Ten Cents Terminated [Tract]

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Ten Cents Terminated

My friend Garvin and I were alone. This area of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, has always been notorious for street crime and violence. However, we figured that there were two of us, that it was broad daylight, and that we were only going a couple of blocks to a high school.

We walked slowly among the concrete buildings and through the blacktop maze of streets. Suddenly, I realized we had a problem. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a young man trailing us. He was well over six feet tall, and his T-shirt was pulled up over his mouth and nose. I knew we were in trouble. The man with the shirt pulled up to his eyes attacked me from behind. If I hadn’t been watching and ready for him, he would have pushed me to the street, but I grabbed a nearby pole and braced myself.

We’ve had our house broken into and ransacked, and I’ve been in hurricanes, on sides of volcanoes, been held at gunpoint in the jungle, and in other dangerous situations. But it is quite another thing to have your person violated.

The attacker dove for the money that was in my pocket and he thoroughly roughed me up. We quickly crossed the street. There were some shops there and a lot of people milling about, and we thought there would be somebody that would help us. Garvin appealed to one of the vendors for help, but, as we learned later, the vendors usually partner with these street bandits.

By this time, we had moved far enough down the street that I could see the school ahead. I indicated to Garvin that we were going to pray and make a run for it. I knew this was our only hope. The school compound was surrounded with a chain link fence having barbed wire on top and an armed guard at the gate.

At this point, things became a blur for me as we took off for the school. Between the gunfire, the confusion of dodging people and vehicles, the noise and general uproar, I don’t remember much of the next few moments.

The Lord got us safely inside the gate and under the protection of the security guards. The police were called, as the men were still outside the school gate, evidently waiting for us to leave!

When two police officers arrived, we explained what had happened and were told that we must go down to the police station and make a full report. The police left the school, and we promised to meet them at the station, having arranged with a teacher friend to drive us there.

We got into the car and pulled out of the schoolyard. When we reached the corner, there were two men spread against the wall, and the police had their pistols on them. The one man, “Ten Cents,” who had attacked me, saw us out of the corner of his eye. I don’t know what kind of fancy maneuver he pulled, but he left his T-shirt in the police officer’s hand and escaped! There was gunfire, but apparently he slipped away through a large drainpipe.

We went to the police station and filled out an official report. As we were answering questions, the two policemen whom we had dealt with at the school entered the room. That large, noisy room suddenly hushed when one of the officers announced loudly, “It was Ten Cents!”

The officer we were dealing with at the desk leaned over and explained that “Ten Cents” was a very dangerous street-gang leader in Trinidad, and that he had been given the name “Ten Cents” because he would kill you for as little as ten cents!

It’s important to understand that our enemy Satan only wants us for what he can get out of us. He’s a taker and a destroyer. I am reminded of the statement in the Bible, “The way of transgressors is hard” (Proverbs 13:15). In fact, just a few years later the Trinidad newspaper carried the following headline on Thursday, December 10, 2009: “TEN CENTS MURDERED!”

“Murder-accused Joel ‘Ten Cents’ Patino, 23, of East Dry River, was gunned down on Nelson Street in Port-of-Spain on Tuesday evening … ”

To live a life of sin and crime is bad enough, but to enter into the next life without Christ is worse. The Lord warned, “I say unto you My friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But … fear Him, which after He hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him” (Luke 12:4-5).

God is a giver and delights to give many wonderful gifts. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father” (James 1:17).

The Lord said, “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:28). Thankfully we have One who is greater than Satan — the Lord Jesus Christ. I am thankful that I have the great giving Lord Jesus as my Saviour and my Friend. Do you?