Thato’s kidney matched with that of Annika. They both had operations and Annika was saved. She survived the operation. In the other room, Thato was fighting for his own life.

The doctor walked into the room. Annika was kneeling down praying, an act she hadn’t performed in a while. It had been years since she last prayed. The last time she prayed was when she asked God to keep her stepfather away from her. The day he had started to rape her. It was the time she had made a vow that if God could protect her, she’d pray every day of her life. After the painful experience she went through three years ago.

The agonizing experience that had her mother choosing to believe her stepfather over her, she vowed never to pray again. After months of painful sexual and physical abuse, she chose never to pray to the one who had turned a blind eye to her pain. She chose not to believe the one who couldn’t protect her from her loved ones and eventually having to flee home. She couldn’t believe the one who couldn’t provide for her when life threw all hardships in her direction. It had been three years since she last prayed. Now she had to.

She just couldn’t imagine life without him. She felt like she’d never fall in love with someone the way she had fallen for him. His shirt in her arms, she held it tight towards her chest as tears filled her entire face. It just wasn’t the same as having him around. She longed for his smile and laughter. She needed to feel his flesh she had long longed for one more time, his hands, where they belonged, in hers. His smell, so familiar, his eyes, his hair all painted a picture in her mind. A picture she wouldn’t forgive herself for if it was to come to demise.

“Hi Annika,” said the doctor.

She sat there, on the side of the bed, motionless. Her eyes drowned out by the tears that ran down her soft face like an over-flowing river, the salty taste that entered her mouth as she sat there, helpless.

“We just want to let you know that Thato just survived the operation.”

“Thank God,’ she said with tears rolling down her cheeks. Can I see him?”

“Yes. Come with me,”

She felt as though her life was complete when she saw him lying on the bed with his brother by his side. She felt as though the only thing that had been missing in her life was finally there; someone who’d protect her, love her, care for her and whom she’d love back.

She felt as though only he could make things better, only he could make her smile, only he knew her inside out. Tears were still rolling down her cheeks and she had lost her voice. She couldn’t say any word, either too happy or overwhelmed by the sight of the only thing that made sense in her life. She went straight to him and kissed him on his lips.

“I missed you,” she said with a smile.

***

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