Episode 55 The new beginning

Buried Secrets

A New Beginning

Ruth sat on her chair, surrounded by her friends Alex, Susan, and James. They listened intently as she spoke, her voice filled with determination. "We have gone through so much, guys, and today is the day we are going to bury everything and move on. Alex wants to be the greatest detective in the world, so he will attend school in America through distance learning. But he will be going there every time he is needed," she said, making Alex smile widely.

"Susan, you are going to school too. I am very proud of you. Go out there and be a lawyer. I will always watch over you, and every weekend, come here to see your twins. You will be at UNZA, pursuing your diploma in law," Ruth continued. She was surprised when Susan rushed forward and gave her a big hug. "Thank you, sister R. I love you very much, and I promise to do my best in school," Susan said.

"What about you? Do you have plans for your future?" Alex asked his sister. Ruth smiled and replied, "All my dreams have been accomplished. What else can I do?" She stood up and walked towards her room. "I will be in my room. James, are you coming?" she asked, and James followed her without a word.

In Ruth's room, James asked her, "Are you sure you don't want to do anything else in your life?" Ruth looked at him with a smile and said, "No, my last wishes don't need school at all." She picked up a book from the shelf and asked, "What's that?" James asked. Ruth stood up and gave him a kiss. "I want to be a wife and a mother to small kids," she said, leaving James almost speechless. Composing himself, he moved forward and captured her lips.

Ruth maintained her composure, making sure to lock away her past and not let James' touch trigger any painful memories. On James' side, he was gentle with her, knowing what she had been through. He understood that it was his duty to heal her wounds.

They both solemnly sat on the bed, their hearts heavy. James locked eyes with Ruth and asked softly, "Are you sure you are ready?" Ruth nodded, and they both continued.

A New Case

The next morning, Ruth and James woke up without clothes, their bodies intertwined. Shamelessly, James carried Ruth to the bathroom, and when they returned, Ruth noticed the food on the table. "Did you bring those?" she asked. James smiled, showing his perfect white teeth. "No, I cooked it," he said, his smile infectious.

James went back to his home in town, leaving Ruth in the village to resume their work. Susan went to school, as did Alex. "I can't believe Alex left me with all this work. It's so boring," Ruth said, yawning as she looked at the screen, watching people move.

Ruth took her work seriously, despite feeling lonely. One day, she saw a child in the streets, bruised and walking as if nothing was left for her in the world. Pressing a pink button on her machine, she scanned the girl's information. Name: Prosperina. Age: 23. Street: Kabwata. House number: E 323. "So that's where she stays," Ruth thought.

Ruth said goodbye to the maids and left on her motorcycle, following the location on her bike. The sun was going down when she reached her destination. She parked her motorcycle behind a house and could hear a woman crying. She knocked on the door, and a shirtless man answered. "Who are you?" he asked. "I'm a friend of your wife. Can I see her?" Ruth asked. "It's late. Why are you here?" he asked angrily. Ruth did not answer; instead, she pushed him out of the way and entered the house. "Prosperina!" she shouted, and a woman came out, looking beaten up.

Making herself comfortable, Ruth apologized for coming to the house so late. "But I want you to answer me honestly," she said. "Who are you?" the woman asked. "I'm Ruth, the manager at Hope for the Hopeless Company," she answered. "Get out of my house!" the drunk man said.

Ruth looked at the woman and asked, "Does your husband beat you often?" The woman was too scared to answer and started crying. James received a message from Ruth: "Meet me at Kabwata House number: E 323 with Doctor Martin and Mr. Azizi." Ruth tied up the drunk man, and James took him to be locked up in a cell. Ruth, Azizi, and the woman went to the village, where Doctor Martin handed Prosperina over to Doctor Susan. "Take care of her. I will visit in the morning," he said, and Dr. Susan took care of the woman.

Ruth went back to Alex's room to find more information about Prosperina's husband. The next morning, as the sun smiled at the world, Ruth went outside and watched the sunrise. Doctor Susan and Doctor Martin arrived around eight o'clock in the morning. "What's up?" Azizi asked when they met with Ruth. "How is the girl?" she asked. "We need to go," Doctor Martin started. "She was requesting to see you," he continued, and they wasted no time and went there.

Prosperina was sitting on her bed, looking lost. "Why am I here?" she asked. "Your husband is not here. Can you please tell us what is happening in your life?" Ruth asked. The woman refused to speak, but Azizi tried to convince her. Finally, she spilled the beans. "I was forced to marry him," she started. "He beats me up every day, even if I didn't do anything," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Ruth held her and gave her a hug. "You can tell us everything, and we will see to it that justice is served," Ruth said softly. Prosperina began to open up, sharing her painful story of abuse and trauma.

To be continued...