LiTTLE CHERiNE Book 02 - post245

Just the fact that he paid without wanting anything in return ensured she would not respect him. I must try to avoid making her feel the same contempt for me and the best way will be for me to keep her guessing at first as to what I really want from her. Also, what I offer or promise, it must be what she can believe in and there must be an angle she can understand is motivating me.

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1320

She saw me approaching her and bristled, her fury growing the closer I came to her. “This is my area, get out before my man sees you.”
“I am not Italian, speak English to me. How much for the entire night - not at your home?”
“For you!?”
“For the Englishman who only wanted a spaghetti.”
“How do you know about him?”
I grinned. “He is my husband. We don’t keep secrets from each other. So, how much?”
“At your hotel? This time he fucks? You too?”
“No fucking, just talk, but there will be a nice meal and somewhere nice to sleep for the night.”
She shook her head. “Talking is more difficult…fuck is five minutes, …talking will take hours, two hundred dollars.”
“Fifty now and the rest when we arrive.”
I looked the same age as her, and by claiming to be his wife I only re-confirmed her opinion of him, so she felt safe enough to agree. I ensured nobody is watching and bracing myself for the screaming, I touched her. When she suddenly found herself in a vineyard, she did not disappoint me. At least she did not faint. I moved away from her and sat on one of the chairs Sylvestro had provided, keeping my eyes fixed on her.
As the screaming died down, I held out the other hundred and fifty dollars. “As promised, the money for one night of your time.” When she instantly stopped screaming and after just a moment’s hesitation reached out for the money, I felt Sylvestro clamp down on his urge to laugh. I gestured and he came out, but placed his chair at a distance from us. “He is a friend, don’t worry.”
“He is a policeman!”
I was a bit more abrupt this time. “I told you he is a friend - and he is my partner.”
“Partner?”
“I want you to work for me, but before I make you an offer, let’s clear up a few details. What is your usual charge?”
“It depends, I charge more for foreigners.” I just stared at her, waiting. “Foreigners, a hundred dollars, maybe more if they are stupid.”
“How much did you charge a year ago?”
“Fifty.”
“And next year you are thinking you will charge more?”
“My breasts are growing, they must pay more.”
I turned to Sylvestro. “I told you she will be making the same stupid mistake most little girls make. Helena, listen carefully, as I don’t like having to repeat myself. You started when you were nine years old? Then you should have charged five hundred. At ten and eleven, maybe three hundred. For this year and the next you should be charging between two hundred to two hundred and fifty. Men will pay much more for a child and the younger she is, the more they will pay. Can you see how much money you have lost? Now that your breasts are growing you will be just one more boutana and you will have to compete with all the other women on the street. The way you are going, you will not only be earning less every year, you’ll also have to struggle to get a customer.”
She did not want to believe me, but I think she knows enough to sense I’m right. “How do you know?”
“Because I started much younger than you. I was a boutana in another country and then the Englishman found me and taught me how to become the best. Now, I live like a princess.”
Her eyes narrowed as she demanded, “You are lying to me - why? What is it you really want?”
“I think we better start from the beginning again. Sylvestro, I have a way of telling my story which can be painful, for it means you would be sharing some of my memories and feelings. Would you prefer to leave until I’ve finished?”

1320

“If I may be permitted to stay?”
I started from a day before my father raped me so that they could feel how the experience changed me. I let them share much of the bad and those few good moments, such as the companionship of Katerina and other street children - which meant that they also shared some of what happened to them and how they learnt to face life. I stopped the day I was taken by car to Roberto’s home, but before I arrived or met them. Luckily I had not met Cherine at the club on that night when she sensed me, so whatever either of them learnt of her was too tenuous to provide them with a picture of who or what she is like.
When it was over, I went to Sylvestro. He was hurting, but he was also turned inwards, not wanting to face me. When I placed my arms around him he burst into tears and his arms wrapped around me, squeezing so tight I could not breathe. I managed to keep my eyes on Helena and I relaxed when I sensed she understood why Sylvestro needed me most at this moment.
As soon as I could, I placed my hands on the cheeks of Sylvestro and kissed his forehead. He looked at me and I gave him a smile and pulling away, I went to Helena. I crouched before her.
“Your life was different?”
“My name is Sophia.” I nodded. “I don’t know who my father is, I never met him. When I was nine years old a grownup man, I think he was about twenty three and his name is Enzo, talked to me about how much money I could be making if I let him teach me how. He promised it would not hurt me and he was gentle. After we fucked for a week he found me a customer who paid me…about ten dollars. Enzo said half of the money is his because he is my man and looks after me.”
“This Enzo, he has a scar across the back of his hand and his one eye is slightly damaged? A rather thin man but strong?”
“How do you know him?” She paused, staring at me and made the two plus two connection. “You beat him up? He is still in hospital.”
“You will not need him in your new life, Sophia, it is better you forget him.”
She laughed, but without amusement. “You will be my Enzo?”
“I am the person, with Sylvestro’s help, who will show you how to earn for yourself a much better life. If you do as I say and keep to any agreement we make, within a couple of years you’ll have two options; either you can set yourself up as a high class boutana, or else you can make a good life for yourself without having to sell your body. It will be your choice, Sylvestro and I will not pressure you.”
I had to explain again and again, adding details each time, until I decided she needs to think on it without us present. “Sophia…”
“You know how to do magic - you are a witch?”
“A good witch, Sophia; I can only perform magic that comes out of love.”
“Will you teach me if I do as you want?”
“I will not make promises. Sophia, do you watch stories on television and sometimes envy the women you see who have a nice apartment or house, with maybe a husband and child? Or do you envy them their freedom to make choices? It is what I want to offer you - without my demanding you live your life in some way I prefer. The choice must be yours.
However, you do not realise it, but you are already speaking like a pavement boutana and your heart is growing hard and cold. If you want to have choices, you must return to school and you must live as part of a loving family. They will not be told all the truths of your life; they will know you come from a very poor family and that you made some wrong choices. Sylvestro will tell them that when you met me you asked for help and I decided to pay for you to have a new life. Sophia, you must promise to never tell them about being a boutana and you must never use the words that belong to that life, they are good people and would only be shocked and hurt to think of a child living that kind of life.” I touched her hands with my fingertips. “I am paying them some money, for they are not rich, their farm is small and life can be hard, but, and this is the most important part, they really want a daughter to love, they are not doing it for the money. Accept their love on faith and maybe one day you will come to recognise their love as being real and begin to love them. It was so with Roberto and me; it took some time for me to see him as he really is and now he is a prince to me…and his love for me has made me feel like a princess.” I laughed. “Can you imagine it? Me an Albanian flower girl and boutana, now a princess? Love can do the same for you if you give yourself and those who want to help you, the chance. Sylvestro will be like a second father…or older brother if you wish. He knows the truth about your past, but he is like me, he does not care. What he does care about is that you allow him to help you become the person you want to be.”
We talked for a long time and Sylvestro joined us with questions and promises of his own. He brought up the question that helped convince her. “Aganthi, what you are offering her, it will take years, maybe until she is twenty years old. You can spend so much money? What about when she is grown up, will you help her find a good job…or maybe, if she works hard, help her start a small business”
“There will be money in your account every month and if there is a special need, you will have my phone number. Sylvestro, think of me as her older sister, for in a way, the lives we have lived have made us sisters in the pain we experienced. Now I want us to become sisters in reaching out for our dreams and achieving them.”
I was pleased when Sophia asked me, “What of my mother, how will she live without me?”
“She has been expecting you to leave her, so she has been hiding some of the money you gave her.” I stared at her for a moment, thinking of what Roberto did for me. “If you promise to work hard at becoming the woman I see you can become, I promise I’ll see to it that she has some money each month.”

The next day, when we were about to go visit her foster parents, I changed myself into a thirty year old woman who is obviously wealthy. I expected Sophia to become afraid, but it seems she really believes I am some kind of witch and does not fear me, but her eyes are filled with wonder…and maybe a little awe at the knowledge that I am using my powers to help her.

1322

We left Sophia with her new parents for a short visit, so that they can both decide they like each other and are willing to commit themselves. Once we were alone, Sylvestro asked me, “What of the enemies of Roberto, what if they destroy you? I cannot afford to keep up the payments you’ve promised.”
I laughed. “Roberto let them hurt us? That will never happen.” Because I saw he believed me, I let him see some of my pain. “I do not understand why he has let them hurt him, but as long as they only hurt him, not us, I think he wants to let them continue to fight us so that we grow up a little…those of us who do not know what life is really like.”
The next morning I took the risk of being sensed and jumped to Kifissia, withdrew money from my bank account and returned to Sylvestro. I placed the money on his kitchen table. “There is twenty four thousand dollars, for you to pay her foster parents a thousand a month for two years. This five you can use for extras, clothes, birthday gifts, a bit of pocket money for her and so on.” I grinned. “This two thousand is for taking her on a shopping spree tomorrow, she is going to need a lot of clothes, maybe a cassette player, some CD's and toiletries.”
“It is good you buy her clothes here, not in Roma, so that she does not look different to the other girls of this area. I hope she does not disappoint you Aganthi.”
“How can she? I do not expect her to change without first making some terrible mistakes. As she begins to want what we’re offering her, fear will make her fight against it happening. You’ll need to be strong and patient…very patient.” He laughed as he nodded.
I withdrew into my thoughts so he silently moved about tidying the kitchen and preparing the next meal. When he brought me a tiny cup of espresso, I looked up at him, “I’ve never tried to do good, to change someone’s fate before, I’m afraid I’ll make a bad mistake and destroy her life.”
He nodded. “I’m glad you told me your fears, for I too have never tried to change the life of another and I was afraid. Maybe if we are both trying hard we will not make too many bad mistakes?” I laughed and nodded, almost wanting to hug him - I am not like the other girls, I do not hug easily, maybe the memories of being hugged by those who hurt me are still too alive in me.

Early the next morning, the couple who are to care for Sophia phoned. “Officer, the girl, she has spent all night weeping. We do not know what to do for her.”
I whispered, “Tell them we are coming.”

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I hope you enjoy reading this story of fantasy, adventure and love.

Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου

(Alexander Zenon Eustace)
^{20th May, 2019}

* posted on Steemit: 20th May, 2019



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