Windy Valley Secondary – Trials of the Young and Restlesss

by Shane Connell 05.DEC.08

The ransom money would come in handy. It would mean that she would be able to go back to school, and find a place for herself and her child. When Susan returned to her room, Miriam appeared more relaxed than before.{{more}} Susan looked hard at Miriam. “This is going to be harder than I thought,” she sighed. She hated Miriam with a vengeance, and to pretend that they were still friends was going to be even harder.

“I don’t blame you,” said Miriam.

“What?” said Susan.

“I don’t blame you for hating me.”

Susan turned, so her back was towards Miriam. She lied and said: “I don’t hate you.”

“I can see it in your eyes. It’s why I had to come to see you. To explain everything.”

Susan didn’t want to hear any excuses, but she needed to keep Miriam talking. “Ok, what’s the excuse?” she asked in a terse manner.

There was a long pause from Miriam. By the look on her face she appeared to be in discomfort. “My dad’s been forcing me to have sex with him.”

The explanation was succinct. It hit home the seriousness of what Miriam had just said. Susan couldn’t reply to what she just had heard. Miriam’s father was a pillar of society in St.Vincent, a respectable Lawyer. There had even been talks of him running for politics.

Miriam went on to elaborate, when it started, how often, the secrets.

“Does your mother know?” Susan butted in.

Miriam broke down crying: “Yes.”

Susan was in disbelief. Miriam’s family gave the impression of being close, respectable, and decent. As she saw Miriam weep in her hands she shuffled over and put her arm around her to comfort her. What they really needed was each other’s support. For the past couple of weeks they had been through hell, both of them needed a shoulder to cry on.

A rush of guilt overwhelmed Susan. In revenge she had called the police telling them that Miriam was with her, indirectly sending Miriam back to the hands of her father.

“You need to leave now,” Susan said urgently.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s a trap.”

“What’s a trap?”

“The police, they’ve got a police watching the place,” Susan lied.

“How do you know?”

“I just do. You need to leave.”

A look of panic covered Miriam’s face. “Is it safe to go now?”

“Just go before the rest of the police get here.”

“This is the last time I will see you,” Miriam said.

Susan went numb. What was Miriam saying?

“I’m planning to leave the country, go somewhere to start over, where they don’t know me.”

“Call me once you get settled,” said Susan.

“I promise.” And with that they gave each other a last hug, then Miriam left.

There was an ache at her side of her tummy. Susan had a feeling that she probably would never see her best friend again. As she peered out the window, her fears were realised when she saw a troupe of policemen jumping out of a vehicle in the yard of the hospital. Miriam was going to be caught for sure. The pain at the side of her stomach deepened. She could feel that she was bleeding again. After the day that she had, the last thing she wanted to happen was to lose the baby.

The Windy Valley Secondary series is fictional. Any resemblance to real events, places or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.