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It seemed like years had passed in this cramped
'dungeon', when in fact we were only four days
into the voyage. Like many others from my
village in Africa, we were sold as slaves to
unknown people in unknown land. Yet again,
another young man vomited and the stench of his
vomit simply added to the already foul
atmosphere. A middle-aged man lying opposite me
started gasping desperately for air before
losing consciousness. Later, we heard that he
had breathed his last. Many others were groaning
in discomfort and pain. With so many bodies
closely packed together, the heat and stuffiness
became unbearable. Undoubtedly, contagious
diseases such as small pox, measles and
dysentery spread rapidly from one person to
another. The crew on board the ship was not
spared either.
The whole deck was damp and dark, and only
once since the beginning of the voyage were we
taken out for a breath of fresh air. To add to
the misery of the existing conditions, we were
very often given insufficient food. Once, an
outspoken man stood up to ask for more food and
drinks only to be severely whipped by our
captors on the count of rebellion. After that
incident, he was chained and left without food
for a few days.
I looked at Tohan who seemed increasingly
pale each day. He had lost his appetite over the
last few days. I had been keeping vigil by his
side, watching over him with very little sleep.
"I can't take it any more. I want to go home
... " cried Tohan. "Hush, Tohan, bear with it.
We'll be reaching there soon," I urged Tohan.
Tears welled up in my eyes. I knew it was
not true. I did not have the least knowledge
where we were heading, but I was convinced that
wherever the destination, it was- far away from
home. I touched Tohan's head and was taken aback
by the extremely high temperature. I pulled him
close to my side and prayed, the way Mother had
taught us.
The next day, Tohan died. I was filled with
grief and overwhelmed by a sense of
helplessness. I had promised Mother that I would
take good care of Tohan. In the midst of my
sadness, the ship came to a halt. We were forced
out of the ship and made to wait along the coast
like sheep to be slaughtered. Many of my
brothers looked weak and forlorn as we stood
there awaiting our fate. |
