Chapter one: free at last

Meschak sat quietly on his mattress in a stuffy cell, that he shared with 30 other inmates, with a bible in his hands he contemplated, No, he dredded his future. after serving three years in a dusty dungeon prison in the democratic republic of Congo he was going to be released. Meshack dredded the thought of starting anew, without any bankable skills, or the proverbial pot to piss in, it wouldn't be long before he was back in prison. "At least inside the prison i was provided with three square meals daily, clothes to wear albeit a uniform but clothes non the less and a place to sleep, on the outside the only thing I know how to do is rob and steal but on the other hand it would be nice to see Carolina again" meschak thought. A loud bang on the cell bars startled him back to reality "kabokie it's time to go back to your miserable life" a guard shouted pointing at Meshack amongst his fellow inmates. "Meschak! come forward, front and center, double time" the guard said as he unlocked the cell door . "Yes bwana" Meshack replied. Meshack picked up his bible and a few belongings that were neatly packed into a small plastic bag and walked towards the guard standing at the now open cell door. "Right this way, your highness!" the guard said jokingly as he motioned Meschak out of the cell.

 Meschak looked around for the last time at what had been his home for three years and took a deep breath as he crossed the threshold between the cell and eminent freedom. This action was met with applause from his fellow inmates with whom he had shared a cell, many of them chanted "free mandela! free mandela!" To symbolize a hard fought but finally attained freedom. As the prison guard led Meschak down the corridor of consecutive cells there was jubilation as he passed each cell. The prison guard led Meschak to a registry room in which several registry officers processed his release documents including the return of his personal effects, that had been confiscated at the time of his incarceration. Among his personal belongings were an old worn out suit and a gold designer bracelet watch a relic of the life he had once lead before he was inmate number 57568903. Meschack needed no invitation to change out of his prison clothes into his reclaimed suite and adorne himself with the golden wrist watch making him appear more important than he actually was. He was led out of the prison grounds by the guard, after his release papers were processed and signed. "I'll be seeing you soon" the guard commented. "No you won't," Meshack replied with a salute.

 He kissed the earth and took a deep refreshing breath as soon as he was finally off the prison premises and the prison gates were firmly shut behind him. As he stood there outside the prison taking stock of himself a familiar entity emerged in the distance, "could it be?, It surely can't be!" Meschak thought, but It was. It was Carolina, whom for many years he had seen only in his dreams and to see her now live and in living color in all her glorious beauty was almost too much for the ex convict to handle a tear ran down his cheek as Carolina approached. Carolina was as the saying goes 'a sight for sore eyes', she had a sort of beauty that seemed to command attention where ever she went, Meschak often joked that she had the power to stop time because every room she entered people paused for a few second and just stared. Carolina not unlike many congolese women was light skinned not naturally, but chemically owing to the use of copious amounts of skin lightening creams. Her hour glass body was complimented perfectly by her fashion sense, on this particular day she wore a high cut yellow sun dress that if it had been any higher would have exposed her lacey under garments or lack of which. Her smile revealed pearly white teeth that could melt even the most hardened men, her eyes could cast a spell on lesser men compelling them to do her bidding, wise men did well not to make eye contact. It was alleged that Carolina didn't need a gun to rob a bank she could quite easily walk up to a teller and compel him to give her the money on account of her beauty and he would gladly oblige. In all of Meschak's criminal career Carolina had been his one lucky charm as a matter of fact on the day of his arrest, Carolina was Missing in action as she had been attending to family business. It would appear that even after the years his lucky charm would serve him still, because at the very sight of her, Meschak felt his fortunes begin to change and a diabolical plan began to crystalize in his mind.

 As soon as Carolina was close enough, Meshack grabbed her and held her tightly in his arms, taking in her scent, breathing in her very essence, lifting her up off the ground, spinning her around. The embrace was so long and tight that Carolina could feel her ribs crack. After what seemed like an eternity Meschak finally put her down and uttered "where have you been all my life?" "Been waiting for you to come rescue me," Carolina replied. "Let's go home" Meschak said.

 Carolina had been renting an apartment in the inner slums of kinshasa. It was a desolate place overrun by street gangs called 'kulunas'. Despite there reputation the street gangs provided security to the inhabitants of the slum and for the fear of confrontation the police dared not enter these slums. Carolina's one roomed shack didn't look like much on the outside but was very homely on the inside. On the inside it boasted a comfy leather couch placed at the end of an elevated king sized bed and 45' big screen plasma TV. " You've done quite well for yourself," Meschak commented, noticing the affluence of the tiny apartment. "Oh it's nothing, I used some of the money you left me to start a business." "What business is that," Meschak asked. "I could tell you but I'd rather just show you," Carolina replied. She then proceeded to pull a large trunk from under the bed. Carolina opened the trunk revealing an inside filled with packs of raw opium, cash and a firearm at the top. "Where did you get that?" Meschak asked. "I've my sources," Carolina replied. 

 Meshack sat quietly for a moment pondering his next move, measuring his next words then he suddenly blurted "I have a plan!" "I hope your plan doesn't involve my drugs because I already have a system in place that's quite lucrative," Carolina replied. "Well here's the problem with your system, firstly your only market is drug fiends and addicts in this slum, because that's the only place the police won't bother to come, secondly it's only a matter of time before these drug fiends get tired of paying for drugs and try to take them for themselves or a rival drug dealer tries to move in on you, or worse the police actually work up the nerve and come down here and arrest you." Meschak elaborated. "Whilst your system maybe able to make you a living for a short while if conditions remain favorable, my plan will make us a killing and we may live out the rest of our lives as kings and queens not in slums but amongst societies elites." Meshack continued. "What is this plan? out with it!" Carolina demanded excitedly. 

 "Well for starters we need to expand your market but we need to do it in way that doesn't bring down heat on us from the law," Meschak stated. "How do we do that ?" Carolina asked. "I'm glad you asked," Meschak replied. "We will go into the service of our lord and personal savior" Meshack said smiling. Carolina laughed "how do you hope to pull that off, have you ever attended bible school? Or even showed any interest in church affairs?" "No, not particularly, but I was an astute church goer in my younger years," Meschak defended himself. "Really when was that, in another life? or on another planet perhaps?" Carolina said mocking him. "I had a life before you met me Carolina," Meschak responded. "But that's besides the point you see in today's world anyone can be a man of God, one only needs to look the part and to use a distinct tone when the preach," Meshack said. "In my time in prison I met one such preacher who clued me in on how lucrative the service of the lord is and how church people are easy pickings for crooks such as us." Meschak continued. "Hypothetically speaking say we do convince the masses that we are messengers of God, how does that expand our market," Carolina probbed. "I'm glad you asked, we are going to process the opium mixed it in with water and rebrand it anointed water, will mix the rest with olive oil and rebrand it anointing oil," Meschak explained.

 "Everyone in kinshasa knows who you are how do you hope to convince anyone that you are an anointed servant of the lord" Carolina continued to probe. "There in lies the problem, I think we are going to have to relocate," Meschak replied. "To where?" Carolina queried. Meshack thought for a while before he replied "I got it will go to Zambia. Zambia's people and culture are very similar to the congolese, we will fit right in."