The Treasure of My Heart

I was closing from work for the day. I locked my locker. When I was sure it was properly locked after checking several times, I put the key in my bag, I stared down at the notes and coins in my bag, all in one place because I did not have time to organise it. I started counting it before I took out the bus fee. I needed to go home and sleep. It was a cold night, no one on the streets. It was extremely quiet not even cars. That was strange on a weekend. I check at my wristwatch it was five to twelve midnight. The restaurant closed late today.

 I hate night shift, but I had no choice I needed money. The last bus normally arrives by ten to twelve, but it was heading to twelve o’ clock. Was it late or it arrived earlier while I was still working? I stood there restless, other waiters long gone to their apartments. I was the only one residing in the township.

“Hey beautiful!”

I looked around, I saw an unfamiliar person wearing jean-to-jean clothes. I just stood there motionless.

“Do you mind sharing?”

I looked him in the eyes.

“Do not look at me like that, you better choose to do this on your own or you let me do it myself, is that clear?” He said standing in front of me. I cleared my throat and kept a strict stance as I glared at him. He smiled at me; the sight of his face caused the inside of my stomach to revolt against me. The smell of sweat mixed with weed and alcohol began to choke me. He looked like he has not wash for days. Oh My God! I wanted nothing more than to just disappear from his sight.

I said nothing and allowed him stare at me. “You know what everybody walking on this street at this hour, pays a rent to me because I own this street. Every day if I found you here at this time of the day, you will pay.” He said.

“If you need money that much, you better find yourself a job, this one is mine I worked for it.” I said hold my bag tightly. An obvious frown formed on his dark face. “See this? Make noise, I will rip your throat before you finish the first note.” He said dragging me away from the front of the restaurant, into the back of street and flung me to his front. I staggered shortly, before I regained my stance.

“You’re stubborn, you want to die? I was trying to be generous but your stupidity annoys me. For the last time give me the money, and I will let you go unharmed but…” He paused and cupped my chin with his other hand. I felt my skin crawl.  “But, if you choose not to listen. I will break that cherry of yours, trust me it will not be nice. Now beautiful, give me the money.” He said opening his eyes wider while looking me straight in the eyes and enclosing the space between us and grabbed hold of my wrist.

The cold of the dark night swept through my face, along with the sudden breeze. I worked hard for this money; I could not let him have it. It is for my university fees. He grinned while he looked down at me. Before I knew it, I was on the ground and he snatched my bag and walked away as if nothing happened. I quickly stood up, running after him. “Give my bag back.” I said hitting him across his face. He frozen for a moment, I grabbed my bag and ran away as fast as my legs could carry me. Unfortunately, he caught up with me next second I was on the ground. He chuckled, it was a bitter one. “You know you’re stupid. Who can save you from me? Huh?” For a second, just for a second my heart seized to beat. When it starts beating, it felt like it was skipping some beats. What followed was pain’s angry claws clutching my chest and I groaned in agony. I crumbled down to my knees, tears welling up in my eyes; I fought hard to keep them away. What have I done to deserve this? My father died and the remaining members of my family neglected me. Now, I am facing this all alone. “Please, you don’t want to do this.” My hands still clapped together as my knees rooted on the ground. I hoped he would listen, and spare my life. He stood motionless still holding my hair firmly and a knife on my neck.

He smiled and ended up laughing like a lunatic man. At this point, I could not tell which part disgusted me more. He looked me up and down, his eyes landed on my chest. “Angel, you are Angel?” He said touching my work badge with his knife. I opened and closed my mouth like a fish; my voice could not come out. My throat and mouth has dried out.

“You see Angel? I am already high right now yeah. And I … I can let you go on one condition.” He placed his hands on the waistline of his jean trouser and pushed his back forward, as though he were pushing his crotch to my face. “Empty this Angel, and I’ll let you go. By the way you look good on your knees.”  I sprang up from the ground. I told myself that there was no way on earth I let this skank face take advantage of me. “Please be reasonable, I am young and I am trying to raise money to go to university.” I said.

“I tried to be.” He spat out. In one swift move, he gripped me by my neck and pulled me closer to himself. He pinned my back against his chest, I felt his skin graze my waist, I sent the back of head hurling towards his face. He screamed and freed me. While I was trying to straighten my dress. I found myself hitting the ground with my back and he was on top of me. Pushing me down, I found my voice. I screamed with agonizing pain, I felt the skin on my back spreading all my body.

He got the chance to close my mouth with his. I bit him so hard! “You are really stupid!” He shouted, buts of saliva dropped from his mouth and landed on my face. “I am going to kill you as soon as I finish satisfying myself and breaking your cherry.” He said his palm came crashing down hard against my left cheek. With his right hand, he clasped my throat and tore the upper part of my dress open with little or no effort. “Please, please stop.” I said trying to keep my legs together, and giving him my best punches, but they did nothing except exciting him and fueling him to continue. He sucked and bit my breasts. While pinning my hands down with his. Seeing that I was not going to open my legs, he poked my breasts with his knife. Saying, “I am not going kill you before I eat your cherry. You can scream as loud as you wish no one is going to help you here, after all you are not the first one to scream on this street. In this area, even ghosts scream every night.”

“Stop!” I said shouting and screaming. “Damn! You know I love it when the lady get feisty.” My creams and cries became in audible, even to me. I was growing weary my knuckles had already weakened. His laughter began to grow distant and his image slowly blurred away from my vision. When you are unlucky not even a dog pass by. You fought the devil alone until death embrace you. A thought of my dad came to my mind instantly, I remembered that he loved me for who I was and accepted me for who I was striving to become. Now that he was gone no one to protect me I accepted my fate. If I die I have nothing to lose, at least I will get a chance to be with my dad in heaven. “Thanks for being my dad.” I said silently, as I was going to close my eyes and resign to fate. When I felt a huge weight lifted off my body, I was in the verge of giving it all up for once; I tried to raise my head up, just to get a closer look. He flung him towards the wall. The man gave him punches. Was that a Savior? I narrowed my eyes, even as the sky began to spin in my head. My head was as if it was going to explode any minute, so I closed my eyes and gave up as soon as I feel my body shutting down. Then darkness consumed me.