: Otani :

We waited for the perfect moment. She watched the back and I watched the door for any sign of movement. It was quiet, too quiet almost. But we figured the guards were preoccupied with some other ruckus on one of the floors above. One last check. We looked at each other and we knew…it was now or never.

So we went for it. She lifted him up and exposed his chains to allow for easier access. And with steadfast hands and sheer determination, I broke them apart…snap. I opened up my coat and she took that as her cue to burry him in there as best as she could. It was like we had danced this tango before, we anticipated each exact step the other would take, movements precise and coordinated in perfect symphony. We looked behind us once more but with our bodies huddled together blocking the line of sight, the guards were oblivious to our intentions. In a calm fashion, we took several steps forward and walked slowly out into the brisk night where our getaway car was already waiting. We jumped in and away we went, smiles on our faces, never looking back.

I often think about that fateful night and imagine what the nights before must have been like for him. I wonder what his previous life was like, whether he was loved and how he got to where he was. I try not to think about how long he must have endured his imprisonment and what horrible things had caused the permanent frown on his face. And sometimes as he sits there in silence pondering, eyes in a faraway place, I look at him and I wonder if he was better off there, in a place full of people and passerby’s.

But most of all, I wonder…despite the weight of our deeds and the risks that we took to free him, whether it was he who actually saved us. Freeing Otani might have been the only good thing I did all year.