Predestined

Chapter 18

Sarah.....

November 1995...... Somewhere in the Niger Republic

Weeks after I lost my mum, I couldn't move, I couldn't live. I just lay in my cell waiting for death to take me. Living every day in bouts of sadness and regrets, praying to whatever deity exists to take my life. I had no reason to live, no reason to exist, no mother, no father, no one to love me. How do I get home from here? I can't escape on my own. I'm not strong enough. Even Efe stopped visiting me. I guess no one wants to be around the orphan. Why does death and destruction follow me so much? Am I cursed or something? Every day, the same thoughts went through my head over and over. And no one seemed to bother me for weeks. They all stopped coming to my cell. Like I was diseased and no one wanted to touch me. The only times I saw anyone was when they wanted to give me food or when they took me to have a bath. Other than that, I just laid in my cell undisturbed having the same thoughts in my head over and over. Nothing seemed to happen and days seemed to go by like that until one certain day weeks after.

The day started like any other day. In my cell, praying for death as usual. But today, as the activities of the day were going on outside my cell, I heard a faint hum at a distance. At first I thought it was an engine someone turned on. But in the months I've been here, I haven't even heard as much as a power generator being turned on and this was a different sound because we had a power generator in my dad's compound back in Nigeria. Although that feels like a lifetime ago at this point. Back to the present, the humming sound seemed to get closer and I think everyone started to hear it clearer because the base got quieter, almost like everyone stopped to listen at the same time. My mind started to race with thoughts of what it could be. It sounded like a plane but it was not loud enough to be a plane. Did someone finally come with a rescue team? Are we getting visitors in this dreadful place?

As my mind raced at different thoughts, the sound got nearer and the closer it got, the more I listened till I finally got it. It was a drone. We had a school field trip when we lived in the US and we got to visit an army base and see different army aircrafts. I remember watching a drone fly into the air and we were told that drones are usually used to get pictures and videos of areas that haven't been explored or too dangerous to fly planes into. Which meant my rescue isn't here yet and I would still have to wait a while longer. As my mind raced on, I got drawn back into reality by a gunshot that startled me to my bones. More gunshots followed, then I started hearing shouts of "he's escaping". My heart started racing as I pondered on the possibilities and tried to imagine the events happening outside my cell. After what seemed like a gun battle coming from one side of the compound (sounding like a group were shooting at something), the gunshots finally ended with shouts of "go after him" following suit. After a little while, I saw some boys drag an unconscious boy into the cells and put him in the same cell as me. As they dropped him on the floor, I saw him clearly. It's Efe. I looked at him and noticed he had bruises, cuts and scrapes all over him. Here I was thinking he abandoned me when he had been suffering. I felt selfish and inconsiderate as I lay there for weeks thinking about myself and not about the consequences he would suffer for helping us. Judging from the injuries on him, I could see he had suffered a lot. All because my mum lied to him. A feeling of guilt came upon me as I vowed to never be that kind of person. I wanted to be one who always told the truth and always seeks it no matter what.

As I sat there making promises of the future, the cell gate opened and the man I knew to be the leader of this hell hole stepped in. He beckoned for a chair and one was provided almost immediately. Then he asked the guards to leave and they did it without question and he just sat down staring at Efe without saying a word. He just sat still staring at him coldly. At this point, I started to feel cold sweat gathering on my forehead as I feared the worst might happen to Efe and then to me, because I imagined they could've done this anywhere else but they chose my cell for a reason. After a while of going through different scenarios in my head, Efe finally moved. He struggled to lift himself up and as he got up, he came face to face with the scary man looking at him and they both stared at each other for a while. At this point, my heart was pounding so furiously, it felt like it was about to jump out of my chest. Then the scary man finally spoke.....

" How many times will we go over this?" He asked, but Efe said nothing. He just kept staring, so he continued "Time and time again, I've given you a chance for redemption and time and time again you break my heart. I took you like a son. I saw your potential. The potential you don't see in yourself. You're very strong and fast for your age because you just killed two of my boys with your hands and managed to avoid getting shot. I saw that potential in you and that's why I kept you alive, but all you do is cause me more trouble. I've run out of patience with you and now I would rather let you go than risk you reducing the number of my soldiers any further. You have caused me enough trouble as it is".

"Then why am I still alive?" Efe asked so boldly that I could tell the man was surprised by his answer because his eyes slightly widened.

"So you think you want to die? If you wanted to die, why didn't you end your life instead of my boys? Why didn't you wait to get shot when you were escaping? Why put in so much effort into trying to escape when you have no idea where you are going or have anyone you're running to? You have only me, son. No one else in this whole world. Not even her". He said, pointing to me. It was at that point Efe turned and realised I was in the room and the expression on his face looked surprised, relieved and happy to see me.

"I'm not your son." Efe responded, a bit agitated. "My father never made such things happen to me as you have. You're just a monster with power and if I had the chance, it would be you dead instead of those boys".

The look on the man's face changed from surprised to angry as he bellowed "That's because that weakling you called a father never gave you a proper education. He and all the other weak men in your little town didn't know how to raise children without the influence of the white man. They were stupid and deserved to die".

"You speak about the white man as if you're so high and mighty, but you're everything you preach against. I know you only kidnapped her and her mother for money. And you took the rest of us so you can have an army to fight for you when you need them. You're just a greedy man who only cares about money and power. Education means nothing to you. You're the same as every white man who took our grandfathers away to either sell or work for them." Efe said, sounding fired up.

"How dare you compare me to those slave traders? I'm fighting for our home, fighting for our people, our way of life". The man yelled angrily.

"How can you be fighting for our people when you're in another country? Why didn't you fight against the people in power by allowing white men into our country? Why fight ordinary people who are only trying to survive and make life better for their family?" Efe added. His last words seemed to have an effect because the man just sat in silence for a while before he finally replied.

"Although you possess wisdom far above your age, you're yet to know how the world really works, so I cannot fault you for your thinking. I can't sit here arguing with a child. Especially not one who is about to die. And I chose to do it here to show the little white girl that anyone who sides with her people would die with them. Although she might probably live." He said, drawing his knife. Just as he stood up to deliver his verdict, we heard a loud bang.

......... What fresh hell is this?........