The Gateway Of Freedom

CAST: Robert Hardin, Peter Young, Mark Cyrus, Pam Viela, Alan Poe


The sudden ringing of the jail bell interrupted Peter Young’s thoughts. He completed the third tally mark on his cell wall, the wall of the room in which he had been imprisoned for a crime. As the cell bars automatically swung open, he strode out of the melancholy chambers and into the gleaming sunlight. He brought his arms up to shield his eyes from the striking light. Once again a push from behind got his attention ‘Move along idiot’, a voice came from behind. Knowing it would be better to keep quiet, he followed the rest of the boys on their way to lunch. Out of the corner of his eye, he got a good look of Robert Hardin, his prolonged enemy, following the boys below. He made a way down the stairs, careful not to slip over the puddle of water. After walking for a minute or so, he entered the mess hall. The cook dropped some mashed potatoes and vegetables in his plate, which was cooked in such a fashion that the sight itself could make a person lose his appetite. He turned to move to his table when he felt another nudge at his shoulder, causing him to spill most of his plate’s content. ‘Who the **** was that?’ he remarked. Instantly came the reply, ‘Why the **** do you want to know that for?’ Even though Peter knew he could not argue Robert Hardin, he had made his mistake… ‘Because I have the right to know!’ and before Peter could not take back his words, Robert again replied ‘You also have the right to receive THIS’ and gave him a knock on the bridge of his nose. And the next few seconds was a flash for peter. He could not feel Robert Hardin boring down upon him, the pain from his fists was excruciating. As Peter was thinking of dying, the attack stopped. A familiar voice spoke, ‘Cut it off, cut it off you two!’ and the two boys turned to face the most feared person in the Juvenile home, none other than Mark Cyrus, the jail warden.

A stout person in his forties, with brown hair in his military cut, and a clean shave was the most ruthless person in the building. His cruel punishments were never forgotten by the students. ‘Get up you filthy swine’ came the dreaded voice. Although Robert was trembling in shiver breath, he tried his best not to show it as that attitude of a ‘fearful child’ often brought out Mark Cyrus' brutal nature but Peter could not control his fear. Seeing the apprehension within the poor child Mark brought out a smirk, an evil one most would say. ‘Who dropped the food?’ he asked and all the fingers around him pointed at Peter. Once again, the warden smirked.

‘You are going to let good food go to waste, are you?’
After a brief period of silence came the reply from Peter, ‘No sir’.
‘Then eat it’
Once again, after a small gap he spoke in a trembling voice, ‘From the ground?’
‘YES DAMNIT’
‘No sir, I’m not hungry’
‘You refuse? I expect YOU to be HUNGRY!’

Before his lips could putter out the word ‘no’ the warden clutched his baton in his fists and gave him a blow at Peter’s knee. And with a yelp Peter fell first into the food he had dropped earlier.

‘Now eat it all up, we have some good vegetables and mashed potatoes, yes that’s it, eat it all!’

It took every ounce of self-control Peter had within him that prevented him from beating the live crap out of Mark. Instead, he kept eating from the ground like a dog gone stray. Everyone laughed and cheered, most of them clutching their stomach at the sight they claimed to be ‘funny’. Suddenly Mark broke into the laughter, ‘AND WHAT THE **** DO YOU PIGS FIND SO FUNNY. For laughing each one of you will abandon your food and run ten rounds around the building and only then will you be allowed to resume your stupid lunch.’ And all the boys followed suit except for Peter who continued his so-called lunch. Out of the corner of his eye, Peter saw Robert looking at him with sympathy in his eyes just before leaving.

‘Continue eating I will be back in a minute’ Mark said.

A girl with the same brown colored hair as Mark, of course, his daughter was watching all this. She walked to him sadly and sat at a bench nearby. Looking distraught, Peter looked up at the cute girl named Pam Veila. ‘Don’t be sad’ she breathed out slowly. He could not understand what had happened next… she gave him a toffee and seeing a tear trickled down from his eye, her hand slowly reached for wiping put his tears but was withdrawn at the sight of her father. While Pam strode away from mess hall, Peter quickly chucked the toffee into his pocket. Mark Cyrus made his way from one of the old convict overseers to poor Peter behaving akin to a beast. He called “You the young pestering devil would eat it all and will not have any thing to drink. Mark banged him with his truncheon at his flipside. “Ahhhhhh…” the cry lasted for few minutes. Spitting on the food on the floor Mark made his way to cottage.

Alan Poe, a good old maiden in the juvenile home came there with the words of bliss “Peter, don’t you know about Mark? Then why did you do this?”
“Mam I am sorry for my gaffe, but how can I control the irksome words of Robert? Is that not a mistake?” asked Peter

“Yes, indeed. I am sorry!” A surprising voice from back, it was none other than Robert Hardin. He continued, “I am sorry indeed! I might have been rude and ugly, it is because of my background from where I brought up, please pardon me, I beg.”
Alan the good old woman enquired about his past.
Robert started narrating his legend.

“I am an orphan. I only remember my mother’s face when she was in the bed fighting with blood cancer. My mother and I were thrown into the world of waifs and strays by my father. I am the child in their unlawful relation. When my mother died, I had no other choice than joining the company of pickpocketers and the thieves. So I learned the art of robbery from a man who is the leader of the robbery gang. I had robbed many and I pick pocketed many. I lived for two months like that and after that, I had been brought here. Being with out laws, I have a boorish nature so please pardon me”. Tears sprang from his eyes.

Alan took both of them to Peter’s cell. She insisted Robert to be friend with him. Alan went to cell bar, all of a sudden, the bunch of keys, which was on her belt of her skirt fell down. Before she could do something Peter flew down, took the keys, gave it back to her. She thanked him, locked the cell door, and went off.
“Sorry. I made you eat that food; Sorry, really sorry!” excused Hardin.
Peter said, “I should be sorry for misunderstanding you.”

Robert went near Peter took his hand and said “I had affronted you; let me hold your hand warmly for making you my best friend as a forfeit” he embraced his hands lovingly and firmly. “Is that true?” Peter was very nice to accept his offer.
“So let me knew about your past” Robert was curious to know Peter’s past and of course his best friend’s. Peter started narrating his chronicle.

“I was on the streets from my childhood days. I do not remember the face of my father or mother. I am also an orphan like you. However, I am not in the hands of outlaws. I hardly have anything to eat or drink. Sometimes I had even eaten from wastebaskets. Once an uncle named Benito saw me eating from the waste basket. Although he was a wealthy man, he was very much dejected that he does not have a child yet. So seeing my intact eating, he took me to a close by villa, where his partner, Aunt Maria was living. He told me that I could look after them as their child and live prosperously with them. I agreed to that.
I was penchant towards them and they loved me too. Once they went out for a walk. I was in the house with the dogs. I heard mind piercing loud cry, it was familiar voice, and I ran to the spot, I could not believe my eyes. I saw father and mother, inundated in blood and falling down with knives half immerged in their deep loving hearts. I also saw four anti-heroes around at dead bodies. I ran to my lovers and I sat down at their bodies. I could not sob; I drew the knife from father’s heart and swung it against the four villains. Nevertheless, just then they made noise and nearby people swarm out of their homes. They all misread that I killed my parents for their wealth. And now I am here.” His eyes were shedding with tears, his nerves were mounting up and his nostrils lingered. Hardin could hardly power him down. “Peter, this nervousness should be avoided.”
“For what?” asked peter.
“Don’t you want to take revenge?” enquired Hardin.
“ Yes, I will take my revenge, I should take” Peter boosted him self.
“What is your plan?” asked Hardin to Peter.
“Hardin…. sshhsshhh…” Peter kept his hand on the lips as a precursor of silence. He whispered something impressive in his ears. Then he took out a small key confirmed Hardin that he has the item. That was the duplicate key of their cell door, which was a stolen from Alan Poe. “Hardin this night itself we should get out of this JUVENILE HOME!”

“Ha-ha!” Robert and Peter Young heard laugh sounds, somewhere outside. They ran to small skylight at their toe. They saw tiny girls: daughters of jail officers playing in the shade of the apple tree which brilliantly beautifying the ground of juvenile home. In the haze of leaves, they could not see them clearly. However, a man can notice their dears from a far distance. So Peter Young also noticed his Pam Viela who was in a scarlet miniskirt. Her brown hair was shining in sunlight. Peter could hear her sweet tone despite the fact that the sounds are very squat and in the collaboration of various sharp tones of girls who are at the concert. He wished to say bye to her, as he would leave of Juvenile home tonight.
However, he knows the nakedness of his position, he said bye to his treasured in mind. The eyes of his mind wept for her. Hardin had no hitches, as he was glad to run off from the torment. They were standing there, until birds which flew away from the hierarchy in the daybreak returned back to their nest in twilight. The peace in which little maidens were playing was torn by the birds charging to their charming habitation. Sun hid himself in darkness.


Peter looking dismal rummaged around his chest, by which he found the candy that Pam offered him. He took out the sweet from his pocket. He held it between his thumb and finger, at the tip of the wrapper, turned it around, glanced inane and then a sneer.
“Have it”, he said to Hardin.
“No thanks”
“Why?”
“Because it is important to you” explained Hardin,but he did not like to put it in plain words.
“Important” grinned Peter “is it?”

“Yes and beyond your age too”. Peter then smiled and said “here you are wrong, ahead of my range, but not beyond my age” and turned unto window through which a cold breeze patted him around.
“Mine! You always experienced out of your age, but she can’t, Pam is of her innocent fifteens, she cannot know even what is love and all” now he put it in plain words.
“What did you call me? ‘Mine’ no. Is I? Really? Thank you very much,” alleged Peter.
“I was alone. But when you accepted me, I cant even cry” said Hardin. “I am yours and you are mine!” added Hardin
“I shall be always with you” encouraged Peter.

Hardin then asked what is their plan that night, to which Peter answered that how he would abscond the edifice without Pam. “Peter that toffee doesn’t mean she loves you, her mind is not matured to put out that feelings! Leave her now we will make her to adore you, later. Now let’s get out of this hell,” said Hardin.

“Yes, we are going to leap out of jail, departing Pam for ever, though there is grief in mind,” said Peter “there are lot more score to settle down,” added Peter.
“Not for long, Peter I will get her for you and for that I will do anything!” words strengthened in Hardin’s tone.
“You cant, she can never accept me, her father is in my hit list,” explained Peter.
“I bet you”
“Ok I had kept a golden bullet with my mother’s chain after her death to kill my father. I bet that to you,” challenged Hardin.
“Whatever it may be, how will we get out of this jail?” Peter grinned.
“I think that we can climb the tree which had its brushwood extended like a platform over the wall of building,” suggested Hardin.
“Yes, that’s a fine idea” boosted Peter.
As soon as Peter said this, a shadow passed through the chamber outside cell, without the notice of boys. The shadow slipped out of view.
As they chatted all the time, a bell rang and all the doors of the cell opened one after, it was time for their work and exercises. They followed the boys who were going in line, with undisciplined works, but silently. They walked along the ground after coming out from the chambers and gathered in the middle of the ground.

Then Mark Cyrus in his brown bots and with that usual smirk on the face hiked to the boys tapping his baton. “Ok! Students ten jogs around the ground, six sprints and all the exercises for twenty counts. Ok start!” he roared. The hearts broke for the students. They knew not only about exercises, but of strictness while doing that and also the punishments from Cyrus. They hesitated for a minute, “You little devils I say start!” again a roar from Mark. They started.

There were some boys without any stamina. Some others don’t even know how to run with toes. Many of them fell down and soon they have to suffer the great beat from Cyrus. It was the hobby for impious Cyrus.

One… two… three… boys counted the rounds struggling for breath. On the eighth round, a boy in a torn tunic fell down and wounded in his knee. Cyrus not caring for the wound, with his truncheon beat him on his wounded knee itself. He was thrown to ground and he fell with the wounded knee first with heavy cry, and when his face fell on ground, he got his lips torn and incisors cracked.
“Get up and run, you wild idiot” called out Cyrus. The boy groaned and yelped with pain and slowly he stood up. A drop of blood from his lip dipped to his sole.
“You ****! Run!” called Mark Cyrus.
Hanging face of the boys rose, his eyes flamed against Cyrus and nostrils expanded and eye brows got pondered and cheek muscles stretched and with a large cry he scampered for Cyrus, while every one looked at him of his sound, he dashed with force and hard pressed down Cyrus, falling backwards, Cyrus got his head hit on a jagged stone and got a deep wound. He yawned with sting and then only the boy could understand what he did.

As he was staring at Cyrus the others rushed towards him, carried on their shoulders and sung the win song for him. Meanwhile the officials carried Mark Cyrus to hospital in an ambulance. As soon as the ambulance left, Pam Viela came there weeping, to see her father. But she was disheartened. She went to a podium in a shady corner of construction, but could be clearly visible from ground and sat there, weeping.

The boys were dancing and making noises in the ground as the defeated their pro-longed enemy Mark Cyrus. Peter and Hardin were dancing with full-fledged happiness, as their plan is easier now. But when Peter turned while dancing, out of his corner of his eyes, he saw Pam weeping in the shady corner. He thought that it was his duty of comfort her. He stole himself from his place and strode away to that shades. He slowly reached out towards Pam, “Why are you all dancing and playing while my father is at hospital?” asked Pam in a low voice. Her innocent and feeble voice torn down his mind. But he resisted and stood quiet. “I am alone now?” she questioned. This crossed the limit of Peter’s control and he found himself irresistible on her.

“No! I am here for you” his sound didn’t fully rise and then leaned to her and kissed away her tears.

He took his face from her and strongly holding her chin he comforted her and looked at her face with much confidence. Her eyes went down while he patted her. Pam looked upon his face, strode near him, and warmly hugged him. Her head rested on his chest. Peter thought that no one was seeing them in their romantic scene, closed eyes and he was right, but not for Hardin and Alan Poe who were themselves in shades and watching them. Alan and Hardin were happy to see that. While Pam was finding peace in him, all of a sudden he opened his eyes and thought of his duties and then woke her and said “don’t worry your father will come back, now let me go” he pecked her cheek and went back. Wiping more the tears she went to her cottage. Seeing this in his eyes, which he kept for a look at back, Peter slept into sides of trees.
Keeping himself hid, he hit his back of his head on the rough and coarse barks of tree and wept. His eyes shed tears. He thought of how he would accept her in his mind than the scores to settle. He knew that he could accept her as he already accepted her. Tears cascaded through his cheeks.
Seeing this Robert Hardin start out of his place and walked towards Peter. But he noticed a touch at his shoulders, he turned back. It was Alan Poe. She whispered
“Peter should weep for his good tomorrow!”