Beyond The River

Beyond the River

Published by Smashwords

Copyright@2015 J.M. Thompson

9781311272775

By J.M. Thompson

Smashwords edition

Smashwords edition license notes.

The license for this e-book is for your personal enjoyment only. You may not re-sell this e-book or give it to another person or persons in whatever form. If you would want to share this e-book with another person or persons, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this e-book and you did not purchase it, or if you did not purchase it for your use only, please return it to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author, the author would appreciate an honest review.

Chapter one

Seeking greener pastures

They chose a cold winter morning to embark on the journey down south. The crocodile infested river defined the border but people armed with hunting knives still dared the carnivorous creatures. The morning dew seeped through their clothes, as they lay on the moist grass waiting for a chance to dash forward. Beyond the river lay a land of opportunities.

They had nothing but the clothes on their muscular bodies. All four of them had carried no baggage at all. They were ex-guerrillas or freedom fighters. Peasants regarded them as freedom fighters but those on the other side of the fence called them guerrillas.

Their country attained freedom but the masses were not free. Opportunities for work evaporated like a morning fog. Poverty became chronic. The authorities did not seem to notice how dire the situation was. They were happily milking the coffers of the country.

Their country of birth was running out of economic ideas. They chose therefore to migrate to the south with the help of a dubious labour agency. They did not have the luxury to check the credentials of the agency. They were relying on blind trust on their principals. Each one of them had specific orders to carry out.

The border patrol was on full alert for illegal migrants. The river ahead of them was home to crocodiles. Men and women before them attempted crossing the river but few managed to cross the river alive.

However, the Limpopo River was only 40% full if not less at the time. There was little rain in the catchment area. The crocodiles seemed to be getting less with every season that passed. Climate change was having a serious impact on the weather with ripple effects on human life.

The world economies were in disarray. Europe was suffering economically. Governments were crumbling. Communist union was crumbling. However, Europe could handle the problem.

Any other developing economy suffered because some of the regions had political problems. A new dispensation was necessary. Some African leaders chose to cling to power as dictators. Elections became a farce.

Is African mentality ready for democracy? Apparently, the system of kings and chief still serves some African minds better than western democracy. Even presidents in the continent behave as kings with dictatorial attitudes. Is there a different type of democracy suitable for African conditions?

The economies of most sub-Sahara countries felt the pinch. People were flocking to South Africa in search of opportunities. Most of those people crossed the borders illegally.

The South African authorities did not seem able to stem the tide. Whatever, the reason was for the failure, corruption contributed to lack of responsibility and credibility. Officials seemed to be self-serving at the expense of the masses.

Somewhere down the river, came a high-pitched sound breaking the stillness of the morning. The victim was most probably a woman. She was probably a decoy to lure the guards away from the men.

It was possible that someone or something was attacking her. The scream persisted for a few more minutes and stillness returned. Nothing seemed to move then. Somewhere nearby, a cricket began to make shrieking sounds breaking the stillness. Rumour has it that crickets are a bad omen but maybe not.

One of the guards blew his whistle. Two more guards appeared and together the comrades ran down the embankment. Whatever they saw or found delayed their return.

The four men dashed towards the river disturbing the vegetation in the process. There seemed to be no crocodiles then but knives were ready. They flung themselves into the muddy waters thereby creating noise-attracting attention from lazy crocodiles and security soldiers.

They were swimming across the river keeping a diagonal direction towards a certain point. Some distance away down the river, two crocodiles were making their way towards the swimmers. They all thought they were lucky and safe.

Then they heard dogs barking and hearts began pumping harder. Joseph was the youngest of them. Fear of capture gripped his heart. He swam with a greater determination fuelled by fear of death behind them. His mind focused beyond the river. Then noticed something in the water was gaining on them. He had several hunting knives on him; one of those was in his hand ready to battle for life.

They expected to hear the sound of bullets aimed at them. No one fired his or her pistol or rifle. The guards did not seem to be aware of their presence. Maybe someone paid the guards to ignore the men crossing the river. Everyone irrespective of background has a price.

They swam steadily towards their chosen point of exit. The men were still aware of the danger but that did not discourage them nor dampen their spirits. Their determination gave them courage to swim on to the other side.

They emerged on the other side of the border. Their bodies were cold but not shivering. There were no guards on that side. Suddenly, a powerful flashlight shone from whence they swum. They scampered away like rabbits trying to find a place to hide. They hid themselves amongst the thick bushes.

Sam, one of them said, no one should move, those guards are trained marks men.

All four of them knew the danger they were facing. Stanley still did not mention anything about the crocodiles that nearly caught up with them in the river; there was no point in him telling them about the crocodiles. They lay still until all returned to quietness. The guards lost interest in whomever or whatever was in the vicinity. They walked away to their pre-destined posts.

The scattered clouds in the sky notified Sam and his friends that the sun was on its way. A new day was dawning bringing with it hope to destitute people. They inched away slowly, crawling on their bellies away from the river. They were temporarily safe.

They sat under the shade of a tree a few miles away from the river, waiting for their contact. No one appeared and the men began to panic thinking something went wrong.

They had no idea that someone was watching them. By then it was mid-morning and the sun was blazing hot. By then their clothes were dry and their bodies were warm.

The local people were already walking around going to wherever. Some were humming songs others were talking about whatever. None took note of the men as they sat under the tree.

Sam said, I think that we should walk away from here lest we attract attention.

Joseph said, what if our transport arrives and we are not here.

Stanley and Michael thought it wise to move on towards town. They therefore moved on away from the shade of the tree. Sam noticed that a car was moving in the same direction as they were. However, that car was moving damn slow. He stopped without notifying his friends. The car kept on coming at the same speed.

The driver of the car stopped the car by his side. He realized that there were two women in that car. He thought that maybe the car had a problem. The woman sitting on the passenger seat rolled down the window smiling at him.

Where are you going to in this heat?

There were other people walking on the same road. Why did she choose to confront him? He became defensive and sceptical.

That has nothing to do with you. He knew then that there was nothing wrong with the car.

Unfortunately, your safety is our concern.

Who the hell are you?

The driver said, ‘Abus’. She had a sweet melodic voice.

He said, ‘dingo’ without hesitation.

The password confirmed that they were officials from the agency. The women were looking at him; seemingly disappointed because he did not jump for joy. He did not even smile he did not trust them. Even though the password was correct, he felt that something did not make sense.

Why did they send women?

It is much safer with us.

Safer, what do you mean by that.

There is no point in getting angry. We are here to transport you.

But there are four of us.

The women knew that he was with three other fellows.

We can make a plan.

The plan was already in motion. Was she testing his intelligence or was she trying to push his buttons? She chose the wrong person; he could never forget that she tried to make a fool of him.

He saw another car coming down the road. It stopped alongside the stationery car. The driver came out of his car and said something to the driver of the stationery car. They seemed to know each other.

Sam was looking at the man wondering if he was a cop. He had no idea that the agency used white people as well. To him, white skinned people were untrustworthy. The man came around and he extended his hand as a welcoming gesture. Sam did not want to touch his hand. He did not trust white people.

The man said, I believe that you are Sam.

Sam asked, Who are you.

I am Abus, I am afraid that we have to go without wasting too much time.

We have been waiting here so long and you talk about wasting time. Is this how people operate in this country?

The woman in the car said, you better get into the car; Abus will pick up the other fellows.

Is that his real name?

She did not respond to his question. She was looking at him with contempt written all over her face. He saw a different reflection in her eyes. He did not like her either she seemed to be full of herself. Perhaps all such reactions were her defence mechanism against strangers. Some people that might have been through difficult times might develop certain means of defence.

Abus took off with screeching wheels leaving a cloud of dust rising upwards. Joseph and the other fellows saw Sam climb into the car. Then they saw the other car driving towards them.

Stanley took out his pocketknife in case they were in trouble. Michael held his jungle knife in his left hand ready to defend them. The car stopped by them. The driver opened the doors for them.

Stanley studied the man and he thought he saw him somewhere. He had a familiar face. He had a scar just above his right eye. Stanley looked at his beady eyes and he thought that he could not trust him.

In the other car, the passenger woman said, My name is Moaner and my friend’s name is Candice.

So where are we going to.

Moaner remarked, You seem to be nervous.

You are yet to see a nervous person; I was not expecting women to fetch us. What has that white man to do with the agency?

She said, We are taking you and your friends to the safe house. We will then be able to answer your questions.

You have enough time to tell me what is going on.

Moaner decided not to respond. Something about Sam distinguished him from the rest of the immigrants she ever met. She thought that he could be problematic because of his chauvinistic attitude.

Candice continued driving. She did not utter a single syllable but her mind was working overtime. She was following Abus’ car to a farm situated on the outskirts of town. The sun was sinking fast; a cold breeze was beginning to cool the temperature.

Reaching their destination both cars stopped near the massive homestead. All occupants of both cars alighted from the cars. Sam was looking around; he saw a number of shadowy structures. He could not describe the buildings since it was dark already. There were no lights to help him discern everything around him.

Moaner said, Come on fellows; let us go inside the shelter.

Abus did not wait for them. He left the task of allocating sleeping quarters to the women. The four friends walked behind the women to their new home.

Entering one of the structures, Candice flicked the light switch flooding the room with bright lighting.

She said, You will sleep in here until we can make other arrangements.

She was lying; there would be no other living arrangements. They would stay in that shelter until someone paid the agency. Then they would become that person’s property.

I will get you some blankets; in the meantime make yourselves comfortable.

Bring a few snacks as well.

The room had no furniture, not even a chair or bench. They sat on the concrete floor. Sam was trying to keep a positive attitude to prop up their moral. Joseph was already feeling depressed. He thought that the agency was not keeping their promises or perhaps someone was lying to them.

He thought that maybe that white man was keeping the money for himself. He was expecting to sleep on a bed, the thought of sleeping on the concrete floor did not appeal to him. Moaner and Candice came carrying two bundles of blankets. They placed the blankets on the floor.

Then Moaner said, Sam comes with me.

He stood up and he followed her to another structure. They went inside the room and she told him to take four sponge mattresses. He then went back to his friends. Moaner followed him. Candice was no longer there to help them settle in.

You can make your beds and do not keep the lights on after you made your beds.

Looking at them, she was wondering if they knew anything about electricity.

Oh, I suppose you know how to switch off the lights.

Stanley responded, Yes, we know something about electricity.

His voice carried a hint of anger in his tone alerting her to be cautious in the future.

I did not mean to offend you, good night see you all tomorrow.

What did you mean?

Walking out, she closed the door softly. The men then made their beds hurriedly. Stanley switched off the lights. The room became darker than it was outside.

They lay on their beds thinking about the past and the future. They felt relieved but they were hungry and tired. Moaner ignored their request for snacks. None of them had a meal since they left their homes.

They had been on the road for the past twenty-four hours. They were glad to be out of their country whose economy lay somewhere on a dumping site. Their families would continue suffering until some miracle happened. That miracle could only be an uprising by the people for the people. Even that thought was very much wishful thinking.

In the morning, they woke up and folded their blankets and sponges. They piled the sleeping gear at one of the corners. Stanley and Sam went outside in search of drinking water.

They saw people roaming around. Some of them were women. Some women carried their babies. One young woman seemed to be pregnant. Sam could not understand why some women chose to fall pregnant even under appalling circumstances.

The place resembled a refugee camp. They had no idea that the agency was selling them to business magnates. They were, in a sense, modern slaves.

Sam asked, What is this place.

Candice came to their rescue, This is the registration centre.

Stanley asked, Registration for what.

What business are you running here? asked Sam

She did not respond both Moaner and Candice seemed to avoid certain questions. Sam became aware that they were hiding something.

I need to show you where to wash yourselves. Then you will have to go to the communal kitchen for your breakfast.

They followed her to the bathrooms. It seemed as though both men and women used the same facility. Was there any privacy in that structure? Marais did not provide separate facilities for the slaves.

She stopped by the entrance and they went in to wash. They realized that there were no dividing walls or curtains. Some men and women were standing under open taps washing their bodies.

Stanley noticed a woman putting on her flimsy panty. The scenario reminded him of the situation back home. No one seemed to respect women as if they were not human beings. He saw a man walking past butt naked. No one seemed to care.

Even Adam and Eve knew something about privacy. That awareness only dawned upon them after fornication. Therefore, every sexually active person must be conscious of his or her nakedness. When people walk around naked, something is wrong with their moral values. Perhaps the brains are still animal brains still developing.

The men and women in that room had no choice but to dump morality. However, the situation can become tempting to weak souls. Normal men will usually become motivated when they see naked women.

None of them had soap, washing rags or towel. No one offered them anything with which to wash. Perhaps they were all slaves. He began wondering about Candice and Moaner.

Coming out of the shower hall, they found Candice talking to other people. She saw their wet shiny faces and she felt sorry for them. However, she did not comment because she could not offer them anything else. She had no authority to offer any form of decency.

She showed them the toilets. There were swinging doors offering limited privacy. Then she led them to the kitchen. Stanley was looking at her rear as she was walking. All he could think of then was her imagined naked body.

Sam even noticed that her dress was too short. He was not aware that most women were wearing shorter garments lately. Even the fig leaf was getting smaller. He had a name for women who wore skimpy clothes.

I will call you at around 10.00 hours. I will need your identification documents.

We do not have local documents.

I know that.

So what documents do want from us?

Are you being funny or are you dumb, I need your passports.

We don’t have those either, it would be dumb of us to carry those along.

She walked away to attend to other matters of the agency. Stanley looked at her as she was walking away. His dick was hardening as he looked at her legs. She turned her head looking at them. Her face seemed to smile. Was she aware that he was appreciating her bums?

Then they went to their room. Michael and Joseph then went to wash. They too did not have any washing rag or soap. The water was even cold. All four of them then went to the kitchen for their first meal in three days. Their breakfast consisted of a mug of coffee and two slices of dry brown bread. That breakfast did not have any nutrition value.

One of the women in the kitchen looked at Stanley. She remembered seeing his dick as he was washing his body. She began to shuffle her legs. Something was bothering her vagina. She whispered something to her friend. Her friend walked over to him.

Candice called Sam and his friends later in the morning at the stipulated time. They followed her to her office. She sat behind her desk. They gave her their documents.

You said you did not carry any document.

That was a joke.

What type of jobs are you looking for?

Any job that is available.

Can any of you cook; we have a client that is looking for a male cook.

What type of food does he cook or sell.

If you can cook simple African food then one of you will get the job.

Joseph thought that he could do that. Candice then filled in his form. She stated that he could cook. A number of Portuguese owned take away restaurants were seeking foreign labourers. She placed the rest of them as farm labourers. She thought nothing of them then. They would have to wait their turn though. The people they found in that farm were still waiting for Candice to confirm their employment. Everyone was on the waiting list.

While I am waiting for your prospective employers to confirm your employment, you have to take turns working in the kitchen.

When do we start with that?

I will let you know.

Walking out of her office, they noticed there were people from different countries in Africa loafing around. Sam saw faces he thought resembled Somali people. They were walking towards their dwelling. They squatted against the outside wall forming a semi-circle.

Stanley said, If all these people are seeking employment, what are our chances of finding anything.

We must have a chat with those women, we cannot stay here forever.

Michael said, are they running this place, nobody ever said anything about women.

I think that ugly white man is the boss around here.

Sam saw Moaner walking towards her office. He stood up and ran towards her. He caught up with her as she was opening the door to her office.

I need to ask you something.

Looking at him she said, I am busy right now; maybe I will come to your place later.

She was not in the mood to answer his questions. Something was not right in her mind. Looking at those men and women everyday, knowing they could end up anywhere in the world bothered her.

He walked away thinking that maybe they were wasting time with the agency. Then he saw Abus walking towards him. He stopped walking and he stood still his muscles began rippling as if he was about to fight.

Abus said, Listen do not panic or lose patience, I am waiting for your documents from the home affairs department.

How long will that take.

Maybe four weeks he responded

In the meantime we sit here without clothes or food. We have nothing.

Did you have breakfast this morning?

The last time we ate was two days ago, that tea and a slice of bread made us hungrier.

Okay, come to my office before lunchtime.

He walked away towards his office. Sam did not have a watch. He did not even know what time they were going to have lunch. He saw one fellow sitting by himself. Walking over to the man, he was wondering if he knew anything about the schedule.

Do you know what time is lunchtime here?

Are you new here?

Yeah, we arrived last night.

Where do you come from?

We are from Zimbabwe.

The man was looking at his wristwatch. As they were talking, woman walked past. Sam was looking at her swinging arse recognising some sort of class even in that environment. She captured his imagination. The man noticed that he was looking at the woman.

He said, Stay away from that one.

What is wrong with her?

She is my woman.

I was just looking, she is beautiful.

The man said, We might have lunch within half an hour.

Tell me, how long have you been here.

The man replied, Too long to remember.

Why are you here then?

I am waiting for my friends.

Thank you so much.

He went to Abus’ office. He found him talking on the phone. He decided to wait for him to finish talking on the phone. He wondered why his name was Abus. He thought that Abus was not his real name. Abus was his code name

I just ordered four more plates for you and your friends, but you will have to eat that food right here.

Should I call them now?

Wait until the food is here then you may call them.

He remained standing thinking about a million things. Nothing made sense then. Even his thinking could not come up with answers. He saw the adjoining door open and a tray appeared. Someone came through the door pushing a trolley tray.

The person said, Mr. Marais, here is the food you ordered.

Marais said, thank you Joe.

Sam learned then that his real name was Marais. He then called his friends and everyone else became aware Marais was treating them differently. Marais opened another door for them.

"You may sit in there and have your meals.

They went into that room and sat on the benches then they ate their food. Thereafter, Michael collected the plates and put them on the tray. He was not sure if he ought to wash the plates or not. He asked Marais if he should wash the plates.

Do not worry about that.

Sam said, thank you sir for the meal.

That is not going to happen again

We are expecting nothing more or less.

They walked out of the office as Marais was pressing a button on his desk. Sam saw Moaner coming out of her office. He walked over to her. She saw him coming towards her. She thought that he was becoming a pain in the arse.

Do you have time or am I bothering you.

What is it that you want to know?

You promised to answer any question I might ask you.

I know that but I am busy right now.

When is the right to talk to you?

I can never be sure about that.

I do not think that you are in a good mood.

He turned and walked away from her.

She said, Hey Sam, do not do that again.

Do what.

Don’t ever walk away from me.

Let me know when you feel better.

He walked on without giving her another look. She stood still looking