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“Fuck me.” Bonnie interrupts. “Are you people for real? What’s with the saintly names?”
Ashton groans and puts her head in her hands. “I’m so sorry, Faith. Bonnie comes with no filter attached.”
It makes me laugh. “It is a little strange. I’ll admit that. Anyway, Purity helped me by finding stuff for me to take on my journey. She helped hide it away and acted as my alibi to give me time to escape.”
“She sounds like a good friend.” Ashton smiles gently.
“She is.” I nod, my heart softening when I think of her, and I carry on with my story.
“Martha hid me in the back of Mr. Gaston’s truck. He left town once a week to get supplies in the nearest large town. Martha had arranged for shelter at a women’s refuge in a place called Diamond Springs on Purity’s recommendation. I had never heard of it, but she assured me they would help me. I was so excited and yet scared at the same time. I had never been past the county line before, and now I was running away. If they found me, my life wouldn’t be worth living, but if I stayed, I may have ended up under a barrage of rocks thrown my way.”
Bonnie holds up her hand and says angrily, “Wait, what? Are you freaking kidding me? Rock slinging. What’s that all about? And I really hope you’re talking metaphorically.”
“Unfortunately, no.”
I shake my head. “The fact I was carrying the spawn of the devil in their eyes meant I had committed two unforgiveable sins. I was no longer innocent and would be punished by stoning. They would kill my unborn child as punishment for my sins and then I would be labeled as the town whore and a sinner.”
“Fuck me.” Ashton says, which makes me giggle because unlike Bonnie, she doesn’t appear the type to curse.
“Respect for Martha. I love that woman,” Bonnie says in a voice laced with anger and I nod, smiling as I think back on the woman who saved my life along with Hope’s.
“So, what happened when you got to Diamond Springs?”
Ashton presses on and I say sadly, “I was so afraid. I had never seen a town like that in my life. I was alone and carrying a huge burden in my eyes at the time. They took me in at the refuge and even gave me a job waiting tables at the nearby diner. I learned a lot there in the months I was alone and best of all, I discovered nobody judged me. They were friendly, kind, and helpful and I even began to believe I was free.”
“What about Jonny? He would have made everything okay. Why didn’t you contact him?”
“Because I didn’t want to ruin his life.”
“I don’t understand?” Ashton’s eyes are wide, and I sigh heavily. “Jonny was just starting out like me. He had a job to do, and I didn’t want him to carry the burden of having two other lives to worry about. If word got out about what he did to me, his own family would have shot him dead as soon as he entered their home.”
“You’re kidding me.” Bonnie says in horror, and I sigh heavily. “Life in Heaven was basic, and we lived by the teachings of the bible, at least the ones the reverend wanted us to know. If the town learned of what we did, we would be dead because of it.”
“So, why did you go back?” Ashton says in confusion, and I shudder. “I had no choice. When I had Hope, I woke up to find my parents by the side of my bed with Hope already on her way back to Heaven.”
“But how? They couldn’t take your baby without your consent,” Ashton says in disgust.
I shake my head. “They had papers saying I was unfit to care for a child and as they were my legal guardians, the hospital was powerless. They weren’t alone either. Reverend Peters accompanied them and the entire journey home, he prayed for my soul as I cried for my child.”
“This is like something out of a movie.” Bonnie says sadly and I nod. “It was reality for us. When we returned, they locked me in my room with Hope for weeks while they tried to figure a way out of the mess I created. Gradually, news of my sin reached the town and one day they made me kneel at the altar and repent my sins in front of the entire town. My punishment was to raise my bastard child, as they called her, and work scrubbing the church. To endure daily bible studies to learn what was expected of me, while they figured out the rest of my life.”
“So, how did Jonny rescue you?” Bonnie says quickly and I smile. “When the reverend’s wife died, they told me I would replace her. He would beat the devil from my soul, and I would repent my sin under his watchful control.”
“Man.” Bonnie shakes her head. “The sick bastard.”
I shiver at the memory of that time and say with a smile. “Then Jonny returned for a visit.”
“You must have been relieved to see him.” Ashton smiles warmly and I nod, my eyes softening at the memory.
“Yes, and once again, my friends helped me escape.”
“Purity and Martha.” Ashton grins and I nod, forever grateful to the only people in that town I care about.
“Mr. Gaston and Purity helped Jonny by telling him where I was, but they left me to break the news of our daughter.”
We hear voices approaching and Ashton says with a groan. “Thank God it all worked out in the end.”
I look up and wonder about that statement when I see two women deep in conversation, dressed in the tightest shorts that barely cover their ass and tight t-shirts that definitely don’t cover their chests.
