The fight for Love is tougher than the bars of Jail.

This is an excerpt from my upcoming novel, please take time to read through.

…………………It was my turn to buy my dear colleagues cigarettes and I had no single cent in my pocket. The stupid warden came with his Supermatch packet that he used to sell for one thousand shillings. I had no single coin in my pocket and no one would want to listen to this because to a smoking prisoner, cigarette is life. I didn’t want to let them know I couldn’t get the money early enough because the blows I could have received to force me look for a way out were just unbearable. I thought I would just wait and be beaten up on the final day only. Kaburu was the first one to jump on me. He was the leader of all the prisoners and he was in for five rape cases, robbery with violence, arson and two murder charges. He had no hopes of getting out.  

He unleashed two powerful punches on my nose letting out a stream of blood from my left nose. I lifted up my hands in total surrender. That guy is not a human being. He felt irritated at this and shouted at me that I must fight back. How could I fight such a Goliath? He pushed me towards the door where the askari was standing with his packet of cigarettes. I shouted at him to help and what I got was a powerful hit by the nozzle of his gun on the back of my head. He told me to go back and fight or pay for the packet.  I lost my head and thought I was having a horrible dream. I felt Esther’s cry, the only consolation. I felt her loneliness. Then she said to me:- “fight my dear...Fight and you will be free. Fight sweetie…”  I suddenly felt an enormous amount of courage in me. My hand felt strong, very strong like never before.  I squared Kaburu with all my concentration and told him I was ready to fight him. The rest of the prisoner’s shouted as this would be a good entertainment as they wait for the cigarettes. When he moved to hit my face again, I stepped aside. He felt provoked and moved in fast with a combination of speedy attacks. I moved one step backwards, turned and let out a very powerful back kick. I got him in the face making him move backwards. I took the advantage of the instability and followed him with hard punches. I made sure that I got his face and solar plexus at every attack until when he went down on the ground. I then got hold of his scrotum and stuck on it, squeezing and pulling it at the same time.  All the others were on my back, hitting slapping, kicking, shouting, cheering and jeering, but none of these made me leave him. The stupid cigarette hawker opened the door and with his gun managed to disperse the pack that had piled on my back.  Kaburu lay down helpless.  To my surprise, I didn’t feel much pain as I expected. I left the ground and turned only to find the askari with his gun ready to hit me again. “Go ahead you idiot, kill me!” I still can’t believe that I said these words. In his anger he hurled the gun at me. I swiftly moved in to close the distance, and then accurately held it in my two hands. The fight on who to own the precious weapon began. Every prisoner lay on the ground as each one was of us was in a position to pull the trigger. So any movement of a prisoner would call for a shot as none of us could tell who was going to receive the help. The askari used his boots to kick my chins like fifty times but my muscles and will to fight on never betrayed me. I continued to stick on the gun. It was tough, tougher than the world war. Then I heard Esther’s voice again:-Dear you are just about to win….fight; fight and we shall see each other.  Those words made me give the askari a powerful push and the miracle just happened. He reeled back leaving me the sole possessor of the precious weapon. I cocked it and ordered everyone to close their eyes.  “Andwati, I called out, rise up and pick the keys from the bastard, open the door and decide whether you want to leave or not.  I will then be calling each of you, one by one as you leave. If I don’t like you, you will remain here.”