Bright

Up ahead lay the blockade made by the villagers, they were in civilian clothings, not armed and definitely not as dangerous as the resistance force. The armored truck came to a stop before the barrier made of mostly haystacks and a few bricks. John told us the drivers was asking the villagers for permission to let us pass this section of the road while we sat at the back, waiting for their hospitality to open the door for us. Sara who sat next to me was uneasy, she moved her shoulders around and covered her face with wrinkles and sweat. From her left I saw her anxiety grew as the talking between the driver and the villagers went long and loud. I didn't understand a word they said but could guess from the villagers expression that we were not welcomed here.

"What's happening?" I said, eyes on Sara. Her legs was trembling like a girl who just experienced period in her bare pants.

"They want money, weapons to defend themselves. They'd be lucky if they could salvage anything from our truck." said John, our guide to the area, he had been my source for the past few years. He was very short but fat, like a teenager who never grew up in height but weight. And though the impression of his eyes were deep and dark, he didn't have that heavy of an accent as others contacts I had. John climbed behind the driver and handed him a few dollar bills and exchanged a few words.

Presently the road was cleared and our truck was moving again. The road was clear though sandy and uneven. We held on to the bars on the ceiling of the truck on this bumpy road and didn't say anything to each other for a long time.