“You came up with that stupid idea and got Otto killed. Now you can die with him!”
When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Otto wanted to use his passport to get past the rebels.
——
“Why should we waste money? Just show the US passport. They’ll let us through right away.”
Otto’s voice echoed in my ears.
I pinched my thigh. The sharp pain told me it was real. I had been reborn.
“James, stop being so stubborn! You even sold your watch to buy a pass last time! What were you thinking?”
Otto looked at me with a smug face, full of pride and disrespect. Somehow, he had always bragged about his close connection to the boss. It caused everyone, including Yvette, tried hard to stay on his good side thanks to that.
When Otto questioned me, Yvette and the others looked at me with impatient eyes. If I disagreed again, they looked ready to tear me apart. I smiled calmly.
“Otto, you really understand people. He saw right through the rebels’ fear.”
“Let’s get ready, then! Let’s grab our passports and walk through!”
When I agreed, Yvette gave me a rare smile.
“Good. You're finally making sense. I was about to scold you!”