THE TWELVE-season 3,episode 14

LIBERIA

                 Another call was made that evening, this time from Lindsay to Cindy. Perhaps that night was a very lucky night for the girls who had been trying none stop to get in touch with each other. Lindsay was alone in the room when she made this call and Cindy was alone in the room reading a book when she answered it. Just like Maul and Zodiac they were filled with joy hearing from each other.

“Hello Cindy,”

“Lindsay,” She dropped the book.

“Oh thank God I finally got to you,” she was happy but calm.

“I’ve been calling you all but the lines are terrible,”

“Same here Cindy, how are you guys doing, how did you arrive?”

“We got here safe and got a fairly nice house to live in….. The airport driver who carried us, we ended up paying to live in his house,”

Lindsay laughed.

“Very funny right, that’s really all we could think of at that time.”

“I understand dear, we got here safe too and we got a nice place to live in. we are not sharing with anybody though. How is the work there? Sudan is tough hey,”

“I’ve got a headache,” Cindy said.

“Massive?”

“Stress,” Cindy replied.

“I thought you had Max to take very good care of you,”

Cindy laughed. “No just kidding, we are pulling through though it is very tough,”

“Like stone rock tough right,”

“Granite,”

“I know, I never thought anything will be this difficult but I thank God he is making a way for us,”

“Oh yes he is.”

“You know Liberia is a tough country, too many things are rough here, and they are just in the game of rituals.”

“Does it constitute taking people’s lives?”

“I don’t know but I know some of the children are just fortunate to still be alive though most of their relatives are dead.”

“I noticed, it’s almost similar here, they look like slaves.”

“What about hunger?”

“Yes, they are starving,”

“It’s similar up here too,”

“Do you think we have to do it their way before we get their interest? Do you think we have to follow their every tradition and just squeeze our own to fit in?”

“No,” Lindsay’s reply was confident. “Do you know why? Because their ways is the reason for the crisis, we cannot rebuild something we haven’t first of all demolished. It is better we do it without compromise or we don’t do it at all. We must face oppositions Cindy but we won’t lose our virtue. We are here to conquer and conquer we must. Have you had any threats?”

“The weather and atmosphere alone is a threat, I was so scared before. I’m still trying to get use to,”

Lindsay smiled. “Me too, Thank God I came with an African boy who knows a lot about the African way,”

“Oh I missed him, I missed all of you. How are your assistants?”

“They are doing great, I just feel sorry because they haven’t been able to call home.”

“Tell them to keep trying it will work out just like ours.”

“Yeah I will. No matter what let’s keep it going in one faith, the children’s crisis must be averted and every child will be cherished for who he or she is,”

“Yes that’s the dream. I missed the twelve,”

“The twelve will be back soon into a more perfect unity. Take care of yourself Cindy and greet the others okay,”

“I will and take care too. I love you very, very much sister,”

“I love you too sister; let us keep trying to call the others,”

“Sure, I won’t stop trying.”

“Talk to you later,”

“Yeah later,”

The lines were cut.

ZIMBABWE

              After an hour of consistent dialing, Shania was lucky to get the phone from Kenya ringing and it was Shelly.

“Shania,” she replied when she got her voice.

“Shelly,” Shania screamed from inside and no one heard her because all the others were outside at the fire hearing stories from the village kids and Shelly had come to take her jacket.

“Shania is this really you?”

“Yes Shelly, yes….. I’ve been trying to call you guys ever since and it’s just not working and finally I got you,”

“Me too Shania, we all have been really worried about you guys. How did you arrive?”

“Very well and we are doing ok, got a place to stay too.”

“Same here, we live in a small camp with lots of sick children. There’s a clinic here too that takes care of them.”

“Wow, it’s been like never before,” Shania sat. “So long without communicating,”

“Yeah but how are things going on over there in Zimbabwe?”

“Hmm Shelly, it’s very tough here. Their food is bad; people are dying of hunger….. The street children are so many,”

“Really, so how are you getting along with the children, how do you plan to fulfill your mission there?”

“That’s one question difficult for me to answer,”

“But how, you and Larry have to define it.”

“Yesterday we went to this young woman’s house, she takes care of some orphans and most of them just starve to dead. She said nobody wants to help her and she’d been trying all alone. Do you know the most hurting thing?”

“No,”

“We were there Shelly, when this young boy came and pleaded with her not to let his sister starve to dead but she couldn’t do anything,” she still felt like crying and Shelly heard it from her voice.

“Did you guys interfere? Did you do anything to save her life?”

“We did, thank God we had some supplements and vitamins to give her. We gave her water, bought some fruits and food for them all. They are doing ok now,”

Shelly took a deep breath. “You guys should not stop doing that good until we are out this ok,”

“Yes,”

“We have to create a platform on which we can stand and tell the children the truth so they can believe in something that will change their lives forever. Do they understand English?”

“Yeah most of them,” her voice was steady now. “How are you guys doing in Kenya?”

“We are fine; Michael and the others are doing great. We are going to use this place to start building that platform, we already got the people in charge to give us the chance to help the kids here and we are starting effective work on Monday. It’s already two weeks gone remember,”

“Can I forget? I’m totally happy for you guys there.”

“It might be a little difficult because we are just starting and it’s first of its kind, when we succeed every venture we take will be less difficult.”

“You are right, it’s always hard to make people understand at first but when they do things begin to fall in place.”

“You get the point.”

“Say hi to big brother for us, the others are outside listening to stories from some of the kids around,”

“Wow cool, you should go join them. It’s a good ground.”

“I will, I feel revived now that I talked to you at least I know the others are definitely doing ok,”

“Yes they are. Greet Larry and the others as well, I will tell the others we were able to talk.”

“Ok, talk to later,”

“Yeah later,”

The lines were cut and Shania went out to join the others. She was wearing this fine smile and this fine jacket as she sat with them. Larry and the others welcomed her with a smile and the story they were listening to was going on and it was fun and interesting. After three of the kids had told their stories, the floor was given to Larry and his crew to tell their own stories and Larry was given the chance to talk. He spoke to them in a way they could understand him and truly the children did understand him, they were some new things Shania and the others were discovering about Larry’s experience on the streets and it made them realize that truly a man with hope and believe can conquer any obstacle and build the universe he dreams of and become the person he envisioned his or herself to be.

LIBERIA

                Lindsay and Ben decided to warm the morning sun, they sat at the corridor step waiting for their assistants to call them in for the breakfast they were making.

“I spoke to Cindy last night,” She said.

“You say?” Ben was surprised at the news.

“Yeah after a long persistent dialing of all the numbers they got from their new Sim cards, luckily I got Cindy.”

“And you didn’t even call me?” he was still excited.

“I couldn’t get you at that time sorry,”

“Wait, how are they?”

“She said they arrived safe and they are perching with the airport driver who carried them.”

“You mean they live in his house?”

“Yeah and pay him too…..”

Ben laughed. “I am glad they are doing ok at least I know it’s same with the others.”

“Yeah they equally couldn’t call because of the lines too but we are positive they are fine.”

“Yeah, how are they coping in Sudan?”

Lindsay was almost answering that question but was interrupted by Ben who coughed out loud and he felt a pain in his chest due to the pressure exerted on his chest as he coughed out.

“Are you ok?” Lindsay asked looking worried at him.

“Yes,” He rubbed his chest. “I’m fine, I just need some water.”

“Ok I will go get it…..” Lindsay went inside for the water and Ben was still feeling a sharp pain on his chest.