When I first met Mahzala she was being raped. One guy had her on the ground. He had his penis out and he was holding her down with one hand round her throat, the other fumbling with her pants. The other guy was standing watching. He was masturbating slowly; waiting his turn.
Neither of them seemed to notice me as I sprinted across the car-park behind the supermarket. I came up behind the standing guy. I grabbed his shoulder, spun him round and hit him with all the force I could muster in the solar-plexus. He went down hard. I stamped on his wanking hand. I heard and felt the breaking of bones. I also heard the cry of despair from Mahzala as she was penetrated.
I grabbed the back of the guy's coat collar and pulled him off her, up and back. Then I threw him down. He was off-balance and the back of his head hit the tarmac. I broke both his hands.
I looked at Mahzala. She was on her feet and had pulled up her pants. I held out my hand. She hesitated for half a second then took my hand. We ran across the car-park and into my car. I left before either man got back to his feet. I drove to the ring-road and hid in the slow moving traffic.
I turned to look at Mahzala. "I'm Richard. Are you OK?" I asked in my broken Pashto. I realised how not-OK she must be feeling and how crass my question sounded in English. I had no idea what the effect might be in her language.
"Peace be with you Richard. I am Mahzala. My life is yours." I think I have the translation right. To be honest I was way out of my depth; linguistically, morally, culturally and legally. That did sound a bit excessive though.
"That's OK. I'll take you to the police." I said. She smiled a weak smile. She spoke in English.
"I am sorry. You must not do that. You must leave immediately or the police will arrest you."
Wow! What had I got myself into?
"No. I have to see you safe first. Where can I take you."
"There is no safe place for me in my country. Those men would have raped me and killed me to punish my father. Next Friday they would have done the same to my sister. Now other men will do it instead."
I thought quickly. I was already on my way out of the country. I had checked out of my hotel and had stopped at the supermarket on the edge of the town to pick up water and food for the drive to the border.
"Where is your sister?" I asked.
"Please." She said. "Set me down and save yourself. I cannot be saved."
"Tell me where your sister is. I'm leaving today anyway I'll take you and your sister with me."
"Please. You must go!"
"You must tell me." I wasn't completely up to speed with her cultural imperatives but it did seem that she believed that I had saved her life and that did give me some leverage. She sighed and told me her address.
Well. We had a bit of luck. The apartment that she shared with her sister was only a mile detour from our route to the border.
She called her sister on her cell-phone and as we pulled up outside the apartment her sister appeared with one small suitcase. She climbed into the back seat and we set off. They left their cell-phones in the gutter.
I looked at the face in the rear-view mirror. She was indistinguishable from her sister. Our eyes met in the mirror. "I'm Richard." I said.
She said "My name is Amina. Has my sister introduced herself to you?"
Mahzala turned in her seat and glared back at her sister.
I said "I'm happy to know you Amina and yes she has." I glanced at Mahzala. "Have you explained what's happened?"
As Mahzala explained in her own language how we came to be together her sister's face showed shock and surprise. Her hostility faded.
"Thank you Richard for saving both our lives. You have put yourself in great danger. We owe you a great debt."
I said. "Mahzala asked nothing of me I acted of my own will. You have no debt to me."
She bowed her head and nodded. "What do you plan to do?"
I said "If we can cross the border within the hour we should be relatively safe. Then I will be able to contact my own people and we can drop out of sight."
She nodded again.
"Mahzala is hurt. I'll stop so that she can get in the back with you. You must take care of her until we can get help."
Another silent nod.
We crossed the border without incident and five hours later we reached my apartment. I showed them to a bedroom with a big en-suite bath and went to prepare food. Half an hour later I set a tray on the chest outside their door, knocked and left. Within a few minutes Amina found me eating in the kitchen.
"May I join you?"
"Of course!" I gestured to the food on the kitchen table.
She began to eat. "Mahzala is not badly hurt but she needs to rest. You can see her tomorrow -- is that OK?"
"Certainly!"
"I will be with you tonight."
I wasn't sure of the context. Her English was very good but there was something disturbing in her words and demeanour. "I think it would be best if you stay with Mahzala tonight. She's had a bad experience. She may be frightened if she wakes in the night. I'll find you a room for yourself tomorrow if you want."
She turned and gazed at me for three heartbeats. "Mahzala should be with you tonight. She owes you her life. Her body is yours. But she needs to rest and recover so I will take her place until she is ready."
I sat back in confusion. I had to explain to these girls that they owed me no dept.
She gazed at me again. A long steady look. She said "I know you find me attractive. I saw it in your eyes in the car and I see it now. You need feel no guilt you have no wife."
"How can you know that?"
She smiled sensing a crack in my resolve. "There is no woman's touch in this house and no woman's claim on your heart. These things I see. Yet you know the touch of a woman's body. This too I see. And you desire me. I saw it in your eyes when I entered your car. Take me. I am yours to have."
I was taken aback by the poise and directness of this beautiful young woman. "I will not take your virginity and besides you are too young!"
"Mahzala and me were raped by those men four weeks ago. We have no virtue to lose. Today they would have raped her until they were no longer able and then opened her womb and watched her bleed to death. Next week they would have come for me. We both owe you all that we are. And we are certainly old enough for you to feel no guilt. Tonight I will come to you. If you do not want me I will sleep at your feet on the floor. Or you could take your pleasure of me and show me that transactions between men and women need not all be violent."
"How old are you?"
"Old enough."
"Don't you need to be with Mahzala tonight?"
"She will be fine. She will come to you tomorrow."
I said. "Go to Mahzala. See that she's ok. I'll clean up here." She nodded and left the room.
I cleared away the dishes into the washer and cleaned the kitchen. Then I went to my room. I considered locking the door but decided that was being a bit paranoid. I really thought it quite unlikely that I would find Amina in my bed that night.
I tossed and turned for an hour or so before I settled down. Then at about 1:00 by the clock I awoke to the feel of a warm, naked body pressing against my back. I tensed up at the touch. She stroked my cheek and said "Relax yourself Richard. Let me warm and comfort you."
She made no overt sexual moves and soon I drifted off into a deep and peaceful sleep.
When I awoke I was on my back with Amina under my arm. Her head resting on my shoulder. Her small breasts pressed against my chest. Her left arm across my belly. Her knee crooked over my left thigh with her damp mons pressed against my leg. She smelled of sun and spice.