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VERDICT

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The judges delayed another week before signing my release papers. In the meantime, I had to promise to get them the rest of the money as soon as I got out. They gave me a conditional release – I was free, but I couldn't leave the country. On the day I left prison, I had a big party. Giles and Sole, two tourists who had visited me many times, arrived with Rusty to help me pack my possessions. It wasn't as large a send-off as Ricardo had, but walking out through those gates was one of the happiest moments of my life. My legs collapsed from under me and I had to clutch on to Giles to stop myself from falling over. I never thought they would let me out of that place.

I left San Pedro prison the same way as I arrived – by taxi, without a cent in my pocket. Only this time I had my friends with me and the police had let me keep my possessions. There was Rusty, Giles, Sole and me. All four of us were squashed into the back seat of the taxi with our arms around each other's shoulder. The front passenger seat was empty. As we drove off, I felt like I should have been crying, but I wasn't. I had a sudden desire to turn around and wave to the prison through the rear window, but I stopped myself. I didn't want to look back. I would miss my friends in San Pedro, but I never wanted to see that place again.

What was I going to do? One thing was for certain: I wanted to keep my promise not to go back to trafficking. It was going to be hard – it was all I'd known my entire adult life – but I was determined to try. Apart from that, I had no real plans and I wasn't in a hurry to make any big decisions. Coming out of prison is completely overwhelming – when you're inside, it's like being frozen while the world goes on without you. But then they unfreeze you and expect you to fit straight back into the world, as though nothing had happened.

Anyway, I didn't want to think about these things too much. I owed Rusty a few drinks for his help and that's all I cared about right then. We were going to a bar to celebrate. After that, who knew where I would go? Maybe I could try to remake my life in England, if I could get the money together for a flight. One of the backpackers might be able to help me get a job somewhere. I might even look up Yasheeda in Israel. I wondered if she still thought about me once in a while. I hoped so. I know I still thought about her …