Liberia �95
Tashfiq Bin Maksud
The day was hot and timid. I was fascinated by the culture and the people of this country. The humidity, however, is unbelievable. But it was nothing that cant be coped with. I counted my stay as sweat trickled down my neck. I had an itch but unfortunately I couldnt reach it. For I was held at a gun point with my hands tied up.
It has been almost a week since my fellow brothers and I have been here together but couldnt talk much. One wrong move and thats the end of all of us. We havent eaten or drank water in days. Sometime they would feel pity on us and give us some. Dehydration was becoming very familiar to us. Slowly my orders and the AK behind my back was becoming the least of my concerns. Sometimes I would lose all hope and I stopped praying for my release but rather prayed for my family back home. Its funny that in spite the whole Navy knowing about this, my wife had no clue.
The seven of us were fortunate enough to get some smuggled food from the passing locals from a nearby village. They knew it was us who protected their supplies. We hear them coming to the camp as they sang in unison. Their rear visits meant hope for us.
They took my shirt off when they brought me here, beat me down by the rifle bud and threatened to have me killed. I remember the wedding ring in my shirt pocket. I figured it was lost now. By remembering times when it was less hostile kept my spirits up, which prevented me from doing anything stupid. We were here to stop a war between two groups. Not to start another one.
We had to do hard labor and sometimes they made us walk under the scorching sun. Torture quickly became a daily routine, until one fateful day.
We were all released from all the torture and pain. But we werent really sure of where we actually were. Other than all our belongings, we got our shirts back. With the ring on my finger we started for the UN outpost. We soon found out it but had to get there by crossing a river. It was a challenge for all of us as we were mostly crippled and weak. But the joy we had when we finally reached there knew no bound.
Back at the UN base, my CO told me I can be relieved of duty. An honorable discharge from the mission. I had two weeks left of my tour. I Might as well get the job done right.
