...As she ran, she could not hold up for long so she cried out and sobbed while heading out. She didn't know where to go to so she headed to tell her other friend Reno, on reaching there she explained her encounter to him and how Jenny embarrassed her. Reno was a kind young man who was raised by only his mother, he didn't have college plans because he needed to work at a factory in order to provide for himself and his mother who was now sick and could only stay at home. Reno encouraged her to be a strong woman that she has always been and not listen to whatever anybody said about her but to keep working hard and not loose focus.
Eve was happy and left for home. It was already 4pm when she got home so he decided to go help her mother at where she sold goods to pack up her unsold items.
She only had 7days from the day of receiving her acceptance to prepare and be present at the college for commencement of studies. she was seen buying some items: from new clothes to shoes etc. The news of Eve leaving soon for college was already everywhere in the town and Jenny was not happy about that.
She thought, how can I stop this from happening? I can't let this wretched girl be the talk of the town. She would probably return one day and steal the loyalty of all young women away from me, they would admire her courage, her hardwork and some parents would make her a living idol and role model for her children. She thought of the mischief she can put together to bring Eve frustration. Yes! She screamed. I have the answer now.
She hurriedly went to speak with her mother who was already unhappy that someone other than her daughter is becoming more popular. She told her mother of her plan to make sure that Eve never gets to the big city. Her mother immediately agreed with her idea, they planned on how to stop her journey halfway. Without the knowledge of Jenny's father, they both met with a bandits group and paid them to attack the vehicle Eve would travel in.
The day of travel came, Eve bid her family farewell in mixed with tears and smile, her father was happy and her mother was so nervous that her little girl was now going to a far place where she will have to care for herself and strive to survive. Her siblings were all in tears but she assured them that she will be back soon once her first semester study was over. They bid her goodbye and the vehicle left with other passengers onboard.
5-hours into the journey, they have reached a road where there were no houses but bushes. It wasn't long before they saw some people who have placed logs of wood on the road to obstruct their movement, the driver drove closer to see what was the matter but realised they had their faces covered in Masks. He immediately tried to turn back but realised that some others had come out from the bushes behind. They were stuck in the middle of no escape, one of the men requested the driver to comply so as to fasten his journey. He told him to provide a particular passenger named Eve and they would let him go.
He pleaded with them to let them go but the bandits insisted and asked all passengers to identify who it was, in the end Eve was identified and taken away with them. The driver sped up and drove to the city, but made sure to return same day in order to inform her parents and the community of what had happened.
While in the custody of her abductors, Eve cried and thought of her family and what could have been her offence. When the one assigned to give her some crumbs of food arrived, she pleaded with him to tell her of her offence and she will apologize. The man said it was never his business to know, as all he does is to join the team and go on any journey their superior instructs. She waited patiently, hoping to at least have the opportunity know why she was taken.
At sunrise the next day, a huge man came in to the small room where she was kept. The man asked her "how many people in your life do you call friends? Eve was scared, she didn't know the purpose of the question. She thought in her heart, do they want to also go and hurt my friends? She sobbed and said, please don't hurt my friends they have done nothing wrong. The man then said,young lady do not worry about that, we would not hurt your friends. I only asked because I wanted to understand why someone who is your friend would want to cut short your dreams and goals in life. Your father was a good man to me, I realised you are his daughter this morning when I heard news in the city that someone's daughter was missing. I secretly enquired to know who it was.
I now realised that it was the daughter of a man who had helped to save my family 10years ago when there was unrest in the nearby village where he used to work in a huge farm.
The man said "your father saved me, he saved my family. My daughter who was a year old then and sick was well taken care of in his farm house. He didn't give us up to the men who sought to kill us that day, he paid for my daughter's care because I had nothing. I will not pay him back with evil. I am going to let you go and I will make sure you get to the city safely.
I asked about your friends because the contractor of this abduction lamented when we asked about the purpose for wanting your downfall, her response was "I cannot sit and watch her rise above me, I should be the one not her".
This rang a bell in Eve's ears as she broke down in tears on hearing it.
In the end, the one behind the mask was unveiled to be her childhood friend.
She was taken safely to the city and information was sent to her family and their well wishers of her safety. Everyone was excited on hearing that she was never hurt.
But to the confusion of the entire community, till this day Eve never revealed the truth of her abduction to the public except to her family and her only true friend Reno.
