Refugee’s On The Road

Refugee’s On The Road

By Paul McCann

At any given time without warning any of us could be in a situation where someone asks for help . Who knows any one us could end up in the middle of some conflict or a war and as a result we might have to escape that situation as a refugee on the road . The home we once knew , the family and friends we had could taken away from us and everything we knew could be a thing of the past .   I’d like to share a story with you about a young boy who went by the name of Skin because when he  arrived at the refugee camp he was so thin and had no ID so the doctor’s in the camp nick named him Skin  He was examined and had difficulties speaking but somehow he had managed to survive the journey by foot to the refugee camp in Poland .

After he had recovered he told the staff at the refugee camp the story of leaving his Father behind during the invasion by Russia and how his Mother and sisters had found some transport  but the man who took them didn’t want a young boy on board so unfortunately he was left behind .

Without a family or and friends he was all alone in the world and a long journey ahead to the refugee camp . It was an awful situation for him it was winter time and the snow was thick on the ground .  No one seemed  to care about him as most people had enough troubles of  their own . When he was several miles away from the refugee camp he couldn’t take another step and fell into a trench on the side of the road .

The first person who passed by was dressed in what looked like army clothing and Skin called out for help  .  .

“Please help me , I’m on my way to the refugee camp . It’s about ten miles from  here and I can’t walk any further . “

The response came back .

“Sorry I’m starting to get tired too tired and if I try to carry you we’ll both perish by the time we reach the camp  “

He called out to the second person who passed by who had a backpack , He stopped to get some food from the backpack and Skin called out .
“Please help me, I’m trying to make it to the refugee camp can you spare me some food . I’m really hungry ”

And the response came back

“Sorry I’ve only got enough food for myself and if I give you some of my food , neither of us will make it to the camp alive .“

The third person who passed by was wearing a red woollen hat and a yellow woollen scarf and a thick green jacket and Skin called out ,

“Please help me I’m freezing “

The response came back

“Sorry . If I give you any of my warm clothes I’ll surely freeze to death “

The fourth person who passed was lady wearing some light clothes and Skin asked .

“Can you help me yo get to the refugee camp . ‘;m cold and hungry and too tired to walk any further .“

She replied ,

”Actually I’m also tried and hungry but I’ll try to help you “

She went over to the trench and pulled him out and told him to get on her back and she piggy backed him along the road . Suddenly the weather changed and a strong freezing wind blew in . A little way along the road they found the man who was dressed m for a little while and saw After about twenty minutes they saw the man who was dressed in the army uniform . He was lying on the side of the road unconscious . There was nothing they could do to help him and another few miles along the road they saw the person with the backpack who was lying dead from the cold on the side of the road and when they were almost at the camp they found the person with the red woollen hat , yellow scarf and green overcoat , wwho had aklso died from the severe cold .  What had kept Skin and the lady alive was the body heat that each had generated .

When they arrived at the refugee camp they were given medical assistance and a place to sleep . Skin had no ID or money , all he had was the story of what happened to his Mother and sisters and the story of the three who had died on the way to the camp .

The young lady was a nurse who had fled the invasion in the Ukraine and it was her concern for human life and her ability to reach out and herp someone in need that had saved them both . Skin and Marina became very good friends and started a new life in Poland together.   

The End