Code-Breaker

Code-Breaker

“What did you bring for me this time?” Aliya asked her little friend, a monkey she had named Kabu. Through the chain link fence, Kabu handed her a nice ballpoint pen. The insignia on the pen looked familiar. She recognized it as that of the resistance militia that was fighting for the freedom of her country. She had seen the militia in her village the year before. They had tried to fight off the soldiers that invaded. When they lost, everyone in her village was captured and brought to this labor camp. Aliya gave Kabu a banana and told him she needed to go. He watched her as she headed off to pick up sticks. Knowing she could be severely punished for having this pen, she buried it and marked the spot with a rock.

When Aliya arrived back at the family’s small hut, she started to build a fire for her mother to cook rice. She paid close attention as her father instructed her brother in math. Aliya wanted to learn so badly, but her tired father said it was a waste of time, that she would not need an education, and that she asked too many questions. Aliya was determined to learn. She glanced over her brother’s papers anytime she could and tried to memorize everything she heard. Fortunately, her mother had taught her to write. She scribbled notes on bits of paper any chance she got.

At dawn the next morning, with nothing to eat but the fruit she found outside, Aliya headed off to the sewing room with her mother. She was not sure what she would be sewing this time. They had been making parachutes the day before. Her brother and father went to the shop to do some welding. She knew she had better work hard, but the work was terribly boring. Lately, Aliya had tried hard to listen to and understand the language the guards were speaking. She was understanding a little more every day. When she couldn’t stand the boredom, she would do math problems in her head, the bigger the better. She knew she was smarter than her older brother, her only sibling, and wished her father would consider that.

Today the guards were talking about a distant place. Suddenly, she understood that the prisoners at her camp were going to be moved hundreds of miles away within a week. Ouch! Aliya had nicked her finger with the machine’s sewing needle. “Don’t slow down or show your pain,” she told herself as her machine whirred on.

Exhausted from the day’s work with only a small bowl of broth in her tummy, Aliya was once again sent out to gather sticks and any fruit she could find. She took the same path she always took that circled around the camp. She had seen guards making their rounds on this path many times. Bending down to pick up a mango, Aliya saw a small, black book in the grass. She snatched it up and quickly tucked it under her tight-fitting cap. This was the kind of cap that all girls were required to wear. She couldn’t wait until she had a chance to look at the book.

Kabu was waiting for her at the fence. She approached Kabu with tears in her eyes, and told him he was the only friend she had, and that she was not allowed to play with other children. She handed him a beautiful, red flower. He sniffed it, picked a petal off, stuck it in his mouth and chewed it up. Grimacing, he spat it out. Aliya giggled at his silliness. Kabu ran off for a minute and came back with a military medallion. She studied it briefly. Inscribed on it was the name of the militia. As he handed it to her, Aliya heard a guard walking towards them on the path. She looked Kabu in the eye, placed the mango in his hand, and snuck off as quietly as she could. When she found the spot where she had buried the pen, she dug with her very sore hand and buried the medallion there as well. She replaced the rock. Quickly, she gathered some dry sticks from under the huge leaves of a philodendron. Walking back to the hut, gathering more sticks along the way, Aliya had so much to think about. She wondered if the guard had seen her and why Kabu was bringing her things that belonged to the militia.

That night, after they ate their rice, a burly guard kicked in the bamboo door of their hut. He shouted unknown words to Aliya’s family. With wide eyes, Aliya scurried to hide behind her father’s frail body. She knew he was there to look for the black notebook. He turned over the few items of furniture they had. Hurriedly, he patted down all of their clothing, shook out their shoes, and flung their bedding. Fortunately, seeing women and girls in caps was nothing unusual. It was almost as if the caps were just a part of them. Aliya was thankful he didn’t think to check under her cap where the notebook was hidden. He left just as quickly as he had come. Her family was in shock. They knew nothing.

Aliya had managed to get a good look at the notebook during her daytime visits to the outhouse. She wanted to spend all day in the outhouse, but there was always a guard waiting nearby. The notebook was full of code. Her photographic memory allowed her to see full pages as she laid awake at night. Instead of getting much needed sleep, she deciphered codes. So far, she had found coordinates for some sort of tunnel system. There was mention of weapons being transported, and she thought she also had discovered locations of enemy outposts. The day before, she had snatched the only pencil the family owned to write code solutions on blank pages of the notebook while in the outhouse with an impatient guard yelling something to her from outside, hurrying her along.

In the sewing room the next morning, the guards seemed angry. They yelled at the women more often and hurried them along with their sewing. Then, as Aliya waited in line for her broth at noon, it felt as if the guards were studying every person. She never made eye contact. She knew better. Females were not allowed to look men in the eye. This was a blessing today, for she felt her eyes might give her away. She hadn’t told her family about the book. She knew from hearing stories, that family members would sometimes betray each other if their lives were at stake. Or, they may suffer for a crime a family member had committed. She knew she had to get rid of the book that was still being kept safe in the cap she wore night and day. Her parents felt it odd that Aliya had started sleeping with her cap on, but really didn’t see any harm in it. When Aliya overheard two guards talking outside the outhouse she recognized the word execution.

Aliya anxiously headed out to collect sticks and fruit that evening. She had handwritten a note at the back of the notebook with her location, but not given away her identity. The codes she had deciphered were recorded. Two guards passed her as she walked. That was uncommon. The chainlink fence was pretty secure with razor wire at the top. A guard in the tower could easily see someone trying to slip over the top. Fortunately, for her, there was a lot of vegetation in the camp. It was easy to walk around and not be seen. She hoped the men wouldn’t hang around to watch her. As she plucked a bunch of bananas, she heard and understood one say the words, ‘just a girl.’ It was reassuring that they may consider her just a harmless little girl.

When she got to the fence, Kabu rushed up and did his best to smile at her. With a silly grin on his face, he handed her a cigarette. Sure no one was watching, and wasting no time, Aliya passed the notebook off to the monkey. She whispered that he must do her a favor. He must not lose the book and must deliver it to the soldiers he had gotten the pen and medallion from. His big, shiny, brown eyes looked knowingly into hers before he ran off screeching.

Aliya had just finished lunch with her mother two days later when sirens started blaring. Prisoners were told to lay down. As she buried her head under her arms, she heard guns firing and soldiers scurrying around. It wasn’t long before all the prisoners were asked to line up. A militia soldier stood in front of them while others cleared out the bodies of security guards and enemy military officials.

Aliya’s heart was pounding as the soldier held up the black notebook. He told the prisoners he appreciated whoever sent the book with the monkey. “Please raise your hand if you were the one who sent the book.” Feeling safe now, Aliya raised her hand. No one paid attention to her. The soldiers took the few men that raised their hands. As the prisoners stood waiting silently and patiently for more orders, Aliya wished they had called on her. Just then, they all came back. The soldier announced that none of the men were the one that solved the code. “Is there anyone else?” he asked. Aliya raised her hand as her mother gave her a disapproving look.

Several soldiers ushered Aliya into a little office to interrogate her. They provided her with a blank page of code. She recognized it as one she had already solved. With pen in hand, Aliya wrote it out. The guards were shocked. They huddled in the corner and spoke in hushed tones. Shortly, a top official came over to her and said that thanks to her, they had been able to raid the enemy camps, destroy enemy tunnels, and take back enemy occupied territory. They had also uncovered a huge stash of money, most likely meant to be used on weapons. Militia officials had decided earlier that they would reward whoever had cracked the codes. The code-breaker would receive a reward of $20,000. Since she was so young and bright, they felt the money should be spent on an education for her. Her family would be provided with a new home since her village had been burned. Aliya’s family was called into the office to discuss the plan. Aliya was delighted when she saw her father’s eyes light up as he gave her an approving look.

As they exited the office Aliya was bubbling with excitement. She and the others would soon be free, and her future was looking bright. The gates opened and Aliya was hoisted onto a soldier’s shoulders as they marched out of the camp. She waved to the crowd as they cheered her on. Aliya caught a glimpse of Kabu with his friends in a nearby tree. He gave her a goofy smile as she waved goodbye.