Not The Only One

The day was like any other day... the sun rose and set as scheduled, but the lives entwined were forever changed. In the park sat a young girl, alone on a bruised, wooden bench... the tender age of seventeen, weeping in silence. A man wandered by and noticed her obvious distress... twice her age and understanding. He sat down beside her, offering comfort and compassion... with pure heart and mind he tried to ease her pain and suffering. Shocked that he had even noticed her, she looked into his eyes and saw his intentions were true... the familiar eyes of lust were absent from this man. She opened herself unto him, bearing her soul and her sorrow. He asked her why she cried so silently, yet with such inner fire... the sounds ripping from within her chest could deafen the ears of millions. She told him, with head lowered down, that she was a sinner... she had been tainted by her mother's boyfriend. For many nights, since she was the age of eight years old, he would come into her room and objectify her and subject her to his carnal delights... she was powerless to stop him as he grunted away her innocence with sweaty teeth. She couldn't bear the thought of going home, wondering if tonight was the night he would creep through her doorway. See began weeping so heavily, that she had lost her breath and could no longer speak. As she cried there, holding her legs into her chest, she felt a tear drop splash against her sunken head... it was from the man, his heart now breaking. She looked up at him in confusion, wondering if her story had moved this stranger into tears. She reached over and touched his arm and quietly spoke to him... the words, "I am sorry", echoed from her mouth. The man turned his eyes toward hers and replied, "It is not you, but I, that should speak such words.". She blinked, for she had never seen this man before... why would he hold any sorrow for her? He lowered his head and told her something very similar... another tale of the same design, many years ago in time. He told her that he used to have a step-daughter, whom he loved very much. So much in fact, that those feelings became tainted and muddled. One night, as he lay there holding her in his arms, he took advantage of her and fondled her body in a manner not fitting for a father and daughter. He took it further and within a matter of days he had spent three nights laying with her in her bed... the sweat, blood and tears clinging to the knotted sheets. The young girl was shocked by this confession, but more so by his reaction. The man had crumbled to the earth as he finished his story, with tears choking in his throat he cried out, "God, I am so sorry... please forgive me.". In between his gasps, he said those nights had haunted him for the past ten years... revisiting him daily and each time his heart shattered with the memory. He had tried to silence the terror by taking his own life... a scar traced his forearm, from his wrist to his elbow. He wanted to forget, he wanted to be forgiven... he wanted to deserve redemption. The young girl took his arm into her hands and raised it to her lips... kissing his scar lightly. He looked up at her, through his heavy tears, with confusion. She looked into his eyes smiling lightly and simply said... "I'm not the only one?".