Page 40 of Carmine

“Doesn’t matter on the streets. Lara, I was thirteen when I was first raped. I’d been hunting for food and had found some and was taking it to them when a guy dragged me into an alley. That half an hour was the most terrifying I had ever known. When finished, he threw twenty bucks at me and ran off. The asshole left me bleeding and beaten in a pile of rubbish. And that’s what I was: trash. Nobody cared what happened to me or the others.People walked past and ignored us. We didn’t exist,” Carmine continued in a low voice.

“What happened afterwards Carmine?” Lara asked gently.

“I picked myself up, threw my torn boxers away, and returned to the alley where we were staying and fed my family. I left the money where it was. I couldn’t touch it. For a couple of weeks, when I went to the toilet, I shed blood. In all honesty, I probably needed a doctor or medical help, but I couldn’t afford that. I was raped nine more times before we found Phoenix,” Carmine said honestly.

“Carmine, I’m lost for words for once.” Lara’s voice held horror and distress.

“Lara, it happens every day on the streets. It could have been worse. A pimp could have collared me. I could have been gangbanged, kidnapped, anything. I was lucky it was just ten straight rapes. After the fourth time, the guy dropped twenty, and I thought, ‘I’m taking it. My pain has to cost something.’ And I bought Tye, Serenity, and Harley McBurgers. I’ve never forgotten the looks on their faces when I showed them the food,” Carmine broke off and took a deep breath.

Sensing his distress, I shoved closer. Carmine looked down at me and smiled before wrapping an arm around my shoulders and holding me close. I leaned my head on his shoulder and stared calmly at Lara.

“How do you feel, Molly, knowing this?” Lara inquired.

“Proud.”

“That’s a strange emotion,” Lara said.

“No, it’s not. Carmine stands as a beacon to those children who’ve suffered similar,” I turned and spoke directly to a camera. “Look at Carmine, he experienced the same as you, and he made it. If you believe in yourself and fight, you can beat them too. Don’t let those disgusting rapists and paedophiles pull you down. Push against what they did and show them they’ve notbeaten you. Rise up, appeal to the Eternal Trust; they are there for kids like you. Reach out to someone and ask for help.

“Carmine could have let his childhood destroy him, he didn’t. Don’t let the actions of the warped ruin your self-worth. Support is there for you; you just have to reach out and grab it. And when you get that chance, revel and build on it moving forward. Take whatever is offered to you and win. I’m proud to be Carmine’s girlfriend. Someone will one day say that about you.”

“That was heartfelt,” Lara murmured.

“I meant it. Ask the Eternal Trust for help, and let them boost you up,” I said, still staring at the camera before relaxing back into Carmine. He squeezed me tightly.

“How does it feel when you hear Molly say that, Carmine?”

“Molly inspires me to become a better person. Lara, I was lucky. Phoenix Michaelson found me, Tye, Serenity, and Harley. To say my mom is a special person is an understatement. She’s an angel in a human skin. There’ll never be another like her and I’m so proud she’s my mom.

“Mom discovered the other children she adopted and gave us a good life, but she also founded the Eternal Trust. Honestly, Mom would adopt every kid going if possible, but it’s not. The Eternal Trust is Mom’s way of reaching those she couldn’t. Plus, I’ve a lot of adopted cousins.” Carmine laughed.

“You belong to an MC,” Lara stated.

“Rage MC. Dad, Drake Michaelson is the president,” Carmine said proudly. “Growing up, I desired two things. To play ball and to become a brother. The brothers in Rage are my uncles, and when Mom and Dad got married, boy, did us kids get a huge family. Now, I’d say a good third of the children there are also adopted. But blood means nothing to Rage; that isn’t important. If a man claims a youngster, that’s their kid. They don’t have to share DNA.

“Ask Dad how many kids he has; his answer is eighteen, even though only two share his blood. If you talk to some of the others, they’ll say the same: any child, born to them or not, is a blessing,” Carmine ended with a smile.

“Can I ask, just directing you back, what do you say about the prostitute allegations?” Lara asked.

“Lara, I took cash when it was thrown at me; that happened twice after the first time. When I was raped the seventh time, I demanded money, and the guy gave me it. The money was used to buy medicine for Serenity, who was seriously sick. The eighth rape I was attacked, I requested payment. If they were going to hurt me, then they’d pay me for it. I got fifty bucks.

“That bought Tye, Serenity, and Harley winter jackets and thick socks from a thrift shop. Oh, they also got woolly hats.” Carmine laughed. “Tye hated his. The damn thing was a sickly green, but it kept Tye’s head warm. And the last time I was ever raped, I robbed the guy’s wallet and took one hundred. Guess that makes me a thief. But the money was spent getting them some new clothes, and I put fifty bucks away and they had warm meals for two weeks.

“There was a restaurant, it’s shut now, but the owners used to let the homeless buy leftover food for a few bucks each night. They would only have binned it, and I guess they still made money. Two bucks for a hot meal that filled you up was a good deal. And if you only had fifty cents, well, they’d let you off and give you the leftovers.

“So, I don’t know. Yeah, I took cash for being raped. Does that make me a prostitute? Can a child and a victim of rape be one? You tell me. At thirteen, I didn’t have rights; I couldn’t vote, I needed parental permission for everything. That newspaper that claims to have witness statements, actually, they aren’t.

“They are confessions of rapists and paedophiles. If there was anybody decent working there, they’d hand them over to thecops. And in fact, the law in Maine states that there is no statute of limitations for a sexual assault on anyone under the age of eighteen. Which means the newspaper is hiding criminals and condoning the rape and abuse of a child,” Carmine pointed out.

The people watching hissed, which made me jump, and Lara turned her gaze to them.

“Seems our audience has strong feelings about that,” she commented. “You, the chap with the brown top, what are you thinking?”

“Dude, I can’t get my head around what happened to you. Gotta say I’m sorry to hear it, but you got my admiration. You’ve done an amazing job changing your life for the better,” the guy praised.

“The lady in the green,” Lara pointed to the next person.

“Carmine, I’m not a fan of baseball. But it’s not prostitution; you’re correct. And I’m so sorry for what happened to you. I’d like to meet them in a dark alley with a baseball bat, no pun intended.”

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