It was Friday, and the Republic Day anniversary. The day had been declared a national holiday. The prisoners had a day off work. Casper and Varney, his prisoner friend, needed the rest.
They sat on a cement bench in the prison compound, talking together. Some prisoners were playing football and others were playing volleyball. Some just sat around in the prison yard. There were guards all over the place, watching the prisoners.
"Don't you play football?" Varney asked Casper.
"I do. I was on the school team. Why do you ask?"
"Then why don't you play it here? You could even get a place on the prison team."
"I want to get out of this place," said Casper, with a distant look in his eyes. "I don't want to play football! I want to find out how my name, in my handwriting, got on that suitcase."
"Aah, Casper. Don't you ever stop thinking about it?"
"Of course not. You see, I filled out forms in different places in connection with the trip—at the American and Netherlands embassies when I went for visas, at the Scholarships Secretariat, at the bank, and at the KLM ticket office. I don't know how somebody managed to make a copy of my writing."
"Your lawyer says he has appealed against your sentence. Let's wait and see how it goes."
"The trouble is that I can't wait."
Casper began to scratch his legs and arms. "I hate these creatures," he complained.
"Which creatures?" Varney laughed. He knew what Casper meant.
"The bedbugs. See the bites all over me."
"Haven't you got used to them yet? For as long as you're here, bedbugs will keep you company. You'd better accept them."
"I can't," said Casper, scratching his itching legs.
"Then kill them!" said Varney. "I love killing them for fun."
"What fun!" Casper burst out laughing. It was his first real laugh since he came to the prison.
"It's no use thinking too much in prison," Varney said. "You must learn to make yourself happy here. Killing bedbugs is one way of having fun."
"I see, maybe I'll start tonight." Casper smiled, then changed the subject. "My sister and my mother's friends have been here, but I haven't seen my friends. Why haven't they come to visit me? Perhaps they think I'm guilty."
"They'll come, don't worry. I also felt lonely when I came here. It took my wife six weeks to visit me. The shock was too much for her. She sent her sisters instead."
"I only pray that my mother won't make herself ill with worry," Casper said.
"Make sure you don't worry too much for her," advised Varney.
Suddenly there were shouts in the yard. The news spread. The government had declared an amnesty. It was Republic Day, and some prisoners were going to be set free.
Casper and Varney went into the dining room with the other prisoners to listen to the news on the radio. Two hundred and sixty prisoners were going to be released from different prisons all over the country. Nyansa Prison was one of the biggest prisons in the country, so many prisoners would be released from there.
At five o'clock, a long list of names was pinned on the prison notice board. There was a crush as prisoners tried to look at the board. Varney stayed at the back with Casper. Casper had no hopes at all, but he wished his name would appear on the board. The crush reminded him of the crowd at the airport on the day he was arrested.
"Get back! Stand back!" a tall guard shouted.
The guard took the list off the board.
"Now form queues, quick. I'm going to read out the names. Those who hear their names will stand out on my right."
The guard began to call out the names in alphabetical order. Casper and Varney were whispering together at the back.
"I don't have any hopes," Varney was telling Casper.
"You've been here a long time. You may be called."
"This is the third government amnesty since I came here three years ago. No one whose name begins with V has ever been released."
"Casper!"
"Yes, sir!"
Casper jumped with joy and began to move to the right.
"Get back in your queue and shut up!" the guard shouted at him.
"Yes, sir," Casper said. His hopes of freedom had been killed in seconds. Some of the other prisoners laughed. Casper felt stupid.
The guard carried on calling out the names.
"Varney!"
It was the last name to be called.
"Yes, sir!"
Varney's heart almost stopped. He was a free man, at last.
In all, fifty-four prisoners were going to be released from Nyansa Prison. That evening, there was great excitement in the prison. In the dining room, Varney shared the extra food given to the freed prisoners with Casper. Varney enjoyed his food. Casper did not feel like eating.
That night, Casper slept badly. The bedbugs attacked him more than at any time before.
*************
"Casper, try not to worry too much," Varney advised his friend as he was saying goodbye. "God works in mysterious ways. If it is His will, you'll be released soon. But whatever happens, you must be brave. We'll pray for you."These were the only words of comfort Varney could give Casper.
"Thank you," said Casper. "Please don't forget to visit my family and ask my friends to come and visit me."
Casper watched Varney walk towards the gate. Their friendship had been a short one, but Varney had been a good friend. Casper went to the prison chapel. He sat in a corner and wept bitterly .It was one of the most miserable days of his life.
Catherine_writes