Battles in the shadows

A TASTE OF THE PAIN...

Laura was preparing to go to class the next morning when a call came from home. She smiled brightly at her mother's photo and answered,

"Dumela Mama." She greeted in Setswana.

"Your Father and I tried calling you yesterday but your number was not going through."

"Sorry about that. I slept really early and switched my phone off."

"How are you my darling? Missing home? Mama misses your laughter, your warm embrace and your father misses your cooking." Laura laughed out loud at the other end. Her chest tightened at the affection she received from her parents and in truth she misses them but her career is her ultimate goal. Her goal to become a success, find her biological parents and show off hr great life. Who was she trying to convince? A major part of her life was already messed up by people who she trusted; Innocence.

"Lauretta, are you still there?"

"Yes Mama," Laura said, recovering from her reverie.

"You will be done in a less than nine months my darling and you could come back home and be with me." This made her smile brightly.

"I miss you Mum." A knock at her door distracted her.

"Mum, I will call you back. There's a knock on the door."

"Okay my love. Don't open the door to strangers okay. Love you very much." The line went dead and Laura went to the door. There stood Brandon carrying grocery bag.

"And now?"

"Good morning to you too. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes I did, thank you."

"I brought some goodies for you and a nice pack of magnum chocolate so you could get over yesterday's shock."

Laura smiled and ushered him in.

After breakfast of pancakes and mixed fruit juice, Laura cleared things off and came back to her seat.

"I would like to understand something, why was Grandma Robinson here to attack you?"

Laura sighed and quietly replied,

"She suspected what my intentions were at the nursing home she's at."

"Why?"

Laura laughed bitterly, "I wanted her to feel guilt all her life for inciting her son to force me to leave them. Life wouldn't have gotten complicated for me."

"It has been long Lauretta. No matter what she's done, you have come a long way and overcame the odds."

She smiled weakly and looked at her hands

"Promise you won't try to carry out revenge on her."

"I will think about it." She said tightly

After few minutes of awkward silence, Brandon said, "Your eternity is not worth losing over unforgiveness Lauretta. Let God heal you. He loves you."

"Where was God? Where was He when I was left to rot at a dump site?"

"He made people find you in time" Was Brandon's reply.

"You have no idea what it felt like to be returned after a full adoption process."

"God had your best interest at heart and despite what you went through turned it around for your best."

"Being here is a blessing and sometimes I wonder if my biological parents would have been able to afford it."

Brandon took her hands and said,

"Things might look out of order right now but God has your back; He is in charge."

Laura allowed his words to sink in and thought about it through out her day...can she really forgive those that caused her pain and harm?

It is way after closing time that Phillip walked to the parking lot, ready to go home. A lot of his colleagues already left being a Friday. He dropped his bag inside the boot and was about to get inside when he saw a figure move close to him. He looked around at the open space parking lot that was nearly empty. The figure came closer...a feminine figure, masked face and arms folded behind.

His heart somersaulted as he realised he might be in danger. He wanted to rush inside his car but his assailant was fast. She swung a Baseball bat at him and missed hitting the window of his car. He started running but she went after him. He reached the library area and saw that no one was around to help him and it seemed he lost his assailant. He was breathing heavily and head was beginning to throb.

"What is happening Jesus? Who was that?" He prayed silently.

Just right there, he felt a sharp pain to his back... His assailant had hit him with the bat in her hand. He collapsed on the ground and yelled in pain.

His assailant took out an A4 sized plain paper with "TRASH" in bold and capital letters and a stapler. She held the paper to his shirt and stapled them together.

"What are you?" He managed to choke out. She spat on him and kicked him in the gut then stepped hard on his hands then ended her attack with two resounding slaps.

"Goodbye lover."

Although he was in pain, he knew the only person who used to call him that was Laura. She cannot be here as she is in the UK for her studies. Did she tell someone about their relationship? Did she pay someone to hurt him?

Knowing what was going through his mind, his assailant gave him one last kick and fled. Phillip yelped in pain and rolled on the floor like a child with an intense stomach cramps. Why was this happening now? Was it payback time or just a random attack? Fear gripped his heart at what might happen next. His entire body was in intense pain and so was his heart that still live in guilt daily.