Class Trip (18 page)

“Have you eaten
yet?” Tata was suddenly standing behind me.

I jumped a little
and admitted that I hadn't yet. He gave me an odd look and took the
empty breadbaskets from me. He pointed to his mother and then to me.
Maria hurried off to get me a bowl and a couple of pieces of bread.
She set it down on our table.

Tata was still
eyeing me as I went off. He walked around and looked at everyone,
keeping order.

I ate quickly and
went to get the next warm pot. Tata was escorting the boys out.

Thomas went over
to the girls. They all moved away from him. He they had obviously met
before. He told them to go back to their rooms and that a nap might
be a good idea before supper. Six women walked them out. Each had a
cane in her hands.

The next group of
girls arrived. The non-virgins mixed in with the ones that had been
here already.

Maria shook her
head as she looked at one of the girls. She was one of the older ones
here. Something must have happened.

The boys that
hadn't been easy to sell came in too. The girl that Maria was mad at
stood and looked over at the boys as they went through my line. “The
doctor said that I'm pregnant.”

“But – what
are you going to do about it?” a redheaded boy answered.

Tata came over
and grabbed the boy and took him out. I wasn't sure what to think.
Did he get rid of him because of me, or was he going to punish him.
He came back three minutes later and called the girl out. She got up
and went to him. I could see her shaking from where I was.

Tata caught my
eye and smiled at me before he left. I went over to Maria and asked
her what he was going to do.

She didn't know
but she looked worried too. I tried really hard to figure out a
solution for everyone. There wasn't one in this situation. If we let
them go they would tell where everyone was. They would arrest Tata
and throw him in jail. They might think that I was in on this from
the beginning or they might treat me for Stockholm syndrome. That was
also something that I worried about. Was I really in love with him?

Yes, I was. I
understood why he had done the things that he had. With his
upbringing and his job he needed to be tough. When we were alone he
wasn't a tough guy. He was a guy who would get up in the middle of
the night to get me something to drink and to picked up my bunny off
the cold floor if she fell out. He didn't want my feet on the cold
floor.

When everyone was
gone I wiped off the tables and helped put the champagne glasses on
the tray. I also put caviar on tiny crackers with a tiny piece of
cold salmon on it.

Tata came in and
wrapped an arm around me while I carefully worked. “Have you ever
had caviar before?”

“Yes, I love
it. But only this kind.” We had the orange kind that I loved.

“My spoiled
little angel, where did you eat something like this?”

“My Country
club back home in Vermont. I play golf, sometimes with my mom but
usually with my grandma, Judy.” I smiled at him and his head fell
back laughing.

“There you are
Daniel. I've been looking for you.” Kelly strolled into the room
and walked right up to us.

Tata turned to
her and smiled at her but not like he had smiled at me. “What can I
do for you, Kelly?”

“I have decided
which ones I want.” She listed off several of the girls. I was
surprised that she wanted so many. She wanted the pregnant girl. I
looked at Tata. I wanted to talk to him in private about that before
any decisions were made. She also wanted two of the guys but not the
one that was the father.

“Okay Kelly, we
can talk about that at supper. I have to do some arranging for our
guests that will be arriving soon. Sandra, go up to our room now and
stay there.”

I nodded and left
them. I hurried up to our room only pausing to look out in the
courtyard. The French guys were out there and the one who had hit on
me was crying and his back was whipped.

Maybe I shouldn't
be taking so many liberties with Tata. I heard a helicopter and
hurried back to our room. They would be having a lot of stress right
about now. Tata would greet his guests and then show up and change.

The last time
they had an auction I lost the baby. I started to cry and I just
couldn't stop anymore.

“Sandra, what's
wrong? Did someone hurt you?” Tata was sitting on the bed next to
me and turning me over. I moved Carrots so she was covering my face.

“Sandra, tell
me what happened.”

“I lost the
baby,” I cried.

“But angel, you
can't know that. We only made love a few hours ago.”

I peeked around
Carrots and looked at him. “What?”

He sighed and
looked at me confused too. “Why are you crying, angel?”

“The last time
we had an auction I lost the baby the next morning.”

He reached under
my arms and pulled me to him. “I knew something was wrong with you
today. You had a sad look in your eyes look every once in a while.
Now I understand.” He was rocking me on his lap again. I needed
that.

“Should I stay
with you tonight. Thomas can do the auction.”

“Can he?”

“Well, I'm sure
he could, given half a chance.”

“You're the
better speaker. You go. I'll watch a movie tonight.”

“I brought you
a tray full of food. Look a plate full of the caviar you like.”

“But Tata it is
so expensive. You can't be wasting that on me.”

His forehead
wrinkled up. “I beg your pardon. Do I need to spank you?”

“No, I just
meant that I wouldn't be dropping a million dollars here tonight.”
I really wasn't looking for a fight.

“Sandra, you
are worth it for me. You can have all the caviar you want.” Tata
gently laid his hands on the sides of my face. “Don't you
understand, you are the thing I value most in my life. You are worth
so much that if you went up for auction I would bid higher than
anyone else and when I won you I would think that I got off cheap.”

I blushed red.

Tata sighed
loudly. I was figuring that he was still debating giving me a
spanking. “I also have a feeling that you have an opinion about
Tanya's baby.”

“Yes well, I
really was thinking about that and I don't want Kelly to get her.”

“We aren't
going to keep their baby,” he sighed.

“That wasn't
what I was thinking. We can have one of our own. We don't need
theirs, right?” I looked up at him.

“I'm sure we
can.”

I nodded. “I
was thinking that they could both stay here. They could make movies
together and then when the baby is born we could sell it for adoption
to a good family who is desperate for a baby and will treat it well.
Then sell the two of them.”

He was nodding.
“There is just one problem. He doesn't want it. He thinks she
should have an abortion.”

“Okay, we sell
him to the meanest person around so he can have a taste of his own
medicine. Her we keep until the baby is born. She should be able to
hold it at least once. Then afterwards when she is all healed up we
can sell her.”

Tata was staring
at me surprised. “I would have figured that you would have said
that we should set them free.”

“But she would
say where she was and you would get arrested.”

He hugged me
then. “Eat, angel. I will think about what you have said. I'll take
care of everything tomorrow.” He looked really tired.

“Are you mad at
me?” I asked.

“No, I'm – I
think your solution is best. I will really think about it. I am sad
because we never got to hold our baby too.” He looked really
sorrowful.

I got up and went
to him. I hugged him around his stomach like a little kid would. I
had acted too grown up and now he was upset with me but he couldn't
put it into words.

“I'm going to
change and go down now but I really don't want you to cry anymore.
Eat and watch your movie. I'll come by and check on you. Get some
rest, angel.”

I nodded at him,
stepping away so he could get dressed in his tux. He looked really
good. I imagined myself showing up at a class reunion with him. The
others would drool over him.

The others were
all at college now. I wasn't. I was here locked up in a house. I
would never graduate from high school or go on to become someone. I
would never see my mother again.

If Tata ever
really did get bored with me, like Kelly predicted, I would be sold
off too. I started to cry again.

“I knew you
were more upset than you were admitting.” He hugged me again and I
was careful not to get his jacket wet with my tears. “I'm so sorry
about that. So so sorry. I will never be able to make it up to you.”
He held me for what felt like a long time but it was probably only
three minutes. He looked down at me and smiled. “Your call. Should
I stay or go?”

“I'll just eat
and go to bed early. You don't have to worry about me. I'm fine. I
might even be pregnant right now, right?” I laid my hand over my
tummy and smiled up at him. The odd thing was that I hadn't wanted to
have a child. Maybe later, much later, like when I was thirty or
something. This wasn't the life I had planned for myself.

He kissed me and
left. I got the feeling that the situation was too much for him. I
ate caviar and went to bed just like I said I would.

If he really did
check on me, I didn't notice. He would have found me asleep in bed,
good to my word.

Tata had to leave
again and I was alone with his family. He called Maria often and
spoke to her but never to me. He gave her instructions and asked what
I was eating.

Tata had said he
would be home in time for Christmas before he left. Christmas was
just a few days away.

I wasn't
pregnant. Tanya was and she hated it. She was starting to show. They
were using her to make those kinds of films but on the whole they
were being very easy on her. She had to help out too but not as much
as I did. Maria had made it very clear that I wasn't allowed to wait
on her.

They wanted me to
stay away from her. I didn't. She spoke English like me and it was
really nice to talk to someone my own age in my own language.

“Angel, I'm
home.” Tata came in and saw that I was talking with Tanya. We were
in the cafeteria together. He paused when he saw Tanya.

“Tata,” I
smiled at him wondering if I was in trouble.

He held out his
hand to me and I went to him. He took hold of me tightly. “Tanya,
I'm sure you have chores to take care of.”

Tata pulled me
out and up to our room. He sat down on the bed and pulled me over his
knees. He gave me several sharp smacks. “I don't want you to spend
time with her. She isn't the right kind of friend for you to have,”
he scolded.

“But, she is
the only one around who is my age and she speaks English.”

He spanked even
harder. “She isn't up to your standard. Do I need to get the cane
for you to understand me?”

“No, Tata, I'll
stay away from her.” It was breaking my heart to say that.

“Promise me.”

I really thought
about that. It was a lot to promise.

Tata sighed and
he was starting to move me off to the side. He probably wanted to get
a cane. “I promise, Tata, I promise. I'll stay away from her,” I
sobbed desperately.

He laid me back
over his knees and continued to spank me. “You are a fine young
lady and she is just a naughty girl. She was with that boy even
though they weren't married and he didn't even love her. You are very
loved and you can't be traipsing about with her kind or you won't be
sweet anymore. Have I made myself clear?” He was putting all his
strength into those blows and lecturing as he spanked. I was hopping
up and down on his lap and trying to get away from him.

He stopped and
moved me so he was looking in his eyes.

“I'm sorry.
Tata. I didn't want to make you mad and have to spank me the minute
you came home.”

He hugged me
tightly and kissed me. “I missed you.”

Tata told me what
had all happened and what he had experienced while he was away. He
told me that he loved to travel. He was tired of bringing people
here.

My Tata wanted to
really enjoy the cities he visited. He wanted to show me the world. I
just wanted him to hold me tight and talk to me. I told him that and
he laughed at me.

He asked me how I
was feeling and if I had gotten my period. I had to admit that I had.
He was a bit disappointed but he got over it right away.

It was getting
hard for me to think about anything else. I wanted a baby. I was
hoping that it fill in the hole that was still in my heart from the
last baby.

Tata brought home
a tree that he had chopped down himself. His mother and I decorated
it. There was going to be a Christmas auction and Tata said that all
the girls were going to be gone before Christmas. The ones that
weren't virgins were going to be sold as slaves.

He responded to
my worried face, immediately. They would be going to a palace where
the guards weren't allowed to marry. They needed women for them. He
insisted that the girls would have especially nice lives there. The
men put women on pedestals and worship them. Almost as much as he
worshiped me, he told me.

They had reached
their goal. They had enough money to quit. Whatever the magical
number was he had obtained it.

Tata told me that
we would leave right after Christmas. He wouldn't tell me where we
were going. He said we would go everywhere.

What would my
life look like in a year? Would I be a mother? Would I be happy or
would things turn bad again?

I was standing in
the kitchen slowly filling champagne into glasses. The maid would
carry them to the men who were bidding for the last batch of girls. I
wasn't allowed anywhere near them.