Blood Diamonds Child Soldiers

CHAPTER ONE
He awoke to the sound of gunshots and shouts and he wondered what was going on. The last thing he could remember was that his mother had told him to go to bed and she had carried his sister Mary along with him. Their village was far from Freetown and information rarely came in since all radio station has been shut down. His father missed hearing the night news and Solomon and his sister had learnt to be on their best behavior at that time. He rose up to his feet trying to determine what was wrong and the acrid smell of smoke filled his lungs. Someone was trying to burn their house while they were still inside. In a hurry, Solomon carried his sister who was still sitting beside him and rushed out through the door of their hut.
His father is a respected man in the village and he wondered what could have caused someone to come and set fire on their house. On getting outside, he realized that things were different and several houses were on fire. People were running about and screams filled the air but the only one thing that came to his mind was the location of his parents. He carried his still sleeping sister and headed for his uncle's house which was close by.
He had barely taken four steps when he saw two men carrying guns and Solomon knew that he had to hide. News had reached his father of the atrocities that the RUF had committed in some villages. His father had called them devils for no human would do evil against his fellow human. Solomon hid behind a hut praying that he was not discovered. He waited till the men had passed before he moved out and this time again, he encountered another figure moving but he was glad when he recognized his mother.
“Thank God the both of you are safe,” his mother said in their native tongue.
She hugged her two children and started to inspect if they were injured in anyway. Solomon tried to ask of his father but his mother barely replied him. She was looking about like a hawk trying to determine if they were safe but it was obvious that their position only offered them safety for a while.
The men who attacked their village was still sweeping about performing horrors and she had seen more than enough to know that he'll had been unleashed in their village. She has no idea where her husband is but she prays that no harm has befallen him. At the moment, the only thing on her mind is getting her children to safety far away from this nightmare that had dawned upon them. She turned and faced Solomon.
“Your father would join us soon but now we have to move away from here and head in the direction of the farm.”
“Is it not to dark to go to the farm?” He asked.
A look from her silenced him and he listened to the instructions that she had for him. What she wanted was clear to him but Solomon could not understand why she wanted them to head for the farm. Mary stirred from her sleep and Solomon prayed that she would not wake up since she might start crying and that was the last thing they need at the moment.
“Hold on tightly to me and don't ever let go of my hand.”
Solomon nodded and linked his hands with his mother who had carried Mary in one arm. Looking around and deciding that it was safe, Hannah stood up and led her two children through the maze of fire and littered bodies. Solomon was scared but she could see that he managed to keep his fear in check and if the situation was not dire, she would have laughed at his face since he was trying to look like his father.
The sounds of gunshots made her pause and she told Solomon to wait as she looked around. She waited for a minute and determined that the source of the shots was on the other side of the village. With that they started moving and they could see the end of the village, a few more steps and they could enter into the protection of the darkness where the men would not be able to see them. Hannah released the breath she had been holding as they rushed to cross into the bushes when they heard a shout.
“Stop where you are or I kill you,” the voice said in English.
Hannah did not understand what was said but she knew that they were caught and she could not help but wish that they had slipped away into the beckoning freedom. She tried to move but they were already surrounded by four gunmen who had their guns pointed at them. One of them moved towards them and slapped Hannah in the face.
Her husband had never lifted his hands to hit her no matter how angry he got and the sting of the slap combined with their present situation made Hannah lose all hope. She had seen what these men had done to other women from the village and she knew that the same thing was going to happen to her now. She only wished that her children were on their way to safety away from this nightmare.
“You think you can escape from here,” the man who slapped her said. “I can see that you are a pretty woman. Your beauty and body will be mine to use."
“You are not the one who found her Rasheed.”
Rasheed turned towards the man that had spoken and asked if he dare to repeat what he had said. The man kept quiet and Rasheed turned to face Hannah speaking to her in their language. Hannah refused to answer and when Rasheed saw that she did not respond, he turned and looked at Solomon.
“Your son would make a fine solder and I would personally see to him.”
The words had the effect Rasheed wanted and Hannah started begging him to let her children go. Rasheed and the men laughed at her plea while Hannah continued to beg. One of the men took Solomon by the hand while another snatched Mary away. Hannah tried to fight them but Rasheed held her back as he fumbled with her breasts. Solomon was angry but he could not escape the grip of the man who held him. He did not like how they treated his mother since his father had taught him the proper way to treat a woman.
He turned and bit the hand of the man holding him and he became free as the man screamed in rage. Solomon ran to his mother's side and kicked Rasheed in the crotch before any of the men could catch him. Hannah became free and she immediately picked up the gun that Rasheed had left and shot him right in the face.
The other three men were slow to react and Hannah had killed another one of them leaving the man who held Mary and another one. The both of them were in no position to shoot and Hannah told Solomon to collect Mary from the man and her son obeyed her with swiftness. She asked the two men to drop their guns which they did and Hannah packed both guns and threw them in the opposite direction before she told the men to walk back towards the village. The two men obeyed her and Hannah told Solomon to start walking into the bush.
He obeyed her and instantly continued walking when he heard a gunshot and he turned to see his mother fall. He ran to meet her but he could see men running in their direction and Solomon ran into the bush carrying his sister but he never ran far before he was captured by the man he bit. Mary was taken from him and Solomon received blow after blow and he felt as if he was going to die. After the fifth blow, Solomon passed out.
Chapter 2
It was morning when Solomon woke up and he tried to get up before he realized that he was chained and there were other kids with him. He recognized a few of them since they all played together in their village but the rest he had never seen before. He wondered where they came from and he realized that some of them were from the village close to them. He looked around wondering where it was that they were and he realized that they were in some kind of shed.
“You have woken up,” a boy said.
Solomon turned to look at the boy who spoke and he recognized John whose house was close to his uncle's house. He moved closer to him and asked what had happened. John looked tired and he told Solomon that they were all brought here by the men who had attacked their village. ,
"Where are we exactly?" Solomon asked.
“The village before our own which is close to the road, they brought here using their vans and we were brought into this place.”
“Have you seen my mother and Mary?”
The look on John's face changed and Solomon knew that something evil had happened. He remembered his mother falling and he knew that the gunshot had killed his mother. Still, he chose to believe that she was injured and not dead.
“I saw your mother's corpse being thrown into the fire as we left but I have not seen Mary,” John replied.
Solomon took the detail in but he started crying as the reality of John's words dawned on him. His beloved mother who always gave him food when he came from school was dead. His beloved mother who always brought him something from when she went to market was dead. She had died trying to get him and his sister to safety.
“What of Mary?”
“None of us have an idea where they kept all the girls and I heard one boy said that the girls are still back in the village.”
Solomon tried removing the chains he was in but John told him that it was no use. Solomon sat down on the floor distraught and unsure of what to do. He clasped his hands together and started to pray.
“What do you think you are doing?” A skinny boy asked.
“He is praying to God,” John replied.
“Your prayer would not be answered because those men are the servants of the devil.”
Both John and Solomon turned to look at him wondering what he meant by what he said.
The boy moved closer to them as his chain could permit and told them what his father had said about the men that had captured them. He had the attention of everyone around him and they all listened to what the boy was saying and fear gripped their heart. The door of the prison opened and three men stepped in looking at them. For the first time, Solomon looked around and he was surprised at the number of boys that were chained in the shed. They had to be somewhere around fifty and Solomon wondered if they had gone to all the villages around here.
“I see that all of you are awake now,” the man in front said, after he scanned through the entire room.
Every one of them kept quiet and the man told them that from that moment, they were no longer boys but they were on the journey to become true men.
“You would become soldiers who would fight for your country unlike your fathers.”
Solomon wondered where his father was at that moment and he guessed that his father was probably dead like his mother. All the adults in their village must be dead by now for them to have been able to carry them all.
“We have food for you and it is nothing like the ones you are back at your village. This is the food of real men.”
The smell of mashed corn drifted into the shed and Solomon could feel his hunger abate and he knew he had to eat even though he knew that he should not eat anything from men like this. All of them watched as the corn was passed from one boy to another and they all dived in driven by hunger. Solomon frowned at the little corn that was in his hand knowing that this was not going to fill him. Still it was better than not eating anything.
“When are we going to return home?” A boy asked.
The men turned and looked at the boy who had asked the question. He was standing up looking at them and the man who had addressed them moved closer to him. It was obvious that the man intended to strike the boy and he was aware of that fact because he flinched as the man got closer. The man stooped down to the boy’s level and considered him for a moment.
“What is your name boy?” He asked in English.
“My name is Peter.” The boy replied.
The man nodded and rose to his full height turning to face the other boys who had their attention fixed on him. He started to laugh hysterically which scared them all. He turned and slapped Peter so hard across the check that he fell to the ground.
“There is no going home back to your village. The RUF is now your family from this moment on. You are soldiers of the RUF and wherever the RUF is that is your home.”
Peter was already crying and Solomon knew that it would only make things worse. His father had told him that real men never shed their tears in public since it is considered as a feminine thing. The fact that Peter was crying would only bring him more beating and Solomon took his face away as the man started to kick Peter. They were kids who deserve to be treated like humans not like animals.
The man stopped when he felt satisfied and he walked out of the shed. The three other men followed him closely and the door of the shed closed. Silence filled the shed and everyone remained where they were for a second.
This was the beginning of hell and Solomon knew that he had to pray. He sat down and wondered what would happen to him now. His father and mother were dead and he has no idea where his sister was. He hopes that no harm had befallen her but he is sure that she was in the hands of this men and he wonders if death was not better than this life. Time would tell but things do not seem like as if they would get better.
“Are you going to pray now?” John asked.
Solomon turned to face John who had tears flowing down his face. Solomon looked around him and he could see that every kid in the shed had fear written clearly on their face. He was also scared but he would not share his fear with anyone since that would be a sign of fear.
“Yes I am going to pray now. Would you care to pray with me?”
John nodded and the two of them knelt down and started to pray that things would return back to normal. Even as they prayed, Solomon doubted that things would return normal because life cannot be normal again with his father and mother not being in his life again.
CHAPTER THREE
The next morning, they were all piled up into the one van packed together like sardines with their chain still intact. The stench that came from the unwashed bodies close to Solomon made him feel like vomiting. It reminded him of the goat farm that was on the path to his father’s farm. He was supposed to become the representative of his class today but seems like going to school was no longer an option like it seems.
“Where do you think they are taking us to?” Solomon asked.
“To the mines of course since we would be able to work there,” a boy replied. “They did not cut of our hands and we would be able to work with both our hands.”
“How do you know all this things that you say?” John asked.
“My father is a trader and he goes from here to Freetown to trade things. He learnt about the things that the RUF had done on his visit to Freetown.”
“We are little kids, why would they take us to Kono to work on the mines?” John asked devastated.
“That is what the RUF does to every village they attack. Did they cut anyone’s hand off in your village?”
Both boys shook their head and they replied that their village had been attacked in the night and the boy told them that they were lucky that their village was attacked in the night.
“If your village was attack in daylight like mine was attacked you would have seen several horrors that will give you nightmares.”
“Will you shut up Kossi? No one needs your yammering to understand the conditions that we are in,” a boy said.
Kossi looked at the boy in defiance but he stopped talking and Solomon looked at the boys all around them. None of them has an idea of the fate that awaited them but seems like as if what Kossi said was the fate that was waiting for them when this truck stop.
“Some of us would be miners and some would be handed guns to become soldiers like them.”
Solomon and John looked at each other, the look of fear clearly written on their face. With what Kossi had said, it seems as if there was no way they could get out of here.
“Is there any hope of us ever escaping from them?” Solomon asked.
Kossi paused and shook his head and that had Solomon worried. His entire life had been thrown into chaos now from the future he had before to a bleak one that he is not sure of what would happen to him from that moment on.
Through out their journey, no boy spoke a word after what Kossi had said, each of them wondering what was waiting for them and as the truck came to a stop they knew that whatever fate they were doomed to was about to unfold.
They heard shouts and they started to get down from the trucks and they realized that they were in the mines just like Kossi had said.
“Get them moving to the mines right after they have been fed,” a soldier shouted.
They all stood together scared of what was about to happen but at the moment it seems as if their capturers were interested in feeding them at the moment. The smell of mashed corn came to his nostrils fully and Solomon could not help but groan. He had no interest in eating that mashed corn but if he does not eat them now there was nothing he was going to eat.
Standing on a platform was the man who was in command of this mine and another high ranking official in the RUF.
“The drugs will have them working like grown men when it gets into their system and we have our supplies of miners,” Ahmad said.
“I can say that this raid was a success considering the amount of boys we were able to capture and how they would bring an increase to our force here.”
Ahmad turned to look at the commander and nodded in agreement. Some of these kids would become soldiers but for now, most of them would work in the mines working on getting diamonds to fund their causes.
“I heard that some of our men got killed by a woman in one of the villages?” The commander asked.
Ahmad frowned knowing that he was not going to like what he was about to say. He explained how the situation had occurred to the commander who was impressed at how Hannah had gunned down two soldiers all by herself.
“So where is this woman then? I would like to meet a woman like that.”
Ahmad shifted from his left to his right feeling uncomfortable. He informed the commander that she was dead.  The commander turned to look at him and asked which of the men killed her.
“She died when the men tried to capture her,” Ahmad explained.
“Find the man who shot the gun that killed her and have him brought to me. He just made me lose a woman that would have the fire that I want in my women.”
Ahmad nodded and moved away from the commander to search for the unlucky man who had gotten trigger happy. He does not understand why the commander would desire to punish the man who killed the woman. She was responsible for the death of two of them and she deserved more than an easy death. In fact, if he had his way, he would have spared her to punish her slowly but she was lucky to receive a quick death.
The boys were through eating their corns and were being led into the mines where they would start to look for that precious stone that would fund them in fighting. He looked at the boys and wondered if he would be able to see any soldier amidst them

CHAPTER FOUR
In all of his life, Solomon had never been exposed to that amount of work and yet he could not even attempt to try to give up on mining. Anyone who tried to do anything funny was shot immediately and on the first day, Solomon had seen the brains of a man scatter right in front of him and he threw up everything that he ate.
John and Kossi were still beside him but Kossi was getting sicker as each day passed and he feared that he would be killed. Any worker thought to be slacking off was killed immediately and if not for what they added to their food, Solomon was confident that none of them would be able to ever mine for long. He continued sorting the stones he had when he realized that he had found another diamond. He took the diamond and shouted that he had found one which had the attention of the guards immediately. In the five weeks he has spent in the mines, he has spotted close to thirteen stones and this would be his fourteenth.
“Get out of the field and go over to meet the commander. He wants to see the boy who found a lot of stones than others who have spent months here in the mines.”
With that, Solomon climbed out of the mines and followed the soldier that led him to meet the commander who he had seen watch them from where he was.
“Commander, I have brought the boy to you.”
The commander waved for the soldier to leave and he did leaving Solomon with the commander alone in the room. Solomon was afraid that the man would hit him or kill him just like he had seen him kill several men in the past week but the man asked if he wanted chocolate.
His father had once brought chocolate back when he had travelled to Freetown once and  Solomon loved the taste of it. He accepted the chocolate that the commander gave him and savor it as quickly as he could not to bring trouble for himself.
“I see that you are a diligent boy and the work of the mine is not right for you.”
That was not what Solomon was expecting to hear but he considered that it was a good thing that he was receiving praises from the commander something that he seem to give rarely.
“I heard your name is Solomon?” He asked and Solomon replied with a nod. “Would you want to leave the mines behind and lead a better life?”
A better life than the mines was something that anyone would jump at the idea of but what life was better than that of the mines?
“You would not have to suffer like you do here in the mines and I can assure you that if you pass the test you are about to go for now, you become free from working in the mines.”
Nods was the only reply that Solomon gave and he watched as the commander called another soldier to come and take Solomon away to the vehicle that was heading out to the village. Solomon was not sure exactly what it was they wanted him to do but he was starting to suspect that it was similar to the things that the soldier did in his village. When the soldiers started handing over clubs for them his fear was confirmed and he accepted his club with speed after seeing how anyone who refuses to collect the club fast enough were beating with it.
He continued walking with his club when he spotted a girl from his village. If Sarah was here then she would know if his sister was also here or what had happened to her. He managed to get over to her side and tried to speak with her.
Sarah is the daughter of the village healer and many a times, his sister had gone to see her mother since her health was not that good. Sarah and Solomon were in the same peer group even though he was older than her by a year and half. She was scared and Solomon realized that she was not as pretty as she had been the last time he had seen her at the market.
He had joked with his mother that he was going to marry Sarah when he grew up and the only reply he got from his mother was that he was too young to think about marriage. The thought of his mother brought a stab to his heart and Solomon wished things were different but wishing was not going to change things.
“Are you feeling alright?” He asked her.
She turned to look at him with surprise and recognition dawning on her face. She moved closer to him as if she was dreaming and it was when she saw that it was truly him that she reacted.
“I am not alright Solomon. They killed all the adults and my mother died right in front of me,” Sarah replied with a sob.
The both of them had watched their mothers die but Solomon was not going to tell her that he had seen his own mother die to. That was not going to offer her any comfort right at the moment and the only thing he could do was to hold her hand just like he would hold Mary’s hands when she was scared.
“Don’t worry, everything would become better. God is watching us from above and he is going to send his angels to help us out.”
He had doubt running through his mind from what he had seen and heard but assuring Sarah that everything was going to be okay was the only comfort he could offer her. He has no idea where it was they were going but he knew that they were about to do something that would change their lives forever.
“Do you know if my sister is here?” He asked.
She shook her head as tears dropped down her face and the small ray of hope in Solomon died immediately. Finding his sister seems to become something that was impossible but it was nice to know that Sarah was safe. If she is safe then he believes that his sister was somewhere out there safe.
CHAPTER FIVE
They were not supposed to be monsters like the men that had captured them. They were little children and they should not be involved in killing adults and burning down houses. The men watched them with supervision ensuring that each boy or girl participated in the attack. Anyone that was found to be slow or hesitant was quick to receive blows and to avoid being beaten, they all put fires to the huts. The adult barely bothered to fight back and most of them had taken off at the sight of the trucks but the ones who were unlucky to escape received the full wrath of the invading force.
The men had the boys beat up men with their clubs until the men were unable to stand. Solomon looked at the man he was told to beat and he felt despair since the man was closer to his father’s age but he did not want to receive a smack from the butt of the gun that the man who was watching him carried. He started hitting the man who continuously begged but his begging fell upon deaf ears. Blood spilled on Solomon’s face and he remembered the day he had killed a goat.
His father had him placed the knife on the goat’s neck and had him cut the head off. Blood had spilled from the goat’s to his face and Solomon was disgusted by it. He dropped the knife halfway and ran away which caused his father to burst into laughter as he finished killing the goat. After the goat was dead, his father had asked him why he fled and Solomon told him that he did not want to have the blood of the goat on his hands. His father had laughed out loud and ruffled Solomon’s hair telling him that he understood what he meant.
The disgust he felt in his stomach was similar to the one he had then only that it was worse this time. He was beating a man old to be his father without mercy all because he did not want to be beaten or shot. The man stopped moving and Solomon and the two boys who were beating him stopped immediately turning to look at the soldier watching them. The soldier stepped forward and looked at the man closely. He spat on him and turned to the boys with a smile of cruelty on his face. Solomon was scared by the look on the man’s face but he remained where he was.
“Welcome to the RUF now go along and help your fellow soldiers and don’t try to run away.”
Solomon wanted to get away from where he was and he ran off just like the man had instructed. He was not heading in any specific direction but going anywhere was better than watching the body of the man he had just beaten to death with the club he held in his hand. Solomon ran feeling nauseated and he paused to vomit but nothing came out from his throat apart from spit. He tried looking up but dizzy was what he felt and he would have remained where he was if he did not hear the voice that had cheered him on to beat the man to death.
“Are you scared soldier? Well welcome to your new life. There is no going back so you better get used to it now.”
Solomon did not reply and he ran off away from the man and encountered three more boys beating two women as two soldiers watched. He turned away from them to see two girls setting a house on fire and he realized that everywhere he turned to was filled with one horror or the other just like it had been back in his village. He wondered if the God that his mother and father had told him about was watching the atrocities they were committing.
“Why are you standing there watching boy?” A soldier asked Solomon.
“No reason sir. Just looking for where to help sir.”
The soldier paused and looked around trying to see if there was anything that he could get Solomon to do. He saw that the other children had everything in progress and there was nothing for the boy to do. “Come along with me to the vehicle.”
Solomon followed after him without a word wondering what atrocity he was about to commit and he passed by several bodies littered all around and the acrid smell of burning bodies drifted into his nose. It pulled back the memory of what had happened in his village and this time, the only difference was that it was grown up men who performed the horrors and not little kids like him.
The man pointed at kegs that were filled with fuel and he told Solomon to carry two after him. Solomon quickly rushed and carried the kegs after the soldier who was heading in the opposite direction from which they had arrived. Solomon could see soldiers all walking with their trousers around their waists with one woman being dragged behind a hut no doubt to defile them. The man seemed to ignore them and he walked on ahead as Solomon tried to keep up with him.
They came to what seem to be the middle of the village and Solomon realized that more men were present here than they had all arrived and he spotted the man he had seen when they were coming out of the shed two days ago.
“So what do you say I do now village head?” The man asked.
“Please let my daughters go and I would do anything you want from me,” the village head begged.
Solomon stood beside the man he had followed still holding the two kegs watching what was going on. Ahmad walked away from the village head and turned to his three daughters and looked at them as if they were chickens. Their mother tried to protect them but soldiers pulled her up and Ahmad ordered them to strip her naked so he could see her body. She screamed as the men tore the clothes of her body till she was naked. The village head closed his eyes in pain as he watched his wife go through disgrace. Ahmad moved closer towards the naked woman and he pulled her left nipple. Shouts rose from the soldiers and Ahmad waved for them to keep quiet. The woman had tears coming down her face and Ahmad lifted her chin up and stared at her in the face.
“Why would a old man like this keep a beauty as you for himself? He does not deserve a beauty like you,” Ahmad said. “Take her and her daughters to the vehicle. They would be returning back to the camp with us since they have no use here.”
Two men had her arms and dragged her away as she called out for her husband who simply watched helplessly as his wife and daughters were being dragged away. Ahmad turned and he saw Solomon standing and he recognized him from when he had spotted him at the shed.
“Bring that boy here, Peter.”
Solomon received a nudge from behind and he walked over to Ahmad who asked him to drop the kegs and moved closer. Solomon had no idea what Ahmad planned to do with him but he feared that he would get smacked despite the fact that he had tried to avoid that. The hit he had taken back at the village was enough experience for him not to go looking for another one. He walked till he was standing right in front of Ahmad who considered him for a minute.
“What is your name boy?”
“My name is Solomon.”
“Well Solomon, you are now a soldier of RUF and I have a task for you as your leader,” Ahmad said as he placed his hand over Solomon’s shoulder. “I want you to take this blade and run it through that old man that is kneeling down there.”
The village head looked up and shook his head in disgust at what Ahmad had told Solomon to do.
“Why not kill me yourself instead of forcing a little boy to do your dirty work for you.”
Solomon turned to look at Ahmad hoping that he would take the knife he had placed in his hand but Ahmad only hardened his grip around Solomon’s hand. The two of them walked towards where the village head was kneeling and then stopped.
“So what do you say Solomon? Do you have what it takes to kill this old man?”
Solomon shook his head and tried to free himself but there was no way he could escape Ahmad’s grip. Ahmad told the soldiers to hold the village head and two soldiers followed his command holding the village head. Ahmad and Solomon stepped forward with the knife away from the village head.
“I’m giving you the opportunity to do this out of your own free will,” Ahmad said.
He could see clearly that Solomon was hesitating and he simply forced Solomon’s hand forward with the knife into the village’s head stomach. He released his grip the minute the knife went in and Solomon held the knife which was halfway in the village’s head stomach. He did not let go of the handle and he looked up at the village head who was crying. Solomon had tears also streaming down his face and as the soldiers released the stabbed man he fell into Solomon’s hand.
“I’m sorry. I’m………. sorrrryyyy. I diidd not plaaaannn to kill…..”
“I forgive you son and I pray God will free you from the hand of these demons,” the village head said as life departed from him.
CHAPTER SIX
After the incident that happened in that village, Solomon was initiated into the RUF soldier force and he underwent training to become a soldier . He trained with other boys and girls his age and they learnt a lot of things about guns and escorted other soldiers to terrorize other villages. It was hard for Solomon to live that way until he ran into one of his sister’s playmate who told him that his sister never made it out of their village that night.
The news was the last straw that broke his camel’s back and the next time they went on a raid Solomon was merciless. He utilized the things they have been taught and impressed all the soldiers that were they. If these adults have not voted for that president then his sister would not have died. His parents brought this on themselves and they made him, Mary and several other children suffer because of their choice. Because of this reason, they all deserved to die and he was going to be the source of their death.
It was eight months ago that Solomon had plunged the knife into that man’s stomach and he had never slept well since that moment. He became integrated into the Small Boy Unit and he was a good killer that he won recognition from every soldier with whom he worked with. He became a legend on the field and was called a killing machine.
Losing his humanity helped him became a better Small Boy soldier and he was seen as one good soldier especially by Ahmad who had taken him under his wing. Solomon went about as Ahmad’s bodyguard carrying the AK47 that was assigned to him. He sat down at the back of the escort truck that was escorting a general that Solomon could not remember. He and a few boys were allowed to be on the escort team mainly because they have been observed to operate mercilessly on the field.
Solomon still feels repulsive killing or torturing anyone but he still did it because that was the only way he could survive amidst them. In their last attack on a village, Solomon had killed six men and two women much to the pleasure of Ahmad. He also beat another woman till she was unable to walk again and the look on her face when he was through beating her reminded him of the look his mother gave the men that captured them.
He still dreamt about his father, mother and sister once in a while but he could not see their face. Often, he could hear his mother screaming his name and calling him to join her in the light. Living in the RUF was not that really as bad as it seems to be if one could cope with the killing and carnage. He walked about with respect from other boys who were jealous of his position and just like now, he was surrounded by older soldiers.
“Do you want to taste this weed Solomon?” A soldier asked.
Solomon nodded and collected the wrapped Indian hemp and took a smoke. He likes to smoke before going to do anything since it makes him less aware of what he is doing. That was the only he could cope with whatever it was that they were about to do.
“Do you know where we are going Firo?” Solomon asked.
“It seemed like as if we would be going to the mines first to pick up some diamonds for exchange,” Firo replied.
The mention of the mines had the horrible memories that he had of the place swell up once again in his mind and Solomon had to struggle to suppress the memories. When he was a miner, all he had to do was work every day till the day  he dropped dead but that was different from the life he know led. Back then, he did not have the life of anyone on his hands but now, his hands are full with the blood of the numerous people he had killed without mercy. The life of a miner was one he could not live again no matter what happens to him. He would rather die than return back to that hellhole.
“I heard that we would be meeting with a white man for the exchange of the diamonds for ammunitions and supply,” Firo said.
“Where did you hear that?” a soldier that Solomon did not recognize asked.
“I heard it from one of the general’s bodyguard and you should know that they know the truth about things that goes on.”
“The white men are gods aren’t they?” Solomon asked.
The men laughed at Solomon’s words but it was Firo that replied him. “They are humans just like us only with a white skin like the albinos but you are right in calling them gods for they posses some powers that are greater than what we can explain.”
Solomon took in the information and wondered what it would feel like to be a white man. He had no idea what it would be like but he knew that it was a life that surely does not involve killing others just so that you would avoid being killed yourself.
Don’t worry Solomon. You might get lucky and see him yourself today.”
Solomon turned to face Firo wanting to ask him what he meant but he was unable to ask because they had reached the mines and the car was stopping. Solomon and the other soldiers got down and spread about ensuring that the general and Ahmad was safe. Solomon watched as the general stepped down from the vehicle with Ahmad standing beside him. Both men spoke for a while before they started moving forward in the direction of the mines. Men were already rushing to meet them and Solomon took his gaze away from them and turned it on the miners.
He spotted a familiar figure and on closer inspection he recognized the girl he was staring at. It was one of the three daughters of the man he had killed eight months ago. He remembered each of their faces along with their mother because they rode back together towards the camp. He was well aware of what happened to their mother and he was devastated that she chose that route.
After suffering abuse from Ahmad continuously for two weeks before he passed her off to his soldiers, she had ended her life by committing suicide leaving her three daughters to fend for themselves.
The first daughter worked as a maid in the camp and he still saw her once in a while though it has been a while since he saw her last. He had heard that the second had joined as a soldier and had died. As for the third, he had no idea where she was until now. He had always carried the debt of their father’s death around his neck even though the man had forgiven him before he died.
“What are you staring at? See a girl that pleases you?” Firo asked.
Solomon frowned at Firo’s words but he simply continued looking at the girl who Firo had also spotted. The two of them were Ahmad’s bodyguard and they were close friends despite the gap that exist in their age.
“I thought you would want a woman not a girl. She is your age and barely has anything that can please you.”
“Is there a way for me to have her brought to the camp back with us?” Solomon asked Firo.
Firo paused and looked at Solomon with close scrutiny wondering if he was serious or was joking. When he realized that Solomon meant what he said, he leaned back and asked why Solomon was interested in a small girl.
“She is someone that I had spied eight months ago and I want her to be my first if it is possible.”
“Well, I know a guy who might be able to have her removed from the mines here and brought over to our camp but you should now that keeping her might be hard.”
“She can stay with the woman who keeps the girls that services other soldiers,” Solomon replied.
“Yes but other soldiers would just lie with her and defile her in many ways unless you get Ahmad involved and he would sure be happy to hear that you are finally ready to become a man.”
“Just help me have her over at the camp and I would be grateful.”
“Grateful won’t cut it out and you would owe me a favor but let me go find that guy.”
Firo left and Solomon continued watching her from where he stood. Unlike what he told Firo, he has  no interest in having sex with her but he could be able to protect her and make things easier for her. He was not able to help her two sisters but he would try his best for her.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The drive back did not go exactly like Solomon had thought it would. The general split ways with Ahmad and instead of them heading back to the camp, they headed in an entirely different direction and Firo told Solomon that they were going to see the white man. Since it was only Ahmad that was in the car, he had Firo and Solomon sit also with him and Firo told him that Solomon had found a girl he wanted to sleep with.
“You have finally found a girl that you want to sleep with after how I told you that you were ready,” Ahmad said with amusement.
“He must have decided that his manhood can handle a woman though it is more of a girl and not a woman,” Firo put in. “I have made arrangement in your name to have her brought to the camp.”
“That is wise of you Firo and I would like to see this girl that captured Solomon’s attention.”
Solomon remained silent all through this while and it was after Ahmad and Firo were through making jest of him that he asked where they were going. Ahmad smiled and brought out a small pouch and told Solomon to stretch his hand which he did. Ahmad poured diamonds into Solomon’s hands and he was surprised to see the amount of stones that was in his hand. The memories of how he had struggled day after day to get one of these rocks flashed through his mind but he suppressed it. That time was gone and there was nothing he could do about it.
“That is what is funding our entire campaign and if not for that, we would have no means of getting food, supply and more ammunition.”
“Is it true that it is a white man that buys these stones from us?” Solomon asked.
Ahmad nodded and told him that the white man whose name is Richard, buys the stones from them and then give them guns, fuels, foods and other things that they need.
“I heard that the white men are gods is that true?”
“He has been listening to the other soldiers talk,” Firo said.
Ahmad laughed and said. “The white men are not gods but just people who are advanced than we are. Their ancestors spent time working on their societies while ours was busy with other things.”
Solomon nodded taking in what Ahmad said and the sound of gunshots was what stopped them in their tracks.
“Seems like as if we have reached our destination. Why don’t you come along with me the both of you and see the white man.”
Solomon loved the idea that Ahmad suggested and together, the three of the got off from the vehicle. Waiting right ahead, were cars and a man which Solomon recognized immediately to be the white man. Ahmad smiled when he saw the look on Solomon face and told him that he was finally going to meet with the white man. 
“It is good to see you Ahmad. Seems like as if I would be dealing with you today.”
“The general sends his greetings. Important issues in Freetown made it important for him to return hence the reason why I am here in his place.”
“So do you have my stones Ahmad?”
“You should know that I have them Mr. Richard,” Ahmad said as he passed the pouch to the man who collected them and passed it off to his associate who started to examine the diamonds. Mr. Richard looked at Solomon and frowned deeply as to how Solomon was staring at him.
“Seems like your boy is fascinated to see a white man judging from the way he is staring at me.”
“Forgive him Mr. Richard but his stare is as a result of curiosity not disrespect.”
“I am not offended in any way Ahmad just that I don’t like empowering kids with guns that’s all,” Mr. Richard said frankly. “It is however not my business how you make use of the things I give to you. The shipment would arrive in a week time and the delivery still remain the same.”
Ahmad did not clearly like what Mr. Richard was saying but he remained silent and waited till the quality  of the diamonds were confirmed. Mr. Richard gave Ahmad the documents having to do with the shipping and both parties went their way. Ahmad was pleased with how he had handled the trade and now he would have the documents delivered to the general and off his hand.
“Let’s head back to the camp.”
They were losing this war and it important that they get enough ammunition to fight the army that the United Nations had gathered to fight them. He wondered why Nigeria had to interfere in their country’s matter. No doubt, her government were trying to establish themselves as a major power here in West Africa and it was best that they put them in place. The quicker they get the ammunitions, the faster they could turn the tides of this war in their favor.
CHAPTER EIGHT
FOUR MONTHS LATER
Her name was Rashidat and now she was somewhere better than the mines. He knew well enough how the lives in the mines were and it was something that he would not wish on anyone. He had managed to evade sleeping with her telling Firo and Ahmad that he wants her to grow older than she was now before he could try to sleep with her. The both of them had called him a coward but he had ignored them and now he was smoking his marijuana while watching the setting sun.
“What is wrong with Ahmad?” Solomon asked.
“I have no idea but he whispered something about this place being attacked but I am not sure what he meant by that.”
“He must be afraid since our army was defeated close to the borders a few weeks ago.”
“What do you think of leaving this place and getting away?”
“I thought of that when I lived in the mines with my sister but now I realized that it was nothing but a totally stupid dream,” Solomon replied. “I have killed a lot of people and anywhere I go I would be killed for my crimes.”
“You are a child and I am sure that they would spare you.”
Solomon laughed and asked if he was sure that they would spare a child who had killed adults happily by using a gun, knife and machete.
“I truly doubt that they would indeed.”
“Now you understand exactly why I have no hope for any other life apart from this one I have come to find myself in.”
The two of them remained silent smoking their marijuana until they heard the sound of gunshots in the distance.
“Looks like someone is excited and decided to play with a gun,” Firo said.
“It does not seem like as if someone is playing with a gun to me,” Solomon replied. “It seems like as if we are getting attacked.”
The both of them paused to listen and they could hear clearly the sound of gunshots which indicated an attack. Solomon jumped to his feet the first thing on his mind being Rashidat. Firo held him and asked where he was going. Solomon told him that he was going to find Rashidat and Firo replied that he should forget about the girl.
“I cannot do that Firo because she means a lot to me. Tell Ahmad about the attack and I would make my way back here with her.”
“No don’t do that Solomon. When you find your girl, leave this place and never look back. It might be too late to redeem a man like me but you are not beyond redemption.”
Solomon paused to look at Firo who hugged him tightly and told him about a way that he could pass close to where the maids lived. Firo broke off the hug and told Solomon that he should live his life well from now on.
“Are we ever going to see each other again?” Solomon asked.
“That is something I pray will never happen again. Leave this place and forget about this life and place entirely.”
Solomon took off running in the direction of the maids’ side of the camp and he turned to look at Firo one more time. Firo looked at him and waved at him before taking off. Solomon felt tears moving down his face since the first time since his sister died and he ran off to safe Rashidat.

Finding her proved to be difficult than he thought it would be and he managed to get her out alive. Soldiers were shooting sporadically and he was lucky not to get hit. She was afraid and screamed when he tried to touch her but he calmed her down.
Ever since she had been brought here, he had never once came to talk with her and he had observed her from afar just to ensure that nothing was wrong with her. She knew that someone was responsible for bringing her from the mines but she has no idea who or the reason why the rescued her.
“Are you him?” She asked in English.
Solomon looked at her and for a moment, he felt as if he was looking at Mary judging by the look of trust on her face. He is a murderer, killer and a demon. He does not deserve to have the trust of a girl whose father he killed.
“Yes I am the one you think I am and I have come to take you away from here.”
She nodded and Solomon helped her up. She was just 11 years old and definitely belonged to the same age group as Mary. He looked out the window to see if they were safe and he had them moving outside. He remembered the route that Firo had whispered to him and together they started walking over there.
“Where do you think you are going little ones?” A voice asked.
Solomon turned in the direction of the voice and realized that it was just a man. The looks on the man face showed that he wanted to carry Rashidat off and there was no way that Solomon would let him do that. Without saying a word, Solomon covered Rashidat’s face and shot the man twice in rapid succession. He was not in the mood to be chatty and the faster they get moving the better their chances of escaping with their life. Solomon has no idea where to go but the first thing on his mind would be to get Rashidat to somewhere she would be safe and after that he would decide what to do with his life.
“From now on, you would have to follow everything I say and do. Do you promise to do that?”
She nodded and Solomon carried her onto his shoulders since that would make their journey faster. A year ago, he would have been unable to carry her but now, from the six months he spent in the mines and the past five months he spent as a soldier, he had built strength and Rashidat’s weight was nothing to him. He ran off in the direction of the forest following the route that Firo had told him knowing that it would bring him to the river and he would follow the river till he reach a town or village where they could be safe. He had killed a lot of life but he was going to safe Rashidat even if it cost him his life.
CHAPTER NINE
He woke up in a white room and at first he thought he had gone to heaven but there was no way God will let a killer like him into heaven. He tried getting up but he was devoid of strength and he heard voices speaking to him. From everything he could hear, he knew that he was in a hospital and he wondered if Rashidat was okay. He tried calling out to her but no voice will come out from his throat.
“If you are worried about the girl that was with you, I can assure you that she is fine,” A voice said in English.
“Is she alive and well?” Solomon asked back in English.
“Yes she is alive and well resting in the next ward.”
For the first time since the guns started shooting in the camp, Solomon was relieved and he knew that he was safe. No he was not safe, Rashidat was safe but these men would kill him for the crimes he had commited. He has to get out of here when his strength comes back before they realize that he is one of the Small Boy Unit. He had heard from other soldiers how they would be treated if they were ever caught and with all the nightmares and horrors he had gone through, that was not something he was entirely eager to see.  He was still thinking of this when he slept off again.
“Why don’t you start by telling me your experience in the mine field?” the doctor asked.
Solomon looked at him and he knew he had to tell the man everything he wanted to know. He had tried to escape four times but each time he tried to; he barely got to the door before he collapsed. Now this man, who he realized was a doctor from Nigeria, had assured him that nothing would happen to him and he asked him of the things he had experienced since his capture.
He started by telling them of what happened after they were given mashed corn by the guards. None of them had any idea how to mine and when they collected the tools they would use to mine, they looked helplessly and after a few boys were hit by a guard did they all enter into the mines. Solomon watched a man work and he moved closer to the man and asked him to show him how it was done.
“You are too young to do this boy,” the man replied.
“They said they would kill us if we do not do it,” Solomon replied.
“Those bastards, getting children like you to do their dirty works,” the man said under his breath. “Watch me closely and you would see how it is done.”
“It took me almost a week of watching Ibrahim constantly before I was able to get the hang of it and from that moment I started to work on my own,” Solomon told Dr. David.
“So how long do you work for in the mines?”
Working in the mine was a constant thing with no break either meal or toilet and they only ate when it was at night when they were tired and early in the morning before they started. Most of the children were tired by night and they slept of immediately after they had finished their meals. Adults still had strength to spare and they sometimes engage in a few talk before the guards come to shut them up.
“Our food was often dosed with drugs and that was what gave us the strength to do the hard work that the mines.”
Most of the children had succumbed to fever and slowly they started falling sick and anyone who was noticed to be off ill health was immediately shot.
“Stealing or attempting to hide the diamonds was rewarded with instantaneous death and that was how Ibrahim met his death.”
It was a week after he had shown Solomon the ropes and he had discovered his third stone. He heard the guards arguing with Ibrahim and he moved closer out of curiosity wondering what was going on. Normally, the guards rarely bothered to exchange words with the miners and any single provocation was rewarded with pointed guns. The fact that Ibrahim was arguing with them only meant that he was suspected of holding back diamonds.
Solomon saw no sense in holding back any diamond and it might be due to the fact that he was a kid. Finding more diamonds had its own advantage since it brought him some special privilege over the other children that were also in the mines with him. The soldiers soon started searching Ibrahim and by now, everyone in the mine was looking at them wondering what was going to happen. One of the guards found a diamond on Ibrahim and took it out. He held it up for the other guards to see and shouts filled the air. Ibrahim tried running but there was no where he could run to and a gunshot to the back was what he got.
“He was stupid to hide the diamonds and he got what all traitors get in the mines,” Solomon said simply. “Understanding that whatever you find is not yours to keep is what kept most of us alive in the mines.”
He had seen the look on Ibrahim’s face as he fell and that night Solomon had cried for him. Ibrahim would not have died if he had not kept the diamond but instead he was greedy and now he had gotten himself killed. Ibrahim’s death served as an example but it was not enough and before Solomon left the mines, three more men died from trying to keep the diamonds.
“You have said a lot for today. Why don’t you take a rest and tomorrow we will continue from where we stopped.”
“Can I get to see her?” He asked.
Dr. David nodded and Solomon followed him to where Rashidat was. He stopped right at the door and watched her play with other girls her age. It hurt him that Mary was not here also to play and he felt tears start to form in his eyes. He had killed a lot of people and does not deserve to live but his sister was an innocent child whose only sin was being born into the wrong country.
“You have not told me how you are related to her. I can see clearly that she is not your sister considering your name but apart from that nothing else,” Dr. David said.
“I owe her my life for I am the one who killed her father and it is my duty to become her father.”
Dr. David looked stunned at the words that came out from Solomon’s mouth. The boy was no longer a thirteen years old boy even if that was his true age. He had seen a lot of things that had taken his innocence away and he was sure that there was no way he could get that innocence back again.
Solomon turned away to return to his room and Dr. David followed after him. There was still a lot of things the boy had to get out of his system because if he was ever going to have a chance of living a normal life then it was of paramount importance that he gets over his past.
“When all this is over, can I become a doctor like you?” Solomon asked.
“Why are you interested in becoming a doctor?”
Solomon sighed deeply for a young child and said. “I have brought pain and suffering to many lives and the only way that I can redeem myself a little is by being able to bring comfort and happiness to others. The only path that offers me is that of a doctor.”
This was not going to be an easy job but he was going to see him through it all. The both of them continued walking and Solomon paused in front of the window looking at the birds that were singing.
“Killing Rashidat’s father was the test I had to pass to become a soldier and I drove the knife that killed him inside him,” Solomon said suddenly.
“My God,” was all Dr. David could say.
In all his twenty eight years, he has never seen a tenth of the horrors that Solomon had seen and he was horrified at just the things he had seen and heard. He wonder how Solomon was able to keep his sanity after all this horrors.
“Killing her father gave me a better life but it was also what got me started on becoming a kid soldier and it also gave me an opportunity to atone a little bit.”
The two of them remained where they were neither talking. Dr. David wanted Solomon to rest but the boy was ready to talk without being asked and the best thing to do was to listen to every thing that he had to say.
“I will tell you of the things that happened after I killed her father tomorrow but for now I would like to get some rest.”
Dr. David watched Solomon walk away and he was barely able to move from where he sat. He has to write down the things that Solomon had told him. With that he crawled back to his office wondering how humans could do that to their fellow humans.
CHAPTER TEN
After they got back to the mine, Ahmad had asked for the commander to give Solomon to him and the commander had obliged for a few cigars something that Ahmad gave willingly. That was the first time that he met Firo. Firo took one look at him and took him to his sleeping place and told him to sleep till he brought him food.
Sleep in the mine was not something you can call sleeping because it involved you lying on which ever spot that you found. For the first time that he was captured, Solomon had rest like the one he has back in his village. He awoke to the smell of food and Firo passed him a plate to eat.
“That was how my friendship with Firo started and he was the one who taught me everything I know. He showed me more kindness than any other soldier ever did and it felt like as if I was back in my village.”
The next morning, Solomon had woken up to Firo cleaning his gun and he moved closer to him trying to see what he was doing. Firo looked at him and smiled before asking if he was hungry.
“I was full from last night meal and I would not need another till night,” Solomon replied.
“That would be true if you were still back at the mines but you are no longer a miner now and you have access to more food than back then.”
Solomon nodded simply and waited for Firo to talk but he did not hear him speak. Firo was concentrating on the gun he was cleaning and Solomon decided that he was going to help him and he moved over to the shelf where another gun was and he carried it.
“I had no idea that the gun was heavy and it almost landed on my feet which brought a different response from Firo than I had expected,” Solomon told Dr. David.
“What did he do Solomon?”
Firo stood up from where he sat and walked over to Solomon who was already cowering and he took the gun away and placed it back on the table. He picked an AK-47 and placed it in Solomon’s hand and said.
“That first gun is for grown men like me and this one is for small boys like you.”
Firo turned back and returned back to where he was cleaning his gun. Solomon was surprised to see that he did not beat him. He carried the gun and sat beside Firo and that day he learnt how to take apart a gun and cleaned it.
“That was what served as my introduction into a soldier’s life. The next day, Firo dropped me with another soldier who took me to where ten other boys were seated.”
Every morning, the boys would appear in the shed that serve as their class and learn to shoot. This continued for a week until it was decided that they were ready to try shooting real people. A raid had brought back men for them to shoot and the soldiers placed those men right in front of them and asked them to shoot them.
“That was the day that I accepted my life as a RUF soldier after hearing from a girl I came across in the camp that my sister had died.”
Onowa was working as a maid in the camp and when Solomon saw her, he was glad that she would know about his sister’s whereabouts but she gave him the sad news of his sister’s death.
“You should have seen the look on those men eyes when they saw us pointing our guns at them,” Solomon said. “They looked at us the way someone would look at an abomination.”
It took serious effort for the other boys to shoot the men in front of them but that was not the case when it came to Solomon’s turn. He was still bitter from the news of his sister’s death and the minute he took the gun, he pressed the trigger and emptied the entire clip into the man standing right in front of him. Everyone stopped and looked at him, some with horror, some with fear, some with admiration and surprise. The soldiers started shouting his name and they carried him in the air.
When Firo heard, he simply looked at Solomon and asked if he was hungry. He gave Solomon his food and told him to go and sleep. It was as if Firo knew what would happen and he stood by Solomon’s side the next three days while he battled with fever.
“When my fever cleared, Firo was waiting for me and that day he had a long talk with me.”
Firo told him that even though he killed people, he should never find pleasure in bringing pain to others no matter how exhilarating or thrilling it might be. Solomon had stared at him confused by what he was saying. Firo told him that the minute he took delight in killing others, he was no longer a human being and had descended to the level of the beast of the field.
“How does he then justify the killings he made?”
“Dr. David, to you, it might seem like as if Firo was being an hypocrite but I can assure you that there was common sense in what he said and it took me a while to realize that.”
Solomon ignored entirely what Firo said and went on killing as he wished something that brought pleasure to Ahmad but Firo never mentioned anything. Their relationship grew as each day passed and they became something of a father and son/ partners in protecting Ahmad. Firo restricted him from taking any of the drugs that the soldiers was taking and the only thing he let Solomon take was marijuana.
“What help does marijuana do?” Dr. David asked astonished.
That was the same question that Solomon asked Firo and the man had simply told him that marijuana was to cope with the stress that came from their killing and Solomon had taken it as one of Firo’s regular rant. It was not until he saw Rashidat that he started to understand what it was that Firo was talking about all that while.
“I am grateful to her because she made me found the humanity I have lost when Mary died.”
“So how did you get to the road where the soldiers found you.”
Solomon explained that when the raid on the camp started, Firo had told him of a path that will take him into the forest and away from the life of a soldier. Dr. David was surprised to hear what Firo did and he understood that Firo had taken Solomon as his son in his own twisted way.
“For three days, I carried Rashidat and walked through the forest aiming to put distance between us and the camp and that was something that I achieved.”
Solomon was already crying now and Dr. David moved closer to him trying to comfort him. The footsteps of men was what had his attention and he turned to see soldiers standing at the door. He was aware that they were here to take Solomon away but there was still a lot of things he wished to talk with the boy but it seems like he would not have that chance.
“They are here to take me away aren’t they?” Solomon asked.
Dr. David nodded and Solomon thanked him from everything he had done and he stretched his hand forth for the soldiers to handcuff him. People were already starting to gather but Solomon rarely paid them any attention. The soldiers helped him off his bed and Solomon started to follow them. He turned to Dr. David and saluted him before moving on. He had barely gone far when they heard someone running towards them and he turned to see Rashidat. She was crying and begging him not to go.
Solomon stooped to her level and wiped the tears of her face. He hugged her tightly fighting to keep his own tears back and he told her that he would be back soon after he helps the soldiers with something.
“You see that man in white?” He pointed to Dr. David. “Stay with him till I come back. He is a friend of mine and he is going to look after you till I come back.”
“You promise to come back?” Rashidat asked.
“I promise you.”
She let him go and Solomon walked with the soldiers into the van heading to a destination which he has no idea.
EPILOGUE
Six months later,
The plane was due to land anytime soon and Rashidat was starting to become restless. David told her to remain patient and she became quiet. Rehabilitating her had proved to be difficult than he thought it would be but they were getting there. He had gotten Rashidat and Solomon into his care but because of what Solomon was helping the soldiers with, he was unable to leave Sierra Leone with him two months ago. Now the three of them would be united and both children could start their life afresh here in Nigeria.
People trooped out and David kept the lookout for Solomon but he was not the one who found her first. Rashidat tore away from his grip and ran to hug Solomon who had already spotted her. David walked calmly towards Solomon with his hands tucked in his pockets. Most people thought he was mad to adopt a boy who had been a soldier but he knew that Solomon deserve another shot at living his life.
“So we meet again Dr. David,” Solomon said.
“You can call me David and yes we meet again.”
Both of them remained apart for a few seconds with a stern face before David broke into a smile and the two of them hugged each other. Rashidat also giggled softly and Solomon felt alive again.
“Welcome to Lagos and I am sure that you have a lot you want to see.”
“Yes I have a lot to see,” Solomon replied.
The three of them started walking towards the door into a new life for them all. A new life for a girl who had suffered abuse in the hands of older men, a boy who had lost his family and became a killer and a doctor who offered them both the chance to a new life.