Provoked
Story By Thiyam Ningol, Africa

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"Mummy, it hurts. Mummy, help me, it hurts."
5 years old Cathy was crying in the toilet. She had been in the toilet for more than 5 minutes.

Maria was cooking. She ignored her daughter's call for help. " I always tell you to eat fruits to get soft toilets. You see now what happened. You want chips all the time. You better listen to me or else you will cry everyday in the toilet."

Cathy continued crying, calling out her mother's help despite Maria's shouting back at her. Very unusual. Suddenly Maria felt a wave of chill and saw goose bums on her hand. She rushed to the toilet. She saw Cathy's hand smeared with blood. " Oh my baby, I am so sorry. What happened? Where it hurts you? You are bleeding my God! Show me where it hurts."

She wiped her daughter's hands. No sign of any wound. "Show me where it hurts."

Cathy continued sobbing. Slowly she pulled up her gown and showed her mother where she was bleeding.
"How did it happen? Who hurt you like this? When did it happen?" She embraced Cathy tight.
She did not wait for answers from Cathy. She carried her to the car and rushed to the hospital.
The doctor confirmed her suspicions. Cathy was sexually abused.

Cathy was sleeping. Maria looked at her daughter's crumpled, small, helpless figure. She sat down and started rewinding the past episodes, looking for a clue.

Peter, her new found lover had some peculiar characters but he was kind especially to her daughter. He had never raised his voice to Cathy and he had never beaten her unlike her own father. Cathy lived with fear with her own father. Maria thought she would sacrifice her life for Cathy but after meeting Peter, she changed her decision. He was different from the others.

Peter always insisted that he help Cathy while taking bath because she was still young to take care of herself. Sometimes she had seen him very passionately kissing Cathy and Cathy was giggling from the tickling with his mustache. He was not very demanding from Maria. He was available only if Maria needed him.

When Maria recollected those episodes, she felt something was not correct. She tried to remember every small detail.
Strings of evidences were pouring out.

Several times Cathy had mentioned about pain and itching in her groin and every time she complained, she was given deworming tablets. On many occasions, Maria found Cathy's underwear in their bedroom and she was spanked for misplacing her belongings.

When Peter came back, Maria told him that Cathy had urine infection but was already treated. Nothing serious.

Peter found Cathy still sleeping. He fondly kissed her on the forehead. Cathy sprang up from the bed and screamed. Maria smiled at Peter "Night mares from the doctor's medicine. She will be O.k. Just help me with the kitchen."

Maria was provoked. Silently she started planning for revenge, a very careful and sweet revenge. No chance for Peter to suspect.

Three, four months had passed by. Peter's breast started bulging. His mustache and beard were thinning. His voice was becoming shrill and high pitched. Maria had taken him to different doctors. No doctor could detect what was wrong with Peter's health. They were told to undergo many more investigations.

Maria's satisfactory grin was widening.

With time, Cathy had started having normal life. Maria, very cautiously never mentioned her of the pain, of the incidences. She was very well protected.

Maria acknowledged her revenge was working. She picked up the car key, hummed softly, drove off to refill the supply of the female hormones for Peter.