A WORTHY HABIT

A WORTHY HABIT

We packed all our camping gear into the old car and set off into the forest for a retreat into nature.We selected the place first ,the ideal one for setting up camp by the time John and I set up the tent it was dark. Exhausted from all the driving, I decided to take a quick bath at the stream near by while John agreed to cook the evening meal while I was gone.

By the time I was through with my bath, it was totally dark on that moonless night. With the help of my torch I made my way back to the tent. There was no one there. There was no meal cooked either. There was only darkness and the sound of insects. I stood for a moment undecided. The silence became oppressive when suddenly my ears caught the sound of trampling of dry leaves. It was pitch dark. With the camp lights off I could not see anything. The thin strand of my torchlight was the only source of visibility in the area. I felt something ominous in the air.

I stood rooted there and tried to listen. It was now more distinct. Something heavy was being dragged over the dried leaves accompanied by heavy trampling of feet. With my moorings lost I just couldn’t make out from which direction it was coming from. A swirl of fear rose up from pit of my stomach. I imagined the worst. Was John being hauled by wild animals?

Flashing the torch light in all directions, in great fear I ran towards the car parked 5 mts away from the camping site with the idea of onning the powerful head lights of the car. However I fell headlong on the driftwood. As I was trying o scramble and get up I felt a heavy hand over my shoulders. Before I could turn back and see what caught me, a thick cloth bag fell over my face. Than the little I could see was also completely blacked out. Mercifully I could breathe with the two holes just below the nose. As I began to scream, my screams were muffled by an iron hand over my mouth clutching me so tightly that I blacked out.

When I opened my eyes, I found I was whizzing past in a car. Lying prostrate with the blood still lying over my eyes all I could feel immediately was the speed. I lay still, the car or what ever may be the contraption we were traveling took a sudden sharp turn, a heavyset man fell over me. I lay quiet lest I give way I have awakened. He got up and spoke to his companion. The voice was rough the language was strange. None of the numerous European tongues which I was familiar. His companion at the wheel turned back and answered him. It sounded Arabic. They now rapidly started talking with one another. Many times they used the word Allah. Yes they must be Arabs. The car stopped somewhere. They must have taken me as plunked off as I could hear both of them getting down and moving off, probably to release themselves.

I got up cautiously; I always used to carry a small packet knife inside my blouse whenever we went out camping as I found that the safest place where I won’t end up misplacing it.

I started looking for it frantically. Yes it was there. I cut off my tight hood strings, stripped out the hood and looked around. For a second my eyes refused to co-operate. Then I saw the neon lights and the signboard. We were in the outskirts of New Jersy. It was written 140 km to New Jersy. I got out and waved frantically at the oncoming cars. None were ready to stop. Then I spotted the patrolling car flashing its lights and coming down seeing me the car slowed down, I explained hurriedly to the officer who put his head out enquiringly, that I am being kidnapped.

All of a sudden a couple of gunshots whizzed past me. There was a shoot out. The police shot at the two figures sitting crouched behind the bushes. I ducked and went to the other side of the car. The traffic behind came to a stand still. A stream of cars got lined up with their drivers cautiously peering through their drawn window screens.

Seeing they were loosing out one of the figures behind the bush made an attempt to run. He was immediately shot below the ankle and he lay injured under a pool of blood. The other fellow got up threw his hands high and surrendered.

Both were apprehended quickly. The traffic behind cleared and we drove the car silently to the police station with the two culprits. A vigorous interrogation ensued I was getting sick with worry about John. Have they dumped him in the camping site? Have the wild animals devoured him? I was sitting tense outside the interrogation room having told the officer in charge about my missing husband.

Shortly the room opened, the officer came out in great hurry, beckoning me we went to the car we were traveling in, opened the dickey to find a heavily sedated John lying tied up. Finding John was enough for me. I broke out sobbing.

The two Arabs had mistaken us to be the American agents whom they were on the look out for some misdeeds committed in their country and we ended up in this bizarre adventure.

While we were glad to get back ourselves alive, we were grateful and thrilled to receive the honor for helping to capture the notorious foreign national alive.

John who had always ridiculed my habit of packing things in my blouse had to accede praise for my presence of mind and the ‘ worthy habit’ that saved our lives.