Zeba stared out of the window and watched how raindrops fell down on the street.She pulled the warm blanket J had given her before a bit more around her shoulders and then sighed.She woke up from her daydream as J handed her a cup and smiled down at her.
“Feeling better?”he asked.
“Yeah,thank you.”
He shook his head and replied”No thank yous please.Everyone would have done the same.”
Zeba shrugged her shoulders.J didn’t even know himself how special he really was.Nobody would have let her inside in this neighbourhood cuz everyone was stuck-up and selfish.J leaned back in his chair while saying”Well,would you like to talk about the reason you’re homeless?I can listen.”
Zeba smiled.He probably was a good listener but she couldn’t possibly tell him the truth.He would kick her out of the house right away,maybe even call the police.
“My parents died a few years ago and since that time I lived with my boyfriend but we broke up.I had nowhere to go so the only solution was living on the streets.”
J took the lie without any problem at all.Zeba hated lying but it was the best if he would never find out about the truth.J stared at her.then finally said”That’s horrible.Don’t you have any friends or family you can go to?”
“No.I was born in Canada but I don’t have enough money to buy a ticket and go there.And everyone back there would have probably forgotten me already.”
J nodded.”How long do you live here?You don’t seem to have an accent.”Zeba smiled at J and answered”Seven years already.I got used to Cockney very fast.”
The two of them sat together in silence for a while,both in their little own world.Zeba thought of how good she felt with J,something that was almost impossible.They only just met and it already felt like they had known eachother for years.Zeba felt how tired she really was and before she knew it,she closed her eyes.
“Are you tired?”
She opened her eyes again at those words and nodded shyly.
J smiled understandingly and replied”Go to sleep then.I won’t bother you.”Zeba was surprised by that answer.Could she really sleep in the house of a total stranger?It was dangerous but she felt so comfortable she couldn’t find the strength to leave again.
J stood up and pulled her with him to a small corridor,then to a door.He opened it and said”This is my bedroom.Make yourself comfortable.”Zeba stared at him in disbelieve and whispered”But…I…I can’t stay.”
“Why not?Do you want to sleep outside again?”J asked,not willing to let her go away this fast.Zeba tried to think of an excuse so she could leave and at once she knew the right answer.
“I don’t even have something dry to wear.”
J looked at her amused and asked with a laugh”Is that all?No problem.”Before Zeba knew what was happening he handed her a t-shirt and a pair of boxers with the words”I’ll leave now but if you need anything,just call me.I’m in the kitchen.Sweet dreams Zeba.”J left and Zeba sat down on the bed.Why did she deserve all of this?She didn’t know.She changed into J’s clothes,krept under the blankets and drifted of to sleep emediatly…
“I’ll get you bitch!I’ll find out where you are and then there’s no turning back anymore!Do you hear me Zeba!?I’ll kick the shit out of you!I’ll punish you for not obeying me!Do you know you’re nothing more than a slut!?A slut for forfilling my needs!That’s all you are!Since your parents died you are just a whore!And whores need to be treatened like dogs!”
He grabbed her arm and pulled her with him roughly,far away from her save hidingplace behing the sofa.A cry escaped from her throat but he silented her with a hard smack in the face.He pushed her on the bed and removed her top.She tried to get away from him but it was impossible.He hit her again,this time even harder,and then lifted her skirt.Before she could defend herself he raped her with hard and rough moves.
She chocked on her tears and screamed both from pain and horror but it had no use.Finally he pulled back and yelled”You see!?Nothing than a slut!”He left her behind,hurt and embaresed,and she cried until the door opened again and two shadows entered the room.
“Here slut!I brought you a visitor!”She didn’t know what to do as he raped her also,a terrible pain spread through her body.he then held a knife next to her face and screamed”Promis me you’ll obey me or I’ll kill you!”She couldn’t find the strength to say it:her throat was dry and sore and when she tried to talk,her voice seemed to be gone.He glared at her angrily and lifted the knife.She felt the cold steel entering her belly with a sharp pain…
“Wake up!You’re having a nightmare!Come on,wake up now!”
Zeba opened her eyes,shocked,and found herself staring in J’s blue eyes.
“God girl.Are you alright?You were screaming like mad!”J said.Zeba shook her head in confusion,desperatly trying to get the images of the dream out of her mind.The dream had seemed so real that she found it hard to get back to reality again.In the meantime,J put his arms around her and replied”Come on now,don’t cry.Dreams do not come true,you know?”
Only then she noticed herself that tears were streaming down her cheeks like small rivers.The wounds on her face burned while more tears dripped down her face and neck and then landed on her hands.J watched the girl with hurt in his eyes.”Poor thing.”he thought while he softly rubbed her back to calm her down.Finally Zeba looked up again and pulled away from his embrace.
“Zeba,you gotta tell me what’s up.Maybe I can help you.”
“No J!I can’t!Please accept it!”
J sighed.He had feelings for Zeba and only wanted to help her.Right at the moment he wanted to ask about everything again a loud swearing could be heard from the corridor.
“Goddammit J!What are you doing!?”…
