Detainees

Much of my experience was surreal. Like I was living out a version of  "The Office" in real life. 

On day 5 an inmate gave my flip-flops (that I really, really liked) to a Bangladeshi. He was gone before I could do anything about it. Ultimately, almost everyone lost their footwear they had when they arrived. You see a box of sandals and are told to find something that fits.

When I arrived in the African jail there was a guy with a 3 piece suit. "Oh, I have to know your story," I said to him. He had been working for a travel agency. He and his four female coworkers hadn't been paid for months and all knew their visas had expired. The boss sent them a message, "Come in tomorrow wearing your best clothes we have a new client for you to meet!" Upon arrival Rahul met the CID (police) who arrested him and his coworkers. Was he bitter? Nope. He planned to return to the UAE once his 3 month ban is over. Resiliency. 

Two Indian guys came in with the exact same name. They were twins and Dad had given the same name which takes the Newhart joke to a new level: 

By far the biggest character in the jail was a 72 year old Palestinian Mamoula. As much as I was known as the American he was the Palestinian. Mamoula has been in the detention forever (nobody is sure exactly how long) and has no home in Gaza. As much as it is a prison for him, it is a place where he knows he will be taken care of and he is safe. He is also mentally unstable and saw me as a threat when I arrived. Another old guy... is he after my turf? He was given a spot next to the door and fellow inmates handed him the food for every meal. Both of us received deference because we are old. Yay?

Mamoula felt the need to lash out at random times of the day. He'd pound on the door, yell in Arabic, "You are treating us like animals..." The guards either ignored him or placated him by taking him out of the cell to see what was going on. His main goal was to get a laugh or cheer from fellow inmates. Although I never cared for his acts of insanity I get why he did it; everyone felt sorry for him. No life or family outside of these walls made the support from fellow inmates a necessity. That said, imagine living in a place where a guy goes nuts pounding the wall 3-4 times each day. 

Masood is an MMA fighter wannabe from Afghanistan. He walked from his home through his country, through Pakistan, somehow found a boat to cross the gulf during the war and landed in Sharjah, UAE where he had an appendicitis attack on arrival. His goal of going to an MMA fight in Abu Dhabi sidelined by a trip to the hospital. After being released from the hospital he came to the African jail in Al Ain (I can't explain that). He led the room in calisthenics and was insanely fit with a killer smile. If he lived in the West he'd be making a killing with an only fans account.