My husband Chad was with me, and we chatted with Obi when he arrived, sharing the phone between us. Obi told us things he couldn’t write in his letters, which were all subject to censorship from the guards.
Thai prisons are notorious for their harsh conditions, and what Obi told us over the phone confirmed this. Poor food provisions, lice, overcrowding and fighting amongst inmates were just some of his hardships.
Speaking to Obi face to face, my nerves dissipated. Here was a young guy who’d made a very poor choice out of desperation and was paying for it.
My experience writing to a person on Death Row gave me a valuable perspective on life, and I never dreamt I would one day write a novel about it. My novel isn’t really about Obi – Micah is fictional and so is Bel’s relationship with him. But Inside the Tiger does incorporate real elements from my experience, like the photo Obi sent me of himself from a Christmas Day feast in prison. Or the haunting sketches he sent of my husband, myself and our dog, drawn by the talented artists inside the prison. These sketches are still hanging on our walls. Father Ramone is based on a priest who used to visit Obi in prison and had his leg amputated in order to continue visiting ‘his boys’ – there are angels in the darkest of places.
Some of Bel’s fears were fears I shared. That’s what happens when you get to know a person sentenced to die. However, at the date of writing this, Thailand has not executed a prisoner since 2009, and Obi was one of the lucky ones – he had his sentence commuted to Life Imprisonment, much like Leo in this story, and was transferred back to Nigeria to serve the remainder of his sentence at home. We lost contact then, but one day he may be eligible for parole and I hope he’s reunited with his mother and manages to get his life back on track.
Unlike Thailand, many countries do execute their Death Row prisoners regularly, and there are many Australians suffering in prisons overseas. I hope this story inspires some of you to work towards changing the world in whatever ways you can. To stand up for what you believe is right. We all have gifts, and small actions can create big ripple effects, so never underestimate the power you hold in your hands.
Finally, I hope all of you find an Eli on your travels, a quiet hero to stand beside you while you make something beautiful with your life.
Hayley Lawrence worked as a lawyer in a commercial firm in Sydney before trading city life for the coast when she married a pilot. She worked for a small law firm on the mid-north coast of NSW, until they started a family. Hayley now has five daughters who continue to bring immense joy and utter mayhem to her life.
Inside the Tiger is Hayley’s first novel. The manuscript won a 2016 Litlink Fellowship at Varuna, The Writer’s House, and a PIP Fellowship in 2017. In 2017 it was shortlisted for The Australian /Vogel’s Literary Award.
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First published by Penguin Australia Pty Ltd, 2018
Text copyright © Hayley Lawrence, 2018
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ISBN: 9781760146849
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Inside the Tiger Page 27
