War Child

The man came out of the meeting with a huff. He lit a cigarette to relieve himself of the pent-up tension built up for the past few days. He was known by the name of Jacob. This, however, was not the name by which he was identified in his childhood.

Jacob was the supreme commander of his ragtag group of soldiers. They were fighting a war against a group called the government forces. Jacob had been fighting all his life. He was once known as Yakoob and he was one of eight siblings.

Yakoob came from a poverty infested region where the population was divided into many castes and creed. These multiple groups were always fighting with each other for supremacy. The enmity went back to the period when armies fought with swords, spears, bows and arrows. Now modernization over the centuries the battle implements have changed to guns and mortars with grenades and land mines.

At a very young age Yakoob lost his parents either to disease or being killed in battle, the cause was unknown. Everyday people died like fleas and hardly the deaths were recorded, or cause determined. 

After losing his parents, Yakoob knew that he had to flee if he wanted a life for himself. He then escaped from his native place with the help of his uncle who was almost his age. They took a boat with many other fleeing people from the war-ravaged country. They were called boat people. Their boat was never allowed to lay anchor at any big sea port for fear of giving these people shelter and resulting in change in the demographic character of the country. 

After many deportations, many people were dying due to malnutrition, disease and hunger. Some were already dead and they were disposed of by throwing their body overboard into the sea. 

However, due to humanitarian consideration one country gave them food and chaperoned their boat to another poverty stricken country to escape from their liability. This country did not have the clout to turn them away, so they were accepted there.

In this new country Yakoob turned to Jacob slowly. Then after struggle for a few years, Jacob, the child born in his war ravaged country became a leader of his group. He continued to manage his ragtag group. 

After few years of consolidation of finances and other securities Jacob and his group took their homeward return journey. Their boat reached the harbour of the home country. Few knew them. So at the stealth of the night they sneaked in as they had no valid papers with them. 

After a few days journey on road, they reached home. A war was still going on. But Jacob and his group felt relieved and happy to reach their home at last. 

A very grim sight of their native place welcomed them. The most quintessential item they found here was guns and grenades. There was very few markets. Everyone carried guns with them like they carried mobile phones in the country from where Jacob had returned. 

Many houses were destroyed and people lived in temporary shelters. Whatever houses were standing collapsed in the earthquake that hit their area last year. 

Jacob had the good fortune of having some education at his benefactor country. With the gift of this education he started a movement to wean away the populace from the guns to the books. It was no easy way out. Most of the people were illiterate, suspicious and superstitious. Few wealthy people controlled the populace with guns and weapons. The government was formed with these rich people. The people in power did not like the presence of Jacob. 

However, Jacob was becoming popular amongst the general public and majorly the youth. The living condition of women was very primitive and prohibitive. No women were seen in public. They could not move freely on their own but always had to accompany male member of their own family. Jacob started to fight this taboo in public. Secretly, he became an icon of sorts among the women folk. The clergy took up arms against Jacob and his preachings. 

Jacob continued his fight. He doubted if he could change the fate of his country in his lifetime. Because for any small reason or cause a gun fight ensued and culminated in a civil war. 

But his followings continued to rise and slowly and steadily Jacob was anointed as the leader of his core area and core group . He first gave freedom to the women in his group and allowed marriages to take place amongst his own members. The youth welcomed this development however opposition it may have fomented amongst the elders. Jacob himself married his secretary named Yasmin. 

Jacob started a revolution in education. He established few schools from the funds he had built up over the years. All the schools were coeducational because he knew that in a very short span of time the good qualities of education should percolate to the masses. He harped on the compulsory education of the girl child because he preached that in them lay the foundation of an empowered citizenry. 

The ruling classes found Jacob to be their enemy supreme because the way he was empowering the masses with education he would one day rule over them. But the rulers knew that to be in power they must always be engaged in war and deprive the populace of good quality life. 

Jacob's popularity continued to rise and also his enmity with the ruling class. He survived few murder attempts on himself. Then finally Jacob got an opportunity to rule over the area under his command. The government forces were compelled to surrender in front of his advancing troops.

The child born in war ravaged country was now the new ruler of his little territory. His people were happily proclaiming that in time to come he would rule their country. Only if fortune played a godfather

to him. What a philosophy,... thought, Jacob that to need to end a war one needs to engage a war.