When Javier was 16, it was right at the peak of civil conflict between armed groups in Colombia. One day, he was kidnapped right from school by a militia.
Javier’s family came to try and negotiate his release, only to be told they no longer had a son.
“For two years, I took my time. I saw others try to escape and get killed in the process. I studied everything I could observe. I worked to earn their trust. I tried to do tasks to help, usually cooking but sometimes other things.”
I infer from his tone that the ‘other things’ were way more difficult to talk about.
“Then I made my escape.”
Javier’s escape plan had to be perfect. He knew he would only get one shot, with no margin for error. Thankfully, he played his cards just right.
I think about Javier’s story a lot. We met when I was in Colombia a few years ago. After he shared all his experiences from the peak of Colombia’s civil conflicts, he then invited me on to his coffee farm. We had lunch together, and he and his wife even offered a taste of their unbelievably good homemade coffee liquer.