' 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗘 𝗦𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗜𝗡 ' › D. SWING

28.

Mary.

I could hear Rhonda calling out for help but her voice got distant as I continued to bang on the door, unable to get inside. The neighbors began to open their apartment doors, walking into the hallway to see what all the commotion was about. Turning to face them in a panic, I spoke as though I was out of breath, "Call the police! Please, my friend is in danger!"

"Well, maybe she deserves it. Bringing all your negro problems over here", some old white lady said as she adjusted her pink robe.

I paused for a moment, giving her a long stare while trying to wrap my head around what just happened. Did this bitch really just say that? Oh hell no. "Look, bitch. The only problem negros have is racists mothafuckas' like you. Take yo' stupid ass back in the house, Betty White." I wasn't going to lie, old lady was about to get knocked out but I had more important things to worry about at the moment. I watched as a man went back into his apartment, able to hear him on the phone but the conversion was muffled and hard to hear over the screams I heard from Rhonda.

I couldn't help but feel responsible for persuading her to come back to her apartment so that I could see what Nasir had done. Honestly, I wasn't really in my right mind when I told her to do it. I never am these days, anyway.

Suddenly, the noise quieted down and I could hear the lock being fumbled with before a group of masked men walked out of the apartment with guns in hand, leaving the door wide open. The hallway was silent as we all watched them, shaken and alert. Once I was sure they were gone, I quickly ran into the apartment, using the light from the hallway to navigate my way to her bedroom and pushing open the slightly cracked door to find her laying on the bed—bloody and unconscious. "Rhonda!", I called out as I ran over to her, cradling her face in my hands as I lifted her head from the mattress. "Rhonda, can you hear me?!", I asked frantically, crying while looking down her lifeless body. Was she dead? It scared me to even have to ask myself such a question. I had never experienced anything as extreme as this, leaving me confused on what I needed to do. Okay, okay. Calm down, Mary. Calm down.
I took a deep breath, trying to gather myself as I pressed my index and middle finger of my right hand against her neck to feel for a pulse. It was faint almost undetectable but I was relieved that she was still alive.

There were multiple footsteps heard inside of the apartment and I panicked, looking over my shoulder only to be blinded by a bright stream of light, squinted my eyes as the individual slowly lowered their flashlight. It was the paramedics. I sighed in relief, quickly stepping aside, "Thank God. I didn't think you were gonna' show. This–this is my best friend Rhonda and she was just beaten by a group of men." The words were hard to say as I watched them surround her, one pulling in a stretcher while the another checked her pulse.

"She seemed to have been more than just beaten, ma'am", one of them said as he gestured toward her lower half which was covered in thick amounts of blood. My eyes grew wide as I placed my hand over my mouth, crying harder than before.

She didn't deserve what happened to her and I couldn't imagine the amount of pain she endured before going unconscious. I felt responsible in a way, because I shouldn't have even suggested for her to come back her knowing that Nasir was still looking for her.

I watched as they carried her and gently laid her onto the stretcher, covering her with a blanket before pushing it out of the bedroom to the front door. I followed behind, my eyes puffy from the crying as I reached for her limp hand, holding it in my own.

"I'm so sorry, Rhonda."

***

Hi, and thank you for tuning in to Video
LP. Today we have some breaking news. Singer-songwriter and producer Rhonda Baker was rushed to the hospital after reportedly being battered and sexually assaulted by a group of men who appear to be still at large. Sources say that Rhonda was recently chased with a firearm by an ex-boyfriend who remains anonymous. Apparently he didn't take their breakup very well and is now being held at the police station for questioning. More information on this story when we get an update on her health status. In the meantime, feel free to call in and say some kind words for Rhonda and her family. We'll back after this commercial break.