Chapter two It’s funny how when we grow up we always think we will lead a happy, successful life with so much purpose. No one imagines they will be twenty years old and in jail or no one pictures been dead this young. Life was meant to be lived up to old age; I was supposed to have kids, a loving husband, and a degree at least. My parents, (may there soul rest in peace) raised me well. My mother was always so encouraging of my studies and my father always made sure he sacrificed his hard earned income to send me to the best schools in Zimbabwe. I went to church every Sabbath and sang in the church choir. Truth is the situation in my country was becoming intolerable I could’ve stayed also and preached at people who migrated then later starved to death. Or I could too join them and find a better life for my future somewhere in the world. I believe everyone one should be free to choose how they want to best solve their situations anyway. So there I was too, on the ground about to make a life changing choice. To run or stay there and surrender to the soldiers fast approaching our direction. Either way, I would end up in prison or dead. The whole minute I had been laying there felt like an hour, I could hear the heaviness in its breath…definitely it had to be one of those German Sheppard dogs. We however had never kept any dogs at home, my mother although she would never admit to it, was dead afraid of them…so was I. I felt my “guide stranger man” make a slight shift; I could sense he was getting up from the ground. What! This man wasn’t about to abandon me! Tears dripped from my eyes. I tried to get off the ground, but he quickly pressed me down. I knew my grandmother hated me, but to ploy to kill me for my father’s inheritance was even beyond her. I wanted to push him away but he had so much power over me and besides it was too dark to attempt anything. He covered my mouth with his hand and whispered something in shona. I was so confused and scared. What did he mean yellow van? Before I could even get a chance to ask him, he was gone! I stayed there on the ground, curled up in a ball silently crying. I was so terrified of what was about to happen. I listened to the sound of his footsteps run in the opposite direction…then the soldiers started to shout and suddenly the noises were moving his way. After sometime everything around me went silent; I stood up and started to run towards the fence. It was difficult to climb at first as my knees were still shaking. On my second attempt but after tearing my dress and wounding myself first I was finally in Botswana! I didn’t stop there; I just kept running in the dark. About 2 metres deep in the forest I stopped to catch my breath. There was a loud, sharp noise in a distance! I recognised the sound, it was a gun shot. Three more gun shots followed, I knew what had happened! My man guide had been killed. It hit me then, he had saved my life. My tears had quickly dried out, I wasn’t crying anymore. The pain on my thigh was too much, although the bleeding had stopped, the cold made the wound hurt even more. I reduced my pace and started walking instead; I was painfully limping. At that point I wanted to just give up; I was lost, cold and tired. I knew it was going to be a while till I would get any signal to use my phone and call the relative my grandmother had arranged to pick us. I kept walking and praying that God will protect and guide me. Or maybe he was angry at me, in just one day I had become a criminal. The forest was becoming thinner so that meant the A1 road was close by. True to my calculations, after about twenty minutes’ walk, there it was the road to my freedom! I gave a huge sigh of relief. I checked my phone but there was still no signal, so I decided to keep walking west. Botswana had a different feel to it, the trees were shorter and scattered and the atmosphere was different. I kept imagining how it would be a week later, that I would recall this exact moment and laugh it off. Batswana as I believed had diamonds, so soon I would be at my rich relative’s place and it would be all forgotten. I spoke too soon, there was a car coming behind me, the lights were different! This was definitely a police car! I tried to walk possibly upright and normal as I could. But the car reduced its speed! Oh no! What was I to do now! They passed me then pulled off on the side of the road. I watched the two men get slam the doors of their vehicle. They were walking arrogantly towards me. I didn’t move. I was definitely done this time! To read chapter one click: journalsofaninmate.wordpress/
Posted on: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 11:59:17 +0000
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