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It happened years ago, and I was so lucky to have gotten away from the rough hands of those people. That fateful day, I was seated outside my compound with my dad and my friend. My friend and I only sat some distance from dad, who was speaking to another man who owned one of the stores there. They were engrossed in the conversation. It was evening, and I had returned from work, and since there was a power outage and not much to do, we just sat there talking.
Out of the blues, this sienna vehicle pulled up, two men came down, they were dressed in uniform, and they had guns. For nothing sake, they ordered myself and my friend into their vehicle. My friend, scared, went in, but I didn't. I was too exposed and far too knowledgeable about my rights to just swing to their commands like that. That day, however, I wouldn't say my smartness saved me, I would just say that I was lucky. Knowing how brutal these people could be and knowing the implications of getting on their vehicle and being driven to god-knows-where, I started to say in a loud voice, "Why will I enter your vehicle? What did I do? See, I'm with my father." They tried to shut me up, but I wasn't having it. I could see that they could tell that I was a handful. I was a little terrified, but in that moment, I needed to raise an alarm and get people's attention. I knew that if they managed to take me away, then I'd be in big trouble.They made to drag me, but before they could possibly hurt me, my dad stepped in.
He walked up to them and barked at them. He questioned what they were taking us and what crimes we had committed to warrant that to which they had no answer. One of them, the shorter one, asked who he was, and he said he's our father and we were sitting out with him. They let me go and asked my friend to get down. They got in their vehicle, only drove up a little to where a guy and girl were walking together and somehow made the guy get into the vehicle. Of course, it's not by his choice.
For the past few months and years before that, there had been many unlawful arrests and harmful incidents that these people, the SARS, have melted. They're known to be brutal and a terror. At the sight of them, people take to their heels, especially young boys/men. They show know mercy, and I have not heard a single good story about them.
One of the things that I learned about myself thar day was that even in uncertain, unsettling times, I could be bold and my being vocal and instincts always kicked in at the right time. Maybe it was self-preservation or something like taht.
I hope that this was interesting to read.
Thanks for coming around.