A Patriot's Valor- A Short Story

John walked briskly towards the only building that was lit in the town. He kept on tilting his head to check whether he was being followed. As soon as he entered through the door, the sound of clinking mugs and laughter greeted him. He seated himself at the table in the back of the inn. One of the maids approached him,” Would you like to have something?” she asked. “Beer will be fine,” he replied. He checked his coat pocket once and after feeling the heavyweight of the copper box he hid inside, he sat satisfied. Sipping his drink, he stared at the door while tapping his foot on the floor. After an hour or so, a woman entered and walked towards his table. He got up to greet her, “How are you, Lila? It's been five years since I saw you and the others.”

"We are doing fine. We lost a few of our brothers last summer when the enemies attacked on the northern border but they fought bravely," she whispered her eyes filling with tears.

“I tried to warn them, but I guess I wasn’t fast enough,” John said his head bowed.

“Don’t blame yourself, John, we all swore an oath to protect our country till our dying breath and we will not let our country go in the hands of a tyrannical leader,” she said looking at him.

“Lila, I have something which is valuable to our enemies. Safeguard it,” he said and placed the copper box in Lila’s hand.

"Until we meet again brother," Lila smiled and left but not before forming a fist and tapping it on her chest. John replied with the very same motion. It wasn’t long before a group of men dressed in army uniforms entered the inn. They began questioning all the guests until one of the soldiers saw John and pointed towards him. John got up to run but the soldiers grabbed him and dragged him out of the inn. They took him to a deserted alley and bound his hands. One of the soldiers searched his coat and removed a knife that he had hidden there. After not finding what they were looking for, the commander of the soldiers grabbed his collar and shouted at his face, “Where is the box?” John did not reply. The commander punched him on the face and asked again. When John did not say anything, the soldiers began hitting him until he lay bleeding on the ground. With barely any strength left, he sat up and coughed blood on the ground. “Tell me where you hid the box, or I will kill you,” the commander said and slapped him across the face. John looked up and smiled at the commander, "Kill me but you will never know the taste of freedom, breathe in the air of peace, step on the holy ground of my country for my brothers and sisters will continue to fight till their last breath. We are not afraid for we are strong like a tree with its roots firmly planted in the ground and its branches continuing to grow upwards.

John did not see who stabbed him but as he lay on the ground staring at the stars, images of children playing in green meadows and people sitting and laughing around a bonfire flashed across his mind as he drifted off to a heavenly sleep.