Pricey, p.9
Pricey, page 9
“Billie, this is important stuff. This lady is no joke. She demands respect at all times. She’s old school when it comes to this. She isn’t too happy that I am bringing someone in to, essentially, take her place so I’m sure she’s going to be nasty to you.”
I turned to Carmine, and he looked equally as tired as me, but I still managed to smile. “Where we come from, mean is an everyday occurrence,” I answered.
Capello laughed and continued with his warnings. “Well, don’t try to pull any of that funny shit you pulled at the buyers’ circle ’cause I’ll be picking up your body in trash bags. Do you hear me? This is one crazy old bitch, but one of the baddest I have seen.”
Capello went on to warn the three girls he had acquired at the auction about running away, or trying any funny business. He told them that girls at that house never got second chances; and, if they proved themselves to Bellissima, they could end up living on their own while working for the company. I looked at Capello and let my mouth move faster than my brain.
“That’s if they don’t get sold off to some prince or sick fuck who is looking for a sex slave?” I asked.
Before answering, Capello took in a deep breath. Then he said, “There are different levels in this organization. There are girls who are bought to be sold to, as you say, princes or to remain slaves. There are girls who are sent to brothels and sold to pimps. Then, there is the top-rate flesh market. We take these young boys and girls and teach them how to be classy. We teach them about different countries and their cultures. We make them bilingual and make sure they are adorned with the finest things in life. They are considered top shelf.”
“If it’s such a great life, why force people to do it? Why not have people who are willing to sell their bodies and souls work for you?”
“We do have that, too. Not all of our workers are . . .”
It seemed as if Capello couldn’t bring himself to utter the truth. So I did it for him. I leaned forward and spat out the reality of the operation that, at the auction, he so proudly announced he was a partner in: “Stolen, we are stolen and kidnapped. But hey, I guess having some who are willing balances out the ones who are forced.”
The rest of the ride was quiet.
* * *
The grounds of what would be our new home was just as extravagant and well secured as Capello’s waterfront home in Miami. My nervousness, unlike the night before, was dissipating and now I was severely yearning for some rest. We exited the vehicles, and the three girls Capello bought at the auction were led away.
DeeDee, Carmine, the girl I rescued, and I were escorted through the front door of the home. We walked to the back of the house where a lavish spread of breakfast awaited us on the back terrace. We took our seats and waited. I thought about asking the kid her name but opted to wait for a moment when we were alone.
I heard Bellissima before I saw her. Loud thudding sounds from her walker echoed through the house, announcing her arrival. When she came into sight, there was confusion on her face. Capello stood up, greeted her, and offered the explanation to the forgetful, elderly woman of why we were at the table.
“Bellissima, I want you to meet Billie and Carmine. They are here to get training from you.”
She looked us over, starting at our feet and ending on our faces. When I looked into her dark eyes, they seemed empty. Her long silver hair hung down her back while her small frame hovered over the walker. She wasn’t a beautiful woman with her oversized snout and a face filled with moles, but her presence demanded respect, even at her age.
“Training for what?” she asked with a curl of her lip, looking as if she had just smelled a foul odor.
“I want you to show them how to run the business. We already had this conversation, Bellissima. I called you from the airport. Don’t you remember?” Capello answered as he looked to us with a glance that said, “Stay calm; she’s just a little scatterbrained.”
“You bring them, this Negro trash, to my table and after you tell me to train them to replace me? Didn’t I teach you better than this? I don’t care about a phone call. I will not do this,” Bellissima answered.
Out of anger, her once unnoticeable Italian accent would spill through her words and deceive her. My level of irritation with Bellissima rose due to her harsh words. Knowing that I was sleep deprived and hungry, I decided it was best to keep my mouth shut. I had a feeling I would have plenty of opportunities later on to put this woman in her place.
“You are getting old, Bellissima. There is no getting around that. You are at the end of your reign here and I need you to do this.”
DeeDee leaned into me as if she knew that I would only be able to take so much of the unpleasant, old lady. “Remember what Bobby told you. She’s mean as hell, but if you listen to her, you will end up being the best. I can’t hardly stand the bitch but she is, well, was great at what she does.”
I didn’t answer. Instead, I went back to listen to the conversation between the old bat and Capello, which had turned into a screaming match in Italian. It must have gone on for another ten minutes before Capello yelled something I could not understand while he slammed his fist into the table. With that, Bellissima looked our way and asked, “Which’ah one?”
“The girl,” Capello answered.
Bellissima slowly made her way to me, yanked at my arm to get me to stand up, and just stared at me once we were face to face. This lasted for a few minutes. Without taking her eyes off of me, she addressed Capello. “I will’ah do it, but this is not the one.”
Glaring into her dark eyes, I answered for myself. “Yes, I am. I am the only one.”
Again her face scrunched up as if she was disgusted. With a nudge from her, I was instructed to sit back down, and I did. As she left the terrace, Capello tried to get her to stay, but that was a losing battle. She told him that she would be in her room and that he should stop in to see her before he left.
Once the witch flew out of the room on her broom, we ate, spoke very little, and were shown to our rooms. My new little friend stayed quiet the whole time and it was then I realized that she had yet to utter a word.
“These are your rooms. I called ahead and asked them to give you the room with the Jack and Jill bathroom. I was certain that you would want to stay close to the girl,” Capello said as he showed us the two bedrooms and bath.
I offered him a simple, “Thanks.”
“So what are you going to do with her? You don’t want her to work and since she is what we will call my gift to you, you owe me nothing for her.”
I looked at the young girl and realized that I didn’t have an answer. What was I going to do with her now that I saved her? I had even asked myself that same question earlier while watching her eat as if she was starved.
“I don’t know yet, but I’ll be sure to let you know,” I answered as I ran my hands through her pretty hair. She leaned into me, and at that moment, I knew she felt safe. Kids were funny that way. All you had to do was show them a little kindness, and you had their trust. That was when it hit me that I hadn’t spoken to her much. But I was too wrapped up with what was going on around me to really hold a conversation with her. In a crazy way, I was her, and she was me. We were both traveling on a new road with no idea of what our destination would be.
“Okay, you two will be provided with cell phones with my number already programmed in them. Look for the name Alvaldo and that will lead you to me. In the closets you will find clothes for the three of you. If anything doesn’t fit, just let one of the house workers know.”
“Wait, you’re leaving already?” I asked as if I was a kid whose father was leaving to go to work.
“I have other business to attend to. Don’t worry, if you listen to Bellissima, you will be fine. Ignore her bullshit but pay attention to what she tells you.”
I looked at DeeDee and she smiled. “Take my number, Billie. If you need to talk, I’m here for you.”
Capello and DeeDee walked over to Carmine, shook his hand, and told him to try to keep me calm while dealing with the wicked witch. After they said their good-byes to us, they went to the room at the end of the hall to speak with Bellissima.
Chapter 14
The Price of Responsibility
I sat at the edge of the bed trying to understand what I was feeling. I was in a melancholy mood, which left me feeling indifferent. Within less than forty-eight hours, our position in life had changed. We were no longer slaves, and I had even managed to rip someone’s life from the claws of hell; yet, I wondered when true happiness would seek me out and grab a hold of me.
I looked at the small hands that I had wrapped in mine and wanted to know more about her. “What’s your name?” I asked her.
When she answered, her tone was so low that I had to strain to hear her. Her accent told me that she was from an island. “My name is Zen, Miss Billie.”
Hearing my name leave her mouth flooded me with emotion. “How . . . how old are you?” I asked as my voice cracked and I fought back tears.
“I am eleven years old.”
Swallowing down vomit, I asked her where she was from.
“I lived in the Virgin Islands, but they told me that I could never go back. They said my mom and dad were killed in a car accident and that’s why they were picking me up. I was on my way home when the woman stopped me. I was so sad, Miss Billie. I’m not supposed to get in the car with strangers, but they told me that no one was going to be home since my parents were dead.”
I couldn’t speak anymore. I had begun to tremble as my tears were begging me to set them free. How evil could these people be? All I could think about was her parents worrying about her, wondering why their little girl never came home.
I hugged Zen tightly, hoping that my arms offered her some sort of comfort. I did not express my feelings to her verbally. Instead, I chose to show her love with my arms.
“Why don’t you let Zen wash up so we can all get some rest?” Carmine asked after a short while.
I walked Zen to her bedroom, pulled out a beautiful pink nightgown, although it was day, and led her to the bathroom. Even though my words were limited, I tried to convey something to her that would put her little heart at ease.
“Everything will be okay now. You’re with me, and I won’t let anything happen to you, okay?”
For the first time, Zen smiled at me. She got close to me and wrapped her arms around my waist and asked, “Can you and the nice man be my mommy and daddy now, since I don’t have them anymore?”
With that one question, my tears were released forcefully. Carmine and I were children ourselves. Giving into our vengeful desires to get even with our evil guardians was easy. Being asked to take on such a great responsibility was not. I embraced both Zen and her question wholeheartedly and honestly.
“I don’t know, Zen. We can certainly try.”
Walking out of the bathroom, I entered the bedroom, and immediately fell into Carmine’s arms. I told him what transpired in the bathroom with Zen with the hope that he would agree to help look after her. He stayed pretty quiet throughout the whole ordeal and I desperately wanted to know what he was thinking.
“Billie, whatever you want to do, I’m with you,” Carmine said as I stood in his arms.
I pulled away from him, but made sure his arms were still around my waist. I asked what he was thinking as I looked into his eyes. It took him a little while to answer.
“I’m thinking that, because of you, I am free. If it weren’t for your plan at my aunt’s house, you would have been sold off and I would still be enslaved for women to use me.”
“But, Carmine, I couldn’t have done it without you. It is because of us that we are free. I can’t thank you enough.”
He smiled and, in that very moment, I learned the importance of breathing life into your mate. I could have stood there and taken all of the credit, but that would have been wrong, untruthful, and would have stripped him of the boost I had added to his pride.
I leaned in and kissed my king for the first time since the last. Finally, a smidge of happiness crept up my spine.
“Miss Billie, I’m ready to go to sleep now,” Zen called out from the Jack and Jill bathroom door.
I walked into the restroom and smiled at how cute she looked. I pulled her hair back and put it in one big braid, just like my mother used to for me. The thought made me smile. My mother was always my safe place. Even while living in terror, my memories of her would keep me sane. Remembering her smile, her voice, even her rough hands made the world a little more bearable.
After braiding her hair, I walked her to her bedroom. As we stood by her bed, she looked nervous.
“What’s the matter, Zen?”
She looked unhappier as she answered. “I’m scared to sleep here by myself. I don’t know this place,” she answered, slipping her hand into mine.
“Do you want to sleep with us?” I asked.
She smiled and I knew that I had my answer. I took her back to our room and told Carmine that I was going to lie with her until she fell asleep. After, I would have him transfer her into her own bed, so that I could bathe.
Carmine smiled and headed for the bathroom to shower. I wasn’t sure when I had fallen asleep but I didn’t open my eyes until the next morning when Carmine woke me up. I guess I really was exhausted by the end of my quest to be free.
Chapter 15
Carmine The Price of a Lover’s Heart
When I came out of the shower, Billie and Zen were fast asleep. I thought about waking her, but I knew that she was drained and in need of rest. Although sleepy myself, my mind would not let me doze off. I needed a drink and a joint. That always seemed to work when I spent time with Mrs. Rachel.
She was one of the women I actually liked spending time with. She was a forty-year-old woman who was still full of youth. When I would go off with her, it gave me a false sense of freedom, which I didn’t mind experiencing. Every time she dropped me off back at the Vega house, I often wondered why I didn’t just run away while I was out with her. Then it would dawn on me that I would be without Billie. I wouldn’t be able to live with that.
I opened the bedroom door and found one of the women who worked in the house. I asked her for a cold beer and whispered about the weed. She smiled and told me that both would be delivered to my room within minutes, and she didn’t lie. With a cold beer and two rolled-up joints, I sat in the chair across from the bed and stared at the girl I was deeply in love with. I smoked and drank, and I smiled off and on as I thought of us.
We had done it. We were free, and Billie even managed to get us jobs. She was something else, and being with her gave me confidence in knowing that things would be okay.
Watching her breathe, I thought about who she was, and who she had become because of this whole ordeal. It was scary at times to watch and listen to her, but also it was comforting. Like watching her go one last round with my uncle the night we killed him. It was disturbing, but I guess it was something she felt she had to do. I didn’t understand it, but who was I to question her reasons behind it? It wasn’t like I hadn’t risen from the murkiest corners of despair myself. That was what connected us. Although it wasn’t the healthiest form of connection, I didn’t feel alone in that dark space that would often terrify me. It was selfish, I know, but it felt good to have a dark angel by your side when, inside, you felt like the devil.
I had dreamed about killing the people who caused Billie and me so much pain; and, without her, it would have still been a fantasy. But for Billie, I would’ve hung myself before I watched her feel any kind of pain. I just couldn’t help it. I was weak when it came to her.
Even while sitting there in that chair, staring at her made me appreciate her more. Looking far beyond her outer beauty and piercing deep within her soul, I knew that she might just one day be the death of me. I was and I am still willing to die for her. My love for Billie ran that deep, and it was like that from the very beginning. I guess it was just written in the stars.
The minute I laid eyes on her, I knew that loving her would not be easy. I also knew that I would probably have no choice. There was something that drew me to her. It was that thing that caused my heart to drop to my feet then jump back up into place. She was frightened, but something about her told me that she possessed the type of soul that could never be broken or defeated. Her beauty stopped me dead in my tracks, but what was radiating from within her kept my interest growing.
During my time at my aunt’s house, I had seen a lot of girls come and go. None captivated me like Billie. Even within my own captivity and problems, my mind still wandered back to her, especially on the nights she slept in the rooms upstairs in the Vega home. I knew what was going on between her and my uncle, and I wanted to kill him for it.
I hated the both of them, my aunt and uncle. At night, when Billie was gone and the evening was silent and dark, I would think about my mother and sisters. I missed them deeply, although she gave me up. Even at that young age, I understood why the sight of me angered her, although it hurt like hell. I was born a protector and hero in my own right. I would rather endure all of this pain if it meant that my mother would be happy. Even though there were small parts of me that wanted to hate her, I could not. She did not send me to America with her sister to service women and be turned into a slave. She was lied to, and I prayed that one day I would get to see her again.
Now that we had escaped that horrible house, I especially wanted to see her. I wanted to tell her that I was her son, and that I was there to take care of her like a son should. She wouldn’t have to be ashamed of me anymore. Not ashamed of me or my black skin, because I was going to give her everything she has ever wanted. I wanted to let her know that she wouldn’t have to count on anyone but me. Not even Mr. Pallazolo. I wanted to rise and be the hero for the woman I loved but yearned to hate.
Before we left my aunt’s house, I took her little black book. I prayed that my mother’s number was in there, but something inside of me wasn’t ready to look. I couldn’t speak to her just yet. I had to wait until I could go before her as a man who had done something with himself. She had big dreams for me when she sent me off to the States, and I wanted to show her that they all came true.
