Matt......

October 1995...... Somewhere in The Niger Republic.....

It has been weeks since our attempt to escape and so far my life seems to have gotten worse. I've been locked in a cage since, only let out to be used as an example to the other kids and the lessons include torture, beatings, sometimes even cuts. I found myself praying for death, but death wouldn't come. I found myself wondering if I was cursed. Every time the torture happened, I would always beg, but no one would even look as if they cared. Only T.J. showed any compassion. He seemed to be the only one who liked me in the whole world because I couldn't think about Sarah, seeing as I killed her mother. I figured she hated me by now. Whenever it got to T.j"s turn to torture me, he would always refuse and when no one was looking, he snuck me food and sometimes medicine. I always wondered why he did it, but was never lucid enough to ask him. My questions were answered when he came to my cell on one of the party nights and said he had enough time to stay for a chat since everyone else was busy having the time of their lives.
"Hello Efe." He greeted me.
"Hey T.J, How are you?" I responded and, without giving him enough time for a response, I asked: "Why do you keep helping me? Why do you keep visiting me here? I didn't even think of you as my friend, but since I was locked up, you keep coming around, bringing me things. Why do you care so much what happened to me? No one else does. What's so special about me that makes you care?"
I could tell the questions were a lot for him because it took him a while to find a response. He just stood there for a while staring at me till he finally answered. "I've never told you this, but do you remember the day you stood up to those bigger boys when they asked us to sleep with the white girl?
I cringed in confirmation. "Since then," He continued.... "I've admired you since then because you had the courage to do what a lot of us haven't had the courage to do because, to be honest, not a lot of us like sleeping with the two of them. but no one is bold enough to refuse except you. I certainly could not because I'm so small. They would overpower me and bully me if I said no. Since then, I've just found myself wishing I was more like you."
I couldn't help but stare my eyes wide open because I was trying to comprehend why me, of all people, would be an inspiration for anyone. I just felt I was the reject of the entire compound and here's someone with so much admiration and from what he said, there are others who feel like him too. But how come they haven't shown as much compassion? Because they all seem to derive pleasure from torturing me. So I asked.
"How come none of the others who liked my actions try to stop me from being tortured? Why does it seem like every one of them enjoys doing it?"
"No one wants to be associated with you out of fear that it would get them in the same trouble as you. They are all scared of getting tortured too, plus a lot of them think that you did it because you like the girl and you want her to yourself."
"And what about you? Are you not scared as well?"
"I am, which is why I always try to do it as quietly as I can and not let anyone see me helping you. I should probably add that before you stood up to those boys, I was always getting picked on because of how small I am and after your outburst, everyone sort of shifted their focus away from me and towards you. Although it wasn't fair how you got hated for it, I always felt gratitude that you took the focus away from me and saved me from a lot of bullying. So there are more than one reason why I admire you."
"I had no idea you felt this way about me. I'm sorry I didn't notice how you felt earlier. We could have been better friends. I just thought no one liked me and I just tried to stay away from them as much as I could." I added.
"It's not your fault, I should have said something or tried to talk to you. I was also scared the bigger boys would add me to their hate list and I'm too small to stand up to them like you did." He said, looking genuinely apologetic.
"Well, it's not really about your size. You just need to get stronger and fight them when you have to. The training we have been getting here is enough to make you stronger. You just need to believe in yourself. Besides the adults, the rest of us here are considered equal. Do not let anyone treat you like they are better than you." I said, trying to cheer him up. He just shrugged and nodded.
"Size would help me a lot more." He said, looking downcast.
"I'm much bigger than you and it doesn't keep me from being tortured every day." I said, with my blood boiling with rage.
"What can we do to help? Wouldn't you just go apologise to 01? I'm sure he can make them stop. I hear that is all he wants from you."
His statement made my blood boil even more. "No!" I yelled. "I hate him and if I ever get out of here, I'm going to find a way to stop him and everyone like him."
"Why do you hate him so much? He tries to help us, he gives us food and shelter, he even ordered the boys to stop molesting the white girl. He said he didn't want anything to happen to her. I'm sure that must be something you like."
"T.J, we wouldn't have needed him to feed us and shelter us if he hadn't killed our parents. Or did you forget? Have you forgotten how he killed every adult that was supposed to take care of us? Sarah's parents would also be alive if not for him. He caused everything that happened to us. He deserves the hate." The hate and anger in my voice became audible so that I was almost screaming.
"No need to get angry. I was just pointing something out. Before here, my parents did not really have enough money to feed me. They sent me to Ogunu community to go live with my grandmother because they couldn't take care of me. I didn't even go to school well enough. All I did was go out and sell wares on my head for my grandmother. But since I've been here, I haven't had to do any of that."
"Instead, we're made to work and slave for a battle that we don't know when or if will come. Everyday training like slaves." I cut in. "That is why I need to get out of here as soon as I can."
"But where would you go?" T.J asked, looking a bit sad and concerned. "How would you even escape?"
"I don't know yet. I'll figure it out." I replied.
"Okay then. Good luck with your plans. I have to go before anyone starts looking for me." He said as he motioned to leave.
"It was really nice talking to you today T.J. Thank you for everything." I said. He just nodded and walked away.

.......... Time to plot my escape..........

November 1995........

It's been a week since my talk with Tejiri and, since then, I'm no closer to escaping than the day I said it although I was still being tortured; although less frequently now. Maybe they'd grown bored of me and didn't feel like they had new ways of getting me to apologise to 01. Today, however, was one of the days they didn't feel bored because they came for me. They usually take me out of my cell, tie me up and take turns whipping me and today was no different. But just as we were walking, we heard a sound of what sounded like an airplane coming towards us. It didn't sound as noisy as a regular plane would but we could tell it was flying somewhere close and as everyone looked up, I saw my chance. I quickly jumped at the boy holding the gun and I dragged it from him. But instead of shooting him with it, I just swung the gun at him. I was lucky because it hit him right in the face and he fell to the floor. I swung the gun again at the second boy holding me and he too collapsed to the floor. I saw my chance at the open gate and ran for it as fast as my legs could carry. As soon as I went past the gate, I headed for the woods. They have a less chance of finding me there. I ignored the sound of gunfire ringing behind me and just kept running. And soon, I was in the woods. I started to feel a warm feeling of hope spreading in me as I sprinted through the woods and just as I felt I was at a far enough distance from them, I felt my leg bump against something which sent me sprawling face down and the last image I saw was of my face being hit by a rock. I woke up some time later to the familiar smell of my cell and the sound of young boys laughing in the distance. As I struggled to lift myself up, I noticed a figure seated in the dark corner of my cell, staring right at me. I lifted my head as the fog cleared from my eyes to see 01 staring at me with his cold, dark eyes.....

...... Surely, this must be the end for me.......