Chapter 26 HOME

Sobrina's only sister was extremely extroverted. She loved to go out, mostly church activities, or to their mother's shop or to visit a friend.

She was fifteen and innocent.

Sobrina had repeatedly warned her about being out at night but she was adamant. She always had one important activity or the other that ended late in the evening.

The two sisters were really close, they treasured each other. Sobrina played the role of a mother to her sister, since their mother could not.

Sobrina visited home for the weekend from the University one day, and her sister agonizingly confided in her.

She had been raped on her way back from church, one week before Sobrina's arrival.

It was a little over 8pm, she was walking home alone, when a giant man whom she couldn't identify because of the facecap he was putting on, dragged her into an uncompleted building in the estate where they lived, and raped her.

She had been suffering greatly in silence. She couldn't tell her parents because they would blame her and turn it all against her, which would have been very tragic.

It turned out that Sobrina's visit had been very timely. She consoled her sister, took care of her and tried her best to rehabilitate her.

Sobrina took her sister to a pharmacy and gave her anti pregnancy medication. She was heartbroken to hear about what had happened, and they both shared the burden.

It had been months since Sobrina last visited her home, she had a great feeling that she had averted a looming tragedy. Who knows what would have happened if she hadn't returned. Her precious sister could have gone deeply into depression, until she did something tragic. Especially if she had gotten pregnant as a result of the rape. Who would have believed she was actually raped? Definitely not their self righteous, extremely religious parents. They would have quickly sent her to an early grave. For one, she wasn't looking so bright as usual when Sobrina returned.

When Sobrina returned to the University the following week, she told Pastor Melvin about what had happened. She was seeking consolation, advice and a shoulder to cry on. She had been strong around her sister, because she understood she needed to. Of course, she had traveled stubbornly without Pastor Melvin's consent, as he wouldn't let her go anywhere.

"How are you sure she was raped?" he questioned.

"My sister is just a kid", Sobrina protested.

"So? The man could have been her boyfriend!" he snapped at her, he was generally unsympathetic. The very same attitude that had kept her sister from telling their parents.

Sobrina was disgusted. Even though she didn't say anything out of anger, her silence from that moment to the end of his visit spoke volumes. He noticed the change, understood he'd done wrong, and changed the topic of the conversation.

It took Sobrina over a year to forgive him completely. It showed in the ways she related with him.

He never apologized for his attitude that day, he instead became nicer and meeker, and Sobrina gradually forgave him, pushing away the painful memory.