Bill of Human Wrongs

She grabbed her middle, hanging on as her gut ached. Her mouth tasted the terror, she wanted to throw up, but she continued, “He raped me.” The last words shrieked out of her mouth. A sickening sound of desperation, a strong woman turned into mush. The cry for help was deafening. “Sandy, I am, I am,” She put her head down in shame. “I’m pregnant.” Her body quivered uncontrollably when Eve began taking deep breaths trying to regain her composure. Then she became silent for a moment. The next words expressed her shame. “Sandy, I erased the videos and audio recordings after he left.” She winced, “I covered it up!”

Eve watched Sandy walk over to the sink. She turned off the water. Then she went to the radio to switch it off, making the kitchen a quiet and serene room once again. She motioned to Eve to laugh, to mimic her sounds. “Eve, you have to be one of the funniest people I know. Tell me another story, but first. Find us another tune to enjoy while we do this work.” Sandy turned on the radio. Again, at full volume. She gestured with her index finger, beckoning Eve to join her.

“Eve, I know of a place you can go to take care of your problem.” Sandy’s mouth was nearly touching Eve’s ear so she could be heard. “You’ll need to wear sunglasses, a wig, lots of clothing to hide your appearance, but it can be done. There’s a hospital in Latino Town and there are doctors there that will do this for you.” She pulled back from her friend and just stared at her.

Eve was in shock, she had no words for quite some time. The loud bellowing sound coming from the receiver was giving her a headache. A single tear released itself from her eye, making its way slowly down her cheek. But she smiled at her friend. She felt a warmness infuse her insides, and nodded her head, giving Sandy the permission to give her more instructions.