80. Memories of Secret Garden!

My attention was captured by a big group picture, it looked like a teenage memory of his brother and it looked similar to a picture I once saw at Angela's apartment. It was a picture of a group of high school teenagers on vacation probably living whatever was left of their youth before adulthood took over. Well, at least that is what I concluded from the caption on the picture frame, 'Summer of 2009: young and free'. I know it's rude to touch people's things without permission, but I gave in to the desire to closely examine the picture. Without a doubt, it was definitely the same picture but Ntando was not in the picture. 

"Oh, that is my brother and his high school friends.", he suddenly spoke standing closely behind me and I jumped in fear causing him to burst out laughing, 

Feeling embarrassed, I put back the picture, "Oh, all of them are friends? Including Angela", 

"Well, yeah, I think. I don't know who Angela is. Unfortunately, I was overseas when my brother was living it up in this country, but by the look of things, that picture looks like it was taken in our hometown, Charleston and I don't know any of his high school friends. Why? Something wrong?", He said finally serving the coffee he spent so much time making, and I must say, it was worth the wait because it turned out to be a cappuccino with a cute butterfly design. I couldn't help but gush at its cuteness.

"Are you a barista or something?", I said while taking in the aroma

He first giggled then began bragging about his barista certificate, and how he almost opened a coffee shop but decided against it. To be honest, his cafe probably would have served the best coffee in town. Nonetheless, he invited me to pass by his gym every Friday morning for free coffees made by some of his best barista pupils.

Unfortunately, I couldn't enjoy my coffee due to my busted lip, "Ouch.", I whimpered after the 3rd sip.

He looked at me worriedly, and his guilt returned, "I am really sorry Thandie."

I faked a faint smile, "Please stop apologizing and tell me what happened already."

Ntando sighed heavily, "Let me show you. I asked my father to pull a few strings and he managed to get surveillance footage of last night. I was saving it to give you as proof should you decide to file a police report. I am even surprised it was still available by the time I requested."

To say what I saw scared me, would be a lie, I was terrified. I felt cold just watching a video. The scariest thing is that I looked conscious and I was willingly following the three men who were dragging me outside through a backdoor. "What did they do to me? Why am I following them willingly? why can't I remember this?", I asked Ntando who was resting his head on his hands. 

He looked torn, I could see his guilt and the pity he had for me, "It's a drug Thandie. I heard about it making rounds in these exclusive clubs. The police have been on the lookout for it, and every day, they are getting reports of women who claimed to have been raped but do not remember anything."

The moment he mentioned rape, I felt fear like I never felt before, truth of the matter is, I could have been raped, not just raped, gang raped. I felt flustered, the men were not just dragging me, one of them kept yanking my hair, while the other kissed my neck. I instantly touched the spot where the mark was and felt disgusted. That fucker put his disgusting mouth on me, I felt all sorts of emotions, the men wanted to rape me in a backyard parking lot, and they had almost done it if Walter and a group of 4 other men had arrived a minute late. It looked like Walter followed from behind using the same backdoor and the other men pulled up in a white SUV just as I was on the floor surrounded by these monsters who looked down on me holding their penises in their hands waiting for their friend to rip up my dress.

I don't know what Walter said, but the 3 men from the SUV just jumped in the fight, and I am grateful for that because taking three people alone would have been fatal for him. And thank God the other two perverts got delayed putting their filthy dicks back into their pants because that bought enough time for the backup white SUV. Two ladies carried me to the white SUV and from there on, it seemed like everyone just waited until it was over and help had arrived.

I felt my stomach turn from the disgusting looks those men had, they were looking at me like I was a prey, like I was meat as if I wasn't someone's child. The lust in their faces told me I wasn't going to be able to handle whatever dirty ideas they had running through their corrupt minds.

After the video, I instantly rushed to the bathroom to vomit my gut out, seeing their hands on my body made my skin crawl, and seeing those filthy mouths rubbing up against my bare skin nauseated me to the core, and fuck that man who went as far as sadistically kissing and slapping me around. I sat in the bathroom until there was nothing left to cry or vomit, I sat until I was numb, or at least I thought I was. It was only after a few hours that Ntando came to check on me.

The horror and guilt I saw in his eyes suddenly made sense, but still, it was not his fault that happened. I slowly opened the door, and he instantly pulled me in his chest, and the tears I thought were finished began gushing out again, I was now sobbing in his chest, "Do you know why they never took me to the hospital, I was unconscious. I needed medical attention", I said as I wept in his chest.

"I was informed that the man who followed you out refused to let them take you, he brought you here instead and called a doctor to come check on you. He stayed until the early hours of this morning and left with the morning shift security guards." He pulled away, cupped my face with one hand while the other gently wiped my tears, and with a soft voice he said, "Good thing is I know all those four men who saved you, they are regulars at my gym. If you have any questions, I am sure I can get them to answer all of them. Is the least I can do". He said casually as he pulled me in while I remained flabbergasted, 'Did he just say he knows him?'.