Disclaimers: This work is a work of fiction and is my property.
The story and characters are fictitious and any resemblance to anyone or any actual event is coincidental. There are three distinctly different main characters that will appear as the story progresses.
You should be legally allowed to read this type of material before continuing.
As it is based on an actual book, I had published a few years ago – free for your enjoyment – the story will not contain explicit material in all the chapters BUT don't fret, as it is more the exception than the rule.
Note that there will be a violent scenario. If this will trigger any trauma for you, please be aware of it before you start reading.
Please direct any comments or feedback to my email address at davidrolsynauthor2019@gmail.com.
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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE James
Mark and I stop at a bar in Milnerton, to have the beer we now both desperately crave. It's been a tough morning.
After we each get one, which I pay for, from the barman, we sit ourselves down in a booth.
I take a sip from my beer and look at him. "So how did you track Daniel down so quickly?"
He does the same and after wiping his mouth off with the back of his hand, he replies. "One of the benefits of being an ex-detective, is that you build a network in a community. I was lucky that for most of my career, I worked the Stellenbosch area. So, when I phoned and ol' friend of mine there, who knows the area well, and is always up to speed with everything that happens in it, he told me about a young guy who recently left a wine estate in the middle of the night."
He takes another sip and continues. "The farm workers from different farms were talking amongst themselves about it, because your Daniel (I like the sound of that), was apparently always kind and generous towards them. Needless to say, they had a personal interest in his well-being. Of course, none of the other students or superiors even cared enough to ask the workers if they knew anything about what was going on."
Another sip. "The man also told me that they were worried about his safety because there were rumours that he was being abused at the estate, but they didn't have any evidence to substantiate their suspicions. Daniel also didn't discuss it with anyone. In other words, my friend could tell me where Daniel was because his girlfriend owns the antique shop, next to the pizzeria, where Jaco works, and Jaco has been bragging that he has a hot guy, named Daniel, staying with him."
That makes me uncomfortable. Thinking and now knowing that Daniel probably had a sexual relationship with Jaco.
"I see." Is all I say.
"You're probably also wanting to know how I knew where he was heading this morning?"
I take a sip and nod.
"When I went outside, after we realized he was gone, I phoned someone at the local petrol station, who told me he'd been there to buy a crowbar and that he looked mad as hell. Since I knew what estate was in question, it was only logical that he was heading in that direction. I'm just glad we caught him before he did something stupid. I don't think he could handle the consequences thereof, if he had ended up resorting to violence." He downs the rest of his beer.
"Except for the balance on your fee, do I owe you anything else? I'm extremely grateful that you came through for Daniel so quickly. I dread to think what could've happened to him if he had killed anyone."
I mean Johan, of course, because it's clear to me that, that vile and disgusting bastard, had something to do with all this.
"No. We're sorted. Just keep in contact for as long as you are in town. I would like to know that Daniel is ok and that he has made some effort to move on from this mess. He needs to dust himself off and get on with his life, instead of wallowing in self-pity."
I want to reprimand him for his insensitive comment, but leave it be. He's done amazing job and I should be grateful. Maybe in a way he's right, but I don't think he knows what abuse can do to a person. I certainly do.
Finishing my beer, we leave and he gets dropped off at his office, before we head back to the hotel.
As I enter the hotel reception, I head straight for the receptionist. "Can you please extend my stay another three weeks and make sure my guest's booking is also extended for the same period."
"Sure, Mr Leonard." The woman replies.
I want to see where this goes, or at least help Daniel get some sort of footing before I leave. I'll just cancel my attendance at the conference in London and leave it for another time. I was, in any event, an invited guest speaker, so I'm sure they'll manage.
Once she confirms my booking has been changed, I head upstairs to Daniel's room, diagonally across form my own. Knocking softly on his door, he doesn't answer. He must be exhausted.
I'll leave him his space.
Entering my own room, I go and sit down on the bed. I absorb everything that's happened and what I heard today. There's finding Daniel, this Jaco guy, the suspicion that Daniel was being abused and the thought that I'm suddenly responsible for him.
I shake off my negative thoughts and move to the desk. Once at my laptop, I change my air ticket dates and let the relevant people know that my plans have changed via e-mail.
The next morning, Daniel knocks on my door early, and I quickly put on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt before I open for him.
"Morning sunshine. Did you sleep well?" I try and sound chirpy.
He frowns but smiles slightly. "Yes, thanks. What time did you get back yesterday? You didn't wake me."
"At around six-thirty and I did knock but you were probably fast asleep." I go and lean against the desk.
"I was." He comes and stands in front of me.
He's wearing a pair of white jeans and a red sweater. On his feet is a pair of beach sandals.
I can see he's showered and styled his hair. His beard is also trimmed neatly and he seems like his old self, although I know he isn't anywhere near that yet.
Noticing that I'm watching him appreciatively, he comes over towards me and gets down on his knees.
"What are you doing?!" I give him a stern look.
"I've wanted to do this since the day I met you." He grabs for my shorts and, though I'm starting to harden, I grab hold of his hand firmly.
"Not like this and not now." I step sideways and walk past him, trying to control the urge to just let him give me head. It's not that I don't want it, God I do, but he's just come from an abusive situation and this is typical behaviour for people who have been abused. He's simply trying to express his gratitude by using sex as the means to do so.
"But, don't you want me anymore?" Hurt visible in his eyes.
"On the contrary, Daniel. I couldn't or wouldn't want anyone else to offer me what you're offering me right now. It's just not the right time. Give it a while. We still have a lot to talk about, before anything like this happens." I pick up my phone to distract myself, looking for any new messages.
"Fine then!" And he storms out of my room.
Better to be resistant to him now. For his sake, at least. Otherwise I'll replace the abuser in his mind and I don't want him to think of me in that way. Not ever.
For the next few days, Daniel spends time with me at meal times but then avoids me as much as possible. We go on some more tours around the city, but he keeps to himself and only makes a comment now and then, when he doesn't agree with Joe.
I know he's angry at me for refusing his advances. That's just how it's going to be until I'm sure he can see me as something else than a substitute for Johan, whom I'm now hundred percent convinced, is the one who abused Daniel. But the nature of the abuse worries me. I don't even want to try and imagine it, because then I'm going to jump to conclusions and that won't be helpful to Daniel at all.
The rage that begins to surface, when I imagine the possibilities of what that imbecile might have done to Daniel, is difficult to control but I must do so. I don't have all the facts yet and there's no point in confronting Johan, because I would probably end up killing the guy or get myself arrested for assault. Which, in turn, would limit my ability to stay here with Daniel.
And to top everything, I'm a foreigner on vacation.
The fourth day, after we'd rescued him from himself, I'm sitting in the back garden of the hotel, overlooking the medium-sized swimming pool and sipping a glass of red wine.
I hear, now familiar, footsteps behind me and as I look back, I expect Daniel.
"Can I join you?" He looks nervous.
"Sure. Make yourself comfortable." And I pull the chair close for him to be nearer to mine.
He sits down and fidgets around until I grab hold of his arm to stop him. "Come out with it. What's on your mind?"
What it is, isn't what I'm expecting this soon.
He stares at the pool and proceeds to tell me everything about what had transpired between him and Johan, and when he gets to the rape, I have to use all my self-restraint not to jump up, storm off and go kill the fucking bastard!
I manage, using slow and deep breaths, softly though, not to show him how angry I am.
When he's done talking, he looks tired and glances nervously at me. "And?"
"And what?" I ask him. Trying to be expressionless and definitely not letting him make any assumption of what I might be thinking. I have to be careful that he doesn't misconstrue my reactions.
"Do you think less of me?" His one eyebrow arches, as he intently studies my face.
"Now why would that be the case? To me you were a victim of some sick bastard, who wanted to humiliate and torture you for his own gratification. He was jealous of you and went out of his way to subjugate you. I'm just grateful you left when you did, because if it had carried on, he would've destroyed you. Maybe even broken your spirit." I don't touch him, even though I want to comfort him.
"Oh. So, what do I do now?" he stares back at the pool.
"You accept what has happened to you. You understand that it wasn't your fault, and you leave karma to do the rest. He will get what's due to him and nothing we do will change that fact. I can promise you that."
"You sound so sure of what I should or shouldn't do. I know I asked, but do you have some sort of psychology degree?" He puts his head in his hands.
"No. Only first-hand experience." I gulp the rest of my wine down.
His head flies up and he stares wide-eyed at me.
"You heard me." Now I'm the one looking over the pool at the mountain in the background.
And so, I start telling him about my experiences with my foster dad and the years of abuse I suffered under him. I go on and describe how I eventually got away from him and ended up confronting him. Clarifying, that it's not that I want Daniel to confront Johan but because it had been necessary for me to stand up for myself and let my mom know what had been going on. Only then I could heal and have a relationship with my mother.
I end my story with. "My mom and I are really close now. She even knows about you staying with me at the moment."
He frowns. "You won't tell her about what happened to me?"
"Not if you don't want me to." I tap him gently on his back.
"No. Please don't."
Both of us are quiet again, each with their own thoughts, and we stay seated for a while until a waitress disturbs us with a lunch menu.