Trapped by Collen Molahlehi

“Did you hear?” Samie asked me.

“Hear what?” I asked.

“There’s a 50 thousand rands reward on your head.”

I searched my stomach for answers, and begged my conscience for an appearance of innocence.

“Do they know that I am here?”

“I wouldn’t turn you in.”

I wouldn’t turn you…right before I could finish digesting her words, a hard knock tried to break Samie’s door.

I watched her hold her conscience in her hands. She wouldn’t, would she?

The first of many sirens went off, and I could sniff the smell of my name in the air.

“Hide!”

Her subtleness rushed straight to my legs, triggering my arms to motion where?

She pointed with her head, but my confusion continued to take over me.

“Police! You have 20 seconds to open this door!”

I bolted, ponder over the 20 seconds that stood between me and my freedom.

20 seconds.

She knew I did it, I had no other choice, it was either their lives or mine.

I watched her desperate eyes plead for me to at least try to hide. She briefly glanced at the bathroom door and hesitantly pointed at the balcony—ultimately running into the bathroom.

I ran to the balcony trying to understand what she was planning to do in the shower. I crouched against the dark balcony, peeking through the transparent door. The shower ran for awhile until Samie walked out with a towel, heading back to the front door—face to face with a door she had opened so many times—her body grew frozen.

The door swung open and I heard 10, if not 20, feet fight the tightness of the small apartment for a space to stand.

“Mam, do you know this man?”

Samie swallowed air as if she was learning how to breathe again. “Yes,” her voice was barely audible.

“This man was spotted in this apartment last night. He is very dangerous.” Dangerous?

The caution hidden in his voice sat at the base of his throat. He forcefully grabbed me by my neck. “We have a search warrant.”

The bald man shouted, “Search every inch of this room!”

He looked at Samie and asked, “Are you alone?”

“Yes.” Samie answered.

“Why is the shower running?”

“I was about to shower—”

“All of you head to the shower, now!” The bald man shouted.

Under the cover of the night sky, I placed all my luck on them not searching the balcony.

“Clear!” they shouted in unison from the bathroom.

Right before I could catch my breath, a collage of heavy boots stormed towards the balcony. The door slowly slid open, and I saw the eyes of hungry men looking directly at me. Right before the balding man could step outside, more boots rushed to the balcony, that’s when I heard a voice, two voices—no three—I lost count, shouting, “He is here! He is here!”

The sounds of guns cocking made me pray for the first time in years. I prepared myself for the worst. They stepped outside in unison, cocking their guns. I closed my eyes and thought about the reward they placed on my head.

Fifty thousand rands?

I watched Samie slowly appear from behind the 15 men who had their guns drawn against a head that was grappling to find the right answers. She looked at me, and a grin caressed her dry lips.

She had done it.

I was trapped.