THE TWELVE- Chapter 3, episode 5

The plain carrying the people to Sudan landed safely at the airport. It was few minutes past two when Cindy, Maxwell and their assistance left the airport. They paid an airport driver to bring them to a nearby village of which they arrived late in the evening. They didn’t know exactly where they were going but they hoped to find a house in which they can ask for shelter till they are able to mortgage a house for the six months they will be leaving there. As they rode through the lonely path, they spotted a gathering of some young people beside a fire and there was a house behind them with lights on.

“Can you leave us here?” Maxwell asked.

“Do you know this place?” the driver asked.

“We are new here,” Cindy replied. “And we need a place to stay for the night.”

“I should take you to a hotel,” the driver stopped the car, turned at looked at them. “What are you kids doing here?”

They thought their identity was finally recognized by someone.

“Do you know us?” Maxwell asked.

“No, I’m asking because you look like some rich kids who are lost, where are your parents?”

“We came on our own and we are not lost,” Maxwell told him.

“Strange,” The driver shook his head. “You might not even know who those people are, they can be very bad boys and girls who have gathered there to smoke and drink. This part of Sudan has a lot of street children who have gone wild and if they see you rich kids they will fall on you and might even steal all you have……. Kidnap is very possible in this area.”

The kids got a little scared.

“Is there any hotel around here?”

“None that I know of but in the city where we left,”

“That’s another four hour drive,”

“Yes,” the driver told them. “Not safe anyways, I brought you here because I live around here and I was coming to close,”

The driver looked at them; he was not a Muslim but a typical Sudanese citizen. He recognized the sudden gaze of frustration that rested on their faces.

“I can bring you to my house for the night,” He said. “Not a very big place but it can accommodate you, and then tomorrow we can head back for the city.”

Fresh hope was restored back to the children as they smiled at the man.

“Thank you sir,” Cindy said. “We will be grateful.”

The driver started the car and reversed it back to their formal direction.

“What’s your name please,” One of the children asked.

“Samar,” he answered and they registered it in their minds and sat quiet.

The other groups had arrived their destinations earlier, for Michael and Shelly; they were welcomed into a camp of orphans where they had been located to by the escort driver they asked from at the airport. The owner of the camp knew who they were and every major step they had taken in life as the spice and as the twelve. He was very pleased to have them and he knew their presence will be of great help to orphans. He offered them a room that could accommodate them all.