A slave was working out in the fields one day. The sun was high in the sky and, beads of sweat were forming and then running down his face. They stopped for a brief moment, to form drops at the base of his chin, before dropping to the ground, or getting wiped away by his soil covered hand.

A butterfly was dancing a weightless dance, soaring and swooping, fluttering its wings. It was beautiful and hynotising to watch. It finally came to rest, on the stem of a carefully cultivated flower. It closed its wings and then became hard to see, blending into the surrounding scene.

The slave focused on the beauty of the dance, while a slave working close beside him, started to complain about the annoying insects flying about the place.
The slave wondered what it must be like to be a butterfly. He thought about its beauty and the freedom it had. He remembered a time when he was a child running and playing, hugging his mother, feeling free and loved.
Time had passed quickly since those times, as he found out, what life was for him and his childhood friends. They were slaves, bought and sold like animals at a market. They were fed, watered and housed, to produce profit for their owners.
They were allowed marry to produce stock for the supply and demand of their produce. There was a large hungry market to be satisfied.

He could see the beauty in things, simple things. It gave him the energy to breath and dream. Dangerous dreams, which some of his childhood friends had lost. Resigned to life in captivity. Some found freedom in alcohol and drugs, more became slaves to alcohol and drugs, while others became Zombies, the living dead.

The slave toiled away, in the field one day. He looked at his master riding on his horse, there was hate in his eyes. The slave didn't feel hate, but wondered what kind of man could sit and whip a fellow man into submission, just to get what he wanted. Not much of a man, the slave thought to himself, not a man at all. In his mind he called the master "a nothing " for all his wealth and pomp he could not be a human. He could not be a human or a machine for both these things were something.

The beatings of the slave's heart was pumping strong and rhythmically, he had thoughts on escape and was formulating a plan. When he got his opportunity, he would make a run for it and leave this life behind.
There was unrest in the country and things were reaching boiling point.
The country was going to go to war in the near future. He would join the war and fight for the side that was on his side.

An opportunity came his way as the master ordered him to bring the carriage to town to collect the master's wife at the train station. He had not shown what his true intentions were, and had won the trust of the master.
The town was bustling as the slave got to the train station. There were passengers embarking and disembarking, and there was a lot of general commotion about.
The train was about to leave when he decided, that was his chance. He calmly dismounted the carriage, made his way towards the train and climbed into the undercarriage of the train. Moments later the whistle sounded, and with a jolt the train took off.

Thomas was the slave's name. He held on with all his strength, not knowing what his future would be, but it was not going to be the same again. The train slowed down going around a curve on the track, so Thomas decided it was the place to get off before the train reached the next town. There would be a search started for him, as soon as he was missed. He managed to hurl himself off the train, rolling, he came to a stop, picked himself up and disappeared into the distance.

Thomas was bright, his mother secretly thought him to read and write and encouraged him to think and dream. She was a strong woman, and her inner strength rubbed off on her son. Thomas managed to evade capture travelling at night and jumping trains. He eventually managed to smuggle himself, across the border, into a country, where he could be a free man.

The unrest was coming to a head in the old country. Diplomacy had reached a dead stop. Neither side was giving way, the old way versus the new modern thinkers. They were facing off to each other.
Slavery being just one of the contentious issues, was about to implode a country. Setting brother against brother to try and find a way into the future.
Thomas decided that he was going to fight in this war. It was destined to change the world and the lives of people for generations to come. He signed up with the forces, fighting to abolish slavery and gain equality for all people. They would set the marker, for the rest of the world to follow.

The revolution raged on and on, both sides dug in and fought fanatically. It was all out war fought on and off battlefields. Sometimes using guerrilla type tactics, a war that still carries on, to this day in many parts of the world.
Thomas fought his battles as they came, until finally, a resolution was reached. Neither side won but had grown battle weary. They could not continue to slaughter each other, or they would end up with no country at all.
Terms were reached to try and iron out the main arguments. Both sides agreeing to a conditional surrender. Slavery would be abolished. A treaty was signed and new laws were introduced. For the moment there would be peace.

Thomas knew, what it felt like to be free. The memories he had, of when he was a child.
He knew what it was, to be a slave.
The oppression and subjugation of a people.
He knew what it was to be a Soldier.
Fighting with your life for your beliefs.

He was not completely free.
He was still locked in a world where good, continued to fight evil.
He wondered, if like the butterfly flying about freely.
If Life was about just being, what you were born to be?
Surviving, fighting for survival... Searching for truth... Death... The Afterlife..??????

© Conor Boland