Fighting For Ava

*06*

"I'll get the phone and we go to Ava's," Jethro said hurriedly as he alighted from the bicycle and charged towards the entrance of the inn.

"Wait." Gavin's shaky voice stopped him and he looked back impatiently, "About going to see Ava today. Isn't it too quick?" Gavin raised his doubt again.

"No, it's not." He affirmed, full of haste.

"I think it is." Gavin argued, "You see there are two stages one gets over the pain. First is that you accept you're hurt and sob all alone. I think Ava needs this stage for some time." He gave his reason, hoping Jethro would agree with him but his friend had just given a huff, signaling an ugly statement was coming.

"And if I guess right, the second stage to get over the pain is to commit suicide after you've been left all alone to sob and imagine saddening things." Jethro snorted as expected.

"Suicide?" Gavin's eyes widened, he had not thought about that.

"Yes, suicide." Jethro nodded rudely, "Don't you wonder the kind of sad thoughts she would be having at the moment? So, she should be left alone to have them all and then do funny things?" He scoffed and Gavin could only sigh in defeat. He shouldn't have said she should be left alone. That had sparked a fire in Jethro.

"But she has relatives. She can do with them for sometime before we..." Gavin still tried to be insistent but was quickly interrupted.

"Dude, we're going today. I'll get your phone now." Jethro said hastily and just as he turned back to enter the inn, the sweaty woman came out rushing, a food pack tightly held in her hand.

"Hey boys." She flashed her ridiculous grin again when she saw them, "You left your phone here yesterday?" She asked, staring at Jethro.

"No, he did." He pointed back at Gavin with a wrinkled face.

"I did." Gavin smiled, "Can I have it now, ma?"

"Yes." She nodded and then a gloomy pout formed around her fat lips.

"What's that, ma?" Gavin asked politely, noticing her expression.

"I kept it at home." She said sadly, "I only saw it when I was closing last night and took it home for more safety." She narrated and quickly added, "But my house isn't far. You boys can wait here for me, I'll help you get it as soon as I'm done delivering this." She said hastily.

"And that won't take long?" Jethro doubted in his disgruntled voice and squeezed his face the more when the woman's eyes fixed on him.

"No, boy. Just there, to the girl ..." She suddenly paused and then looked like she had seen something odd, " You should know her, she attends the same school." She sputtered, pointing at the uniform, "Poor girl, she's one of my best customers. You heard what happened to her recently?" She blinked her lashes piteously, a big sadness well rubbed on her face.

"Ava?" Jethro asked curiously, a smart idea instantly forming in his head.

"Yes, that's her name." The woman nodded gloomily, "She's always here to get things for her old man. Beautiful, humble girl but then that evil boy had raped her..."

"Raped?!" Jethro shrieked and heard Gavin's gasp follow simultaneously.

"Yes, I heard one evil boy had raped her." The woman said in a shaky voice and wiped off the tears coming down her fat cheek.

A little silence set in afterward with Jethro sharing a meaningful glance with Gavin before the woman spoke again.

"I'll just get this quickly to her and come back for your phone. Her old man said she hasn't eaten for days." She hastened and was about to fall into steps when Jethro's voice stopped her.