62

The real challenge to getting out of the diamond farm was getting past the guards and the explosives. Getting past the guards was partially easy since they could hear their voices so both Nate and Tshepo deduced that they were still hanging around the cliff waiting for any signs of movements that would indicate that they were still alive. They couldn’t rule out the possibility that there might be some guards at the gate.

“How do we leave?” Nate whispered fiercely.

“The explosives are set off by heavyweight, that’s what one of the workers told me while I was…away. During the day half of the explosives are deactivated where the workers work but at night they are fully activated.”

“How does your friend know this?” Nate asked unsure of that information. He would have preferred to climb up the cliff again and fight his way through the guards. That would attract attention but at least it was the fastest way to get to Fredrick’s throat.

“He once saw a bird alight on the other half of the activated plot.”

“We can’t magically grow smaller unless you plan to swim in the ocean to get out of here. Mind you I do not intend to become food for the sharks…” Nate faltered. Up until that moment, he had deliberately tried not to think about Anele’s gruesome death. What would he tell her Aunty? “You saw what happened to Anele,” he added swallowing hard.

Tshepo took hold of his shoulder. “Hey, forget about that for now, mourn later.”

It was a cruel outlook on their predicament but Nate knew Tshepo meant well. As soon as he was out of here he would make Fredrick pay.

“So how do we navigate this field? We don’t know where the explosives are buried.”

In response Tshepo lay on his belly and flattened himself on the ground, spreading his hands and legs so that he was stretched out on the floor.

“Like this. Lie down!” he said to Nate who quickly did as he ordered. “Watch me,” Tshepo continued. As Nate watched Tshepo moved one hand and the opposite leg, bending the leg at the knee so that he looked like a spider on the floor. He crawled forward alternating hands and knees. Nate followed suit, crawling on his belly. To their right, the ocean splashed, rising above the bank and wetting their clothes. To their left, the rocky cliff loomed closer. Soon they were navigating the jagged edge of the cliff’s bottom which wasn’t easy since they were slipping on loose rocks and sharp crustacean shells.

Their palms caught on sharp rocky surfaces but they bore the pain because there was no other alternative. Soon they were safely at the other side of the cliff, here was the diamond field with the precious stones scattered all over the white sand. It seemed unfair that the most barren land when the diamond miners first arrived in Gabore became the most fertile. It was even more unfair because it belonged to the cruelest man of all.

Tshepo led the way. The cliff edged into the woods they had passed on their way to the field when Anele led them. It was the only part of the field not armed with electric fences but there was a reason for that. Only the top of the cliff granted access to the field and it was not accessible from below the cliff. If a worker tried to get into the field from the outside using the cliff he or she would find themselves with two options; the ocean or falling from the cliff to the ground thereby setting off the explosives. Fredrick was a cunning man and it seemed like nature was on his side protecting his riches.

Nate followed Tshepo closely behind, neither boy made any sounds against the sand. Then to Nate’s astonishment, Tshepo reached out and picked a lump of diamond and slipped it into his pocket.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Tshepo smiled back at him. “If we must kill Fredrick we might as well steal from him to buy passage out of here. Pick as much as you can.”

Nate did not need a second invitation. Anchoring himself well on one hand and leg he filled his pockets with as many diamonds as he could without increasing the pressure of his weight put on the ground.

By the time they had gotten enough diamonds, they were at the end of the field where the electric fences met the cliff. Their options were limited to climbing the cliff and leaping over the other side of the fence making as little sound as possible.

Tshepo took hold of a jagged rock on the wall of the boulder and began to climb. Nate did the same. They climbed in silence listening to the guards walk about the top of the cliff while sharing cigarettes to warm themselves in the cold night. They talked about the diamond field and how each would have loved to own a few diamonds themselves.

The boys didn’t concern themselves with their conversation only with survival.

The climb wasn’t an easy one. Even on the cold night, both boys began to sweat profusely. It was hard to stay balanced on one hand while trying to feel out for loose rocks. Once Tshepo’s foot almost slipped on a loose rock but he caught himself speedily before continuing with his climb.

By the time they got past halfway both boys were breathing heavily.

All was going well until they reached the top of the cliff and Tshepo’s gaze fell on the boots of a soldier who stood directly in front of him.

His heart skipped a beat as he thought for a moment that the guard had heard them climbing and was now standing there to shoot them in the head but soon he heard the man laugh and take a single step away from him.

Nate had come up close enough to see the guard's boots. The man was telling a story and the guards were facing him, laughing.

Nate cursed their luck. There they were hanging onto rocks that could give out in seconds and they couldn’t move to avoid drawing the attention of the guards to themselves.

“And then she said ‘That thing is going to cleave me in two” the guard was saying, recanting his sexual experience with one of the night workers who worked for the wealthy diamond owners.

The other men laughed heartily.

“What do we do?” Nate whispered softly trying to keep his heartbeat under control. The ocean waves swallowed the sound of his whisper but Tshepo heard him.

“We wait…”

But they didn’t have to wait for long because suddenly an alarm went off and the men stopped talking and turned in the direction of the field’s gate.

Nate almost dropped dead. “They know we are here!”

“Ssh!” Tshepo whispered but he too started to fear that the men knew they were still alive. His heart began to pound heavily and more sweat dropped down the side of his face.

“The alarm!” one of the men said. “Let’s go! Emergency!”

Suddenly the field was flooded with white lights. Every dark corner was illuminated. Nate wanted to scream, but only the look on Tshepo’s face kept him quiet.

The men began to pack up their guns which they had dropped on the ground and began marching down the cliff.

As soon as they were gone Tshepo climbed the last few feet up and helped Nate.

“What is happening?” Nate asked as Tshepo took his hand and began to run with him down the cliff, keeping a safe distance between them and the guards.

They half expected the guards to turn around and begin to fire bullets at them but when they took a detour to the main gate and joined other guards to walk hurriedly into town, Tshepo realized that something beyond just him and Nate being alive was happening.

“I don’t know,” he replied Nate. “But if we are still going to kill Fredrick I suggest we do it now and fast!”