The LONGEST WAIT

ies' THE L

PTE

rata. As you know, the desert is very hot in the day and extremely cold at night. Our horse was tired and needed a break because it had been riding all afternoon

e boulders and we decided that we would rest th

ed me. "You have to be alert at all times

Ahmed. I wil

f your gun is l

have check

rig

p but somehow my instincts for danger had been alerted. I checked my gun, and it was still with me. I looked towards Ahmed, and he was sleeping soundly and even snoring. I looked further around

and was going to shoot. It quickly tried to change its location, but it was too late. I fired two shots, and he becam

und, Ahmed, lie

ulder just in time. A minute later, a dozen or so bullets would have entered my body. Everywhere became still for a moment as we all tried to determine each o

resistance and the tide was against them, ran in different directions. One came towards me without knowing that I was hiding behind a boulder

ght, Ahmed."

" He r

. What do

ave to stay up all night and ride very early in the morning. This is because by

ho are

hey came to rob us. It was a good thing you wer

e road again. This time around, we had two horses. We had succeeded to capture one of the horses of the bandits. We rode all day, stopping only briefly

he opportunity to. That was because I was still in the outskirts. Ahmed took me into a house and introduced me to s

at majmuea."

the three men said

jiri

t allaazimat lah liatima tamin

am S

ch a good price. That meant I was going to be sold. Ahmed had betrayed me. I was to be stripped of my weapon, taken into the city and hel

my last day as a free man for a while. When I woke up the next day, I realized that the sun was already up. I also realized that I was not in the comfortable room in which I had spent the nig

s robbed of all my personal belongings including my weapon and documents. I was then chained hands and feet and put in a truck with other captives. I was going to be so

ey were saying. Within the tight confines of the back of the truck, I strained with g

d. You traitor. Y

oing my job. Be of good behaviour and no ha

you. I will make you pay for this.

Allah protect you." He

several Sub-Saharan Africans in the truck. There were men and women and even children. They had all left their home countries hoping to get to Europe through the Mediterranean. They had all ended up in the h

e many militia groups that operated in the area. Each time we approached a checkpoint, my heart would jump with excitement and anticipation. But the results were always the same di

t. It was operated by criminals and human traffickers. Someone came to the back of the truck and ordered all of us to get off the truck. Slowly, we all got off the truck. All t

me. In the prison were hundreds of men, women and children. Most of them, in fact about ninety percent of them were Sub-Saharan Africans.

and reeked of urine and feces. My cellmates reeked so badly that I doubted if they had had a

leep by the desperate and terrible screams of a man. I w

se are people from whom ransoms hav

hey being tort

nsoms, of course. They will

their money and personal effects taken away from them. They do not

ey for your freedom. If your family pays, good for you. You are let go. However, in the meantime, while waiting for your family to comply, you are be

ly doesn't pay?" I

are treated in the unkindest way. I regret ever undertaking this journey. I miss my home. I miss my wife and chil

est the whole thing. The screams from the man being to

" I asked. "Have you

g to suffer the same fate if our families don't comply. It's a hopeless situation a

same thing." I mumbled to mys

this hellhole of a prison. Your time will come soon. Your only prayer now should be that you die

he Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). I was a member of a movement that sparked fear in the hearts of many. I couldn't allow myself to be tortured lik

. The thought of finding my wife and meeting her again gave me hope. The thought of my children gave me hope and the God that I se

CONTIN