The prisoner of gratitude

The prisoner of gratitude That night was very quiet. Only the trees could be heard arguing with the wind, while the moon was shining brightly in the sky. The insects were lively, celebrating in their soft sounds under the moonlight. Suddenly, a heavy cloud spread across the sky and covered the moon. Thick darkness took over everywhere. Many insects went silent, except the frogs who continued to rejoice as a sign that rain was about to fall. Near a certain luxurious house, a strange body was seen—a figure walking without a head, holding a long shining knife. The creature was silent, terrifying, and it headed straight toward that house. Slowly, it opened a window and entered inside. Suddenly, the lights went off, and deep darkness filled the house. Outside, heavy rain began to fall. The creature crept toward the bedroom door, opened it gently, and entered inside. In that room, there was a young man of about nineteen years old, sleeping deeply together with his wife. They were completely unaware of the presence of that strange headless creature standing beside them. Silently, the creature held its knife firmly, then stabbed the young man in the chest—on the side of the heart. “Mother… I am dying…!” A scream of fear was heard, and blood splashed. Suddenly, the creature disappeared mysteriously, and the lights came back on as usual. The young man woke up in shock, breathing heavily in great fear, sweat flowing all over his body. When he looked around, he realized he was surrounded by many people. All that he had seen was just a bad dream. He was in prison. Those around him were his fellow prisoners. Some looked at him with sympathy, others laughed at him, and others blamed and insulted him for disturbing their sleep with his screams. After a while, they returned to sleep, leaving him alone. But he could not fall asleep again. He remained trembling in fear, his mind full of questions. Why was he in prison? What had he done to end up there at such a young age? He leaned against one corner of the cell, waiting for dawn. When morning came, around eight o’clock, a certain woman was seen talking to a prison officer. She had come to see a young man named Edward. Edward was called for a conversation. When he arrived, he was surprised to see the woman—it was Madam Ndoe. He could not hold himself back. Tears began to flow. “Madam Ndoe… I ask you to forgive me for what happened. I feel like I was not in my right mind… why did I do that? I am a fool who does not know how to repay kindness… but please forgive me, Madam.” He spoke with deep pain, crying. Madam Ndoe looked at him gently, then said: “Edward, do not worry. I have already forgiven you. I know it was not your fault… I will do everything I can to make sure you get out of prison. Do not be afraid—just be patient. It will pass. Everything has its reason, and one day you will understand.” Those words comforted Edward and gave him new hope. But suddenly, the prison officer interrupted their conversation. “Time is over. You will talk to him another day.” Edward was taken back inside the cell. Madam Ndoe left with sadness in her heart, thinking about how she could help the young man. Inside the prison, Edward remained deep in thought. He remembered the terrifying dream, but he found no answers. However, he also remembered Madam Ndoe’s words—words that gave him hope. What made Edward end up in prison? Many of questions come over... Will Madam Ndoe manage to help him get out? And what did that dream really mean? This is only the beginning of his story… To be continued… Episode 2.