Deities of Deceit

Chapter Thirty-six

"The rules are simple. Mining begins before sunrise every day. You will have breakfast at noon and resume working at 1 pm. You will have lunch and dinner and 9 pm, lights out at 10 pm. You must mine twenty baskets of coal a day and will be allowed a bath once a week. No talking during mining hours. No talking during sleeping hours. Questions," the prison guard concluded. A woman raised her hand and he nodded at her.

"And if we do not make twenty baskets a day?" she stuttered.

"No sleeping hours. No dinner," he stated in a final tone.

"What happens if we finish earlier?"

"More free time."

"And..." she chewed her lips. "What happens when I have my monthly bleeding."

He shrugged. "Any other questions." No one else spoke as his eyes traveled West then East. "Listen up," he stepped forward, "This will be your worst nightmare. If you are lucky, a judiciary will hear your case in a month. Until then, keep your heads low, and do your work." He slammed his hand on the shoulder of the scrawny boy who had just finished unlocking all our chains. "This is Tom. She will show you the ropes." He turned and started towards the wooden stairs behind him that led to an upper chamber I supposed was just for prison guards.

I kept my eyes on Tom, the portrait her mother had given me was nothing like she looked. Her hair was short and her cheek sunken. I confused her for a boy at first glance.

"Jookwah, I be Tom," she introduced in broken English with a smile, flashing butter-yellow teeth with pride.

"Tom. I am Iman. Jookwah."

"Jookwah," she replied.

"My name is Elota," the black Christian man stepped forward. "Jookwah."

I turned to the rest of the twenty, nodding them over. They circled Tom and began sharing names and greetings.

"I know say e no look good," Tom began, "but e no dey bad like that. You go see. And twenty baskets of coal no too much like that." She smiled again, trying to put us at ease. Of course, she would say that, it was the only life she had ever known. Her gaze fluttered upwards. "The only thing weh you suppose fear." The only thing you should be afraid of.

I turned to where her eyes had trailed to and found a seven-foot-tall woman, cloaked in a tiger skin coat, tearing into us with a stare. "Who?" I asked.

"Na the prison warden. Bow," she instructed, and we all did. "Now come, make I show una where you go sleep." She led the way "The prison guard weh bring una, e name na Oga Tunde. Na good man e be. Na Oga Tunde weh ask warden make una no work today. Una go work tomorrow." Now come, let me show you where you all where you will sleep. The prison guard that brought you all, his name is Oga Tunde. He is a good man. Oga Tunde asked the warden so you don't have to work today. You all will begin work tomorrow.

We followed Tom into the mountain and found nothing but darkness. Snagging a torch from the wall, she led the way into the cave, a deep tunnel of hazy blackness. The deeper we traveled, the louder the banging grew. More coughing and sneezing amongst my battalion.

"E dey okay!" It is okay, Tom said, "You go get used to am!" You will get used to it! She tried speaking over the loud noises. "Una no go fit wash today, today no be washing day. But water to drink go come after dinner! Better people dey here! People weh no too good dey as well! But most na better people! Everyone dey keep to their sef, no take their quietness personal! Dem don suffer too much!" she continued in and we followed in her footsteps.

Today is not washing day! So you can't wash today! But drinking water after dinner! There are lots of good people here! Lots of bad people too! But mainly good! Everyone tries to keep to themselves, don't take cold should shoulders personally! They have all been through a lot!"