IN STORAGE
My family sold everything to send me abroad, where the
agent promised I would earn good wages, a hundred times more than was possible
at home.
The lorry driver packed us into crates like chickens,
where we took turns breathing through the air-hole, but when we felt the sea
beneath us we were happy. We heard English voices as a fork-lift moved our
crates, then others were placed around us, more above us, we heard metal
shutters closing, then silence.
My phone is dying, so this is my final message.
Tell my family I’m sorry.
...................................................................................
J Hardy Carroll's photo might be of a simple storage facility, but to me it looks sinister. Whenever I see images of those enormous ships with containers stacked high on deck, I wonder how many poor deluded souls are hidden inside one. I am inflicted with too much imagination! Thanks as ever to Rochelle for hosting Friday Fictioneers on her blog https://rochellewisoff.com/
The horror of treating human cargo with less regard than if they were animals is still just as sickening as it was during slavery. They ARE slaves. There should be more of an outcry.
ReplyDeleteYou wrote this with a great deal of sensitivity and empathy.
Thanks Linda. The tragedies of the freezer truck and Morecambe Bay still haunt me.
DeleteA timely tale
ReplyDeleteThank you Neil.
DeleteWell written. Human trafficking is beyond horrible.
ReplyDeleteDo those traffickers even have souls?
DeleteDear Liz,
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like the Vietnamese refugees who were found dead in the back of the truck. Horrible. A very timely piece in any event. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
All too real, taken from the headlines in the news recently - and then the daft politics of an election come along and it is forgotten about and nothing changes. Powerful story Liz.
ReplyDeletePolitics have always been daft, but even such appalling tragedies are overtaken by other news.
DeleteThat gave me the shudders - so sad in light of the recent horrific reality.
ReplyDeleteSusan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
It made me shudder too just imagining it. Thanks Susan.
DeleteTerribly story, with echoes of fact after the news of a few weeks ago in Britain. We will never know how many people die this way.
ReplyDeleteWhich in itself is another tragedy.
DeleteThat last bit got to me, Liz. Such a crushed hope and inhumane ending. I hope she found a way out.
ReplyDeleteWe can but hope.
DeleteAlas, the realities of human trafficking and human cargo and modern day slavery are all too real. Thank you for this portrayal of what many may want to think does not happen. Yet does.
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting, Na'ama.
DeleteOh my God that just came and pulled my guts out.
ReplyDeleteFabulous write, Liz...
Thank you, Dale x
DeleteExcellently written story of a horribly sad tale that unfortunately could be a true one.
ReplyDeleteThat's the worst part - that it could be true.
Deleteit's the luck of the draw. who knows? perhaps s/he will make it.
ReplyDeleteThe luck of the draw - that's exactly what the people trafficker said when interviewed. So callous.
DeleteA tale of our times and one that resonates with me living as I do near a channel port.
ReplyDeleteHave you actually seen things happening? We saw boatloads of Africans arrive a few times when we lived in Tenerife.
DeleteThis is terrifying and even made worse because it's the truth.
ReplyDeleteI know.
DeleteAhhh...jeez this is to close to possible...got me right in the feels :(
ReplyDeleteThanks Dawn - it is far too close.
Delete