"Rest, child," Uncle Thor said soothingly. "We shall talk later." He brought in another bucket, filled to the brim with ice, and poured it over me. And suddenly sleep took over my body.
I woke up to darkness, I tried to stand but a sharp pain shot through my leg. I reached down to touch my knee, finding it wrapped in a bandage. Just then, someone switched on a bedside lamp. I looked across to see Uncle Thor sitting on the bed opposite me, his face clear in the light.
"You are really Uncle Thor!" I exclaimed.
"Yes, Damen," he replied with a warm smile.
"So I wasn't dreaming, what are you doing here? Why were you arrested?" I asked, I had so many questions. "Dad even searched the prisons, but he couldn't find you."
"He was looking for a man in his mid-forties named Arthur Black," Uncle Thor explained. "But here, in this prison, I am known as an old man named Delgado."
I was shocked. "Why did you hide?" Why change your name and appearance?"
"My sister, your mother, was killed," Uncle Thor said, his eyes clouding over with a mixture of sadness and regret. "I had to save myself, Damen. I had to disappear to stay alive."
"Didn't mum die of a certain disease?" I asked, my voice shaking with confusion. "It caused her hair to turn snow white, just like yours."
He sighed. "Her hair had nothing to do with it, Damen, when we reach a certain point in our meditation, our hair turns white. It is a sign of our growth and strength." He paused, collecting his thoughts before continuing. "Your mother was killed by the Niva, they have a twisted belief that if they eat our hearts and drink our blood, they will gain immortality and skills."
"The Niva, who are they?" I asked, my mind racing with questions. "And who is 'we'?"
"She really made a big mistake of not telling you anything," he said. "She thought her daughter carried the gift, but who would have thought it was the son?" He let out a low laugh.
I was getting more and more irritated with the riddles. "Let's start from the beginning, Uncle."
"Call me Delgado," he said. "And no, I can't tell you everything. Even the prison is not safe, especially with your arrival and the fact that I allowed you into my room." He leaned back on his bed. "Rest, boy. The answers will come to you."
"How?" I demanded, but he just smiled.
"When you learn the art of meditation," he said, his voice low and mysterious. "The truth will reveal itself to you, Damen."
I tried to ask him again, but he remained stubbornly silent, his eyes closed as if in meditation. I sighed, frustrated, and decided to rest, my mind racing with the countless questions. But one question stood out above the rest, who killed my mother?
Two weeks later, I was miraculously able to walk again. Surprisingly, no one had disturbed my rest in this prison. I even ventured out to watch the other inmates work and exercise, but no one questioned why I was not assigned tasks. Officer Chris, who had become my friend, insisted that I should rest. "You will have your list of chores afterwards," he said with a reassuring smile.
Uncle Thor worked in the prison hospital with Mason. He had mentioned that I would join him once I was better. I had laughed so hard at the suggestion. Me, a doctor or nurse? I couldn't imagine it. I was better off in the kitchen, garage, even doing laundry sounded so much better.
But since I came to this prison, I have been having consistent dreams of myself visiting mountains, looking for herbs, and making medicine. I was even reading books in my dreams. It was as if someone was overworking my soul in my sleep. Shaking off the feeling, I headed towards the garage. My intention was to ask Officer Chris if I could be assigned to work there instead.
"They don't assign newbies in the garage, what if you drive off in one of the vehicles?" Mason said, appearing out of nowhere as he often did. He had made it his duty to follow me around during his free time.
I smiled confidently. "Once I touch one of their vehicles, they will beg me to come back." Mason chuckled, shaking his head but he calmly followed me.
As we walked, we bumped into an officer. She bent down to pick up some documents and I noticed a small swelling on her abdomen. My eyes widened slightly, without thinking, I reached out and gently touched the lower part of her stomach and just as I had imagined, she bumped.
Her face was red with rage, "You weirdo, how dare you touch me? I will make you pay for this!" The inmates stopped what they were doing, their eyes fixed on the scene unfolding before them. Another male guard rushed over to join us, his expression stern. "What's going on here?" he demanded, his eyes flicking between the female officer, Mason, and me.
She slapped me hard before replying, "He molested me"
"Officer, wait, it's not what you think," I protested.
"Are you saying you did not touch her?" the male officer asked.
"I touched her stomach, but my intentions are not bad," I tried to explain, but the female officer cut me off.
"What do you mean, your intentions are good?" she yelled. "Do you know how dangerous that was? I am pregnant!"
"You are...?" I asked in confusion.
"Yes, I am," she replied, confidently.
"Have you tested?" I asked again and she glared at me, her hands on her hips.
"Look at this baby bump! Does this require a test? She also have morning sickness. Are you trying to curse my child?" The male officer took a step forward, his expression stern. He turned to the lady and smiled gently. "Honey, I think we need to take this to the warden."
"Please wait, officer, I did not mean to hurt anyone." I said to the male officer. "You are not pregnant, officer," I continued, looking at the female officer.
"Are you trying to curse my child?" the male officer shouted, his face twisted in anger.
He charged towards me, but I quickly sidestepped, avoiding him. The officer landed heavily on the floor with a thud.
"Who do you think you are?" the female officer spat, her voice venomous. "You trying to fight a prison guard?" She turned to one of the nearby guards. "Bring me a cane!"
Then turned to me, her eyes flashing with anger. "If you don't want any problems, you will lie down, prisoner. Now!"
I looked into her watery eyes, sensing that something was off. I ignored her, and calmly walked around offering her a chair. My timing was spot on, as a second later, she collapsed into it, her body surrendering to the sudden weakness.
"I am not fine but you will receive your punishment, young man." She said in anger.
"You have gastric cancer!" I blurted it out.
The crowd erupted into a mixture of gasps and whispers. The female officer's eyes widened in horror.