Beneath the scars

Chapter 27

I went home feeling like like the world and top of my head had been broken down. I quickly sent a message to Josy who constantly stayed in touch with me that I finally did it . I smiled when she replied" I'm sure you did great." I texted back saying "yes I did and guess what I met someone today"" tell me about it " she texted back I laughed at this as I left her in suspense with I thought of visiting her tomorrow.
One bright morning a middle aged gentleman stepped out of prison carrying a back pack. He had a blank look on his face as he shaded his eyes with his left hand against the light. His original prison sentence had been cut short as a result of a pardon by the president who visited the cells a few days ago. He had fought hard in prison to overcome drug use. He sat on a bench near the roadside. With no where to go he thought about his life over the span of eleven years.He recollects lovely moments spent those early days with his wife whilst working together with their  country secret service .He recollects struggles they had gone through together and come out safely. Successes they had chalked together . Sweet moments they had had in each other's arms. Tears steal down his cheeks.Tears dropped down his cheeks as he remembered the sweet kids they had had together. One girl and a boy. His mind goes deep into the past as he remembered the several occasions they visited the beach together with the kids. He smiles as he remembered how he carried his boy several times on his shoulders . He wept as he remembered how he had to leave this sweet family in order to save their lives and also prevent them seeing what he had turned into.Why had he gone bad. Why did he have to blow that assignment . Why hadn't he just checked to be sure there wasn't any other occupant in the car. He blamed himself for the girls death. He had lost track of his families movement as a result of their constant change of address and accommodation in their bid to avoid the drug baron.The message he picked up from his  vine yard contacts was that his family had been wiped out by the drug baron. He had spent several sleepless nights in is prison cell weeping over this lovely family he had lost. Life had been so mean to him . He had been arrested dealing in drugs and sentenced to 15 years of hard labour for his crime. He remembered one morning as he sat quietly musing he observed a new inmate walking calmly past him. Something about this man seemed familiar.As he looked in his direction  as something drew in his attention. He notices two inmates furtively following the new inmate on tip toes. One held a piece of metal which had been sharpened to a sharp point. The other held a hammer.These two guys he knew we're notorious bullies terrorising prisoners. As they glide furtively towards the new inmate from the back he gets up curious and moves towards them to get a better idea as to what they were up to. Suddenly one if the inmates swung his leg against that of the new inmate and sends him crushing to the floor in surprise . The two prison bullies now jumped on him swinging their weapons at him to strick him dead. He rolled away at the last moment to avoid their weapons.The quiet gentleman suddenly coiled up and swung into action . He bent down swiftly, grabbed the neck of one of the bullies just as he was about to sink his improvised knife into the new inmates belly and throws him easily across the yard.The bully hit his head against a pillar.The inmate with the hammer turned his attention to him and rushed towards him with the hammer raised .As the second bully swung the hammer in a wide arch towards him he swiftly stepped aside,bent low,reaches out and grabbed the offenders swinging arm with his right arm. His left fist swung up violently in an uppercut and catched the surprised inmate in the mouth. The inmate drops silently to the ground with blood oozing from his mouth.Everything seemed to happens within a split moment. The other inmates gather around to watch this display. None had expected this swift display of violence from this innocent looking gentleman who always kept to himself. The prison guards alerted to the ongoing action and quickly rushed in to carry away the injured bullies. The gentleman was also taken away for questioning .  Bystanders justified his action to the authorities. The following morning as the inmates went in for their morning shower the new inmates moved towards the gentleman. He said "Good morning. I will for ever be grateful to you for saving my life yesterday. May I know name." My name is James Panga ." He said. As I stood in shock he smiled and Continued"That was a good display from a drug addict like you. Like I said I owe you a favour and will forever be grateful for saving my life yesterday. That was the beginning of their friendship. The two men sat at one corner at the prison yard. They have just had just a long discussion and settled issues between them. The gentleman has just man made James Panga aware that he was the cause of his daughters death. He had expressed his deep regret over the issue. His apology had been accepted by James . He also got confirmation of his deepest suspicion that James had sent killers to wipe out his family. Each expressed regret at his action and they vowed to maintain their new friendship. There was one other thing made known to the gentleman. His daughter had not been murdered. She was alive. He had to look for his daughter . There was some one to live for after all. His daughter. James had given him a firm promise he will stop pursuing his daughter. The revenge on Riley's family was over. The urge to see his daughter once more as a changed man motivated him.
A visiting Catholic father and a young girl he met during rehab played a key role in helping him fight drug use. With the young girls help and from her story he learnt that by forgiving him self and working out to improve on his mistakes  was the only way he could be someone worthy of his family. God bless that kind soul for her words since it played a key role in his changed life .On the Catholic father's last visit to the cells  father Augustine wrote his name and address and offered it to him. He was to contact him for help if he ever got out prison. His only motive now was to find that kind soul and his daughter to do that he needed to be in good shape. He picked a taxi and handed him the address with a though of seeing the two very soon .