Chapter 18
“I promise you I will come for you. ”
Amir’s voice was like an oasis in a dry and barren place. It watered her dry heart, which ached for only him, and reinvigorated her strength of mind. On her hands and knees, she crawled to the voice that led her through the dimly-lit dungeon. On the way, her eyes took in the horrors of slavery. She saw hundreds of men, row upon row of them, shackled together, packed like sardines. She heaved a couple more times, but managed to control the urge to spill her insides on the floor.
Rutgers had shielded her from it, as she was a pearl of great price. She had been fed regular food and kept in mint condition so that she would bring him maximum price. But there, in the hellish belly of the Windward, she knew for the second time what it meant to be owned by Dutchmen. There, in that dark and filthy place, where men were chained together, she recognized and even felt a level of gloom that if embraced, undermined hope’s audacity.
“I am here,” his voice called out again.
She looked to the left and there was Amir, chained to two men, one on the left and the other on the right. She cringed when her eyes beheld him. His royal highness was on his back, completely nude, lying in his own filth. Vomit was on his face and at the corners of what was once a regal mouth. She couldn’t distinguish his vile smell from that of his shackled brothers, one of whom was dead and beginning to rot.
Seeing Amir in that state robbed her of a certain measure of respect that she once had for him. Seeing him in that state knocked him off the throne she had put him on. Seeing him in that state awakened her to a reality never before imagined, and she lost heart. How was he going to save her when he couldn’t even save himself?
Amir turned his head to the left and vomited on the dead man. He turned to her again and said, “You must be strong if you are to survive.”
When his vile breath entered her nose, she nearly fainted. Were she not already on her knees, she would have been. She forced herself to stop breathing so she could concentrate on his words.
“Do you understand, Ibo? You must be strong.”
No longer able to restrain them, the tears flowed freely and she wept aloud. “I understand, but I came to free you and the others!”
“No. The time is not right.”
“But, Amir, the Dutchmen are forcing us! They are taking the things most sacred. Do you not care?”
Amir ignored her question. Of course he cared, of course he wanted to be free, of course he wanted to take all their heads off at the shoulders.
With compassion, he said, “I know, my love. But you will survive even that, and we will have our revenge on the Dutchmen.”
“But, Amir, Captain Rutgers raped a woman right in front of me. He made me watch with no clothes to cover me.”
“You must pretend to cooperate, but your heart will be as a ravenous lion. Your tongue must become a wily serpent. And then, when they least expect it, we will come out of the shadows and crush them. We will do what they have done to us—everything they have done, we will do in like manner. We will take no prisoners; we will leave none of them alive—their families too. They must all die swiftly and without mercy.
“Use whatever happens to you to make you strong, and then you will be able to destroy your enemy. Do everything you can to make him feel safe and he will relax. Make him think you have accepted him as your lord. Can you do that, my love?”
“I don’t know, Amir. What if he wants me? What then?”
“If he was going to force you, he would have by now. But . . . if it happens, use even that to weaken him. Can you do that?”
“Oh, Amir, I don’t know. I don’t know if I can do that. I would rather die than give the Dutchmen the thing most sacred.”
“I don’t want this for you, my love. Survival is first. Revenge second. There can be no revenge without survival; therefore, you must, Ibo. Now, leave this place before you are discovered.”
“What about you, Amir? Will you survive in this dark and filthy place?”
“I will. My resolve is strong. I have made up my mind. I will not be broken. Now . . . leave this place and do not come back. Be ready at all times. An opportunity will present itself at the right moment. Be patient.”
Weakly, she said, “Okay.”
“Let me hear you say you will do whatever it takes to survive.”
She bowed her head and whispered, “I’ll do whatever it takes to survive.”
“Louder!”
Firmly, she said, “I’ll do whatever it takes to survive.”
“Say it like you believe it, Ibo! Say it with conviction!”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to survive!”
“Keep saying it until you believe it, and you will survive. Be patient for as long as it takes. I will be with you in spirit. I promise you I will come for you.”