FREEDOM AT LAST

FREEDOM AT LAST

Jack kept glancing nervously at his watch every other minute. As he looked at the towering prison, several thoughts rushed through in his mind. He looked over at Amaya, his sister and smiled. She smiled back, a nervous smile.

The two siblings were waiting for their father who had been jailed,  eight years earlier . They were just children when this happened. Jack, the first born, remembered it , just as if it had happened yesterday.

He remembered the cries of anguish from his mother as the handcuffs were put on his hands. His sister’s sniffles as tears rolled down her cheeks. He was dazed and could not react. Worst of all he remembered the guilt in his father’s eyes as he got into the police car.

Trial after trial , Jack  come  and watched his father . His father - a thief. He could not believe it. This was the same man who taught him about honour and integrity. His mother did everything in her power to keep him out of jail. Jack knew, however, that his father had done it.

He looked at his sister now, a young woman. Jack wondered how his father looked like. He was sure him and Amaya had changed greatly. They were now teenagers, with their whole lives ahead of them. Jack sighed as he looked at the tall prison gate.

Thunder rumbled and broke the silence .Jack looked up and watched as dark clouds began to swallow the sun. A drop of water hit his forehead and trickled down his nose. The weather seemed to echo his emotions.

Another memory came flooding back into his mind. His mother and sister always visited and wrote letters to his father. For some reason Jack could not bring himself to do either of these things. After a while he realized why. He was ashamed. Ashamed that a man so honorable could do something so terrible.

As the rain began to pour heavily, his heart felt light, liberated. He could breathe properly again. He had forgiven his father. He held Amaya close to him and she smiled back. A happy smile this time. Just then, the gates opened and a man came out. The two waited anxiously as he walked out. Their father had tears in his eyes .Jack and his father said nothing but  just  embraced , in  the  pouring rain.

By Ruth  Morara