XXXI

I was overwhelmingly distraught, and with my eyes clouded with tears, I couldn’t find my car in the hospital parking lot. I was there to see Sevenia Sallie, but I had been turned away. Whether due to the Covid 19 pandemic, or because I wasn’t family, I didn’t know.

A half hour earlier I had been called by a well-meaning church member to be a part of a prayer chain. A prayer chain being calls going out to the church family to pray for somebody in need. I was shocked when the caller informed me that the prayers were for Sevenia Sallie. She supposedly had been beaten and raped by a male acquaintance, and her life hung in the balance.

I had fallen to my knees. Not for prayer at first, but because my legs gave out. It couldn’t be true! Sevenia violently raped by one of the two young men she was close friends with? Which one and why? It had to be that big burly redneck, Branch. He was too quiet and brooding for my taste. Plus, a week earlier Sevenia had told me he had given her an ultimatum. He said he was in love with her and didn’t want to be friends anymore unless she felt the same.

Besides, it couldn’t be Jeremy, could it? He was just a skinny computer geek. I would probably pick Sevenia if the two were to box. Well, no, she was too frail and pale, not to mention the sweetest, most gentle person I have ever met. Destiny or me could take him though, I mean, if we had to.

It had been two years since Sevenia and I had met for the first time. During that initial encounter, I simply thought she was a friend of my sister. I didn’t know at the time that God was giving me a precious gift by placing her in my life. I could confide things to her like nobody else, even my sister.

Maybe it’s because we aren’t related. Maybe it’s because I hadn’t betrayed her, like I did my sister before my conversion. Maybe it’s because some people saw her as a prophetess, even a saint. Not that she went around predicting the future, although she did have a great grasp on Bible prophesy. But she always seemed to have a word in season for those that were hurting or struggling. Just like the day we were introduced, and I proceeded to introduce her to drama.

It had been a month or so since I had been delivered from demon possession. I not only had been exercised from demonic bondage, I became a serious convert to Christianity. This conversion caused a problem with my boyfriend, in whom I also cohabitated. The main difficulty stemmed from not only declining to share a bed with him, but also refusing sexual intimacy. He chose to move to the basement before he looked for his own place.

My boyfriend also happened to be my sister’s brother-in-law. In other words my sister’s husband was my boyfriend’s brother. So during that first visit with Sevenia and my sister Amy, I let it be known that my newfound faith was causing a rift with my boyfriend. This info got my feisty red haired sister in a playful snit and she called Devin up from his man cave.

I don’t how much was serious and how much was in jest, but she began to imply to Devin that he should marry me. Devin not only took it in stride, and for the first time in weeks, I saw him smile. Albeit sarcastic, it was nonetheless a smile.

“As volatile as Lexi has been,” he now laughed. “Give me one good reason why I should marry her.”

“I’m pregnant,” I heard myself say. Everyone looked at me with stunned expressions. Devin’s gaze quickly turned to malice as he slowly walked toward me.

“Is that right?” he drawled as he got right up in my grill. His face was only inches from mine. I could smell this sickly sweet scent of alcohol, cigarette smoke, and body odor. As repulsed as I was, I ironically  started to feel aroused. I hadn’t been this close to the only man that ever said he loved me since my conversion. “It seems I heard that one before.”

“This is different,” I replied meekly.

“Oh really?” he said with hands on hips as he thankfully took a step back from me. “So, now you’re pregnant with an angel, and the baby you aborted was a little devil. Is that the situation?”

I felt my mouth drop open, and my eyes well with tears.

“That’s right,” he nodded. “I know you didn’t miscarry. You killed our first baby.”

What he said was true. Several months previous, I had gotten an abortion and told I him I had miscarried. At the time I had felt justified because I felt I was, at a minimum, going crazy. At the time I was so callous that I felt relieved, even happy, to be freed from prospective motherhood. Then when I was delivered from demon possession, I felt the guilt surface. I once again justified that was then and this is now. I asked for forgiveness and tried to move away from my secret. But my secret hadn’t moved away from me.

“I’m sorry,” I croaked. Devin actually had a look of pity in his countenance. But then he shook his head and took another step back. I felt so horrible, so vile and guilty, so dirty. I began to sob as I fell to my knees and cover my shame filled face with my hands. I heard a door slam, but I didn’t look up. I knew it was Devin leaving.

“It’s okay,” Amy whispered before she kissed my temple and wrapped her skinny, long arms around me.

“No, it’s not,” I squeaked. “He’s right. I murdered my own baby. Now this poor little creature from God that’s inside me will… will…”

I began to cry so violently, I collapsed into my sister and we toppled over. She held on even tighter and we just lay on the floor until my sobs subsided into hiccups. It was as if I had spiritually vomited and now the hiccups were the dry heaves. I had come to my senses enough that I realized what a spectacle this must be to the fifteen year old girl looking on. I felt embarrassed and apologized.

“It’s okay, Sweetie,” my sister told me as she took my hand and led me to the sofa. She sat next to me and continued to hold my hand.

“No apology is necessary, Lexi,” Sevenia said, stepping toward me as she wiped tears from her cheeks. She knelt in front of me and took hold of my other hand. Her large tear rimmed eyes were so filled with love and compassion, I almost started crying again. Instead I hiccupped, and Sevenia giggled. This caused my sister and me to laugh briefly. Then the emotional pain quickly returned, and Sevenia was about to show me why this rare young person is referred to as an old soul.

“Lexi,” Sevenia began, “1 John chapter 1 and verse 9 tells us that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You’ve confessed your sins, haven’t you?”

“Yes,” I replied meekly.

Sevenia gave me a big, bright smile. “Then He’s cleansed you also! But if you still feel dirty, look at the first verse in the next chapter. It tells us that if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Isn’t that cool? It’s like Jesus is our lawyer, defending us from the powers of darkness!”

“But what if you are so dirty, you never seem to get out of the shower?” I inquired.

“Lexi,” Sevenia continued, giving my hand a little squeeze. “When Satan points to your dirt, repeat the promise of Jesus. ‘Whoever comes to me, I will in no wise cast out.’ (John 6:37) You see, tell the enemy that the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin. Make the prayer of the Psalmist your own. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7). Make a habit of claiming these promises for yourself Lexi. They’re God’s gift to you, to us all!”

Was this wise counselor really only fifteen? The three of us continued to converse for another hour or so, but that was the only part I remember verbatim. Over the next couple years, Sevenia became my go to person when I was struggling spiritually, or just needed a friend. She was never judgmental, or made feel ashamed, no matter what I told her. If I cried, tears always leaked from her own eyes.

So now, two years later when all I knew was Sevenia had been the victim of a sexual assault and might even die, I was way beyond upset. I walked around in a daze, only half looking for my car when I heard a familiar voice call out to me.

“Lexi?” Destiny Knight-Storm petitioned. “Is that you, Lex?”

My blurred vision caught a glimpse of long honey blonde hair. I blinked rapidly a few times and Destiny came into focus. Like a lost little girl, I began to cry again as I ran to her. In my despair I forgot about social distancing and hugged her. She didn’t reprimand me, or push me away, she hugged me back. “How is she? What happened?”

“I don’t know for sure, Lex,” She replied quietly. “I wasn’t allowed in. All I know is she and one of her guy friends were talking behind Cotton Creek Cove fellowship, down by the creek. He apparently  tore off her skirt and under garments. She screamed, and thankfully Captain Kirk had stopped by the parish to pick something up. He found Sevenia unconscious. But she came to when he tapped her cheek and spoke to her. He said she was so traumatized she couldn’t or wouldn’t speak. She just shivered uncontrollably. That’s pretty much all I know at this point.”

“The prayer chain made it sound like her life hung in the balance,” I said. “So she’s not going to die then?”

“No,” Dee said confidently as she shook her head.

“Thank God!” I said as relief flooded through me.

“Yes, amen!” Destiny added.

“Was she, um…” I couldn’t say it.

“Violated?”

I nodded.

“I don’t know for sure,” Destiny said and then bit her lower lip with an ugly look of anguish on her pretty face. “But like I said, she was very traumatized, and… she was exposed.”

I felt sick. Pure, wholesome Sevenia. A girl who had never kissed a guy on the lips, possibly lost her virginity in such a vile, despicable manner. Part of what made me feel nauseous was my own shame. Almost four years earlier, I played a role in my own virginal sister almost being gang raped by four men. But at this point in my Christian experience, I knew I was forgiven. By God and my sister. I was a new creature. Christ now lived in me and Sexy Lexy was dead and gone.

“Seven, how is she?” Destiny asked, a split second after her phone chirped. “Uh huh… uh huh. Okay, see you in a bit. What? Oh, we’re in the parking lot just west of the E.R.”

Destiny turned to me. “Sevenia’s being released.”

“Fantastic!” I said as I felt such a heavy burden lifted, I thought I might float. Yet the situation was still ugly. “So Dee, who attacked her, Branch?”

“I assume so,” she said with a shrug. “It had to be him or Jeremy, and until this pandemic struck, Jeremy had been off at college. Also Branch recently professed his supposed love for her, which has thus  far been unrequited.”

Sevenia and her dad walked hand in hand out of the hospital. As they approached, my stomach dropped. Sevenia’s eyes, which always seemed to be twinkling with joy, light and love, were so changed. One eye was swollen shut, while the other eye looked sad and despondent. Yet that brave, faithful girl forced a smile and waved at Destiny and me.