AN: I'm sorry about the delay in publishing this chapter. A family emergency has kept me from the internet. I can't promise that it won't happen again, but I will do my best to keep to the scheduled updates. Thanks.
Thanks to dazzlingrockstar for betaing this chapter.
"The beauty of spring is the endurance of flowers that, bloom after the trials of winter. Their colour chases away the seeds of bleakness and isolation that, the long months of coldness plant within our souls. Their perfume resurrects the hope for happiness and the will to smile; just like you, my loveā¦
The past few days are a testament to your strength of character and capacity to love. You've dealt with jealousy, rejection and depression yet, still managed to love without limits, to smile without fear. You, my love, fill my heart with pride, for you are truly my hero. The girl who always strived to please, to fit in, finally grew into the woman who accepts herself as she is.
Your journey hasn't been a smooth one and I am afraid of what lies ahead. Soon, your absent husband will return. How will he react to our arrangement? Will he try to take the children away? Will the boys want to go live with their father? If so, will you be able to forgive me; to keep on loving me?
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As the days turned into weeks, a tentative routine established itself amongst the newly formed family. Although the boys were still skittish around Isabella, they tried to be as courteous as possible to the most recent member of their household. As for Isabella, she appreciated the boy's efforts, responding to their olive branch with uncharacteristic warmth. She truly hoped to conquer their hearts as they had conquered hers.
Their happiness seemed almost idyllic however perfection was still a far-away dream. The small town was unwilling to embrace their relationship as legit. More than once, concerned citizens approached them, preaching the word of God and trying to make them see the error of their ways. The saddest part of their gentle harassment was that, they truly believed that their hateful concepts could save the women's soul.
Whenever approached, Alice tried to listen patiently. She had always been respectful of other people's beliefs. Isabella was less generous, preferring to clearly say what she truly thought about the harassers and, she did it loudly and bluntly.
The boys were also having a hard time with all of it. Some days they would come back home looking dirty and unkempt. It was obvious that they had been involved in physical confrontations but, nobody commented on it. They had taken to keeping secrets from their mother - a noble attempt at sparing her from the nasty rumours being spread around.
As tense as the situation was, nobody would have guessed how deep prejudice ran and how far some people were willing to go, in order to prove their point. Taking advantage of Alice's trusting nature, under the guise of needing help with her heavy bags, a supposedly helpless elderly woman lured her to the far side of the supermarket's parking lot.
The old lady had been appalled by the accounts of two women living together, as man and wife. As a good Christian, she didn't hate the sinner but, the sin. She made it her mission to save the women's soul. The one, who went by the name of Isabella, disregarded the word of the Lord and threatened to have her arrested.
Put out by Isabella's violent reaction, the crone tried to show Alice the light of our Lord's love, talking about how forgiving He was, when sinners truly repented. Every time she thought Alice was seeing the light, Isabella came around, weaving her web of lies and lust, dragging Alice back to the darkness of sin. Backed into a corner, the pious woman knew it was time to resort to drastic measures.
Out of sight, a burly man waited. Unlike his senile grandmother, he didn't care about religious beliefs. His job had been snatched away by an immigrant, his wife had left him and his landlord evicted him. He was an angry man, looking for an outlet to the ire consuming his insides. The butch was just a convenient target.
Smiling wickedly, he was pleased to see the fear in her eyes. When she tried to flee, he grabbed her arms and threw her down on the hood of his grandmother's car. Yes, the bitch would do nicely. She was even wearing a skirt.
"Don't be afraid, my child. God loves you and we are only doing his work. We need to exorcize you, from the sacrilegious touch of the she-devil who, ensnared you. Everything will be okay, you will see."
As the crazed hag delivered her sanctimonious speech, the man hiked Alice's skirt up and undid his pants. He had to give credit to those Africans who invented corrective rape. He felt empowered by the sight of the proud butch, about to be taught that, the male flesh should never be disregarded. He was going to make her remember how good it feels, to be possessed by a nice, stiff, unforgiving member.
Alice tried to fight and scream for help but, even in her frightened estate she realized that the situation was hopeless. She no longer feared for herself but only for the safety of her loved ones. They were bound to feel like they failed her. Could she hide the truth from them? Could she feign normalcy? Could...
Her musings were interrupted by a loud noise. A commotion was going on behind her but Alice couldn't command her eyes to open, or her limbs to move. She was trembling when she felt her skirt being brought into place. Was there another attacker? Maybe it was an unwanted saviour, another witness to her shame.
Suddenly, she was standing upright, caught in a tight embrace, her head resting on a strong chest. Unable to stop herself, she sobbed and fought against her rescuer. She was beyond reason or gratitude. Alice was dominated by the instinct to run away, from the man her irrational mind perceived as her captor.
Eventually, she collapsed into oblivion; a welcomed reprieve from the terrors of that night. When she regained consciousness, she was surrounded by the faces of her loved ones. In each of their faces guilt and regret fought for dominance and, it broke her heart.
Alice wanted to tell them that, it wasn't their fault, they couldn't have known but, instead, found herself ensnared by an unexpected pair of teary blue eyes.
AN: Corrective rape is a hate crime, perpetrated against homosexuals - both male and female. It is intended as a means to force the homosexual into complying with the "standard" rules of human sexuality. The term was coined in South Africa (therefore the characters' comment about "Africans") but, don't be fooled, it has happened all over the world.
Next update - Tuesday.
