THE BLACK WIDOW

CHAPTER TWENTY - FOUR

Caroline and David saw the men run off, and they immediately came out of the car and rushed in. They saw a distraught Margaret crying next to Sonia, the former's face swollen and reddish where she had been slapped. David met the injured criminal on the way and punched his lights out. Sonia had passed out and was unresponsive to Margaret and Caroline's calls.

"What happened here?" David shouted.

"I found her beaten up and in a bad state. And just before you came in, they shot her too." She cried frantically.

David scooped Sonia up in his arms and carried her outside. Caroline helped with the back seat door and they helped her inside. David called the police line and luckily someone picked it up and promised to come right away.

"She will bleed to death of we wait for the police here. Caroline, you can drive right?"

Caroline shook her head in the affirmative as tears fell down her face.

"Now, take Sonia to the nearest hospital with Margaret. I'll wait for the police."

"Yeeees..." she drawled as she entered the car.

"Caroline, please try to drive calmly, we need you all alive."

As Caroline drove off, David got inside the house, entered the kitchen and took a jug of cold water.

He walked back to the living room and emptied the content on the rapist.

The fool opened his eyes and looked at David anxiously.

"Who are you and who sent you?" David demanded.

====

The next morning, Dr. Gavin briefed the distraught family. She informed them that Sonia was badly hurt and sustained a lot of injuries because of the assault, but she had lost a lot of blood and it was a miracle she was alive after the gun shot.

"I am also afraid..."

"What is it Doctor?" Mr. Moses asked.

"Sonia was raped."

Mrs. Moses screamed and threw herself to the ground and began to wail. Her hands went over head in shock and she screamed, "Who could have done this wicked thing?"

"We have given her Emergency Contraception pills to lower her chances of getting pregnant. Luckily, the bullet merely grazed her skin so she is safe. We are keeping very close eye on her, so you need not worry." Dr. Gavin explained.

"But, who sent those men?" Kunle cried in exasperation.

Sonia spent three weeks at the hospital, and thereafter went back to her house against her parents' wishes. Their fear was that whoever sent the men may send them again and this time around, kill her. The case was reported by David and it went to court.

One evening she looked at her mother who had been staying with her since her return from the hospital and asked her,

"Mummy,"

"Yes my dear."

"Why did God save me that night? I have nothing to live for." She said tightly.

She was seated on her bed uprightly, with her back resting on the backrest.

"Sonia, God saved you for a purpose."

"Mummy, I think he should have killed me."

Her mother sighed deeply and replied,

"Sonia, what about us? Are we not important at all?" Her mother cried in frustration.

"You are not me! You don't feel my pain! You didn't become a widow before 25 or lose your children! Mum, you were not raped and treated like trash!" She screamed.