IN THE SHADOWS

Chapter 2

I looked myself at the mirror and took deep breaths then I walked out of the office. It took me a few steps down the hallway to the door where numerous people had showed up to listen to my speech. I had nothing in mind but I now by heart what to tell them,i just had to open it up to them and share my feelings. I was shocked to see the number of turn up. The media with huge cameras and beautiful looking journalists ladies with note books ready for the action. I cleared my throat silently,looked at the crowd and started my speech.

THE SPEECH

"The world is a cruel place. Human kind became greedy and that greed made them do horrible things. Our greed turned us to monsters who care only about themselves. I wish to change that, I wish to leave a difference. I wish to deliver our beautiful nation from that hands of those scavengers who wish to be on top and leave us in dirt. Together we have a voice, it doesn't matter where you're from, either rich or poor, this is our land and we all should have our equal share of peace harmony and the tremendous things it has to offer so great people join me in this fight for together we have a voice. May the heavens open up and shower us with blessings courage and patience to win this war. Thank you and have a good day."

My speech was replayed over and over the media .All the channels played it and it struck a debate all over the country. People from all over joined the debate and shared their thoughts. It seemed I was really selling. Some of the political leaders joined my fights. Those who felt bad for oppressing the citizens and wanted to correct their wrongs joined my campaign against the corrupt. Most of the political leaders criticized me and said harsh words against me but I didn't care,why care when am doing the right thing?

I did not want innocent children to face the same fate that me and my brother faced. I was 17 and my twin was just 12 when our home was destroyed,taken away from us and forced out to the streets like dogs.

In the old days the Africans were oppressed just because of their skin colour. We were called thieves,monkeys and "n*****s".We were shot,deported and treated cruelly just like animals but now we are free,we can live the way we want but now we are the enemies of ourselves. Now we treat each other like animals instead of brothers and sisters and it is horrible.

That evening as we stood by the balcony staring the sunset with my twin like we always did gave me a sense of peace. The golden ray beams from the sinking golden giant ball gave the whole city golden twinge,From the balcony diminutive figures of men and women walking hurriedly in the streets,school children with rucksacks holding hands with their parents looked peaceful and admirable. I just gave my twin time to paint for he loved painting,we did this every day before dinner. As I looked at my brother's face that evening,I knew something was bothering him. We never experienced the love of our parents. we were alone most of our lives.

In the shadows stands different type of people,the good and the bad,the bad watching waiting for the right time to strike and bring great suffering to the world.

FEW YEARS AGO

In the morning we waked up and left the park and went into the streets to try and find something to eat but everywhere we went the people chased us away and called us horrible names. All hope was lost so we had to find some place to rest and in the process, we came across dirt bins and we rushed to them looking for food. we dug them one by one and luckily we found some food in the trash wrapped polythene paper and we rushed the food down our throats.

we eat to our fill and we had found ourselves a jackpot and so we set camp so that we would have access to food.

We spend days there in our newly found goldmine. We waited for people to throw away food so that we could have some. We found old jackets and bedsheets in the bins and we used them to keep us warm during the terrible freezing nights. We had no future,we just eat and stayed there talking the whole day so not to miss food when they throw it away. As other children came from school we hid so they couldn't laugh at us.

One evening a boy come carrying a sack full of plastics and he was about to storm our mine when we stopped him.

"what do you think you're doing?" I asked filled with furry.

"chill man I just want the plastic to go sell. Am Jeremy by the way".

He was not a bad boy,he seems rather nice. so we asked him about the plastic business and he explained all there was to know about the business. We started hanging out together and collecting plastic together. He showed us his food mine and we welcomed him to our mine,he even moved in in our place. After a long day of collecting the plastic we sold it to Jamal who gave us coins for a whole sack. He was stealing from us because we were desperate and needed the coins so we can enjoy shop cakes. I couldn't take it anymore so I talked to my twin and Jeremy about and excellent idea to stock the plastics together as we looked for another place to sell them so we can escape Jamal's cruelty.

During the day we collected the plastic and the evening we looked for a new place to start selling our plastic. We had no luck for days till we come across a man who owned a garage and also bought plastic and I bargained the price to the price best fit for us.