CEO's maid in New York

I sat down in my late father's yard, on a little wooden chair and watched all the other young maidens walk about my father's property, with excitement written all over their faces. Each of the maidens assigned to a special task in the household, each of them took their job seriously. I on the other hand was a queen, so to say, but I felt more like a slave. Different women from the village came bearing gifts, some were expensive and some were not but neither really bothered me.

Each of the women smiled and even congratulated me on snatching one of the richest men in the village. Everyone overjoyed with the announcement of my wedding but I the bride was in no high spirit.

Why would I be happy? When the conversation with my uncle, the previous nights before haunted me for possibly the rest of my life? My uncle informed me of my arranged marriage and unfortunately, this marriage came with its threats too.

I remembered the conversation clearly; about a week ago, my uncle had called me into his quarters, making me aware that I had no choice in the matter. My faith was sealed and I could not save myself. This was a marriage not of love but for my uncle's convenience.

"I have said my piece Cindy, you either marry Nyemi or else I would put your family out of this house" The shock on my face was evident. I knew that my uncle was wicked and he would go to any length to prove his dominance, even if it meant hurting his own family members. My happiness was clearly not his priority, the money that he would gain was.

"But uncle-" The raising of his hand meant that the conversation was over. Nothing at this point and time could have changed my uncle's mind. I kept my mouth when an elder spoke, something I was raised to do even as a child. Even if it meant that, I was subjecting myself to a life of sadness.

I listened to my uncle rant about what this union would mean for the family, he spoke about the dowry set on my head, the cows we would receive from my prospective husband. As he spoke about the riches that he would gain, I realized that in none of his sentence was there any benefit to me. People like my uncle, were greedy and money determined their actions and how they treated people in their lives. Family meant nothing and once again, money has won.

I did not want to marry Nyemi. I for one was twenty-two, whereas Nyemi was seventy and if I were to marry him, I would become his seventh wife. Nyemi was known amongst the villagers to be a powerful man, who ran the village with his wealth and controlled the elders to favor him at any cost. He had a short temper, which was evident from the bruises on each of his wives bodies, if they ever defied him they knew what they would be facing.

All of his wives were terrified of him, they would hardly leave their home and if they did it was for a quick errand and then back to the house they went. None of his wives would dare utter the truths about his abusive ways, why would they? His anger was one that no one would want to bring upon herself.

No one could stop Nyemi, he had the money and he was not afraid to waste it on childish shenanigans. He loved young girls, they were easier to control, he loved the power he held over them. I was unfortunate enough to his next wife, like a sacrificial lamb they offered me to him in marriage.

My mother walked out of the house, clearly looking for me until she found me, sitting under a mango tree. I needed to be by myself and her walking towards me proved that she had not understood that. My mother's smile was simply for show. Ever since my uncle had announced the wedding, she said nothing. She simply nodded her head and agreed with him, like the good African woman that she was to be. Around the house, my uncle's word was law and we all had to abide by them.

That is my mother; she always saw the light at the end of the tunnel ...even if this time there was none.

"Good afternoon my daughter, you look so beautiful. I never thought I'd see this day ". My mother told me, trying so hard to pull a brave face, but this time it was less convincing.

I felt my mother's hand move over my braids; she touched the multicolored beads on my head and touched my glistening dark skin.

"Mother I do not love him". I spoke softly as tears stung my eyes. I was never the one to cry about things like these, I was brave and everyone saw that in me. This was the time where I could not be brave, not even to keep my mother happy.

"My daughter don't you worry, because love will grow between the two of you " I knew my mother was lying. My mother was the perfect woman who never lied and her lying meant that she was at her wits end.

I had to voice out my opinion on this arranged marriage, this was not what I wanted for myself and it will never be what I want.

"Yes just like it grew with the other six wives, who still get beaten by him whenever he is displeased with something, someone or them!" I raised my voice at my mother for the first time.

"My daughter you don't even know if that's true, they are only rumors that are created by jealous villagers ". My mother told me, holding my hand in hers, rubbing it to calm me down but it did not work. I was smarter than this. I did not need the rumors from the villagers, for the scars on Nyemi's wives were evident.

"Yes, says their bruised eyes and bodies. I don't care if he's nice mother, I just want to go back to school again ". I begged my mother. School, that was the one thing that I wanted more than anything in the world but now I was being deprived from having it.

"Look my daughter, Nyemi is a rich man and he'll probably let you go back to school" My mother tried to explain, my eyes widened in shock, because I knew that she was smarter than this.

"He won't, he won't! We all know that that old man just wants a young wife to warm his bed and my education is the last thing on his mind". Cindy knew exactly what men like Nyemi were all about; her education meant nothing to him. Nyemi was from a time and a group of men who believed that women should not be in school.

I cried out to my mother, begging her not to let me marry him, for a moment it seemed possible but my mother's face changed.

"Enough! That is enough, you are marrying him whether you like it or not. Cindy stop being selfish, it's either that or your uncle puts us out of his house!" My mother yelled at me, she looked drained, as though she had not had enough sleep.

"But it's father's house! " I bravely told my mother. My uncle was and will always be a wicked man and he dared take my father's house from us, his way of having control on me, my sibling and mother.

"But he's dead and it all belongs to your uncle now, don't you get it? Get ready, because tomorrow is your traditional wedding and I don't want your childish antics ruining everything" My mother told me, this time not holding back the tears in her eyes.

I watched as tears race down my mother's face before she walked away. I remembered it now, since the 4 years that my father had died, the last time she cried was at his funeral.

It was last at night and I could hear my friend whistling. I quickly packed the small bag of clothes I had ,not knowing where I was going but as long as I was far away from marrying Nyemi then that was good enough for me. I sneaked out of the house and met my friend Lori, who stood behind the mango tree waiting for me.

"Lori how are you my friend?" I greeted her, excited that she had kept her promise to help me escape.

"Shhh, this is not the time for greetings, let us hurry up before the truck leaving for the city leaves you here" Lori whispered to me and I quickly placed my hand over my mouth. I followed her into the night and luckily, for me the truck was there, hugging my friend one last time, I jumped onto the back of the rusty old truck. To my surprise, there were other women and children onboard. One last look at my friend and I blew her a kiss.

"I promise Lori I'll come visit you". I promised my friend and I waved at her.

"But I don't think you'll keep that promise, Cindy". Lori responded. Tears fall from Lori's eyes and I could not understand her why it was that she said that.

"But why would you say that? I pro-". I tried asking her but the trucks engine came to life and most of my words drowned with the sound of the engine. As the truck drove further down the road, I watched my friends tiny figure disappear. I was excited. A new world awaits me.

I sat down on my expensive leather chair, overlooking the beautiful view that New York City offered. After spending almost nine hours of working tirelessly, looking at the best view that the city could offer was the best. It relaxed me and put me at ease, finally I could enjoy the little free time that I had.

My office telephone rang. With a roll of my eyes, I answered it. Mentally wondering whom it was that would want to bother me.

"Hello" I answered the phone, hoping that this was not another important meeting.

"Sir it's me Ceci. I just wanted to inform you that Mr. Kyle is on his way up .I tried to stop him but he just walked right past me" My personal assistant informed me and I smiled at myself, Kyle was my best friend and often he treated my office as though it was his.

Kyle was a ladies man and from time to time, he would date one of my personal assistants and just dump them, unfortunately for him, Ceci had never fallen for his charms.

"It's okay Ceci, don't you bother with him" I replied to my personal assistant and ended the call. Not long after my best friend barged into my office.

"Hey Felix my brother, how are you today?" Kyle walked in, raising his voice and making his presence known

"I always ask myself, if there will ever be a day when you my friend would walk into my office and be quiet" I joked with Kyle and in return he smiled back at me. Without waiting for my permission, Kyle pulled out an office chair and sat down, making himself comfortable as he had always done.

"So Felix, are you going?" Kyle asked me and I raised my eyebrow, questionably. I stared at him with a puzzled expression on my face. With Kyle, I could never quite predict what he would do next.

"Felix it's that snobby Barbie's birthday, how could you forget?" Kyle reminded me and it all came back to me. I knew exactly whom Kyle was talking about.

"Are you perhaps speaking about Jonna Heart?"

"Yeah, I think" Kyle answered. I smiled at Kyle; he clearly did not even know the young woman's name.

"Kyle how can you go to a party and you don't even know who is throwing the party and on top of that, you are invited to the damn thing?" I asked Kyle. Kyle scratched his head, a sign that meant I was to be involved in his mess.

"Okay Kyle, tell me what it is that you want to tell me?" I asked Kyle as I waited for his answer.

"Well you see. Um I wasn't actually invited, but I was kind of hoping that you were invited, that you know... you could take me along" Kyle informed me. I stared at my friend in utter disbelief that he was depending on me to attend a party.

"So what you're saying is that you want me to tag you along to some party?" I patiently asked Kyle, hoping that his senseless idea would make sense.

"Exactly!" He responded, enthusiastically.

"Well I have news for you my friend. I'm not attending that party" I responded to Kyle and his facial expression went from happy to sad.

"What? Why not?" Kyle questioned me; clearly, I had burst his bubble.

"I just don't want to be there that's all, parties are not my scene and you know it". I responded, hoping that it was enough to keep Kyle from asking more questions. Kyle stared at me with a questionable look on his face and his face lit up as though he had just had an idea.

"This is about Stephanie right?" Kyle asked me and I was in no mood to go along with his theories.

"No. Why would you even think that?" I asked him, turning my attention to the clock on the wall.

"Because last time I checked Stephanie was Jonna Hearts best friend, before she tried to seduce you into her bed and when Stephanie found out she broke off their friendship and your engagement" Kyle responded. This response brought back old memories that Felix would have liked to keep away.

"Stephanie and I broke up for reasons other than what you've mentioned. I just don't want to go and why would Jonna Heart even invite me is beyond me" I replied, as I tried to make sense of it all.

"Maybe she wants some you now and besides there might be other pretty girls that wouldn't mind throwing themselves onto you". Kyle hinted. For more than a year now Kyle has been trying to get me into a relationship and I still maintained that I was not interested.

"Too bad, I'm not interested" I answered, hoping that this time Kyle would get the message.

"Felix please, do not tell me you haven't" Kyle stated. I stared at him puzzled at his assumption.

"When last did you get laid?" he asked me and I rolled my eyes one more time at him.

"Kyle, please not this again" I begged him, hoping that he would stop but even I was smart enough to know that Kyle was not the type to give up easily.

"Felix!"

Silence

"Felix when?" Kyle pushed for more info.

"Okay, okay about a year and a half ago. Are you happy now Kyle?" I told him, giving into his demand.

"No wonder you've been having mood swings ever since Stephanie left"

"Look, if I go to the party with you would you please leave me alone with this getting laid plan?" I tried to bargain with Kyle.

"How about we go to the party and you get laid with anyone and I swear on your secretary's life, I won't bother you again. Agree?" I stared at Kyle intensely and he held out his hand to shake on the deal.

"Okay deal" I responded. We both shook hands and after a while long of talking, Kyle left my office. With his leaving, he allowed me some breathing space and that I was thankful.

Thank the heavens he left.

The next morning I found myself in a room that I had not recognized and when I stretched out my hand, I felt hair, not my hair, because this hair was long as of a woman. I quickly positioned myself in a sitting position, only to find a, blond woman sleeping besides me. I could not make out her face. I looked under the covers only to find that I was naked and so was she.

I quickly got out of the bed and dressed myself. I was about to leave and I heard a woman's voice call me. When I turned around to see who it was it was the woman on the bed.

"Hey sweetheart" She called out to me. My heart stopped as I saw who it was.

"Jonna Heart? What are you doing here?" I asked her.

"Oh please Felix, do not act like you don't remember what happened".

"Of course I don't remember what happened and I would really like an explanation immediately!" I yelled at her.

"Okay. After my party last night, you drank a little too much and you started confessing your love for me. You said that you felt bad for choosing Stephanie over me and that I was the right woman for you. Then you dragged me to one of my guest rooms and that's how we both made magic" I stared at her in utter disbelief. I knew that it could not have been the sensible side of me talking; I did not even like Jonna from the start.

"Good bye Jenna and for your information, I would never confess any feelings towards you even if I had gone completely mad" I told her and it seemed as though my words had no effect on her.

I walked out of her room and slammed the door behind me. I no longer wanted to see her again. After a night like this, I might never even have another drink again.

Cindy's POV

I tried to turn myself around so that I could lie properly on my side, but I could not. I tried to get up but even that I could not do, because the headache that overtook me as the worse of its kind.

Gathering up the last strength in me, I finally opened my eyes and my head hurt. The sunshine coming through the little window, right at the very top of the room blinded me.

The pangs of starvation ate away at my stomach and the cracking of my lips hurt me, as I bled though those same lips. I was weakening and even that I could feel it, I shut my eyes and went back to sleep. Inside my heart, I prayed that this was not the end of me and that I might gather some strength to wake.

My eyes were shut but my lips moved, I mouthed some prayers to myself; a tear rolling off my face was my very last plea.

*****

The little strength that I had prayed for had come back to me by the time I opened my eyes. Although I was still hungry and thirsty, I was glad for the little strength that I had. I used my hands to push myself off the floor and looked around the room, even though the light streamed through it was not enough to brighten the entire room. I looked around the tiny room and there were other women and children like myself, they all looked sad.

I woman like myself crawled towards me and she handed me a cup of water, I grabbed the cup from her hand and gulped the water down my throat. The sweet taste of water filled my body and truly, I appreciated this gesture that she performed.

"Hi my name WaKirah and you are?" She asked me. I put down my cup, I wanted to answer her immediately but I was out of breath.

"My, my name is Cindy" I answered her. My heart pumping against my ribcage, it must have been a sign of fear or tiredness.

WaKirah stared at me again and this time I did the same, I did not know whether she was a friend or foe. What she wore shocked me. Back home, we women were though to up and not wear revealing clothing. WaKirah was wearing a mini top, a mini skirt both beautiful and vibrant color but revealing her body completely. On her arm, she wore many bangles of different various colors, her nails were long and perfectly colored, her nose, ears pierced and her high heels were high, like nothing I have ever seen before.

She walked away and when she did, I saw other young woman and children worse off than I was. Some were sad and some were crying. Instead of sitting and doing nothing, I counted the thirty-six woman, young girls like myself in such a small and cramped room, barely leaving enough for room for proper ventilation.

Wakirah walked away from me, leaving to sit at the corner of the room to myself. When she returned, she further blessed me as she handed me a plate of plain rice. I ate it in such a hurry, I could not remember when last I was this hungry in my entire life.

"Slow down my sister, do you want to choke yourself to death?" WaKirah warned me. I was too hungry to worry about choking; satisfying my hunger was my only concern. I was finally done when Wakirah took my plate, cup and placed it besides herself on the cold concrete floor.

"Where am I?" I asked her, afraid and slowly realizing that this was not where I was supposed to have been headed.

"I can't exactly say, but I think we are in New York City already" Wakirah answered me. My pupils dilated, as I was shocked, a trip that was to take me no further than the capital city of Kinshasa had taken me all across the ocean.

"Why are we here?" I asked her again. I tried my best to keep most of the questions to myself, but I could not help that most of my questions kept spilling out.

"Well, I for one am a prostitute and you guys for the time being, you are just slaves, like I once was. I don't know, some of you might end up being forced into marriage, become maid's, mistresses, beggars or like me... a prostitute" WaKirah answered me with absolute ease as though all that she had told me was normal. I stared at her in utter shock and horror. I couldn't believe a word she was saying -or could I?

"But I was supposed to go to the city and-" I tried to explain to her, but I broke down and began crying my eye's out. I felt WaKirah's protective hands around my shoulders, while she comforted me but not even that was enough to sooth me. After what seemed like an eternity, my crying subsided and I wiped my tears away.

"I don't like doing it either but if I don't do it they will kill me, which is not a problem, because I'm one foot on earth and another in the grave anyways" WaKirah joked, trying to lighten the mood but she failed.

"What do you mean Wakirah?" I asked her. She looked at me and smiled so much hope in her eyes even though it seemed like there was none.

"I mean that, I'm HIV positive and I'm not taking care of myself properly like I'd like to" WaKirah explained. She played with her hands and looked away from Cindy.

"But why continue to -" I asked her, not understanding why any woman would put herself through such terrible circumstances.

"I sleep with men, most without using protection. Look I wish I had a choice, but when you are a slave, it is about what makes your master happy. Your feelings, not taken into considered at all. It's a pity that most girls here will end up like me" Wakirah responded to me.

"So what do you think your boss will do to me?" I asked her, fearfully awaiting her reply.

"I don't know. I have a feeling that you are not just some ordinary girl, you are special and I just know it. Now I have to go but be prepared, because the boss will be checking up on you soon and don't give him problems, he won't hesitate to take your life on the spot" WaKirah responded to me, leaving me with mixed reaction to what she had just told me. She stood up from the floor and she walked to the far end corner of the room to tend to the other women and children.

I turned my attention to the young women and children, I admired how Wakirah had tended to them as though she was their caregiver and that touched my heart.

Never once in my life have I thought that I will be a slave, a prostitute or even a beggar. I dreamed of something better than this, to go to the city, get a better education and earn enough money to take care of my mother and sibling. However, here I was, uncertain about where my life was headed and if I would even make it out of this.

I had always wanted to become a teacher, to help many young women like myself to get a better education. Here was, in a city that I did not know of and in a different continent. I looked up at the tiny window and even the little light streaming through could not give me the amount of hope I was hoping for.

I lied down onto the concrete floor and shut my eyes, I did not know what kind of dreams I would dream tonight but I hoped that it was not nightmares. I thought of my family and how they were fairing and how they were coping without me.

I kept wondering how my uncle would react to the news of me running away. What seemed like a good plan at first had landed me in bigger trouble than I thought; I literally jumped out of the pot and into the fire.

I thought of all the things that I could have done, other than to run away but then it hit me that I had no other option than to run away.