Jonathan Keidan

Period 4

THE TRIP
Please dont hurt us we promise that well get the cash to you in two
weeks, just give us two weeks please! says Daniel with tears coming down his
eyes as he stares down the bottom of the barrel of a 45 Winchester magnum.
You have five days to get my money or you and your friend are both going
to be knowing the deep sea real well explained the head enforcer of the Russian
mafia, Viktor.
How are we supposed to get 40000 rubles in 5 days? I yell as I am
punched across the face for speaking out of line.
Figure it out and dont come back until youve brought me all my money
Viktor says as he and his thugs throw us out of the abandoned hotel.
Howd we even get into this mess in the first place? asked Daniel as he
wipes his face from the dirt and tears.
How did we get into this mess? To think that just a few weeks ago we were
enjoying life and now were about to be murdered by some Russian gang members
over something we had no control over. How were we supposed to know that
Jeremy was just going to take the stuff and run? How were we supposed to get
40000 rubles in just 5 days? Im sure youre wondering why two Americans were
in Russia anyway but where am I supposed to begin this cruel story.
Just 5 weeks ago Daniel and I were in our small apartment playing Madden
15. Two high-school drop outs who knew nothing but how to get high and play
video games all day. The only reason we werent homeless was because our parent

still cared for us and had given us just enough money to survive on our own for
about a year. That year was almost over and we both still didnt have jobs nor any
way of obtaining one. I decided to look up a quick way to make money on google
and through some web searching I found a fantastic deal.
WE PAY YOU to go to Russia and deliver our products said the headline
for an ad on a website. I researched as much as I could and Daniel and I decided to
send an application. Within a week we got a response that was unexpected. We had
been hired and were being flown out to Russia within two days. We packed what
little we owned and headed for the airport. We got on the airplane without a second
thought and made our way to Russia.
Russia is a beautiful country with a lot of History in it. The former Soviet
Union was now known as Russia. Still a communist nation where there are no poor
or rich we thought we might like our new life there. We found our way to the office
of the job and we were given 20000 rubles to begin. I hadnt read exactly what our
job entailed but for the most part it was just going to locations specified by our
employer and delivering bags that we were never supposed to open to whoever was
at that location. We werent supposed to ask questions and just take the payment
from the buyer and deliver back to our employer.
We were making roughly 30000 rubles a week which was apparently over
the regular monthly income of a hard working Russian for delivering a couple of
bags and suitcases here and there. We thought we had struck gold with this job of
ours. I sometimes wondered what we were delivering and if we were even doing
something that is legal, but the money was too good for me to care and I just went
along with it.

It wasnt until three weeks on the job that things started to get bad. We met
this one guy named Jeremy. He seemed like a cool fellow. He always wore the
same leather jacket and shoes even though he was making more than me and my
companion Daniel. He was a suspicious man but he paid us well. We usually did
the same type of work for him as our other employer, delivering bags to random
buyers and never asking questions. However, one night Jeremy asked us to do
something different. He asked us go pick up something that had some very
important things in it.
He offered to pay us 100000 rubles and without any hesitation we sprang up
and headed to the location. What we ended up finding there was a large suitcase
hidden under a car. We took the briefcase to Jeremy and he said hell have our
money within the next 2 days. 5 days had gone by and we hadnt seen Jeremy. Our
former employer was gone and we were almost out of money with no jobs. I
decided to head over to Jeremy apartment complex to find out when we were
getting paid.
When I arrived I found 5 thugs inside his apartment. They had ransacked the
played and seemed as if they were looking for something. One of them must have
spotted me when I had entered because they all immediately turned in my
direction. As one of the thugs turned I noticed the handgun he was holding. Almost
immediately I decided to get up and make a break for it. I ran faster than I ever had
in my life.
All five of them gave chase and I realized that I was running for my life. I
knew that if they caught me I would be as good as dead. I also realized that they
must have been searching for the briefcase that we had delivered to Jeremy. I
wasnt sure if they knew I was one of the people who had delivered it or not but I
didnt want to find out. I ran for about half a mile before I began to get tired. I
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decided that the only way I was to escape was to hide and wait for them to give up,
then make a break for my small apartment where Daniel was at.
I saw a fence and as I went to jump over it my jeans got stuck on a loose
nail. I ended up falling over the fence and by the time I recovered my pants were
ripped and the 5 men had caught up to me. Guns pointed in my direction I decided
that the best route of action was to just give up and hope that they dont kill me.
One of the men hit me upside the head and knocked me unconscious.
I woke up in an abandoned hotel room. I was tied up and gagged but I
wasnt blindfolded. I could see my captors in the other room talking, still clutching
their handguns. I turned to see Daniel sitting next to me, tied, gagged and
blindfolded. They must have taken my ID from my wallet and found out where I
lived.
I tried to listen to my captors but couldnt understand what they were saying.
They were speaking in Russian and I hadnt cared to learn it while I was there. One
of the men began to walk up to me and look and me and Daniel. They took off his
blindfold and ungagged up both.
The man began to speak and said Where is Jeremy?
I told him that we didnt know and that we were looking for him too. We
explained to the men that we did a job for him and that he owed us money. The
men began to laugh after we said that Jeremy owed us money.
They told us that the briefcase had 40000 rubles inside of it and that it was
theirs. That we had stolen it from them because Jeremy wasnt the intended
recipient of the money. They also explained how we were supposed to pay them
back or get the money back to them or there would be problem.

Fast forward a few minutes and now here we are standing outside of some
abandoned hotel. We had no idea where we were, we had no family or friends, and
our only contact was Jeremy who must have ran away with the money we stole for
him. We had 5 days to get Viktor and his men his money or we would be murdered.
We had no clue on how we were going to get the money but decided it would be
best to just try and find our way back home and rest for the night.
The next day we still had no idea how we were going to get the money. We
tried calling someone back home in the US to bring us some money so that we
could exchange it for rubles and that we would pay them back later. However our
reputations as slack off and drop outs did us no good and no one helped us out, not
even our parents. We were on our own and we had no idea what to do. We spent
the entire rest of the day thinking of how we could make money.
Working a job would even make us a quarter of the money back and we
didnt have enough time to wait for a paycheck. We decided to take a walk around
the street where we lived in Moscow and try to find someone who looked rich
enough but not important, to rob so that we could pay back the Mafia.
We ended meeting a man called Privyat who told us he knew an easy way to
make 90000 rubles. He said he would help us accomplish this but he wanted 40000
rubles from the entire amount. We agreed and excited we decided to hear him out.
He told us he knew of a house where they store that much in their bedroom. There
was a little more in jewelry and nick-knacks but that was if we decided to go
through with it.
We didnt want to commit a crime to pay for a crime but we had no other
options. If we didnt get Viktor his money in 3 days we would be killed. Privyat
told us to wear dark clothing and a head cover and to meet him at a specific

address that he gave us the next day. We knew that it could all be a set up or that
we would actually commit a burglary but end up taking the fall for it while privyat
got away with the money. We knew that if we did get caught that we might never
be released from the Russian prisons but we didnt care. All we had on our minds
was that we had found a way to pay back the mafia and leave the country.
A day passed by and night soon came and we arrived at the location. It took
Privyat twenty minutes longer than us to get there and at first we thought he had
stood us up. After Privyat arrived he told us the plan to get in and out without
being noticed. The first thing we were supposed to do was wait for the
homeowners to leave with their children like they always do. After we were
supposed to look for an open window or an unlocked door so that we could get in.
If we couldnt find one were to kick down the door, which is why we wanted to
wait for the family to leave before we began the robbery.
After we were to go upstairs and begin looking for a safe or a box where the
family kept their money. If we had time we would begin taking valuables and
jewelry. After the robbery was done Privyat would be outside with his car waiting
for us. He explained that if we got caught he would leave us behind. He also said
that if we dont find the money that we would also be left behind. We understood
and began our wait.
After the family left the burglary began. We searched everywhere for an
open window or door but couldnt find any. We decided to break a window and
carefully climb through it making sure we dont rip any of our clothing. We put
socks on our hand to not leave any fingerprints and began looking for the safe or
container upstairs. We found it in the parents bedroom and we opened it up. There
was a lot of money in their so we just decided it would be best to take the entire
box.
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We had only been in the house for about 2 minutes so we decided to start
taking all the jewelry and anything we could pawn. Anything that was worth
money was taken and put into the bag we took and after it was full we began
putting things in our pockets. After our pockets were full as well we decided to
leave. We went out the front door and ran to the location of Privyats car. When we
got inside he asked us if we found the money. We said yes and he drove off after
we showed it to him.
We arrived at Privyats home in Moscow and began looking through what
we had robbed. A whole mess of invaluable jewelry and lots of money. We got the
safe open with a blow torch and counted the money that was inside. It was 90000
rubles, the exact amount we needed. Privyat gave us our cut and sent us on our
way. We began walking back to our apartment to get a good nights sleep.
In the morning we went back to the abandoned hotel where Viktor and his
men were waiting for us. We gave him the money and he sent us on our way. We
went and pawned all the jewelry and kept the extra dollars we had also robbed. We
had enough to leave the country to get back to America, but I decided to go to
Sweden as I had a friend there who I had a crush on for a while.
Jonathan! Im over here! yelled Deline (my Swedish friend) when she saw
me coming out of the front door of the airport.
Hey Deline, how have you been? I asked.
Ive been good, Jonathan, how about you she responded.
Well I have been better thats for sure. Its a long story that Ill tell you at
the Hotel I said.

Hotel? No silly youre going to be staying with me in my apartment while

youre here she said smiling.
Oh. Ok thats pretty cool of your to do that for me thanks. I responded
We both got into here cherry red 2005 Volvo and she drove towards her
apartment. Sweden was beautiful! Everything and everyone was gorgeous. All the
sights too see were breathtaking and everywhere I looked I would see people
smiling. I was glad I took the trip to Sweden to see if I could reconnect with my
old love again. In such a beautiful place it would be amazing if I wouldnt find
love there.
Here we are Said Deline as we exited her car and walked into the
apartment building.
It smelled surprisingly refreshing in there. It was like someone hung up a lot
of car air fresheners all around the building but it also smelled a little like the
outside air. It was cold in Sweden so finally being inside where there was a heater
was refreshing. All I could notice while walking up the stairs with Deline was the
paint on the walls. It was a slightly lighter peach color than I usually see in areas as
such. It was a nice color and really did brighten up the mood and atmosphere as it
just felt nice.
Her room was colored a bright ocean blue and was filled with furniture and a
small TV in the corner. She had a small kitchen and a bathroom within her
bedroom. She also had a small bed next to her living room which I guessed was for
guests. She made me some tea and we began to chat about things and catch up.
How was the flight from Russia? Deline asked.

It was alright. We hit some turbulence before landing but it was nothing too
major I responded.
How was your Business trip to Russia? Deline asked with slight
sarcasm when she said Business.
It was exhausting. Everything was going great till this one guy Jeremy
came around and asked us to do a job for him. We did the job and the sucker
disappeared without paying us. I go to his house and the next thing you know I
have a couple goons chasing me down the street with guns. I get caught, knocked
out, and taken to some god damned abandoned hotel where Im beat and
questioned on Jeremys whereabouts. When I finally tell them that I dont know
where he is they tell me that since I do know him and I did do that last job for him
that I have to pay them their 40000 rubles! I end up having to do a robbery with
some shady lookin dude and break into some house to steal a safe. I finally give
the cronies there money and I left shortly after to come here and spend time with
you! I explained to her.
Wow that was some hell of a trip you had there. Anyways youre safe here
and Im a great host and tour guide so get some sleep and Ill show you around the
great big beautiful Stockholm! She said with so much enthusiasm you would
think she was joking.
In the morning she gave me a grand tour of Stockholm I saw many
landmarks and had a wonderful time. I decided that I would stay for the rest of the
week and she was ecstatic. By the end of the week we had become far more
intimate in our relationship and I had decided I did not want to leave. I found a job
working in a coffee shop and stayed living with Deline who was now my
girlfriend.

I had been in Sweden about a year and half having the time of life when I
got a letter from my brother. It was an invitation to my brothers wedding. It read
You have been cordially invited to attend the wedding of a lifetime! SAVE THE
DATE for Brandon Keidan and Skye as they are getting married Mach 13th.
I told Deline and asked her if she would like to attend it with me. She was
ecstatic, especially since the wedding was in France. She had wanted to visit
France for the longest and we finally had an excuse to get away.
When we arrived it was two days before the wedding. We had dinner with
my brother and family the day before the wedding and were very excited.
How have things been man its been almost 3 years since Ive seen you
Asked Brandon.
Everythings been awesome since I went to Sweden. Before that its a very
long story that I would rather forget than have to relive every again. I exclaimed.
Ha, well I guess we all have the moment that we want to forget, I hope my
wedding isnt one of them. Said Brandon
Babe! Yelled his Fianc as he chuckled and most of the table began to
laugh.
The wedding was finally here and I couldnt believe it. My younger brother
was getting married. I always thought I would be the first to get married but this
day was a nice surprise that I couldnt believe. We had been anxiously awaiting
this day since we landed in Italy and we were excited that it was finally here.
The wedding was Gorgeous and the entire thing feeling was just grand
happiness. Most of my family was there as well as most of my brothers friends.
Everyone had a grand time as did I and Deline. We all danced and ate and laughed

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so much it shouldve been illegal to feel that happy. All in all this wedding and
these three trips all taught me a lesson and I found very different things in each.
When I went to Russia I found helplessness. I found that the easy way out
isnt always the best way out. I also found out what true fear for your life is and
how easy it is to get caught up in the wrong things when you decide to hang out
with bad people and try and make a quick buck.
In Sweden I found what true love is. I fell in love with my best friend and
have found the person I would like to wake up next to every morning. I found the
person that makes me smile in the City and Country that makes me happy to be
alive. It was where I decided to stay and spend the rest of my life at.
In Italy I found what great happiness comes from having friends and family
that truly care for you. I found that my brother was a million times happier just
because his family and friends had shown up to the wedding. I found that having a
family that cares for you and is always there to support you is always better than
finding a quick way to make money.
All these trip have shown me different aspects of life. Some have been cruel
and depressing while others were lovely and beautiful. But all in all I would say
that these three trip showed me that you shouldnt miss out on life. You should
always be willing to go to new places, even if sometimes you end up in dangerous
situations, these things are what makes you, you and what shapes and structures
your life to turn you into the person that you are today!

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