Thank you, Apartheid : Part 4:Hijacked

"You can take anything you want! I've given you my PIN, I've told you there's a tracking device, you've taken all my belongings. You don't have to do this!" The words trembled in the air, barely more than a whisper and a whimper entwined into one. Desperation and fear laced each syllable, as I pleaded with my hijacker, my voice teetering on the brink of silence. I knew that any sign of defiance would invite a swift and final end. The distinct click of a gun being cocked resonated in the stillness, and the cold touch of a .45 pressed mercilessly against the back of my skull. Helpless and prostrate, my face buried in the dirt, I became one with the concealing sea of tall grass that surrounded both me and my assailant. Surprisingly, I found myself devoid of fear or panic. Instead, a strange calmness settled upon me, almost accepting the supposed inevitability of my impending fate. In those haunting moments, my thoughts were consumed by a single question: "If I perish here, how long will it be before anyone discovers me, if ever? What agony will this inflict upon my family?"

"Just shut up! Be still or I'll kill you!" His words sliced through the air, sharp and abrupt, leaving no room for doubt. He was so close I could smell musty, damp clothes mixed with the distinct smell of brandy emanating from his pores. His courage somewhat fueled by I could still sense his nervousness, as the tremor in his hand betrayed his fear. The weight of the gun, trembling against my skull, served as a chilling testament to his shaky resolve. In a situation as dire as this, the last thing one desires is to be at the mercy of an amateur. I could only but imagine the unsteady finger inching towards the trigger. Taking slow, deliberate breaths, I closed my eyes, surrendering to the cruel inevitability of the moment. There was nothing left for me to do but wait. Time crawled with agonizing slowness, until, in the distance, the familiar burble of my Subaru's boxer engine cracked the silence. Finally, my captor shattered the eerie stillness with his gravelly voice, "Don't get up. Don't look up. If you move, I will end you." Like a monotonous chant, he repeated his warning. My senses, heightened by a surge of adrenaline, caught the fading echo of his voice and the rustling of grass as his steps disrupted their orderly ranks. And then, a sound I knew all too well—a sharp blip of the throttle, the growl of the exhaust, and the whir of the turbocharger, fracturing the twilight hush. My captors vanished into the distance, putting kilometers between us in a desperate bid to escape. In that fleeting moment, I dared to believe that I had narrowly evaded a premature demise...

Many chapters followed that harrowing ordeal, each one a testament to the indomitable human spirit. The Universe, in its mysterious ways, revealed both the best and the worst of humanity, illuminating our innate virtues and flaws. Despite the presence of a tracking device, my car was never recovered, lost in the labyrinth of a world that both protects and conceals.

Clutching onto the memory of my stolen car, I was consumed by a torrent of emotions. It wasn't merely a material possession slipping through my fingers; it was a piece of my identity wrenched away. Time, however, had a way of unveiling profound truths to me. I slowly began to understand that this loss was a lesson in the transient nature of life, teaching me the art of letting go.

The incident unraveled in Eldorado Park, an area ravaged by the merciless grip of poverty—a stark reminder of the enduring scars left by the dark era of apartheid and the Group Areas Act. Fate and irony converged, entwining my destiny with those who had committed the act. These hijackers, I discovered, hailed from the very community my friends and I had sought to uplift through acts of charity. This realization took its toll, gradually reshaping my thoughts and essence against my will.

While the hijacking had initially felt like a personal attack, upon deeper reflection, I came to realize that it had little to do with my individual self. It was born from the desperation that arises when job opportunities are scarce and the pursuit of quick money becomes an alluring temptation. With the passage of time, my initial fear and anger morphed into a tainted perspective, warping my perception of others.

A few weeks had passed since my harrowing experience of being hijacked, and I found myself consumed by an overwhelming fury. Amidst the raging tempest of anger, fate bestowed upon me a serendipitous lesson. It was during a routine trip to the supermarket to purchase groceries when something caught my attention—a man standing beside me, pondering over tins of infant formula. His threadbare clothing revealed his impoverished state, and to this very day, I remain bewildered as to why I felt compelled to strike up a conversation with him, extending my hand in offering assistance.

His tale resonated within the depths of my being, shaking me to my very core. He was a father, burdened with the responsibility of a newborn, but devoid of the means to procure the vital sustenance his infant required. Faced with the anguish of witnessing his own child suffer from hunger, he wrestled with his conscience, resisting the path of theft, yet teetering on the precipice of desperation. In that moment, I glimpsed the sheer despair and anguish etched in his eyes, and a surge of compassion overwhelmed me. I instinctively offered to purchase the formula for him, to alleviate his flight and provide his little one with nourishment. Yet, the profound lesson I gleaned from this encounter extended far beyond the act of charitable giving. It resided in the realm of perspective—a profound shift in the way I perceived the world. Perhaps this is why my hijackers committed the crime they did?

From the depths of my being, a stirring emerged—a burgeoning consciousness that implored me to journey inward and nurture empathy. The detachment from my car acted as a catalyst, fracturing the walls of my consciousness and allowing empathy to seep in. I came to understand that goodness and wickedness are not inherent qualities, but flickering lights within us all. Even the gentlest souls can be driven to transgress under the crushing weight of desperate circumstances.

In the wake of that fateful day, I consider myself immensely fortunate to have escaped with my life. Countless others have not been as fortunate; their stories remain untold, their lives prematurely extinguished by the merciless realities of existence. This burden of knowledge ignited a blazing fire within me, compelling me to embark on a mission of comprehension and compassion. I yearned to amplify the voices of the suffering and dismantle the systems that perpetuate such injustice.

I transformed into an advocate for change, harnessing the power of my voice and personal experiences to illuminate the underlying societal issues that breed desperation and crime. I devoted myself to supporting initiatives that aimed to uplift communities shackled by poverty, striving for a future where no soul would be driven to violence and theft out of sheer necessity. I chose to relinquish the shackles of bias and anger, fully embracing the profound teachings of Gandhi: "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

The incident, which once threatened to shatter my spirit, instead became a catalyst for transformation. It ignited a fire within me, fueling my determination to create at the very least pockets where compassion, understanding, and opportunity preside. As I continue on this path, guided by the lessons learned from that dark chapter of my life, I am reminded that even amidst the cruelest adversity, humanity possesses the boundless potential to evolve, to heal, and to build a better tomorrow.

Yet, the most profound epiphany I gleaned from this experience resides in the realization that when my final moments draw near, my ruminations will not revolve around material possessions, but rather, they will be consumed by thoughts of my cherished family and those held closest to my heart.

Thank you Apartheid, for :

1. Teaching me about the transient nature of life
2. Making me compassionate and empathetic
3. Giving me perspective and deep, authentic understanding
4. Making me an agent of change
5. Showing me what truly matters most when you meet your end

-End of part 4-

In a time where at a global level the issue of race occupies much thought and talk space, it brought about reflection and introspection for me.

Topics of race often tend to illicit emphatic and passionate standpoints and commentary. As a caveat, the thoughts, views, realizations and statements shared here are based on my experiences. They are not intended to be inflammatory or draw comparisons between anyone else's lived experiences. Neither is intended to wave a moral wand around, nor to seek sympathy nor to create any tension. It is truly my truth and reflection. Please consume this as such.

#leadership #storytelling