the Mean Greenies hope that the five children in this tale will not be affected by their parents decisions.