He
was panting and his lips were dry but he could not stop. The night was fading
quickly and he could not risk to be seen in the daylight. His cloths filled
with dirt and mud stains. His pants became shorts just below his knees due to
continuous sleeping on the dirt and mud. He quickly looks around and cross the
road and ran in to the forest.
He was running from the police, the town police
was looking for him. Being a fugitive for last 2 days does not left him with
much peace and calmness and all his efforts to just get out of the town were
not successful. He wanted to sleep without any fears but he could not sleep,
his tummy was growling like a bear but he has nothing to eat. He wants to
quench his thirst but he didn't find any water around. The forest was
not dense and dark enough to hide his presence. The nearest town was a small
town but people do come in to forest for different purposes. The farmers, herd
breeders, and small kids in groups often come to this small forest.
He
went straight to the small lake and sink his head in to it, he drank like there
is no tomorrow. Suddenly something cracks and he quickly raised his head out of
water. He saw a deer strolling near the lake and sight of it freed his breath
which was caught up in his chest. He took a deep breath and lay on his back
watching the sky and the sun rays emerging from the east.
While
laying on the muddy part of the lake he closed his eyes and thought of all the
beautiful things which forced him to run from the jail. His 6 months old
daughter, his beautiful wife with her green eyes, his mother and her old
trembling hands which trembles more due to sheer happiness every time she saw
him, the porch of his home and the view of the mountain from it.
The thought of his family and home proved too much for him, he clasped the
mud in his hands and yelled with all his might and started crying. He cried, then he started pleading and begging to God to let him be with
his family once more so that he can make up for all the mistakes he did in the
past. He cried and begged for help for a while then his cries turns in to
sobbing and after a while he washed his face and hands and went in to the
woods to look for the food. He searched for the beetroot which he thought would
be in quite abundance in the woods. He remembers the scent of beetroot since
his childhood at his grandfather’s farm. He didn't find anything edible after
searching for an hour. His body could not take it anymore and he fell to the
ground.
He
remembered clearly everything from his past but he could not remember how he
escaped from the jail. He wanted to concentrate so that he could devise a plan
to escape from this town but his thoughts from his past were so overwhelming
that he could not concentrate to think a way out of this trouble. At one point
his head was filled with so many thoughts that in desperation and anger he
banged his head several times to a tree.
He
wanted to be with his family but he soon realized that police and authorities
would be monitoring all his possible addresses. He cannot go to his family
directly. He needs an alternative plan to get out of this town and then stay
out of the police’s radar while contacting his family. He could not think of
anything which could help him achieve this goal. He sat under a tree and
watched sun coming up behind the trees. The woods weren't thick enough to hide
a person sitting under a tree in cloths marked with jail markings and lines.
The
first one to see him was a herder who came to cut some grass and soft tree
branches for his herd. As soon as he saw him he stumbles upon something and ran
as soon as he manages to get up. He realized that soon police will show up and
he has no other way except to leave this place immediately. He started to run
in opposite direction and soon found himself at border of field.
He
saw a small kid swaying a stick and moving away from him towards a wooden cabin
at the end of the fields. He was thirsty again and he could not continue
running without quenching his thirst. He came out of the woods and called the
boy “Hey kiddo!” the kid turned and his eyes grew wider due to astonishment and
excitement of watching a stranger. However the kid stopped in midway and raised
his hand as if he was asking the man “what do you want?”. He smiled and that
smile relieved his tension and anxiety a bit as he realized that he can still
manage a smile and still small things can make him happy. He went to the kid and
sat near him on his knees and said “Do you want to play a game?” The kid
frowned and said “What game?” You have to bring me a glass of water without
letting anyone knowing about it and if you win you can get this.” He pointed at
his belt with a shiny buckle. “Why would I need that” kid asked in
astonishment. You can tie your stick with it and you can also hold some other
sticks in it. “This is not a stick, this is my sword” the kid replied with bit
anger. The man smiled and said “it seems that you are in need of a scabbard for
your mighty sword then, what do you think?"
The
kid smiled and nodded his head and ran towards the hut. He quickly moves
towards the woods and kept his eyes on the hut. The kid soon emerged from the
hut and started running as soon as he came out some distance from the hut. The
kid approached the woods and shouted “Where are you mister?” He emerged from
the trees and called the kid close. He came to him and gave him a plastic
bottle filled with water. He quickly took the bottle and start gulping water.
He tilted his heads upward and drank all the water in the bottle. He stayed in
that position once he finished the bottle and as soon as his head came level to
kid’s eyes he saw a bread loaf in his hand which is extended towards him. He was
stunned for a while and when tried to say something his voice just shattered
due to tears. He took the bread and ate it hastily. The kid smiled watching him
eat so wildly but didn't say anything. After eating the bread he smiled to the
kid and wrapped his belt around kid’s waist and placed his “sword” through the
belt. The kid watched the process for a while and then dragged the stick out of
the belt few times just to make sure that his new scabbard is working fine. The
kid smiled and nodded his head in approval of the successful completion of the
deal and walked away towards the hut.
