Many Chance Summer

Epilogue

     It's been 2 years since I got my letter from Kevin. I opened it and read it and honestly, it gave me a lot of peace.

     Kevin and Barry turned themselves in. They went to the police station in Pennsylvania together and confessed to a crime no one was investigating. They were charged with rape and trialed as adults in Pennsylvania courts. I was minor at the time of the crime, younger than 16 in the state of Pennsylvania, and rape is a capital offense here.

     No words can describe how speechless and shocked I was as I read the letter. I literally read it two more times because I just could not believe my eyes. After I really comprehended what I read, I started crying. I cried because finally I felt like I could breathe. I'd been suffering and not loci my life because of what Barry and Kevin did so brutally and shamelessly to me, but the letter showed me that they were suffering, too, in some way.

I haven't forgiven them yet, I don't think so. I'm not sure if I ever will. But I do know that I am...glad. I'm glad they feel guilty and truly sorry and were brave enough to turn themselves in.

No one knew of the letter besides myself until a onto later. It was still shocking to me. Plus, I wasn't sure if I could believe the letter or not anyway. Kevin an Barry spent four years pretending they did nothing worthy of grave punishment. They got away with a capital crime. And all of a sudden they're sorry? To leave everything: their family, free life, education, electronics, to be behind bars and have a prominent criminal record? It just didn't make sense...

I'm not sure if it was the interaction with Jamaal about me that set something off in them or God or what, but I have confirmed that Kevin O'Leary and Barry Price have been imprisoned in an adult prison for 2 years. They were both sentenced to 35 years behind bars with the possibility of parole after 15 years. I genuinely, from the bottom of my heart, through all my limbs, and every nerve in my body feel like they should not be allowed parole. Never, ever. Because not only did they rape me, but they threatened and harassed me to make sure I stayed quiet about it for 4 years!

And just because they're actually behind bars doesn't mean I've suddenly forgiven them or that I'm suddenly wonderful. I'm not sure I'll ever be that, but I'm okay. I have more hope than ever now, and now I'm just focusing on my education, God, and being a good person.

     A positive outcome of me being raped is that now I see the good in every one. I know suffering, I know pain. I know what I feels like to have something horrible happen to you, or something of great importance forced way from you and to not be able to talk to anyone about it, or do anything about it. I know what it feels like to live with that pain every single ducking day. To not sleep. Not eat. Not find joy in the things that you used to be passionate about.

     I know what it feels like to feel like you've completely lost yourself.

     But I am living proof that you do get stronger, and thugs do get better. And instead of letting your negative experience spiral your life downwards, climb a ladder and never stop. Help others. Thank God you made it. Thank God, period. Because everything happens for a reason, and I'm sure as hell I wouldn't be the person that I am today if what happens to me didn't happen.

     I'm not saying be grateful that you got shot or a loved one died or you were sent to jail or lost custody of your child or couldn't afford to pay for college or got raped...I'm saying have an open mind, and never lose faith in God. Never let what happens to you make you a worse person, take control of you. Because God's got your back, even when it seems like you're all alone.