Kidnapped by the Taliban

Author:Dilip Joseph M.D.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2014-07-31T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

A PRECARIOUS PEACE

6:00 A.M., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7

THE DIM LIGHT OF DAWN HAD JUST BEGUN TO STEAL THROUGH the cracks in the two ventilation openings and doorway of our room when I yawned and opened my eyes. I felt so good. Man, I thought, did I just sleep that long?

It was more than just being rested. I had an incredible sense of peace, both physical and spiritual. I felt as if I were literally wrapped in a blanket of tranquility. The sensation was so strong that I actually lifted my arm and checked to see if there was something on top of me besides my blanket.

Even the thought of death could not disturb my new serenity.

If I am to die today, I’ll still feel good that I connected well with my captors yesterday. What’s the worst that can happen? I’ll get shot and meet my creator a bit sooner than I expected. I’m okay with that.

What I didn’t know then was that during the night—daytime Thursday in the States—my extended family, friends, and colleagues had begun to find out about my predicament. Many of these people immediately started praying for me, and some of them contacted national and international prayer networks. By the time I woke up, thousands of people around the world had asked God, on my behalf, to protect and safely deliver Rafiq, Farzad, and me from captivity.

Had I realized what was happening, I would have been humbled beyond measure. As it was, I simply reveled in the calm that enveloped me.

Am I still in captivity? I turned my head to take in the room. Yes, the stirring bodies of my captors, along with their Kalashnikovs, were all still here. Though I felt like a new man on the inside, my outer circumstances had not changed.

What I didn’t know was that change was indeed on its way.

While we ate our usual breakfast of naan dipped in hot tea, the supply guy in the checkered headscarf returned. He was accompanied by a man I hadn’t seen before. This one was older, probably in his midthirties, and had a short, neatly trimmed black beard. He was dressed in an all-black salwar kameez, a color more commonly seen in Pakistan or especially India. Unlike the supply guy, he definitely took notice of me. He didn’t say anything, but when he entered the room, he gave me a long, intense look.

After breakfast Wallakah and Haqqani led Rafiq, Farzad, and me to a nearby hill. Wallakah handed me a cell phone and said, “Call your guys.”

This time we got through to Roy. I explained how our signal had been cut off the day before. I also told him about the long conversation and connection with Wallakah during the previous afternoon.

“Even so, my feeling is that they still want to see a resolution in the next day or two,” I said, “or something will happen.” I didn’t want to say what that “something” might be.

“Dilip, this just isn’t going to resolve quickly,” Roy answered. “We need time.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.