The funeral drained Faith both physically and mentally.  She still felt exhausted when she went back to work that Monday morning.

There was lots more to do than usual.  It was a busy weekend and the girl that helped out could not cope with everything.  She had to put in some extra time to get things back to normal.  Satisfied that the guesthouse was once again its inviting self she left for home.

She arrived home late and found both kids already in bed.  She ate the leftover food from the funeral, took a bath and went to bed.  She was so tired.

The next morning Tracey begged her to stay at home.  She did not look well.  Her eyes were swollen as if she cried all night.  Faith thought she took her grandma's death badly and her heart ached for her child.  She must have cried too much.  She and her granny were very close.

She hoped that her child will get better through the day.  She did not want her to miss out on her schoolwork.

That afternoon, when she got home she found Tracey sobbing heartbrokenly.  She reached out to touch her shoulder, but she shrieked and drew away.  Faith looked at her in shock  and asked:  "What is it, why should I hurt you?"  She saw the horrified look on Tracey's face.  It felt as if somebody gave her a blow on the tip of her stomach.  Something is terribly wrong.

Tracey started crying again.  She could not bring the words to her lips.  Finally, after she mumbled it several times Faith realized what her child was saying:  "I have been raped."

It felt as if she was thrown with a bucket of ice-cold water.  She shivered and felt like fainting.  Then it dawned on her that she should be strong and asked in a terrified voice:  "When Tracey?"

"Yesterday on my way back from school."

The terror in her mother's eyes and her outcry of sheer pain forced the tears back into Tracey's eyes:  "My child, my child!"  Faith took her in her arms and rocked her like a baby, while tears streamed over her own cheeks.  They sat like that for a long time, then she said:  "We must get you to a doctor."  She felt a boot of guilt for not checking on her daughter the previous night.

Tracey shooked her head violently:  "No, no I don't want anyone to know!" she cried.