THE WIDOWER.

CHAPTER 32.

Nora remembered that night as she retold her story.
"Lora started crying uncontrollably. She moved to comfort her but she clung unto her She looked devastated. Nora's heart broke.
She looked at her and said "I am sorry he did that to you it was all my fault." She hiccupped.
"How is it your fault?" Nora was now growing more and more anxious.
She composed herself as she waited for her to speak.
"I promised never to tell anyone but if he did that to you then that means I have been misbehaving. It all started when we were eleven. He started touching me inappropriately and at first I wanted to tell you and mom but he threatened me if I did he would punish you the more and he was going to leave us. He promised he won't hurt you so much if I complied. It continued and escalated. When you went to boarding things got worse. He would even come into my room in the middle of the night and there was nothing I could do. Mother would never believe me and you were so far away. I was hurting sissy I would be sore for days and mother wouldn't notice. At school the teachers saw how withdrawn I was but I refused to talk because his threats had escalated to killing us all." Lora sobbed.
Nora was seeing red because of all the anger.
She was trembling with fury and she could not look at Lora.
"That bastard is so dead!" Nora matched towards the living room with every intention of killing him.
Lora held her so tight pleading,"please sissy don't do this! He has a gun in his room. I saw it one time I was there. Look we can ran away." She suggested.
"He has been raping you for the past four years and he tried to do so with me today. I can't let this rotten man live in our home." Nora tried to free herself from her grip.
"No! Please sissy he will kill me then you and then kill mother. He has promised me if anyone finds out he was going to do so." Lora begged.
She paced in the room, she needed a plan to get away that demon from their home.
"Is that why when you had your periods you behaved so? How come you never told me anything? Sis I am your sister I would have done anything to keep him away from you." She  cursed and swore. She now despised their mother for not protecting Lora. She should have known that her so called husband was molesting her daughter.
Lora's tear stained face watched her rant.
"He made me wash myself every time  as a way to do away with the evidence." Lora said with a small voice.
"I fought sissy he said the more I struggle the more painful it will be. There days I would ran off and stay at our neighbors so as to avoid the inevitable." Lora went farther.
Nora stopped moving and looked at how her dear sister appeared fragile and torn apart.
"We are going at grandma's tomorrow." She said.
"Mother will not let us." Lora replied.
"I am not going to allow us stay with that awful man. Trust me on this." Nora started packing their things in a medium sized bag.
Lora hugged her so tight,"thank you sissy. I am sorry I didn't say anything sooner." She confessed.
"No,I am sorry I didn't stay to protect you." She patted her and finished packing their  bag and waited for morning.
The following morning Nora matched through the living room and  announced their departure. Their mother disagreed so she  turned towards her step father who was now watching them nervously.
"You know better than to disagree Philip, I know you little secret. You better tell your wife that we are going and please convince her." She said with a very angry face.
He turned and convinced their mother to let them go. They  stayed there and did not tell their maternal grandmother what happened because she and their mother were not friends. They did not want to make things complicated
They did not want to go back home so their step father afraid Nora would tell his secret let them be but their mother dragged them back.
She resented her the more but she could not allow her break her determination to protect Lora.
Nora would not leave Lora alone even for a second afraid that creep would come back and threaten her or worse rape her.
Fast forward to when they were seventeen Lora tried to commit suicide and by luck she survived. Nora was punished for stealing the money she took from his hide out and she was saved by their neighbors and she stayed with them until Lora came back from the hospital.
That's when she told their  mother what had happened but instead of standing up for them she said she  wanted to break her marriage and Lora was old enough to seduce men if she wanted to.
Nora was angry and devastated.
Lora was heart broken and she told her that she never knew why their mother hated them.
A few days after they had turned eighteen  Lora told her that she was going to ran an errand and she would be back.
Nora waited for her but she never came back. Days turned into weeks and months. Her  sister never came back and never showed up again.
They reported the case to the local police and searched for her. After three months they declared her dead after their efforts hit a dead end. They did a small funeral and buried her favorite dress and shoes and a picture of her.
Nora became so cold hearted towards family and everything it stood for. She had lost her family.
She swore never to give up on searching for her.
Afterwards  she  left home and  vowed never to go back and she never did.
Nora finished narrating the entire story to a tear stained Jade. She was now weeping and looked at her even in her pain Jade dared hug her.
"I am so sorry Nora I never imagined that happened to you." Jade whispered.
"I am sorry I never told you anything before,I didn't know how to Jade. You were so good to me yet I kept it hidden. I think I felt guilty of wishing you were Lora most of the time." She confessed to her friend.
They kept quiet each lost in their own thoughts.
"Nora,I will be your best friend and sister not only now but until our time here has expired all right and we are going to talk more after I get out of the hospital." Jade promised.
Nora nodded.
The door opened to an over joyed Rick. He came and sat next to her. Nora excused herself.
"Hey what happened after I left." He asked.
"It is a long story my love. I am tired and I want to rest." She smiled at her husband of five years.
Rick adjusted her sheets and kissed her forehead.
Jade held his hand,"Rick you are going to bring Nora bear closer to your heart. She has been hurting for a long time and she does not know the true meaning of a family and you are going to be her big brother Protect and love her. She needs us now more than ever." Jade said teary.
"You know I have loved that girl the moment you walked with her to our second date back then and introduced her. I have regarded her as my sister too. I may not know everything but I see her haunted eyes every time she comes for a visit. I will always be here for her." Rick confessed to her childhood love.
"I know how all that feels. You and I know that I understand that far too well." Rick said with a rueful smile.
"That's why I love you and yes I understand that." Jade said as stared at her husband.
Silent words passed between of the many things they had gone through together.

*****
I used the drawing to illustrate Lora's life. It is close to what I had in mind.
Most sexual abuse is from people close to us relatives and friends.
#Say no to any form of abuse.