An excerpt from my book Without a Voice - A tale of human trafficking
One day later
Ginika raised her head up slowly. She was seated on the floor in a rectangular shaped room built almost entirely out of wood. The floor was a dirty brown color with tiles which at some points might have been white but were now brown.
The walls were a brownish gray and a large window lay open to her right allowing cool breeze to cool her heated skin. Her back was against the wall and her left hand was on her head while her right arm was resting on her knees which were pulled up against her body.
She wore a sleeveless red blouse and had a yellow wrapper which had circular patterns on it wrapped around her hips, its length reaching a point just below her knees. Pretty red leather slippers encased her tiny feet and her eyes were fixed on the open window watching the birds and butterflies flutter by.
The room had no furniture save a five foot tall table to her left which had a cup on top of it. The sun hung low in the sky. In another hour or two tops it would sink beneath the horizon and darkness would come.
That thought made a thrill of fear steal into her heart and hot tears streamed down her cheeks. The night season in this place was not a time to be looked forward to.
A shiver ran down her spine at that thought. She tried to get up but the ache in her bones made her sit still once more. Her thoughts briefly flittered to Ifeanyi and for an instant she found herself wondering where she was.
But even as she thought this she quickly discarded it. She couldn’t worry about Ifeanyi right now. She had to think about herself. Directly in front of her was a door. The sound of several large booted feet outside it made her leap to her feet. She winced at the pain that arced through her bones especially her legs.
What caused the pain was something she couldn’t bear thinking about. And now to her horror it was about to happen again and she could do nothing about it. Her tears of shame and anguish poured down more freely.
The door in front of her was thrown open and a large six foot tall man loomed in the doorway. He wore brown combat trousers and a pristine white tee shirt which molded itself to the hard muscles covering his torso. His face looked as hard as stone. It was rough and craggy with more than six tiny scars on it. His lips were full and red and his eyes were black, blacker than the darkest night.
He held a black polythene bag in his hand which was stuffed full of clothes which was going to be her attire for the evening. With a slight grunt he tossed the polythene bag. It sailed through the air landing with a dull thud on the table beside her. As usual his aim was perfect.
“Put your clothes on__” He barked as he turned to go.
“But__” She gasped still crying.
“But what?” He snarled fixing a hard gaze on her.
“E never reach seven o clock.”
“E never reach seven o clock__” He whined mimicking her tone. “Some of our customers have arrived ahead of time. You have the responsibility to keep them happy.”
His piece said he turned and walked off leaving her alone. Her tears began to fall more freely now and a soft sob burst from her lips. What kind of life was she living? She asked herself. God if this is about my not serving you then I am sorry she cried inside her.
Her cries by now had become much louder. She picked up the polythene bag and pulled out a bright red top which she realized upon closer inspection was a half top.
The second item of clothing to come out was a black skirt. But it was so small and skimpy that she doubted it would reach even halfway down her thighs. The last thing to come out of the bag was a pair of four inch high platforms. She doubted whether she would be able to walk in it. But she knew she had no choice. The punishment in store for her if she didn’t was something she couldn’t bear thinking about.
Taking several deep breaths she peeled the wrapper away revealing her flawless legs. She wore nothing underneath but a white pair of sexy panties which were transparent. A gift from the boss of this establishment whatever it was. She quickly put on the clothes. By the time she was through, no one could know that she was the same person.
The clothes she wore seemed to add three more years to her age. Putting on the shoes took some doing but she managed it in the end. With another deep sigh she made for the open door.
As soon as she stepped out of the small shanty like structure, she saw more than a dozen girls coming from shanties which were not different from the one she had just exited. Like her they were all dressed like__ to put it mildly sluts.
Ifeanyi was one of the girls to her right. She wore a long black skirt which had a slit which stopped almost at her hip bone. Her feet were covered in black suede pumps and she had bright red rouge on her lips. Her sleeveless blouse was navy blue and it had a plunging neckline which showed a generous slice of her cleavage.
Like her she wore no bra and Ginika could see the points of her nipples pushing against the soft cotton material of her blouse. More than half a dozen shanties were dotted around the large expanse of land this mini town was built on.
To her right was a large white twenty two seater bus. All the girls in front of her walked towards it under the watchful eyes of the fifteen large men with pistols tucked into their trousers. Ifeanyi fell into step with her but they said no words.
What was there to say? No amount of talking could stop what was about to happen to them. That thought was put aside as they settled inside the bus and a moment later the engine started with a loud roar. Mere heartbeats later, the driver put it into drive and they were off.
It was hard to believe that the small settlement which was hidden in a mini forest surrounded on all sides by high walls of dirt and rock was close to the sea.
The white sandy beach stretched out in front of them as far as they could see in every direction. Waves slapped the shoreline spraying foam and water into the air.
Up the beach were a collection of structures built from wood and loud shouts and music echoed out of them. A huge crowd gathered on the beach. Most of them were women; a third of which she was sure were prostitutes.
The bus pulled to a halt in front of a twelve foot tall wooden structure. It was built like a wooden garage with tiny rooms which had doors and bright red curtains covering the entrances.
The driver of the bus pulled the bus to a halt a few feet away from the shanty like structure and turned off the engine. He turned in his seat and gave them a hard look. They all knew what that meant.
A lot of the girls were openly sobbing by now. Ifeanyi and Ginika didn’t cry out but large tears streamed down their cheeks. A loud bang on the side of the bus made them all jump. A couple screeched in alarm.
A stern faced man of undeterminable age pulled the door of the bus open and peered in. He was short and stocky with plump jaws which shook as he moved. The long rainbow colored shirt that he wore was too big for him, hanging on his bulky frame like a raincoat.
His short legs were encased in brown combat trousers and he had large brogues on his feet. He held a large black truncheon which he twirled almost absent mindedly. Ginika surmised that was probably what he had used to strike the side of the bus.
“If I hear a peep out of anyone of you, you will be in trouble. Our clients are rich and powerful men who need to be shown a good time. They want girls that will please and pleasure them. Not stupid cry babies who are still crying for mother’s milk. The only sounds I want to hear from you are sounds of pleasure as you show our paying clients a good time. Is that understood?” The last few words were barked out in a shout.
All the girls in the bus shivered at the venom they heard in his voice. Unable to respond properly they nodded their eyes dancing with their fear.
“Now get off the bus and strut!”
Ginika didn’t know what the last word meant but he was fond of saying it. With a deep sigh she quickly got off the bus with her other companions.
They all filed to the wooden structure in front of them. Without another word, each girl went into one room. Ifeanyi and Ginika paused outside their rooms which were side by side for a few moments before pushing the curtain aside and stepping inside.
Ginika’s room was small, barely four feet across and six feet in length. There was no furniture save a four poster bed which was neatly made with silk white sheets. There was a strong scent of pine inside the room. Someone had obviously gone through the trouble of perfuming the room.
With short shaky footsteps she walked over to the bed and sat down. Now came the waiting. Usually it wasn’t long, but at times those disgusting things made you wait it out.
Today was one of such days. Each time she heard footsteps approaching her heart skipped a couple of beats. But the footsteps never stopped outside her door.
“Hello pretty__” She heard a gruff very drunk voice bark in Ifeanyi’s room.
“Are you ready to show me a good time?”
Ifeanyi murmured something, but her voice was so low Ginika couldn’t hear what she said. The loud thumps of the man’s footsteps crossed the room in a thrice and she heard the creak of the bed as he sank down into it. A heartbeat later his moans and dull grunts filled her ears as he had his fill of Ifeanyi.
Sadness beyond anything she could ever describe surged through her. Before the tears started falling she heard loud noises coming from the room to her right.
“Abeg sir! I no fit do this thing___” A soft voice pleaded.
She knew that voice. Her name was Lillian and she was going to get into a lot of trouble if she didn’t shut up and do what he wanted her to do.
“Are you mad?” A second voice roared and there was a dull thud which was quickly followed by Lillian’s cry of pain. A heartbeat later came the sounds of clothes ripping and the ever familiar grunts, groans and creaks of the bed as he hammered into her.
The tears which hadn’t fallen till this point streamed down her cheeks in long streaks. They were human beings for the love of God. They didn’t deserve this. No one did. Was it a crime to be poor now? Apparently it was! A sardonic voice in her subconscious replied.
The curtain on her door was pulled aside without warning and a man stepped in. He was whip cord lean, about five foot nine feet tall dressed in long black slacks and a black blazer with a silk white shirt but no tie. He wore comfortable looking loafers on his feet and his hair was cut short.
Ginika’s eyes widened in fear as she looked at him; he was she admitted better looking than the others that had come before him on previous nights. He seemed like an office type. A wicked smile widened his lips at that instant and every thought vanished from her mind.
“Are you ready for me sweetheart?” He asked in a warm voice.
Under different circumstances she might have actually been reassured by his voice, but not this time. Unable to speak she simply nodded. His smile broadened and he pulled off his blazer and quickly unbuttoned his silk shirt. As he reached for his trousers he paused looking at her.
“What are you waiting for? Aren’t you going to take off your clothes?”
She nodded feeling faint and rose to her feet slowly beginning to take off her clothes. The sight of her taking off her clothes seemed to excite him and before her eyes she saw the bulge in his trousers become bigger.
‘Dear Lord please help me__’ She murmured under her breath as she took off her panties and stood naked before him.
“Exquisite__” He growled his eyes searing with lust as he quickly tore off his trousers.
Crossing the room in three short strides he pushed her back on the bed and quickly climbed on top of her. As was her usual practice she closed her eyes and retreated into her special place, the place where the pain and horror couldn’t touch or consume her.
If you liked the excerpt go here to buy either the digital copy of the book or you could opt for the paper back
http://www.lulu.com/shop/ifedayo-adigwe-akintomide/without-a-voice/paperback/product-20980194.html
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/295457
One day later
Ginika raised her head up slowly. She was seated on the floor in a rectangular shaped room built almost entirely out of wood. The floor was a dirty brown color with tiles which at some points might have been white but were now brown.
The walls were a brownish gray and a large window lay open to her right allowing cool breeze to cool her heated skin. Her back was against the wall and her left hand was on her head while her right arm was resting on her knees which were pulled up against her body.
She wore a sleeveless red blouse and had a yellow wrapper which had circular patterns on it wrapped around her hips, its length reaching a point just below her knees. Pretty red leather slippers encased her tiny feet and her eyes were fixed on the open window watching the birds and butterflies flutter by.
The room had no furniture save a five foot tall table to her left which had a cup on top of it. The sun hung low in the sky. In another hour or two tops it would sink beneath the horizon and darkness would come.
That thought made a thrill of fear steal into her heart and hot tears streamed down her cheeks. The night season in this place was not a time to be looked forward to.
A shiver ran down her spine at that thought. She tried to get up but the ache in her bones made her sit still once more. Her thoughts briefly flittered to Ifeanyi and for an instant she found herself wondering where she was.
But even as she thought this she quickly discarded it. She couldn’t worry about Ifeanyi right now. She had to think about herself. Directly in front of her was a door. The sound of several large booted feet outside it made her leap to her feet. She winced at the pain that arced through her bones especially her legs.
What caused the pain was something she couldn’t bear thinking about. And now to her horror it was about to happen again and she could do nothing about it. Her tears of shame and anguish poured down more freely.
The door in front of her was thrown open and a large six foot tall man loomed in the doorway. He wore brown combat trousers and a pristine white tee shirt which molded itself to the hard muscles covering his torso. His face looked as hard as stone. It was rough and craggy with more than six tiny scars on it. His lips were full and red and his eyes were black, blacker than the darkest night.
He held a black polythene bag in his hand which was stuffed full of clothes which was going to be her attire for the evening. With a slight grunt he tossed the polythene bag. It sailed through the air landing with a dull thud on the table beside her. As usual his aim was perfect.
“Put your clothes on__” He barked as he turned to go.
“But__” She gasped still crying.
“But what?” He snarled fixing a hard gaze on her.
“E never reach seven o clock.”
“E never reach seven o clock__” He whined mimicking her tone. “Some of our customers have arrived ahead of time. You have the responsibility to keep them happy.”
His piece said he turned and walked off leaving her alone. Her tears began to fall more freely now and a soft sob burst from her lips. What kind of life was she living? She asked herself. God if this is about my not serving you then I am sorry she cried inside her.
Her cries by now had become much louder. She picked up the polythene bag and pulled out a bright red top which she realized upon closer inspection was a half top.
The second item of clothing to come out was a black skirt. But it was so small and skimpy that she doubted it would reach even halfway down her thighs. The last thing to come out of the bag was a pair of four inch high platforms. She doubted whether she would be able to walk in it. But she knew she had no choice. The punishment in store for her if she didn’t was something she couldn’t bear thinking about.
Taking several deep breaths she peeled the wrapper away revealing her flawless legs. She wore nothing underneath but a white pair of sexy panties which were transparent. A gift from the boss of this establishment whatever it was. She quickly put on the clothes. By the time she was through, no one could know that she was the same person.
The clothes she wore seemed to add three more years to her age. Putting on the shoes took some doing but she managed it in the end. With another deep sigh she made for the open door.
As soon as she stepped out of the small shanty like structure, she saw more than a dozen girls coming from shanties which were not different from the one she had just exited. Like her they were all dressed like__ to put it mildly sluts.
Ifeanyi was one of the girls to her right. She wore a long black skirt which had a slit which stopped almost at her hip bone. Her feet were covered in black suede pumps and she had bright red rouge on her lips. Her sleeveless blouse was navy blue and it had a plunging neckline which showed a generous slice of her cleavage.
Like her she wore no bra and Ginika could see the points of her nipples pushing against the soft cotton material of her blouse. More than half a dozen shanties were dotted around the large expanse of land this mini town was built on.
To her right was a large white twenty two seater bus. All the girls in front of her walked towards it under the watchful eyes of the fifteen large men with pistols tucked into their trousers. Ifeanyi fell into step with her but they said no words.
What was there to say? No amount of talking could stop what was about to happen to them. That thought was put aside as they settled inside the bus and a moment later the engine started with a loud roar. Mere heartbeats later, the driver put it into drive and they were off.
It was hard to believe that the small settlement which was hidden in a mini forest surrounded on all sides by high walls of dirt and rock was close to the sea.
The white sandy beach stretched out in front of them as far as they could see in every direction. Waves slapped the shoreline spraying foam and water into the air.
Up the beach were a collection of structures built from wood and loud shouts and music echoed out of them. A huge crowd gathered on the beach. Most of them were women; a third of which she was sure were prostitutes.
The bus pulled to a halt in front of a twelve foot tall wooden structure. It was built like a wooden garage with tiny rooms which had doors and bright red curtains covering the entrances.
The driver of the bus pulled the bus to a halt a few feet away from the shanty like structure and turned off the engine. He turned in his seat and gave them a hard look. They all knew what that meant.
A lot of the girls were openly sobbing by now. Ifeanyi and Ginika didn’t cry out but large tears streamed down their cheeks. A loud bang on the side of the bus made them all jump. A couple screeched in alarm.
A stern faced man of undeterminable age pulled the door of the bus open and peered in. He was short and stocky with plump jaws which shook as he moved. The long rainbow colored shirt that he wore was too big for him, hanging on his bulky frame like a raincoat.
His short legs were encased in brown combat trousers and he had large brogues on his feet. He held a large black truncheon which he twirled almost absent mindedly. Ginika surmised that was probably what he had used to strike the side of the bus.
“If I hear a peep out of anyone of you, you will be in trouble. Our clients are rich and powerful men who need to be shown a good time. They want girls that will please and pleasure them. Not stupid cry babies who are still crying for mother’s milk. The only sounds I want to hear from you are sounds of pleasure as you show our paying clients a good time. Is that understood?” The last few words were barked out in a shout.
All the girls in the bus shivered at the venom they heard in his voice. Unable to respond properly they nodded their eyes dancing with their fear.
“Now get off the bus and strut!”
Ginika didn’t know what the last word meant but he was fond of saying it. With a deep sigh she quickly got off the bus with her other companions.
They all filed to the wooden structure in front of them. Without another word, each girl went into one room. Ifeanyi and Ginika paused outside their rooms which were side by side for a few moments before pushing the curtain aside and stepping inside.
Ginika’s room was small, barely four feet across and six feet in length. There was no furniture save a four poster bed which was neatly made with silk white sheets. There was a strong scent of pine inside the room. Someone had obviously gone through the trouble of perfuming the room.
With short shaky footsteps she walked over to the bed and sat down. Now came the waiting. Usually it wasn’t long, but at times those disgusting things made you wait it out.
Today was one of such days. Each time she heard footsteps approaching her heart skipped a couple of beats. But the footsteps never stopped outside her door.
“Hello pretty__” She heard a gruff very drunk voice bark in Ifeanyi’s room.
“Are you ready to show me a good time?”
Ifeanyi murmured something, but her voice was so low Ginika couldn’t hear what she said. The loud thumps of the man’s footsteps crossed the room in a thrice and she heard the creak of the bed as he sank down into it. A heartbeat later his moans and dull grunts filled her ears as he had his fill of Ifeanyi.
Sadness beyond anything she could ever describe surged through her. Before the tears started falling she heard loud noises coming from the room to her right.
“Abeg sir! I no fit do this thing___” A soft voice pleaded.
She knew that voice. Her name was Lillian and she was going to get into a lot of trouble if she didn’t shut up and do what he wanted her to do.
“Are you mad?” A second voice roared and there was a dull thud which was quickly followed by Lillian’s cry of pain. A heartbeat later came the sounds of clothes ripping and the ever familiar grunts, groans and creaks of the bed as he hammered into her.
The tears which hadn’t fallen till this point streamed down her cheeks in long streaks. They were human beings for the love of God. They didn’t deserve this. No one did. Was it a crime to be poor now? Apparently it was! A sardonic voice in her subconscious replied.
The curtain on her door was pulled aside without warning and a man stepped in. He was whip cord lean, about five foot nine feet tall dressed in long black slacks and a black blazer with a silk white shirt but no tie. He wore comfortable looking loafers on his feet and his hair was cut short.
Ginika’s eyes widened in fear as she looked at him; he was she admitted better looking than the others that had come before him on previous nights. He seemed like an office type. A wicked smile widened his lips at that instant and every thought vanished from her mind.
“Are you ready for me sweetheart?” He asked in a warm voice.
Under different circumstances she might have actually been reassured by his voice, but not this time. Unable to speak she simply nodded. His smile broadened and he pulled off his blazer and quickly unbuttoned his silk shirt. As he reached for his trousers he paused looking at her.
“What are you waiting for? Aren’t you going to take off your clothes?”
She nodded feeling faint and rose to her feet slowly beginning to take off her clothes. The sight of her taking off her clothes seemed to excite him and before her eyes she saw the bulge in his trousers become bigger.
‘Dear Lord please help me__’ She murmured under her breath as she took off her panties and stood naked before him.
“Exquisite__” He growled his eyes searing with lust as he quickly tore off his trousers.
Crossing the room in three short strides he pushed her back on the bed and quickly climbed on top of her. As was her usual practice she closed her eyes and retreated into her special place, the place where the pain and horror couldn’t touch or consume her.
If you liked the excerpt go here to buy either the digital copy of the book or you could opt for the paper back
http://www.lulu.com/shop/ifedayo-adigwe-akintomide/without-a-voice/paperback/product-20980194.html
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/295457
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