The Bottle In The Sand

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THE BOTTLE IN THE SAND

August 1991
My name is Laura Angelica Zantab. I only write that I live in the deep south of the African continent. I live in misery all my life though I worship God. I want to let people know this though they may have heard differently. No one stretches their hand to help me when I only do good yet everyone helps and loves my wicked brother, with who I share this land space. People naturally just hate me, Laura, even though I try to do good ever since I was a child. Is there some curse my parents brought upon me? I don't know but nothing works out with me. I cannot keep a job nor have I acquired a husband. My brother caused various strange men to come into my hut at night time and I'm violated. Out of these moments, I brought forth three daughters and one son. How can I feed them when their fathers don't claim them and neither can I point them out with absolute certainty? Now I have company to see my woes and my troubles. I never wanted this for me. My Lord, I pray to ask him why he allows these terrible things to occur to me. I keep having faith. I never robbed, killed, tricked, or bribed anyone neither have I lied about anyone but as far as I can see I am the most unfortunate person in this place. I tried to stand up by selling in the market place everyone passed me straight not even purchasing one item. All my goods stayed in my hand putting me in debt after I borrowed from an absolute stranger.
Then I had to work awhile for him to repay him the only way I could. Then I knew he heard of me and set me up to be a failure to bring me to that point. I keep crying out to God please help me. I am given good dreams but when I awake there are nothing and no hope. Does he hate me because I am black? Why let me suffer so? Unless I die I cannot change my looks or my color. When I try to acquire my passport as a means to run I am shut down. The neighbors, they pretend to care before me when I speak of my troubles but behind my back, they laugh. Can't God see my troubles when I have looked for him and His mercies all my life and only bad comes and countless wonderful dreams? Bad comes to me in all forms. Last night my brother, I realized is trying to kill me as I found him adding a white substance to my little milk and the little flour that I have. Even my children will die if I don't leave. I cannot live on the streets with my children. My tears don't mean anything to God. What have I done wrong Lord? Why do I suffer? The one good is that three months now I haven't been raped. I thank God still and I do eat two meals every day. But my children need clothes and schooling among other things normal children need to have like vaccination. I cannot find love because the time has passed for me with that and no one will want me. I ask the men who come into me, to please help me they laugh and sometimes spit on me. Why Lord? Why don't you kill me? Why bring me into a life that is not good? Send help my way. I'm writing this letter and placing it in the sea. Maybe no one will find it but I know God sees it maybe someone who can assist me will find it and try to find me. I hope you find me alive still, I hope you care, because God hates me just as much as mankind does. Free me, please. I write here and it is my last hope.
L.A.Z

I happened to be the one finding this bottle lodged in the sand. As a woman, my heart went out to this person living in torment. I thought about all the things I inherited and acquired by my diligent hard work. Though I worked long hours, I was by no means in any sort of affliction as the Laura I discovered. October 22nd, 1997 I set about making plans to find this person who lived near the coastline of Southern Africa. In the month of May 1998 by means of my affiliates and my hired bounty hunters who worked eagerly in this regard knowing of the circumstances and my emotional urgency to rescue Laura, I finally received a bit of information. The name Zantab was a name isolated to the island of Madagascar. "The poor thing...." I mused pitifully that she was even afraid to state clearly her location which would have surely made this much easier for me. However, the will in me spurred me on to ensure that my assistants locate Laura and bring us together.

In India water is so precious and sacred to its peoples and I thought it to be the work of the Most High Lord that caused me to come upon that bottle almost completely covered except for its red cover sticking out like a beacon. In July 1998, my assistants located three Laura Zantabs, none of who was in the position described in the letter. I wondered if seven years after sending out her SOS, whether she and her children had survived the attacks of a scheming brother and uncle as well as the conditions of complete stagnation. I encouraged... in fact I implored my
assistants to search harder and wiser with that thought in view.
In the month of November 12th, 1998 to be exact, we were so fortunate to have the located the true Laura Zantab. But as I feared it appeared that she was dying and she was totally bedridden. I packed my things almost immediately as one about to rescue a long-lost sister, so that I may rush to be at Laura's side. The first flight to Madagascar I secured. The plane couldn't move fast enough for me. I was greeted by my assistants who accompanied me wherever I went. I wasted no time in getting a jeep rented.
Neither the jeep I rented, nor did the cashiers at the various stores I visited did things quickly enough. I just had to ensure I do not turn up with empty hope before a woman who was desolate and had no light in her life. The urgency with me to reach there before she departed her life was so strong. I just had to let her know that there still existed people with the kindness of heart who loved the Most High Lord like me. When I saw Laura, my eyes welled up with tears. I hugged her like that long-lost sister I never had and though weak she tried to do the same to me. Her brother did not like the intrusion as he wanted no good for his sister and asked us to leave his property. I defiantly decided I would not. I let him know that Laura wrote to me and asked me to visit her. He looked a bit confused and queried how it was possible for his sister to know someone like me and he didn't. I never answered him the way I wanted to but I just let him think that we met at the marketplace many years ago. By assessing Laura's brother attitude and the things they heard from me about him, my associates knew just how to deal with the resisting brother. But as for me not a red, bronze, or silver cent of mine would touch his hands.
What I now observed, was that instead of four children there were now five. Laura couldn't help crying all through the confusion. She asked if I was the one that found her message to which I replied yes. Strangely she looked skyward towards heaven; shakily and slowly kissing her weak fingers touched her heart and then faced her palm up to heaven. To me, I would think she was performing Abhaya mudra. She also found the strength to say "God heard and saw my plight. You are an angel, I see God's smile before I die." I stayed there with Laura and the children in their little hut living as they do and caring for her. To my great surprise within fourteen days she was as strong as an ox. Then I realized that Laura would have died because of the great depression, forlornness, and a broken heart. The brother asked me to leave when he saw the good that I brought her. He accused me of being a devil worshiper and a
Notorious soul reaping worker. I told him that I would leave with Laura and company in tow. With this pronouncement, he kept tight-lipped and looked on from a distance every day after this.
He truly was a wicked man and I thought not only of Laura's plight if I left her there but her daughters who were now entering the age of puberty. They were beautiful little girls and I feared the same fate could befall them. I felt I needed to ask God why the vicious cycle in these scenarios; however, in this case, because of the Lord's unseen hand I will prevent this from reoccurring here.
Once again with the assistance of my associates, I quickly sought to acquire passports for six to get to my country. I must say many thanks to my associates because they worked miracles in this very sensitive case of poverty and oppression. It took me two months to receive the passports and my work back at home I handled via phone calls since at that time Laura became my priority. She agreed to work along with my fabric designing company as I found her to very skilled in the technique of textile work. Now, Laura was proving to be also a great asset to me and not only the one being rescued. We left the confines of Laura's hut for the last time, never looking back.
In the shelter of the shadow of the early morning hours we trudged on foot until we were a mile away from the village and my associates met us there. For three days, we stayed at various hotels not wanting to stay too long at any one place knowing now that Laura's brother was indeed very notorious and dangerous. We all breathed a sigh of relief as we took our respective seats on that plane to India. I never saw such a wide smile emit from Laura since I knew her, not even up to this time
when she said, "Let's all head to Zion." It was indeed a day I will always remember.

Once in my homeland, I quickly sought to acquire permanent residency for Laura and company, even applying for documents they never owned like birth papers and health cards. I gave this family my name so now I was no longer lonely but with me, I had Laura Punjabi, Layla Punjabi, Acmen Punjabi, Zobi Punjabi, Vijath Punjabi, and Kumari Punjabi. Now the sad story I grew up hearing about the death of my two brothers and parents in a vehicular accident where I was the only survivor quickly faded away. Now, I totally welcomed my new family.

Schooling, employment, living in peace with a comfortable roof over their heads were the desires of this distressed family and I felt honored to be the chosen means of help to them. Laura truly proved to be one of the most genuine persons I have ever met, she was no fraud. I would often wake early in the morning to find her prostrating herself praying to the Most High Lord. I didn't practice religion and neither did she. We, however, did identify His great presence in life and especially in ours. Soon after our meetings on the rooftop became quite frequent until she began waiting for me so that we prayed together. We then decided to build the Most High an altar and dedicate to Him our most valuable things as we knew our forefathers did. That very altar stands still today as we have since built a temple around it. Now we are joined by my husband Kishore, Ravi, and Damesh my two sons. Joining us also are Laura's daughters, their husbands, and her grandchildren. It seems like we are starting something new. The Lord who is benevolent continues to bless our union together. Now that I am with child once again, I'm drawn to look back to the empty life I had even though I had many valuable things. But the most valuable thing I have discovered was the friend I found in Laura and my trusted confidants. Through all things, her children became like my guardian angels. They would never stand by and see no one do me wrong. Likewise, I know that Laura feels just the same about me; the fact that our friendship is one that death and rebirth could never split apart... yes even this we found.
Laura often says to me I am her Savior on earth but I just feel so honored to have been the instrument used by the Most High to bring healing to one afflicted and oppressed. As Laura confided in me saying "I will never seek a male companion the Most High is all that I need and you are the friend that is indeed a diamond to me." I came to realize that this Laura was indeed someone powerful in soul and humble in spirit. Something neither money nor all the riches in the world could buy. My name is Rathishi and I've found the things a soul truly desires. Peace, love, and friendship. I found the path to Nirvana.


These and other great stories can be found in the exciting series Wisdom through Entertainment Book One BY FAITH available at Amazon in Kindle or hard copy.
Search for: Heiresszion By Faith