(7/9) “I woke up to find that I’d been discovered by a...

(7/9)  “I woke up to find that I’d been discovered by a soldier.  He dragged me to my feet and led me down the street to this alleyway.  He pointed his gun at me, and told me to say goodbye to my life.  At that point I felt ready to die.  But that’s when Mary came running out of her house.  She fell at the soldier’s feet and began pleading with him.  ‘Leave this girl for me,’ she said.  ‘You’ve killed her entire family.  Just leave this one for me.  God sent her to me.’  She offered the soldier all of her money.  She told him:  ‘When the war is over, you can come back and take this girl for a wife.’  And that’s what finally convinced him.  He handed me over.  Mary took me inside and cooked me food.  She gave me a change of clothes.  She tried to wash my hair, but it was too thick, so she cut it all off.  Then she hid me in the bushes behind her house.  I stayed there for weeks.  Every night Mary would bring me porridge and water.  She gave me a little radio so I could follow the news reports.  Each day the rebels were getting closer to our town.  Mary would encourage me.  She’d tell me that it would all be over soon.  And that I’d be rescued.  She promised me that I’d survive.  And Mary was right.  I did survive, because of her.”
(Butare, Rwanda)