A sampling of my short story written in 2009. Of course, this is an autobiographical piece so names and locations were change to keep the peace.

When she finally got better after her third hospitalization, she was able to resume some normalcy once again, so we took up where we left off. My mother at this point seemed a bit symapthic towards. She  allowed Sara to visit and even encouraged me to keep talking to her, but she still wasn’t allowed to step foot in our house. During the time I had my friend back, I put away my shyness about all the issues I heard over the years, and made it my mission to ask her about her father. I told her about the many rumors regarding her father and asked her if he was ever inappropriate towards her. She slowly started telling a very somber tale. She said that he never touched her, but I didn’t believe her. She confessed that he touched both Tanya and Marsha, and paid them for sex. She then said that’s why they always had money. Sara also stated that Mia, a younger girl who lived a few houses away was also involved. I asked about the time she was pregnant and inquired about the father. Sara told me she became pregnant for one of her father’s friend who was a doctor. She made me remember the two weeks she was absence from school. She said that he gave her an injection that caused her to have a miscarriage two days after, and that’s why she was out of school for two weeks. I then asked her if Jenny knew this was happening. Sara quickly told me that she knew, but couldn’t stop it because she was forced to participate since the age of fourteen. The stories she told me about her father were horrible. Even some men in the village although they looked down on the family they gladly accepted Sammy’s daughters behind closed doors. It was then I fully understood why my mother and grandfather was so reluctant to let me go to their place. I was sure that they were privy to this information for years; but instead of doing something to help they let it carry on, claiming it was none of their business.

At that point, I started linking all the strange incidents to her father. That afternoon, I even asked why she walked around naked. She told me that she heard the voices of fairies outside her bedroom window calling her to dance naked. After she had recapped the many things that happened to her, she begged me not to say anything. She didn’t want anyone to confirm the rumors, as she knew the shame on her family would be even great.

I lived in a village where everyone knew each other inside and out, but this was swept under the carpet. While they all cared enough to talk about Mr. William’s drinking problem or about locating any member of the community; they didn’t care about Sara and her sister. Instead of opening talking, they whispered and assisted in keeping the village’s dirty little secret. After she finished explaining, I felt like I was the worst friend on the face of the earth for not realizing that this was happening to her. It was a sad day when I found out what was going on, and a day that would burrow into my subconscious and linger in the darkest reaches of my mind forever.

To Be Continued…