I am A Taxi - Deborah Ellis - Bog

FOR TWELVE-YEAR-OLD DIEGO AND HIS FAMILY, HOME IS THE SAN SEBASTIAN WOMEN S PRISON IN COCHABAMBA, BOLIVIA. HIS PARENTS FARMED COCA, A TRADITIONAL BOLIVIAN MEDICINAL PLANT, UNTIL THEY GOT CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GOVERNMENT S WAR ON DRUGS. DIEGO S ADJUSTED TO HIS NEW LIFE. HIS PARENTS ARE LOCKED UP, BUT HE CAN COME AND GO: TO SCHOOL, TO THE MARKET TO SELL HIS MOTHER S HAND-KNITTED GOODS, AND TO WORK AS A "TAXI," RUNNING ERRANDS FOR OTHER PRISONERS. BUT THEN HIS LITTLE SISTER RUNS AWAY, EARNING HIS MOTHER A HEAVY FINE. THE DEBT AND DAWNING REALIZATION OF HIS HOPELESS SITUATION MAKE HIM VULNERABLE TO HIS FRIEND MANDO S PLAN TO MAKE BIG MONEY, FAST. SOON, DIEGO IS DEEP IN THE JUNGLE, WORKING AS A VIRTUAL SLAVE IN AN ILLEGAL COCAINE OPERATION. AS HIS SITUATION BECOMES MORE AND MORE DANGEROUS, HE KNOWS HE MUST TAKE A TERRIBLE RISK IF HE EVER WANTS TO SEE HIS FAMILY AGAIN. काळीकुट्ट रात्रं.... मिट्ट काळोख आणि घनदाट जंगल; पायाखालची अनोळखी वाट तुडवत दिएगो चालत होता. तो कुठं जातोय, काय करणार याची त्याला काही कल्पना नव्हती. जंगलातून माकडांच्या भयाण किंकाळ्या कानावर पडत होत्या, बेडकांचे कर्कश्य डराँवऽ डराँवऽ ऐकून पोटात कालवत होतं. हे असं भयाण जंगल त्यानं आजवर कधी पाहिलंही नव्हतं. पहाडी भागातला हा मुलगा, द-याखो-यात त्याचं लहानसं कुटुंब राहायचं. पण काळानं असा काही घात केला की, सारं कुटुंबच तुरुंगाच्या चार भिंतीआड रवाना झालं. दिएगोही तुरंगातच राहायचा, शहरातल्या तुरुंगात. शहरभर पायाला चाकं लावून फिरायच