[ Short story]

Among terrorists and heroes

By: Kasun Deeptha Handunpathirana.

The time was 5 a.m. My fellow tigers were sleeping under trees, but I couldn't. Throughout the night I was counting the stars. The sunlight was to capture the world after a while, chasing the dark away.

I could remember how I was kidnapped by L.T.T.E. terrorists. I was only 16 years. One day at night when I was doing my school work, I heard someone's knock at the door. Then my mother got up and went to the door.

"Who are you?"

"Who ever we are. Quickly open the door. Otherwise we shall knock it down!"

I too closed my books and went to the door. Then my mother nodded me not to come there and hide somewhere. Then and there I went back to my room and hid under the bed. I was bewildered.

Then my mother twisted the door-lock slowly and all at once they kicked the door. My mother was pushed and she fell down mourning. I jumped at her to catch her, but was too late. Her head knocked against the wall and was wounded. She was bleeding and gasping. It was the first time that I saw their awful faces.

"You should come with us. You should join us to fight against the Sri Lankan army. That's for the sake of our people... All should do it......!"

"What on earth have you done? Look, my mother is bleeding. I'll never come with you. Do whatever you can! "

"If you want to see her alive furthermore, you must join us. If not we can kill you both"

They frowned at me. One man came to me with a gun and hit at my stomach. I was maimed for a while because of the unexpected shot. They caught me and brought to their van. I had nothing to do. For the last time I saw my mother's mourning face who laid bleeding.

When I opened my eyes in the morning I was in a L.T.T.E. training camp. For the time being I also had to become one of them. I had to take a gun into my hands instead of a pen. I was given a necklace with a capsule of cyanide. We were commanded to shoot at the Sri Lankan army soldiers and byte the capsule if we are caught. Then and there I could byte it but I didn't, because I never wanted to commit suicide and die untimely.

I was still dreaming because I could never forget that incident. It was the time on which my whole future desires were darkened.

Suddenly I could hear the sounds of the guns. The S.L. army soldiers were shooting at us. My fellow tigers panicked and ran for their lives. I took my gun and raised at them, but couldn't kill even one of them. Because I didn't like to kill them since they were fighting to save their land, it means our land.

Suddenly a shell went through my leg and leg was bleeding. I had nothing to do except laying down. My fellow tigers had left me alone in the battle field. I could byte the cyanide capsule too. But I wanted not to die, but to make my life time longer even for a second.

The dune had covered everywhere. After a while few S.L. army soldiers came and stood around me.

"Put your weapon down. Now you can't fight against us"

I put my weapon down and closed my eyes. Then I counted and waited till I hear their triggering sound at me. But they didn't.

When I opened my eyes I could see their bravery faces shining in the twilight. They accompanied me to a hospital and treated. It was extremely wondered me because I was one of their enemies. When I moved my arms few men came to me.

"What's your name?"

"From where're you?"

"Why did you join L.T.T.E.?"

"Where're your parents?"

They brought out questionnaire for me. I confessed all the things to the army soldiers according to my conscience.

"Nothing to fear. We don't allow them to kill you. Also they won't be able to arise against us any more. They'll have to give it up very soon. You just keep the faith in us."

After a while I was given my breakfast. I could gulp it just in two minutes. That was because I was starving since we weren't given enough food in the L.T.T.E. camp.

I saw few soldiers were planning something with a map on a table.

They were planning to go to the warfront against the terrorists. Terrorists had gifted me an indelible stigma for my life. Their brutal acts urged me to be an avenger.

I went there to help them to go ahead against the terrorists.

"Can I help you?" I asked. They looked at me with a little amazement.

"Of course. But, how?" one asked.

I told them the places where the L.T.T.E. camps were and showed the way to go there. They carefully listened to me and noted down what I said. After that they thanked me .

I know that Sri Lankan national flag will fly island wide. The army soldiers will finish their mission. Terrorism will not last any more.

The army soldiers are the real heroes. They saved my life. They save thousands of lives.

They gave me the freedom-freedom to escape from tigers-the freedom to live here on earth!