Jail-Path to Freedom : Part 1
Story By Thiyam Ningol, Africa

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"Help me God! I know it is wrong but it is the only way to get my freedom"-Lucy prayed.

Lucy was imprisoned by her own husband, in his own house, inside his own heart.

Three days ago Robert was an ordinary, poor boy serving as a helper in a foreigner's residence. He never dreamt that one day he could be stinking rich.

His master, the foreigner died in an accident just three days ago. Many eyebrows were raised when the accident occurred. Hardly anybody knew there was a passable road in that area where the accident occurred. But as soon as the body was flown out of the country, nobody discussed about it anymore.

The foreigner loved his Bull dog. It was a fierce, well trained, watchdog. Even Robert himself did not like to go near the dog. The foreigner used to feed, bath the dog and clean his kennel by himself. After his death, one of the foreigner's friends came to collect the Bull dog. They had to sedate him first. He asked Robert to clean up the kennel before another customer came to occupy the house.

Before he found the diamonds, Robert was cursing his fate, accusing The Almighty for being partial and unfair.

The collar belt of the Bull dog was left, thrown in a corner of the kennel. He was about to throw it away along with the other litters. "Angus", the name of the dog was written in the wooden decorative charm hanging in the centre of the collar belt. He wanted to keep it as a memento. He unhooked it from the belt; found extraordinarily heavy for its size. Curiosity increased. He shook it; jingling but muffled, pebble like sound came out.

"Could it be medicine to make the dog fierce?" –he asked himself. Thought of Angus made him feel a chill in his spine.

He took the charm and went to his room, locked the door and reexamined it. There was a tiny screw fastening the hook. He unscrewed it. Below the screw, there was a thin, metallic catch. He pushed the catch and the wooden charm burst opened into 2 halves revealing the sparkling stones. It looked like precious stones.

From that moment he learnt never to trust anybody.

Robert praised the Lord, The Almighty.

"Wait and watch"-he told himself. Slightest doubt by the people and authority would take him to the doom. He burnt to ashes the collar belt and the litters. Bought a plastic toy dog and hanged the wooden charm around the dog's neck.

When the new occupant arrived, he politely resigned and disappeared.

After three months he resurfaced with a new look. He had shaved off his head, grown a mustache, wore an oversized cheap, second hand suit and walked into a goldsmith's shop.

With a growling tone he ordered the goldsmith to make a ring for his to be first lady and handed over a shining piece of the stone from Angus's neck. The gold smith appreciated the stone, grinned wider "Sure sir, a lady who is worth wearing this size diamond has to be a first lady."

Robert cleared his doubts. He sold two pieces of diamonds to the gold smith and rewarded him heavily. He was left with a handful of more diamonds. He was worth millions of dollars.

He needed help but had no idea who could help him. He had never seen such a big amount of money in his life. Feeling the bulk of money in his pocket made him more nervous. He was wet with sweat. Removed his coat with the money in the pocket and pushed it in a plastic Rambo bag. Anyone passing close to him frightened him. He needed to cool down.

Entered the nearest restaurant; looked around for suspicious faces- none; spotted a lonely youth engaged in work with his lap top. Sat down next to the youth and ordered coke, offered one to the youth but the youth declined. He heard the youth talking on the phone, he was pleading for few more hours to the caller, looked very upset.

"Brother, take the coke please. I need your help."

The youth looked up, saw the innocent pleading face. "I can't even help myself and how can I help you? You see, I borrowed this lap top for 2 hours to finish up a little assignment and get little pocket money. I am not even halfway and the owner wants his computer back." He closed the lap top and waited for the owner to come and collect the computer; sipped the coke; "what help you need from me?"

"You see! I can speak English but I am uneducated. I want to learn English writing and reading and do business."

"What? I am not a teacher. I don't think I can help you. Wait a minute, let me give him this computer, I am coming."

Robert was disappointed; he started badly but waited for the youth patiently. His mind was working fast. The youth seemed the right person to help him.

"Yes? You were saying you want to learn English, why don't you attend some of these tuition classes, every street has a tuition institute."

"No, You help me and I will help you. What is your name and what you do?"

Simon laughed at the mockery. Since he graduated with B.Com degree, 6 months ago, he failed to get a job; he had piles of debt to clear and that funny looking, uneducated man was offering him help. What a world-he thought aloud.

"I am not joking. Let us go and buy the computer, just like the one you were using. You finish your work, get the pocket money and from today you start teaching me."

Simon was confused. The man seated in front of him looked very serious and determined. "Whether we could go on further or not would be seen later, let me just earn the pocket money first" he thought.

They went to buy the lap top.

As promised, Robert waited while Simon worked.

Robert needed a place to stay. Simon arranged for him a small room in the same street where he had a rented room in crowded dirty street. Robert started his first lesson.

The next day he surprised Simon with his progress. Within 2 week's time, Robert could read newspapers both Kiswahili and English. Both of them had no time to waste with mathematics. Simon taught Robert how to use calculator.

To be continued....