The Trafficked

60

Amy watched the planes overhead. They were so near she could count the windows along the side. She waved to the pilot, even though she knew he couldn’t see her. She listened for the sounds outside. She had learned the routine of her captors very well. She knew exactly what time they relieved each other of their babysitting duties. She knew what time they would have lunch. She knew what television programs they listened to outside in the lounge. They chattered away on their mobiles, forgetting that Amy was able to understand them. Impossible for the Cantonese to talk quietly. Amy knew a lot more about them now.

Since Lenny had left, Suzanne had been in charge and the men didn’t like it. She talked to them like idiots, thought Amy. The one with the spotty face, Tony, had left, and now there was a new one. His name was Pat. He was nice to Amy. He let her come and watch telly on his shift and he bought her pizza. He played chess with her.

It was seven in the morning. Pat would be gone soon. The nasty, ugly one, Sunny, would take over. He spent the whole time talking on the phone and watching porn movies on the telly. Amy could hear it in the evenings, all the moaning and grunting.

Suzanne came and went less rigidly than the men. By now Amy understood that this was not the only place where Suzanne looked after people. There was another house that she and the two men took it in turns to go to. Amy wondered who was at that house and whether there was a girl like her. Sometimes Amy started crying. She was so bored and fed up, only Pat brought her books to read, and she couldn’t relax. She never knew what mood Suzanne was going to be in. Amy knew it was her by the way the front door closed. They all did it differently. Suzanne was precise-she clicked it shut, rather than slamming it the way Sunny did. In between was Pat. He closed it strongly but without banging. Suzanne seemed to creep in.

There were just the two men this morning. Amy sat there listening. Pat and Sunny were talking about Lenny’s trip. They weren’t happy that he’d been called away. They didn’t think that Suzanne was competent to handle the job. They were getting nervous about it. Amy listened hard.

She was sitting at her table where her macramé kit was laid out methodically. Beads were kept in the box lid, to stop them from disappearing. The cord was laid out in its varying lengths and different colours. There was a frame on which to stretch the necklace whilst you worked on it. Amy was putting all her energy into making one item. It was a necklace for Suzanne.

Pat left and Sunny sat down to watch the telly. The door clicked-it was Suzanne. She greeted Sunny with a ticking-off for not taking out the bin whilst it was still early and there was less chance of being seen. Now she had to do it and it was already nine o clock. Why was everything down to her? Amy listened. She knew what Sunny would say. It was what he always said every time Suzanne had a massive go at him.

‘I am not your fucking servant. You don’t like it, I’ll go. You’re lucky I’m still here. No good will come of things. We’ll all be in the shit when they find us. So, go on-get rid of me, fire me, please.’

Suzanne answered: ‘Just do the few things you are asked to and do them well, then we’ll all be happy. And leave the merchandise alone.’ That bit puzzled Amy. ‘Knocking them about is one thing, but this isn’t your dream come true, Sunny. You want to get laid, pay for it like you usually do. Stop fucking the girls, especially the young ones-you’re damaging the merchandise. She’s split inside already…’

‘That wasn’t me, that was the two punters.’

‘Leave them alone-got it?’

Sunny grunted that he had. ‘What about that one?’ he asked. Amy’s eyes went wide and her brace formed a vacuum at the roof of her mouth as she heard the question directed towards her door. ‘Why not that one?’

‘Ha ha, you are fucking priceless, Sunny.’ Suzanne lowered her voice. ‘The day I decide to put Miss CK’s cherry up for sale, the place will be swarming with rival triad bosses. You don’t think I’m going to let you have it for free, do you?’

Amy heard her throw down her coat and bags and stomp off with the rubbish. Then the click when she came back. Sunny stomped out soon after, muttering under his breath about having had enough. Amy listened to Suzanne’s footsteps approaching her bedroom door.

She looked up from her macramé table. She smiled as the door opened.

‘Morning, Suzanne.’ Her heart was hammering.

Suzanne didn’t answer. She grunted something about making her bed. Amy jumped off her seat and hurriedly pulled the covers up over the mattress.

Amy smiled at Suzanne. ‘You look lovely, Suzanne,’ she lied. Suzanne wasn’t bothering with makeup any more now that Lenny had gone. ‘Yesh. You look really pretty and so slim, like a model.’

‘Yes, well, time we got some fat off you. I’m thinking of moving you somewhere else, to a different house where there are other girls.’

Amy started making nervous sucking noises with her brace.

‘And why is that fucking brace back in your mouth?’

‘Sorry, Suzanne, it’s just I will get into trouble if I don’t wear it.’

‘Come here.’

Amy took a few steps towards her. Suzanne slapped her hard across the face. Her glasses flew off. Amy cried out, flinching as she clutched the stinging side of her face.

‘Sorry, Suzanne.’ She took the brace out.

Suzanne sighed, then rubbed her forehead as if it itched.

‘My fucking head is pounding.’

‘Sit down, Suzanne; I will give you a neck massage. I can brush your hair for you if you like. And look, Suzanne…’ Amy rushed to the table and showed her the half-constructed necklace. ‘This is for you.’

Suzanne didn’t look impressed. ‘Okay, let’s get on with the massage, and then you can brush my hair.’

‘Oh, yes please, Suzanne.’

Amy scurried to find the brush to keep it close by for when she needed it. She didn’t want to risk irritating Suzanne any more than she had done. She started kneading her strong little fingers into Suzanne’s shoulders.

‘Suzanne…what’s your favourite colour? I need to know for your necklace.’

‘Mmm…green, no, blue, no, red! Red, that’s it.’

Amy looked over to her bead collection. The biggest of all the beads was red! How lucky was that?

‘Pass me my bag?’

‘What are you doing?’

Suzanne rummaged inside and found her phone.

‘I am ringing his wife. I am fucking sick of waiting and of babysitting you. I am going to speed things up. I am going to tell her what her husband really thinks of her, the fat, ugly cow…’