777 - The Final Destination

Recap: Samuel and friends were on holiday in Costa Rica. On the morning of the 7th of July 2007, the seven of them left the capital city San José on a trip to a beach town called Quepos, little knowing that this particular road trip would change the course of their lives forever. Daniel, Belinda and Brenda had lost their way early on in the trip and returned to San José, while Afua, Dami, Deji and Samuel had continued on to Quepos. The signs were unmistakeable. From the Boeing 777 plane they had boarded for Costa Rica, to their room 777 at the San José Marriott and various other signs they had encountered on their journey that morning, it was clear that the number 777 was intricately linked to their collective destinies. And if Afua’s dream the night before was anything to go by, they had until 7pm to figure this riddle out. The seventh verse or the seventh chapter of the seventh book of the Bible was the best clue they had to go on so far...


Deji and Samuel tried to make light hearted conversation as they sat locked in a small jail cell in Jacó, a small town near the mountains in Costa Rica. They had been lured there under false pretences by a gang who had taken them to what they had thought was a police station.


“So, how are things going with you and Afua?” Samuel asked.


“Well, I’m not sure,” Deji responded, “she’s smart, beautiful, intelligent and God-fearing. Everything a guy could want in a woman.”


“So what’s the problem?”


“Well, we do have our differences. And also I think I had always imagined I’d marry a Nigerian.”


“So what if she is Ghanaian? Look I don’t think you should be so picky. My mother is Nigerian. My dad was from Equatorial Guinea. I don’t really care where my future wife will come from and I don’t think you should either.”


“Okay, I’m working on it. So have you made a move on Dami yet?”


“Well, no I haven’t. I just haven’t found the courage to do it yet. I just have the impression that she’ll only be interested in the Investment Banker types like herself and you of course. And I'm a bit worried that my rather wild escapades in the past might put her off!”


“My friend, there is nothing wrong with Freelance Photography. And forget about the past, old things have passed away, behold all things are new! I suggest that if we ever make it out of this mess alive you waste no time in asking her out!”


They continued talking for another half hour, and it was while they were wondering whether their predicament was somehow linked to the July 7 bombings in London exactly two years before, that a series of explosions shook the building. After a ten minute shootout outside their cell came to an abrupt halt, about a dozen men in commando black burst into their prison cell and led them back to the reception room of the building which they now knew was actually a drug cartel operation fronting as a police station. There, they were reunited with Afua and Dami. The friends hugged each other with a deep sense of relief, but an uneasing air of uncertainty persisted as they sought to understand the intentions of this mysterious new group of men.


As the four friends stood in the reception their contemplating their fate with their new captors, the scar-faced drug baron, a picture of invincibility only an hour ago emerged from a room in handcuffs, flanked by four heavily armed men. They lead him outside into a black van with tinted windows. On the sirens went, and the van left hurriedly escorted by two black police vehicles. Their gaze at the ensuing scene was interrupted by one of the men who approached them.


“Buenos Dias, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Officer Miguel Barbosa. I am the director of the special operations unit for the San José Police Department. We’d like to thank you immensely for helping us apprehend Senor Cordoba. He’s been on our most wanted list for a long time and you helped lead us to his hideout.” He continued as they stood there dumbfounded. “Our country owes you a great deal of gratitude. For now, you’re free to return to San José this evening to rest but please do come into the police station tomorrow morning so that we can take your full statements.”


They were soon on their way back to San José but before getting there, they once again had to navigate the dangerous bends on the high altitude mountain roads. Deji looked at his wrist-watch. It was nearly 5pm, and as they ascended into the mountains a burly mist descended around them, seemingly from the heavens themselves. They could hardly see 10 metres ahead of them and by now Samuel was driving the jeep along at barely 5mph. He was very careful to stay in the centre of the road – a tiny slip towards the right could easily result in a freefall of thousands of feet down the side of the mountains. The local drivers, undeterred by the hazardous driving conditions, were speeding past them and overtaking at dangerous bends despite being blind to oncoming traffic. Samuel let each one through, cars and trucks alike.


As they turned a corner they approached a nasty looking accident. A car had plunged into the rocks on side of the road bordered by the rising hills. As they drove past in what felt like slow motion, they could see the driver of the vehicle still strapped in, trapped between his seat and the inflated airbag in front of him, blood trickling down his face. There were amateur paramedics at the scene but they hadn’t bothered to remove him from his vehicle. The friends feared the worst for him. They continued on their journey in the most reverent of moods.


“Guys, do you think everything that has happened today is connected to this puzzle we’re trying to solve?” Dami said, breaking the eerie silence that had filled the vehicle.


“They probably are,” Deji responded, “I am a bit surprised that we weren’t held for questioning immediately or that we didn’t at least get a police escort back home”.


“That’s true,” Afua added. “Since we don’t have a Bible on us, does anyone know what Judges 7:7 says from memory?”


“We should be asking you that,” Samuel said, making eye contact with her through his rear view mirror. “Wait a minute guys, can’t we check on the internet from one of our phones? Why didn’t we think of that before?”


“It wouldn’t have mattered,” Deji responded, “we’ve been out of any Wi-Fi network coverage since we left San José in the morning.” By this time they had descended from the mountains and were nearing their final destination. As Deji spoke, they passed a sign post which said 7km to San José. He checked his phone. There was no coverage yet. After looking at the time he exclaimed, “Samuel, I think you need to step on it. It’s seven minutes to seven!”


Samuel put his foot on the gas, and Deji constantly kept rechecking his phone, waiting impatiently for the precise moment it would reconnect to the internet. 5 minutes later, as they approached the city centre, he got connected.


“Quick,” Deji said, where do I need to go?”


“Try Biblegateway.com,” Afua responded frantically, “type in Judges 7:7 and hit search!”


It took him seconds to enter the website and punch in the scripture. “OK, I’ve got it! This is what is says,” He read the scripture out loud – The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place."*


“So what does that mean?” Dami asked. They all looked at each other and silence once again engulfed the jeep. It lasted only moments as the silence was broken by the high pitched shrill of the alarm on Deji’s phone.


“Is that the alarm for 7pm?” Samuel asked as he looked back towards Deji.


Before Deji could answer, Dami screamed “Samuel, look out! There’s a...”


But she wasn’t able to finish her sentence. In the split second that Samuel had taken his eye off the road, another car jumping the red light at the intersection was about to collide straight into them from the left. Samuel managed to swerve sharply but they skidded, hit the central reservation and were thrown into the air.


They say when you are about to die your life flashes before your eyes. As the car spun in the air, they seemed for a moment suspended in time. It wasn’t so much a flash that Samuel saw, but rather like a slow movie reel cutting from one shot of his all too short life to the next. And then there was impact! The Prado jeep hit the floor and rolled over several times before coming to rest in a ditch by the road side. Samuel turned to look up as he felt something warm trickle down his face. All he could see was bright white lights.
When Samuel opened his eyes, he looked up. He was in a white room. He looked down and saw that he was wearing a white robe. He tried to move but he couldn’t. It was just when he was beginning to wonder if he was in heaven and why his head hurt so much if he was that he heard a familiar voice.


“Samuel, how are you feeling?” It was Dami. He turned his head and saw her sitting at his bedside. He may not be in heaven yet, but she was the one person he would have liked to wake up beside.


“Where am I?” he asked as he tried to sit up.


“You’re in hospital,” Dami responded, “don’t try to get up, you were hurt pretty badly.” She gently placed her hand on his arm to restrain him.


“How long have I been here for?”


She hesitated before she responded, “…just a couple of days. You were in a critical condition, but your progress has been great.”


His head was still throbbing. “How about Deji and Afua, how are they doing?”


“They’re fine. They escaped the accident with minor injuries. We’ve been taking it in turns to sit with you.”


Samuel closed his eyes for a moment and then looked up again. “How about you, how are you feeling?”


“I was pretty shaken, but I’m doing okay.”


Samuel smiled as their eyes met. “I’m glad you’re okay.” Dami smiled back and then there was an awkward pause as Samuel’s penetrating gaze caught her slightly off guard.


“Look, I’ll be right back,” she said, looking away. “I need to let the nurses know that you’ve woken up.”


“Wait…before you go, there is so much I want to say to you that I thought I’d never get the chance to with the day we had on Saturday…”


He placed his hand into hers and squeezed it gently. Before he could continue, he felt something metallic on her ring finger. He lifted her hand up slightly to meet his line of sight to see that she was wearing a silver wedding band. A million thoughts ran through Samuel’s mind in a second.


“How long did you say I was unconscious for?” he blurted out, as she pulled her hand away in a somewhat delayed reflex action.


“Don’t worry yourself with that,” she responded as she got up to leave. “I’ll go and get the nurses…”


“No, wait!” Samuel looked to his right and saw a newspaper sitting on the coffee table. “Could you pass me that paper?”


Dami was hesitant once again.


“Please pass me the newspaper or I’ll get up and get it myself!” he said raising his voice slightly as he started to become visibly distressed.


She reluctantly passed him the broadsheet and his eyes shot straight to the top right hand corner. Tuesday July 7 2009. His head was spinning. He closed his eyes as he struggled to digest what he’d just seen. He looked up at her again. He tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. She held his hand again as his vision slowly blurred and he drifted into unconsciousness.





What happened during those missing two years? Find out next week as the story continues in 777 – Bourne Again!!!