Thiruvananthapuram: A packet of incense sticks helped Edison, who had been injured in the firing by the Jordanian military, return home.
Edison of Menamkulam was among the group that tried to sneak into Israel from Jordan. Jordanian troops that noticed their movement fired at the group. His brother-in-law, Thomas Gabriel Perera of Thumba, was killed in the incident on February 10.

Edison said he spent days in a Jordanian prison, unable to contact his wife back home. "I remembered her phone number but did not know India's country code. Language was a huge barrier," he said.

Days later, incense sticks given to the prisoners helped Edison find the country code, 91. "The incense sticks were made in India, and the packet carried the country code," the man recalled. The next day, after prefixing the country code, he dialled his wife's number and informed her of his imprisonment.

Edison said he left Thiruvananthapuram by air along with his brother-in-law at 3 am on February 5. They reached Jordan via Abu Dhabi. "We had rooms booked in a Jordanian hotel. We stayed there for two days and visited several places. Later, we took a taxi to Aqaba, where we stayed for another two days," he said.

Though the men had visas valid for three months, they had booked return tickets for February 9. "We enquired with the embassy whether we could travel to Israel. We were told that only groups of 10 people could go to Israel. We checked into a hotel again," Edison said.

He said Biju, who had taken the men to Jordan, asked them to sign a paper on February 10. However, Thomas found no issue in signing since they were leaving.

Biju took the men in a taxi. En route, he called a woman in Israel. She sought to know the airport through which the men would enter the country. "Biju told her that she need not know how we would reach the country. He asked her if she could house us if we reached there. She disconnected the phone immediately."

Edison recalled that two Sri Lankans and a guide were with them. They changed multiple cars on the way. "At night, we were asked to get down. We were provided a location map and asked to follow it. We were following the location map when the Jordanian military noticed us. I was the first to be shot. I fell unconscious, and when I regained consciousness, the bullet was being removed. Thomas was not there. I was lodged in different prisons for eight days before I was taken to the court," he said.

"They showed Thomas's passport everywhere. But there were only four passports when we were taken to the jail. We had to pay to make phone calls from the prison. I knew my wife's number. I tried but could not reach her. I did not know that India's country code, too, should be used. Two days later, the packet of made-in-India incense sticks we got in jail had India's country code. I used the code to contact my wife and inform her of my situation. I was able to leave after she sent me the airfare," Edison recalled.