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Part 72: Where All Journeys Grow

Chapter 21: Sold

V2.0 – 10/09/2025

Marcus introduced me to all fourteen of my fellow prisoners. They were all from various countries in both North and South America; two were Canadian, a husband and his wife, three were from the U.S.A. like myself, they were college students taken while on vacation, and the rest were from Central and South American countries. Most of them spoke Spanish but could understand a little English. It was a strange collection of people. Their personalities spanned a wide range as well as their reactions to being captive.

The guards brought us food. We gathered around the central table to eat. The food was good, far better than I had imagined it would be. We were given rice, potatoes, and some kind of steamed meat. We talked very little as we ate. Everyone seemed subdued. Is this what captivity does to people?

The night deepened and I was shown to an empty top bunk bed in one corner. I climbed up into it and lay down. I listened to the rest of the prisoners take their beds and begin to fall asleep. The lights remained on in the room. I counted four security cameras overhead observing the room. I felt a little like I was on an episode of Big Brother. I wondered if we were the only prisoners or if there were other rooms with other groups of prisoners somewhere on the massive ship. I listened but couldn’t hear much beyond the room we were in. This room seemed much more insulated than my small cabin aboard the Belleza Desafortunada.

My thoughts roamed the past weeks. I wondered how Juan was and praised God quietly for his salvation. It was always incredible to lead someone to Jesus and to see them come alive spiritually.

I had never been a prisoner before. It all seemed so surreal to me. To be rescued from a floating piece of debris on the ocean only to become a prisoner seemed very… modern movie like, but I knew this was very real.

I’d heard so many stories of human trafficking and those who fought desperately against it. I never thought for a second that I would become one of the ones being trafficked. What does a slave do? Would I clean floors? Scrub dishes? Carry bags? Would I be a good slave? How would I be treated by my owner? What would they expect me to do? I knew all my questions would be answered soon so I put them out of my mind.

Marcus had told me that all the other prisoners had been quietly taken from their lives, plucked right out of the land of the living. He had explained that Osiris and his men simply made it look as though we had been lost in the ocean, died in some accident, or committed suicide so that no one would come looking for us. I asked him if that was why they had taken my things. He said they had probably left my things floating in the ocean near the shipwreck to make it look as though I had gone down with the ship.

Marcus told me how he had been taken while swimming in the ocean one morning, as he often did. His family would think he had drowned. It was one of his wife’s greatest fears and now she’d have to live with that fear unless he could find his way home somehow or find a way to get her a message.

So far I hadn’t been mistreated at all, besides being blindfolded, hands tied behind my back, and held at gunpoint, otherwise I had been treated well so far. I hadn’t been hit or abused in any way, but I also hadn’t resisted, hadn’t fought my capture. I wondered if I should have tried to escape but realized it would have been futile… the ocean made for a great deterrent to escape, plus God wanted me here on this ship.

I knew God had a plan in all this. I’d have to trust Him. I was now on my way toward the Middle East, closer to my destination. I knew somehow God would get me to Israel, then to the mountain, and then finally to Meribah at its peak. Was anything with God about the destination? It seemed that serving God was more about the journey to the places He sent us, rather than whatever He had for us at the end.

I closed my eyes and pushed away all my thoughts. I was tired. I wanted to sleep and so I fell asleep quickly.

I woke the next morning and sat up on the bunk bed. I sat for a moment trying to recall where I was and what I was doing.

It all came rushing back to me.

“Good morning.” Marcus whispered from across the room where he sat on the edge of his bed.

“Good morning.” I whispered back to him.

Some of the other prisoners were still sleeping. I climbed down from my bunk and used the adjoining restroom. I splashed water in my face to wake me up a bit and brushed by my unruly hair. I straightened the shirt and pants I had been given; my prisoner’s garb I had decided to call them. They were comfortable enough. I was grateful our room was heated against the cold outside and that we were shielded from the ocean’s fierce winds.

I returned to my bunk and sat waiting for whatever the day would bring. The rest of the prisoners slowly woke and went about their morning rituals. I thought it amazing that even in captivity people still found ways to keep routines. No one seemed particularly upset about their situation, resignation seemed to be the prevailing feeling in everyone. I couldn’t blame them for that; there was nothing any of us could do to escape. To our families we were dead. They wouldn’t be coming to search for us, nor would they find us if they did.

The guards brought us breakfast. We ate quietly. A group of us gathered in a small circle on the floor to talk. As I sat there listening to them tell me the stories of their capture I was reminded of what Jesus had shown me of the people my life would touch. It was like experience déjà vu, if remembering a vision that you were shown could be called such.

My turn came and I shared my journey with them. From selling everything I had to the explosion aboard the ship, I left nothing out. I told them of my faith in Jesus Christ. I told them a bit about the first journey the Dark One had taken me on. They all sat quietly and listened.

“So, it would seem that God brought you here as just another step along your journey.” Marcus observed when I finished sharing.

“Yeah, I believe so.” I said, “It’s a big ocean out there. It’s a miracle that this ship passed by just in time to rescue me from the water.”

“I imagine they saw the explosion from quite a distance away, or they planned it.” Marcus wondered aloud, “I wouldn’t put it past Osiris to do something like that if it meant more plunder and captives. He like a modern-day pirate.”

“They wanted the cargo for sure. I saw them collecting it from the sea.” I said, “They were using the cranes on the deck to pull it all up from the ocean.”

“Yes, and you are just another piece of that cargo to them.” Marcus observed with a smile.

We continued to talk for most of that morning.

Close to lunch time a guard came and took away one of the other prisoners named Sam from Canada. Sam returned an hour later looking as though he’d had a makeover. His hair had been cut and styled. He now wore formal clothes, a suit and tie.

Another prisoner was escorted from the room.

We gathered around the central table and listened to Sam tell us what had happened to him. He had been cleaned up and then sold via a video call between some rich man who looked to be Arab and Osiris.

“So, they won’t wait till we get to Cairo to sell us then?” I asked him. I thought we would be lined up on a stage and sold to the highest bidder like in the movies.

“This is a modern slavery operation it seems.” Sam replied, “High tech.”

Sam laughed bitterly and added, “I only wish I spoke whatever language they were speaking so I could know what I’m worth.”

We were all quiet after that. I wondered what I would be worth to Osiris.

The guards brought us lunch. We ate the food then sat in silence as the hours passed. One by one each of the other prisoners were taken away, given a makeover, then sold. I waited my turn.

Late in the afternoon, the guard motioned for me to follow him. I gave the other prisoners a nod and left with him. We walked down the corridor to a different room. This room had a giant TV on one wall. There was a fancy desk with a laptop open on it. Osiris sat at the desk typing on the laptop as we entered.

“Andrew, welcome.” Osiris said to me as the guard showed me where to stand.

Osiris stood up from the desk and walked around it to stand in front of me. He looked me up and down, then he walked around me.

“Let’s see.” He said in a thoughtful voice, “What are we gonna do with you?”

I stood silently waiting for my fate.

“I think a suit is too formal for you. You look more the type for something a little less palace and a little bit more bodyguard.” He said, obviously pleased with himself for his deduction of my worth.

He motioned for the guard and told him, “Put him in something rugged, something strong. Something… military.”

The guard nodded and led me from the room. I was then taken to the shower room again where I showered. Then I was taken to a room filled with racks of clothes of all sizes and types. The guard chose an outfit for me that looked like something between a biker and a security guard. I put the new clothes on and looked at myself in the mirror. I could have easily passed as a doorman at some night club. I was then led back to where Osiris waited for me.

“Well, there we go. He’s going to love you now.” He said, very pleased with himself, “During the call you’re not going to speak unless I tell you to or he asks you a question. Do you understand me?”

I nodded to him.

At the far end of the room was a sort of display space setup with a camera pointing at it. I was impressed at the setup. I was told to stand in the center of it and face the camera. Osiris returned to his desk and activated the call. The call was answered and the TV on the wall showed a white room with a middle-aged Arabic man in a white suit looking out at us. Osiris greeted the man in what I assumed was either Arabic or Egyptian and my sale began. They spoke for a time in their own language. I listened but couldn’t understand any of the conversation.

Osiris told me to turn around. I obeyed him and turned in a circle, feeling like a pig on a spit.

Then the man asked me in English, “Do you have any talents? Any special skills?”

“Talents?” I asked.

“You know… skills. Hobbies. Things you’re good at.” He replied.

“I’m ex-military.” I told him.

He nodded to himself, considering, then asked, “Anything else? Can you cook?”

“Not well.” I admitted.

He nodded again to himself, considering, then went back to talking with Osiris.

I stood there awkwardly watching this strange negotiation trying to fathom that I was being sold to another human being. Their conversation ranged in emotion and volume as I assumed they discussed my price. Finally a deal was struck, and the two men seemed satisfied with the arrangement.

The man on the TV told me, “It seems you and I will meet soon.” And then to Osiris he said in English, “What papers have you arranged for him?”

“What nationality would you like him to be?” Osiris asked the man on the TV.

The man thought for a moment then replied, “Make him Israeli. He would never pass as being from any of the other nations I work in, but… he could pass as Israeli. Since the Jews are returning from all over the world it won’t be too much of a stretch. See that he gets a proper Jewish name too.”

“What name would suit you?” Osiris asked him.

The man on the TV sat back considering what my Israeli name should be. I wondered if this man was from Israel himself. Is this how God is going to get me to Israel? It was all happening too fast for me to ponder that at the moment. I listened and waited.

“Let’s name him: Caleb Feldman. A good solid Jewish name, but with just the right amount of ‘I’ve come home to return to my people’ ring to it.” The man on the TV replied, satisfied with himself.

“Excellent name.” Osiris replied. He continued typing on his laptop for a few moments, then said, “I will have his new passport, visa, and documents for you when you pick him up in Port Said.”

“I look forward to it. I’ll transfer the down payment now and the rest when I pick him up. Just make sure you take good care of my property.” The man on the TV told Osiris with a smile.

And just like that I had a new name and had become the property of another man.

Osiris motioned to the guard. I was led out of the room and back to my prison cell. The next prisoner was then led away by the guard.

I took off the leather jacket I had been given and put it on the foot my bunk. I then told the other prisoners all about my experience. Soon all of us in that room had been given makeovers, new identities, and sold. None of us knew the names of the men that had purchased us, some had even been sold to couples or to women. We talked for a long time about what might befall us when we got to Egypt.

I had a few chances to share my faith with some of the other prisoners over the next couple of weeks as the ship glided ever onward toward the Middle East. We were fed well. I slept deeply. We were given the chance to shower and maintain ourselves with exercise above deck a few times a day. We were given board games with which to occupy ourselves on the voyage. One night we were given the chance to watch a movie.

We lacked for nothing but our freedom. As the days passed it seemed that all of us were more and more resigned to our fates. I didn’t have any encounters with the Dark One or his minions and for that I was grateful. Although I felt God with me, His was mostly silent. I knew I was right where He had planned for me to be. I had the feeling of being right in the center of His will.

I don’t know how many weeks we traveled, but one morning we looked out the small windows to see land across the water in the distance. From that sighting we knew that we must be close to Port Said and close to our new lives in whatever form of captivity we’d find ourselves in next.

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