Patience Is a Virtue

By J.M. Thompson

Four young ex-guerillas arrived at the border post, but they could not cross the border because their false documents were soaking wet. By then rain had long stopped falling. A man in a truck was waiting for them on the other side of the border. While he is waiting, a sexy woman appears. They end up in a sleazy hotel room. Thereafter, the man drives off and he soon realized that someone is following him. He drove on to wait for his cargo. By then he was aware that someone planted a tracking device on his truck. He drove away with his cargo safe in the truck. He decided to stop somewhere to lure whoever was following him.
The man appeared in his unmarked car and saw the parked truck. He began crawling over to the truck. The truck driver and his cargo went to his car and drove away. They soon realized that they were driving a police vehicle. As the police officer was opening the rear door of the truck, there was a deafening explosion. He landed some distance away from the truck seemingly unconscious. By then the culprits were far away racing away from the burning truck.
Sam and his friends ditched at the next town and boarded a train to the next town trying to confuse whoever might try following their trail. At the next town, a mini-bus was waiting for them. Off they went to their destination in the city of gold.
A young sexy woman was waiting to entertain them. She was the same woman that seduced the truck driver earlier. Fortunately, the driver did not enter the house, he had to report to Steve about his mission.
The four travelers were also on a mission seeking to avenge their loved ones.
Joseph, the youngest of them knew nothing about the mission, all he wanted was to find a job and earn something. It became obvious he was the weakest link and the others kept him in the dark in case something went wrong..

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.M. Thompson
• Release date: Feb 2, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310198762

J.M. Thompson

I am a first-time writer. I have several unpublished manuscripts. Started writing almost ten years ago and publishers seem not to be interested in unknown writers. I am the eldest child with three siblings, but two have since passed on.Writing has become a hobby or a platform for connecting with myself. So many things happened in my life and most of the stuff about which I write has something to do with my life story.I am presently retired taking it real easy, but old age has its own complications yet that is how life is.

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PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

Created by Johnny THOMPSON

Published by Smashwords

ISBN

copyright@2021 JM Thompson

Smashwords edition

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CHAPTER 1

Journey to the south

The night was dark and there were hardly any stars visible in the sky. There was no moonlight to offer any light thereby confirming the darkness. As nature would have it. The eyes can adjust to the darkness to enable limited vision. Only by instinct could one move around.

The four comrades sat huddled in Sam’s hut going the last details of their plan... They were warmly dressed for the journey would take all night. The wind was hallowing like a hungry lone wolf. They heard the cry yet they were ready to face the darkness and whatever else lurking in the darkness.

The nocturnal hunters were awake, and prowling, ready to pounce upon whatever was likely to be a meal. The clouds were releasing a steady continuous drizzle. It was a perfect night to execute sneaking away without leaving much of a trace. The drizzle would make it difficult to follow their tracks.

The four comrades were ready to leave their place of birth and embark upon a journey to the south. They knew that they could face a court martial if caught. They knew how ruthless their superiors could be. At that point, nothing could change their minds

Sam said, this is it boys, time has come for us to go. I hope that you all said your prayers.

Tito said, I wish we were already on the other side.

You need to have patience and take one step at a time, and then we will all be safe.

Tito was the only one who did not seem to be able to practice patience. The other two chaps, Joseph and Stanley said nothing they had their own concerns. Joseph was already missing his girlfriend that was his only weak link. Stanley was thinking of his mother. He promised himself to come back one day and do things none thought he could achieve.

They all moved out of their hiding place and they headed for the forest. They ran as fast as they could towards the safety of the forest. They stopped just inside the forest for a while to ease their tension. They all inwardly said good-bye to their families and loved ones. From that point on, there would no regrets.

Sam said, Are you all okay fellows.

Tito said, Yes we are fine, let us move on before someone wakes up.

The insects around them were communicating in their own lingo. Everything else was asleep, lost in their privacy without a care, a peaceful, refreshing sleep. As it were, Sam and his three friends were on their way to South Africa in search of something more rewarding. They had been planning this for a long time whilst weighing the pros and cons.

Sam your country needs to send you away for training. This journey will take you to Asia. We have already made all the necessary arrangements for you. Take care that nothing goes wrong for all of you.

Thank you for trusting and believing in me.

Always remember that your country needs you.

Yes sir I cannot forget that.

Go well then, my son.

Abusa regarded Sam as the son that he never had. He had taught Sam many political ideologies including political tricks. He did not share most of the stuff with friends fearing one of them might blurt out something and all hell might break lose. Innocent people might die for nothing.

It seemed leaving their place of birth was the only solution to their common problem. They carried no weapon and no provision, only Tito had his hunting knife with him. He was never without that knife; it had a history of its own with him.

Sam carried the heaviest burden of them all, yet he could not tell any of them. The political situation was dire; the so-called politicians had become the Devil’s agents, treating people like slaves. Stanley was responsible for Sam’s safety. He had a faint idea regarding their mission. His defence skills were superb having learned martial from the experts in China.

They were expecting to be on the other side of the border by sunrise. Back home everyone was asleep unaware that their family members were en route to a distant place in the hope of bettering their miserable lives and that of the nation when they returned to their motherland.

They were to return being strong and purposeful, they would be in a position to rescue their fellow citizens from the dungeons of poverty. This was a post war era and there were many land mines randomly planted during the battle days. These mines already had maimed many people, some killed instantly others died slowly.

Sam and his friends knew this, they planted some of those mines but they had no clear recollection of where the deadly mines were. They would be lucky if their boots missed any of those booby traps. That could not keep them imprisoned in their homeland; the risk was probably worth taking and the future was bright.

We must be careful around this area, there could be mines planted here.

Joseph said, That is very unlikely; most of the mines are in the open roads and around villages.

Stanley spoke for the first time We still have to be careful around here.

He was thinking of Sam’s safety as that was his responsibility. They were trained freedom fighters and realized that they would have to return to that monotonous life that they so detested if they abandoned their quest for a better future.

Sam could not abandon the trip there was more at stake than their personal gains, to him it was a sacrifice for his country. He had a specific mission to accomplish. The others knew little about that mission. They would know when the time was right.

There was no place for them in the hierarchy at that time. People like them were simply there to provide a service when needed and they were sick of that. They were part of the secret force.

They were responsible for certain atrocities, which were committed during the so-called struggle for freedom. The attained so-called freedom was only for a few people, the rest of the population had no access to that freedom. That freedom remained elusive for many. The government was abusing its power thereby denying ordinary people their basic rights. There was virtually no opposition strong enough to oppose the government in real terms.

They could face a court martial if someone blew the whistle on them, and the penalty was a firing squad for deserting. The government would have no mercy on Sam; he knew too many things about certain people in power. He also knew that the government did not plan to usher in a democratic form of government. They all knew applying the principle of democracy would deprive them of power.

The President himself planned to remain in that position until his dieing moment. He was ruling the country as if it was his kingdom. He thought of himself as a king. He overlooked the fact that he had no royal blood flowing in his veins. He was simply power hungry and that made him a ruthless and diabolic person.

A shadowy figure crossed the path they were walking on and everyone froze. The thing moved on, crushing tree branches and foliage under its solid heavy weight. It seemed to be familiar with the terrain. On scrutiny, it appeared to be of a human shape. They had never seen such a huge person before, a giant of a man. He was muttering something, his voice was gruffly and threatening.

The giant moved on, Sam and his friends were virtually dead with fright, such as they have never experienced before. They were part of a group of soldiers who had to kill their own people based on suspicion that they were collaborating with the previous white government in one form or another. Their actions were merciless, and they seemed to have lost their human compassion. Sam and his friends somehow managed to avoid being part of the killings.

Sam discouraged them from killing their own people. They would interrogate the suspects but the other fellows carried out the punishment and none of them complained. Sam acted similar to Pontius Pilate when he saw no fault in Jesus Christ but he had to apeace the Jews. The rest of the group did as they pleased without feeling any remorse.

When they came across government soldiers, Sam led the way he showed no mercy then. The memory of the massacre in his father’s kraal became intense then. It was a war between blacks and whites although there were few whites showing sympathy for blacks, they could not be part of the fighting force. They could only voice their concerns at the stubbornness of the government simply for peace sake.

The freedom fighters were always enjoying seeing fear in the eyes of their victims, hearing their victims beg for mercy and killing people was a duty as they were simply obeying orders. Raping women was a bonus and a way of panting out their anger at nature.

Come on now fellows it is time to move on, we cannot afford to waste time.

They were now running, tripping, falling, crawling in an attempt to get away from the giant, and they covered a lot of ground. The rain had somewhat abated which made it easier for them to navigate their course. They could keep in the general direction easier than before.

It was no more about their dreams but simply staying alive which was what they have been doing all through their lives. Apparently, nothing really changes in life. This thing called fate plays a huge role in determining life’s pattern, and the strong willed seem to survive just as Sam and his friends did.

Suddenly it was raining again, this time not drizzling but pouring. They stumbled upon what appeared to be a cave. They ventured into the cave but not deep inside the opening. There was a strong nauseating stench in there.

Whatever that was, it was repulsive. Then in their confusion, they heard the now familiar gruffly voice of the giant, registering clearly in their minds despite the rain pelting on the leaves in the forest.

It became clear therefore that they just had to get out and suffer in the rain rather than stay in that foul smelling place. The giant could be coming back for a meal. Out in the forest it was darker than ever.

They had to get out of the forest as quick as the conditions would allow them. They were facing many obstacles such as dead branches, boulders, and imaginary moving objects. The place seemed to be haunted, and that alone was enough to spur them on lest they lost their minds.

Then without warning lightning struck, its light piercing the leaves of the tall trees, shinning through, and revealing a grotesque form stopping them in their tracks. Tito said, What the hell is that.

No one was sure about the object or objects but Joseph could swear that it was a human skull. Sam was cool headed and tried to calm Joseph and the others. He insisted that whatever that was, it could have been there for a long time, and that they were not in real danger. They had to reach the open area beyond the forest before something happened to them. Some dangerous animal was roaming around and the same fate might befall them.

Joseph was not as brave as his friends were; he began to wonder if they were still on course after travelling many kilometres heading south. He knew that for them to reach their destination before sunrise they were to stay on course. He could not say anything though for fear of slowing down their progress.

After a long while, they felt the rain drops landing directly on their faces. They knew that they were beyond the dreaded forest, and were able to sigh with relief. Now their minds were somewhat clearer.

They were now facing another danger. Here there were soldiers and police patrolling the area. Tito knew that he could handle any threatening human being without flinching but not that giant back in the forest.

Joseph said, Where are we.

Sam said, I am not sure.

They did not carry a map to guide them neither did they have a compass. They saw no landmarks that they could identify. They checked their bearings without much success. They were crouching behind a big boulder that shielded them from the rain. From sheer exhaustion, they fell asleep.

Sam was a light sleeper thanks to army training. He became aware that it had become quiet and heard the birds chirping. He realized that it was dawn, and the rain had stopped as if the heavens had closed the floodgates.

The clouds in the sky around the sun were changing colour. The sun was making its appearance as usual, which never failed to bring hope and warmth to every living creature on the planet irrespective of colour, creed, or shape.

Eventually, they could figure out where they were. They became aware that they had veered off course by a few kilometres to the east. They began to move towards the border post. They knew that there were police patrolling the area.

Alternatively, maybe even soldiers were grateful the night passed without incidents. It made no difference which group it was, only that they had to avoid exposing themselves at all costs.

They were still far from the border but they could see that far. They could see the crocodile infested Limpopo River. Despite the recent heavy rainfall, the river was below fifty percent full. They were advancing towards the border post. Tito heard a dog barking and he stiffened, that could spell disaster for them.

They crouched even lower on the ground waiting for the dog to appear. Fortunately, the grass was tall enough to offer them cover. Sam saw the animal coming directly towards them. Tito took out his knife and he crawled towards the running dog. Then he saw a rabbit sprint past him, he realised then the dog was chasing the rabbit.

Then the dog’s owner appeared, he had a riffle in his hand, his trigger finger poised to pull the trigger. The man stopped a few paces from Tito. He seemed to sense a presence close by. Tito saw him lift his riffle shoulder high, aiming in his general direction.

The dog came back running with the rabbit hanging between its teeth. The dog ran past the man in the direction of their camp. The man still stood there, he could not make up his mind as to what to do. Tito saw him talk on his walkie-talkie; he knew then that they were in big trouble.

He knew that he could take that man on the spot. Sam and the others were waiting thinking that it could be the end of their quest for freedom. Suddenly another soldier appeared.

There were now two armed soldiers, Sam knew that the soldiers would not hesitate to kill them. They stood there chatting for a while then they moved on back to their camp. That was a narrow escape by sheer luck. They moved away from that spot.

By then, it was mid-morning, too much activity, too many people, locals, tourists, and visitors. All mingled together but the distinction was clear. There was a long queue of vehicles, including long distance haulers, all waiting their turn at the border post.

Most of the local people were going to buy food supplies from across the border. Some of them were traders and some were ordinary people trying to survive. None of those people was wearing wet clothes. Sam knew then that they could not mingle with those people.

They were observing from a vantage point where they could see without exposing themselves or so they hoped. They had three options to choose from in order to cross the borderline.

First option was to put on a brave face and face the official with their soggy documents, which were false anyway. The problem with that was how they were going to explain the wetness without arousing suspicion even though they were expected. Everyone one else was wearing dry clothes.

The man expecting them was part of the organization. Therefore, he was responsible for their safe passage. Sam thought that it would not be wise to put the man under pressure. He could easily make a mistake and their journey would be over.

Second option was to try to hide in one of the trucks, which from where they were it seemed that would not be an easy task because someone was bound to see them. Third option was to find a suitable spot where they could swim across the muddy river.

This meant risking losing their limbs or even death by the crocodiles. The prospect did not appeal to Stanley and Joseph. They had to come up with a suitable course of action to suit their combined capabilities. It was therefore obvious then that they should rather wait for sweet darkness.

The natural clock kept on ticking, the sun continuing its journey without fail and soon it was dusk. They felt the need to drink water or something. Tito wanted to try to find drinking water.

Sam said, It will not be long now, so do not move around lest someone sees you.

They waited another hour; they were itching to move on. Their limbs felt stiff and they had to stretch their bodies before they suffered from cramps. It was now dark enough for them to move on.

Sam said to the others I think that it is safer now to go.

Isaac could hardly concentrate on the job at hand which was to check the passports and to compare the photo on the passport to the face of the passport owner. He was wondering what went wrong, were those four still coming or not. It was nearing closing time and Sam and his friends were still out there.

He still had the funds given to him, but he could not guarantee that the money was still there in its hiding place. He could not spend the money either until the group was safe across the border. The money was refundable that condition was clear to him. He surely could not spend the money because that meant his life would be worth nothing.

The messenger told him that if something went wrong he would have to pay back all the money without fail. He had wisely decided to hide the money until it was safe to use. He could not take that money to the bank besides he did not have a banking account. Therefore, in the dead of the night he crept out of his hut not knowing that someone was watching.

He went to the previously selected spot and hid the plastic bag containing the loot, covered it meticulously so no one would think of uncovering his fortune. If the money could go missing, then whoever would take it must have been watching him hide his treasure.

He was not sure if he could trust his wife with so much money. He was not even sure that she was faithful to him. Isaac always wondered why some women were that greedy.

He went back to his hut, after hiding the money. He was now wide-awake and got under the blankets. His wife moaned and turned towards him still in a deep sleep or so he thought. His whole body was cold from the chilly wind outside. Isaac tried to leave a gap between them.

His wife’s hand was already on his chest, and she pulled it away and instantly awake accusing him of always throwing the blankets off her. Pretending that he had been asleep, he then snuggled closer to her for warmth. Then his loins began to move, his wife felt the thing harden against her.

Her hand began searching for his tool under the blankets. They had an understanding that they would sleep without any clothing, if one of them felt sick then he or she could wear something and the other would know that its hands off. Normal couples do not engage each other everyday.

Isaac was hoping that the four would appear before closing time; as if on cue there they came into his cubicle. They produced documents that he hurriedly stamped, and scolding them for the condition of their passports without actually meaning it.

Sam was aware of the arrangement but the rest were in the dark lest the law caught up with them, and they sang a melody that would send their sponsor to the firing squad. President Ralph Morewa would be the happiest man should that happen.

On the South African side, the official there simply stamped their documents. He did not even look at their faces. They were no different from the hundreds of black faces that go back and forth. He wondered about the documents, they were damp, but he said nothing.

He was rather tired and he wanted to go home. They had nothing to declare. They had finally reached the Promised Land. Isaac kept a close look just to make sure that they were safe, he wanted to do a bit of shopping.

Isaac’s wife strolled over to where she thought she saw her husband go. She carefully studied the area until she saw what she was looking for, and then moved on. She had to make sure that she was alone. Satisfied that she was alone, she then began to remove the package. She stuffed it in her underwear so if anyone were watching it would appear as if she was relieving herself.

In the hut she quickly closed the door, opened the plastic bag. She was shocked when she saw all that money and wondered what Isaac was doing. She wondered if he stole the money from his workplace. Nevertheless, she was not prepared to take it back not even to confront him. She decided to play dumb and keep it.

That night Isaac came home visibly relaxed. He was chatting away about the future. He said that he was up for promotion.

His wife said, That would be good, will you be home earlier then.

I am not sure about that.

So what are you happy about?

If they promote me, it would mean more responsibilities and more money.

Are you happy for the money or for more work?

I am happy for the money so that we can eat better, my darling.

When is that going to happen?

Isaac was thinking of the rewards of the underworld. He was imagining them living a better life. After supper, they went to bed each lost in their own thoughts. Later when he thought it was safe, he went to check his hiding place. He thought that soon they could buy enough food and clothes.

He could see no changes so he went back to bed. The wife was relieved to see him not angry but rather happy and she knew that she was safe. She felt victorious and if nothing went wrong, she decided to take the money and go somewhere never to come back again. She had a number of reasons why she could leave him. She could not think of one reason why she aught to stay with him any longer.

The loot was now in the house under their very bed on which they were lying. That night they made love, appreciating each other’s ability to please. Before long Isaac was snoring the night away fully at peace with his life. The wife on the other hand was making plans on how to take the money away without arousing suspicion. Eventually she fell asleep.

Comrade Musovi, the army commander was sitting in his office on a plush chair reading a report or order sent to him by his superiors. His desk was always in disarray. There were piles of papers on the desk. He had never bothered to read some of them.

On the opposite wall, directly in front of him was a single framed picture of his comrades in arms. He was also in that photo. They were all clad in camouflage uniforms, displaying their medals pinned on colourful uniforms. Comrade Musovi was proud of his medals even though he was never active in battle. He avoided being in the firing line, he feared death more than he feared his wife.

He was happy now that the war was over. Most of the guerrillas were able to integrate into the regular army, which comprised mainly of black faces. The government retained a few whites from the old army for cosmetic purposes. Some of the soldiers went on pension, some chose to go back to tilling the land. The government gave them land as a reward.

The former colonial rulers had promised to compensate the erstwhile farmers thus transferring the land ownership back to black people. There was a need then for land for the ex-soldiers to live on. Some of the farmers died during the war. There was no one to look after the livestock. The guerrillas destroyed most of the farming land and tobacco crops.

Some of the previous landowners had fled the country in fear, as they thought the new government would simply kill them. The new owners had to start from scratch. The government gave grants to those that qualified. Some of them acquired land through nepotism.

The white population was not readily accepting. Black people for black people formed the new government. Even then, all the top posts went to certain people, these were of the same ethnic group as the President. One or two white people were included in the government.

A handful of the fighters had to receive further training for special assignments. These would include assassination of those that were publicly opposing the authorities. Those that uttered statements that were not pro-government in public were guilty of treason without the benefit of a trial.

Any person that dared to say anything against the government paid the ultimate price. Already there were rumours of well-known figures vanishing without a trace. Sam and his group were part of the assassin group.

Comrade Abusa was one of the people who were not towing the line and therefore seen as dangerous. His name appeared on the hit list. The man was aware of the pending danger. He knew that they would choose someone who had easy access to him. Comrade Abusa knew that the man would not carry out that order. He therefore countered by sending his possible killer away. He devised a plan that would come to fruition in time to come and Sam was the key figure in his plan.

At that stage only comrade Abusa and his brother, Steve knew about the scheme. Steve was long in the neighbouring country, he would take care of Sam and his friends.

On this particular day, comrade Musovi was reading an order directing him to arrange the permanent removal of one man who was making irritating noise. He was saying things that were not pleasant to the ears of the ruling lords and they felt threatened. Comrade Musovi sent for one of his aides.

I want you to find Sam and bring him here.

We have not seen Sam for a while now sir.

Well just find him; I have an urgent job for him.

I will go to his village sir.

Musovi dismissed the young man. He began to consider an alternative plan to get rid of the pest. If Sam did not succeed then he would use his alternative plan. Musovi’s aide and his friend went to Sam’s village to try to locate Sam. They were travelling in the army jeep. The aide’s name was Peter; his friend’s name was Wilson.

Peter said, Why is it that whenever there is something special Musovi would ask for Sam, is Sam a better man then?

I think they want to get rid of Sam.

That is ridiculous, why should they want to get rid of Sam.

They are not comfortable when Sam is around; I think Musovi is afraid of Sam.

Why should they be afraid of Sam, he appears to be harmless.

That is why they fear him; they think he is not what he appears to be.

How come you know so much about these things?

Musovi tells his wife everything and she tells my wife.

Well in that case then, I can only believe half of the story, women spice up things by the time you hear the story it cannot be what Musovi said.

Even so something is going on; they also want to get rid of Abusa.

I suppose your wife told you that.

Yeah she told me that the President hates Abusa.

It seems that nobody is safe anymore.

Yeah, this is worse than before.

They were nearing the village where Sam was staying. They turned into a dirt road that would lead them to Sam’s hut. Peter stopped the car near Sam’s hut.

They found Sam’s younger brother. His father died during the war at the hands of the previous government. His mother was still at the fields working in their small farm.

We are looking for Sam; do you know where he is?

Sam’s younger brother was not at liberty to tell anyone where Sam was. In this instance, he had no idea where Sam was.

No I do not know where he is.

When last did you see him?

I am not sure but maybe a few weeks, we thought that he was with you people.

If he was with us we would not be here now would we?

I am sorry, I cannot help you.

If you see him tell him that he must come to the army’s office immediately.

The boy simply nodded his head wondering what could have happened to his brother. He was brave enough not to imagine that something bad might have happened to his brother. Sam took nothing with so all his belongings were still in the house. He therefore believed that he did not go far away.

The two soldiers left in their jeep. They went to Tito’s place. He was also not there and they had the cold response from the other men’s families. None of them knew where they were. The two soldiers drove back to their camp with a question mark. They went straight to Musovi’s office to report. They found him sitting with his secretary. He was dictating something to her. They waited a while; Musovi did not seem to notice them. After a long while, he called Peter.

Where is that Sam?

Nobody knows where Sam and his friends are, but we told the families to tell them to report here as soon as they come back.

Okay you may go now.

Musovi told his secretary to write a report that Sam and his friends were missing. The report read thus, Sam is missing and his three comrades are missing it is therefore taken for granted that they are on a special leave of absence or a mission. Maybe they are in a bar getting drunk, or are being laid somewhere, even so we have to find them.

Comrade Abusa the man who was making waves had his own informers within the army so he knew therefore that he was a marked man. He knew this even before Musovi received the order. He immediately called his confidantes to a hasty meeting to discuss the issue of a possible successor. His successor had to be someone that was capable of taking the movement forward. In his mind, he knew who that person could be, but he did not mention that person’s name publicly.

He was seriously considering leaving the country but he felt he had a duty to perform towards his beloved country. Knowing that Sam would be the one to do the honour of silencing him Comrade Abusa, arranged to have Sam and his friends leave the country long before Musovi received his orders.

He told them a fabricated yarn about their own lives being in danger. Sam had no idea that Musovi wanted him to kill Abusa. He thought that he was being of service to the movement by leaving his country.

Abusa told Sam that Steve would take care of them on the other side. The movement would take care of all expenses. They were to start a new life in a new country. The move was two pronged, Sam did not know about Musovi’s plot then. Abusa knew that Musovi would have difficulty in finding someone else. If Sam were to disobey the order, the punishment would be death by a firing squad.

Abusa knew also that it was not the end; he still had to be on the alert. Comrade Abusa was part of the guerrillas who were fighting for freedom, but he was not suitable when it came to governing the country. The unspoken reason being that he was of different ethnic grouping.

By the time comrade, Musovi received the order Sam and his friends were already on the other side of the border. They were safe, and on their way to one of the major cities, driven by one of comrade Abusa’s people. Abusa’s support base was growing at an alarming rate even beyond the borders of his country. There were many of his fellow compatriots working in the mines of South Africa.

The government was aware of his popularity, and that bothered them. The President, Mr. Ralph Morewa felt particularly threatened and he wanted to discredit Abusa in public. He failed dismally but his hatred for Abusa became intense.

Abusa was a natural leader who could unite the indigenous people of the land. His philosophy was able to look beyond ethnicity. All the minorities were fully behind him. The philosophy of freedom was still beyond most people’s comprehension. Maybe that is why his fellow compatriots imagined that freedom meant getting rid of colonialism and replacing it with dictatorship.

Dictatorship brought dissatisfaction, and eventually the people would revolt. Then there would be civil wars, which never ended. Colonialism turned people into ethnic groupings and dictatorship turned people into haters.

Under those conditions, there can never be prosperity. The rulers were investing in arms to enable them to hang on to power by force, rather than investing in the people of the land.

Ralph Morewa did not decide overnight that he wanted to stay in power forever. It had been his intension even as the independence negotiations were still underway. Even as he sat in prison, being a lifetime President became his goal.

Abusa stated emphatically that no negotiations could take place without Morewa being present thus Morewa walked out of prison to live his dream. Even as he knew that his archrival was responsible for his release, he could never bury the hatched.

Isaac had finally decided to unbury his loot. He thought that it was time to share his fortune with his wife. He felt betrayed when he found that there was nothing there waiting for him.

The loss of his money made him wonder, who could have seen him when he was hiding the money. He wondered who could know that he was hiding money. Maybe the people who paid him were watching him. He became an old man, his shoulders sagging as if he carried more than his due.

He saw his dream evaporating into nothing. Who was he going to confront with this dilemma surely not his wife or any other person in the tiny village, after all he told no living soul so he sat there silently crying. Life suddenly became a burden for him.

He thought he should have told her the truth. Maybe the money could have been safe; maybe she took it to spite him. She was naturally the first suspect in this matter. He was hoping that someone might need his services again, and when that time came about, he vowed to do things differently.

Maybe he should send the wife away for a day or two and the thought made him feel trapped because he never wanted to sleep alone without his beloved wife. It would be the first time since they had been staying together which was around twenty years. Unfortunately, they had no children of their own.

Betty, Isaac’s wife was increasingly running out of time to conceive, so she became involved with someone younger for the sole purpose of falling pregnant. During the day when her husband was at work, she would meet with her lover and go through the act of coition like jackrabbits. On those days, she would play sick and therefore no sex with Isaac.

Isaac was also getting older by the day and his sperm count was dropping so the chances of them becoming parents were decreasing daily. This they both knew without saying it out aloud, they had a strong affection for each other. Betty needed desperately to belong, to join women’s gatherings as a mother, so just one baby would be enough.

Isaac resigned himself to being a poor man once again with no prospects of ever coming out of the poverty zone. He dedicated his life to working for the government and hope for a better pension.

That was all he could look forward to in his life. Even then, he was better off than most other people who had nothing to look forward to; life was rather bleak for them.

Isaac was one of the war veterans. He fought alongside Sam and the rest. They were fighting under Abusa’s wing. They were fighting to liberate the nation then, yet none of them was free.

Their individual freedom was still elusive. These simple-minded people did not need a steel rod to govern them. None of them could exercise freedom of speech. The freedom of speech had far-reaching limitations; no one could say anything negative about the president in public. The oppressed became the oppressors. Something is terribly wrong with African politics. The idea of kings and chiefs still dominates the minds of the leaders. None of them wants to relinquish power.

Marumo, the truck driver had almost given up waiting for Sam and the others. There was no way of him abandoning the mission the price was too high. He knew what could happen to him if he drove off without Sam and the others. He also knew that there was no way out, once in you stay in.

He had been ferrying people from one point to the other for many years now. He never once queried the reason for moving people around. He was happy to earn a living.

His wife was not demanding she did not care for fashion or expensive clothes. He had three children to maintain and they were not cheap to grow up. The organisation employed him on one condition only and that was that he could not walk away and remain alive.

He had arrived on time at the pre-arranged location, which was before sunrise, as time was ticking away with no sign of Sam and his friends. He inevitably fell asleep. He became aware of a presence near him and he thought the police were onto him.

He opened his eyes slowly to inspect the surroundings and saw nothing suspicious and yet he was uneasy. Then he sat up and saw this very attractive young woman posing just a short distance away. His heart was now pounding against his rib cage, wondering if she was an informer or not.

He was praying then that Sam should remain where he was. Although he knew that, it was highly unlikely that the law could be aware of his racket, the appearance of this young woman still made him feel jittery. She did not blend in with the surroundings.

The woman did not seem to notice him for she completely ignored him. On the other hand, he knew that there were many prostitutes in that area. He was tempted to find out what she was doing there as she seemed like she did not belong, she did not appear to be one of the rural people.

Marumo did not consider that she could be visiting or passing by. Whilst the debate was raging in his mind, he was closely checking her out. She had a dark smooth skin, a small flat nose, and eyes wide set as if she could see in all directions without turning her head.

Then at that moment, she looked straight at him and began walking towards him with cool calculated strides, as if time was of no consequence. She had a dazzling smile on her face, revealing a set of perfectly placed white teeth.

One tooth was missing from her upper set of teeth. She was about to cross over to where Marumo was waiting. Marumo was grinning