As the soldiers went about their duties, John thought of an escape plan. When the evening came, he realised that they hadn’t stripped Prosper of his backpack. He opened it and found Prosper’s pocket knife. The cell was made from dried sugarcane sticks, an escape hatch could be cut with a decent knife.

“I have an idea,” he said.

Everyone in the cell turned to face him and he explained that he was going to cut the cane sticks using the knife, but he needed everyone in the cell to act normal if they all wanted to make it out. They all agreed to act natural then Blah Jonz and Cliff took turns at cutting the sugarcane sticks with the knife. It took them two hours to cut a decent hole.

When it seemed that all the guards were asleep, all the prisoners escaped into the forest with the help of Blah Jonz. They ran at a steady pace all night while the men at the back of the group tried to conceal their trail by whipping the ground with small tree branches.

When morning came, they found themselves in front of a farm. They knew that it would only be a matter of time before someone noticed them so John offered to go ask the farmer if they could have something to eat and work for him in return. Prosper didn’t like the idea of working on a farm, but what could he do?

His father returned a while later with the farmer in tow.

“I hear you all are looking for work and a place to stay,” he said.

Everyone nodded in unison.

“Well, I have a barn you could use and I need the labour. If you all do as I say and don’t steal from me, I will treat you well,” the man added.

So it came that they worked on the farm, however, Blah Jonz couldn’t stay out of trouble. He was arrested two weeks later for shoplifting at a local grocery store. He was deported back to Zimbabwe within a month. The farmer didn’t get involved for fear of losing his cheap labour.

Prosper on the other hand left the farm for Pretoria just after his dad’s deportation. He caught a lift with a produce truck driver who dropped him off in Marabastad. He had no idea where he was or where to go. That night he slept alone and hungry at the Putco bus station in Marabastad. The next morning, with his backpack upon his back, he went in search of a job.

He had left Cliff behind and sorely regretted it at the time. Cliff was easy with people and would have probably secured them both a job within that day. He didn’t get a job that day, nor the day after. He was homeless and hungry for two weeks when he met a fellow Zimbabwean who told him where to apply for an asylum.

That man saved his life. Prosper went to home affairs that day and applied for an asylum just as the man had told him to. It was granted to him two weeks later. He got a job at a local tavern. He still had big ambitions and dreams but knew that eventually, he would have the life that he wanted.

It was now day 2 with nothing to eat and still walking on bare foot looking for help even a pool of water would help the poor teenager. Prosper sat down and said, “Dad am not going anywhere further l cant, my feet hurts am hungry am thirsty, l have a headache.” his father also felt the same but it was pointless for them to sit and relax in the middle of nowhere rather they would just die. So Bla Jonz raised his voice to his son and told him to move he said we are almost there just some few killometres.

Luckily a car stopped at them and the guy asked, ” hey where are you going and where are you coming from get in” before they could answer they were already inside so they told him the whole story, and the man said lam a Pastor l just felt that l can stop and ask so he gave them food and took them to his place in Waterport, gave them shelter for a week and found them a job at a farm.

They worked at the farm for a month, and Bla Jonz was arrested by Police on his way to shopping centre so he was deported to Zim. As for Prosper he decided to change and go to Pretoria to look for better job not in the farms, so he had to hike in trucks and go to Pretoria.

Prosper was packed inside a truck from a farm in Limpopo province at night and off he went to Pretoria. Around 1am he was offloaded in Marabastad at a robot and the driver said “this is Pretoria my bro, see you bye.” Prosper knew noone in Pretoria and had no were to go so he slept at the PUTCO bus station in Marabastad until morning when he began his search for a better job.

He stayed 2weeks in Marabastad without bathing or proper housing then suddenly met a friend from his country who made connections and told him where to get an asylum at homeaffairs then he started working at a Tarven.

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Tell us: Why do you think people risk their lives to cross borders illegally?