Nyasha went very quiet. She could feel the rush of blood in her ears. She shut her eyes tightly as her mind flashed over what had happened to her last night.

She wanted to scream and scream. But she remained quiet, as a cold chill crept through her body.

“Are you OK, darling?” her mother asked anxiously.

Nyasha shook her head from side to side several times. Then she spoke.

“I do know who did this to me, Mom,” she said, before she could stop herself. “It was three guys from school.”

Her mother gasped. “Was Marcus one of them?” she asked softly.

“No, Mom.” Then she told her mother everything. When she was finished talking she felt drained, both physically and mentally.

“Mom can you call Marcus and tell him to come here. He’s not the kind of guy we all thought he was. He was here earlier to ask me to tell the police everything we knew. But I think we must do it together – together we must tell the police everything.”

“Oh Nyasha,” Mom wept. “You’re a brave and wonderful, girl. I admire Marcus for wanting to tell the police. It must have been very hard on him. Here we were judging him all the time and he was going through his own secret hell.”

Nyasha nodded her head. Now all she wanted was for this ordeal to be over.

Her mother phoned Marcus on his cellphone and a few minutes later he walked into the ward.

“How did you get here so quickly?” Nyasha asked.

“I never left the hospital. I was hoping to see you alone again. I wanted to go straight to the police station but I needed to tell you first. I can’t go on living like this, Nyasha.”

“I know,” she told him softly. She reached her hand out and grasped his.

When the two officers appeared at the ward, the two young people told them everything.

“Thank you, both,” Officer Brown said. “According to the doctor we have enough evidence to arrest the three of them. I can guarantee you they won’t get away with this.”

“What about me, Officer? I’ve done some pretty wild things.”

“We’ll sort that all out later, Marcus. At the moment we just want to arrest these three criminals. This time they won’t be able to hide behind their fathers’ money.”

*****

After a week Nyasha had returned to school. On the outside the bruises and cuts were healed but she knew it would be some time before the emotional pain inside her body would heal.

She’d had had to have HIV tests as well. So far they had been negative. She was also seeing a therapist.

The weeks passed and she had found distraction from her pain by singing in the choir. The night of the concert had arrived. Nyasha was feeling very nervous – she was singing a couple of songs on her own.

She had especially chosen Baby Be Mine for her last song, because she and Marcus were now a couple. He loved this song, and had played it for her several times.

I don’t need no dreams when I’m by your side
Every moment takes me to paradise
Darling, let me hold you
Warm in my arms, and melt your fears away
Show you all the magic that a perfect love can make
I need you night and day.

Nyasha finally looked up after bowing her head to the applause, and saw Marcus gazing into her eyes, seeing the love there, that matched his own.

Her smile was for him alone.

***

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