ABIGAIL : a story about CHILD TRAFFICKING (II)

BY SAYDHAR BILKIS

"We looked for you for years,
until finally, we all assumed you were dead"

I had already decıded to share my story today seeing as I was already familiar with all their stories. Take for instance, Mike that always sits two seats from me has been here for a year. He was locked in a cupboard and starved as a form of punishment when he was a kid. Sandra, also been here for a couple months faced harassment from her father. And a bunch of others with similarly devastating stories. So when Mary, the 20-year old that sat beside me finished her story on how she has recently relapsed, I took the chance to say mine.

‘Hello everyone, I am Abigail’
‘Hello Abigail’ they shouted in a chorus. After the long day ended, I felt more light-weighted, like something left me for good, I was able to tell my story and know for sure that I wasn't alone in the dark world of mysteries.

I woke up with a start, ready to run. That is until I looked around and saw the familiar surrounding of the room in Joan’s house that I have been inhabiting lately. 

Heaving a long sigh of relief, I slump back onto my bed. It has been like this since my rescue, I always have dreams of me being back at that place, that dark room, doing all the horrible things they made us do.

I rolled onto my other side to switch on the bedside lamp, sleeping in the dark is no longer an option for me. The light casts a dim glow around the room, now I  feel safer, and there is light. Something the dark rooms didn't have. So probably with any luck, I should be able to go back to sleep. I was still battling to get a grasp on sleep when my attention was drawn to the door where I heard a light knock. I tried to ignore it, but it came again and this time it followed with a low call of my name

‘Abby’ and a ‘can I come in? I know you are awake’ followed shortly. I had no choice but to let her in, seeing as she already knew I was awake.

Stretching a bit,  ‘Ok, come in’ I called. And I turned to my other side of the bed,  not before I saw Joan in a pink bathrobe slide through the door and into the room. I heard the slap of her flip flops against the floorboards as she drew closer. She didn't have to ask before I moved over and made room for her, soon enough she was laid behind me, and it was almost like it used to be when we were much younger.

‘Can I put my arms around you? Would that be alright?’ she timidly asks. ‘Sure, you can’ I replied, not without taking a few seconds to maneuver over it. And in no time at all, her arms are draped over me and we are snuggled together, she smelt of baby soap and breast milk, she probably was just from little Noah’s room.

‘Did you just leave Noah?’ I asked, not because I was particularly interested but because we were quiet for so long and she seemed like she had something to say and the curiosity of it was preventing me from falling back to sleep.

‘yes,’ she scuffed ‘How did you know?’ she questioned

 'you smell of baby soap and breast milk’ I drawled. She sniffed herself before letting out a low laugh. ‘perks of being a mother honey, it can be so annoying sometimes’ She said, then added ‘hope it's not disturbing you?’

‘Of course not, I was just making small talk’. And it was quiet again, but this time it was a comfortable one and we both were just really enjoying the moment.

‘I missed you you know, we all did. Especially mum’ Joan stated, I rolled over to face her as she rested her head on her palm. ‘I remember, those days we would wake up to find mum asleep on your bed, she spent every night there. We looked for you for years, until finally, we all assumed you were dead. Nobody said it out loud though but I am pretty sure we all thought it’ she paused then looked me in the eye before she continued ‘I can't believe you're really back, and I can even touch you’ as if to test her statement, she stretched her hand and placed it on my cheek.

‘Mum and dad separated, for four years but they eventually came back. I married five years ago’ she matter of factly added, then rose her left hand up for me to see. We were both quiet again. This time we rolled onto our backs and gazed up at the ceiling. I guess she was expecting me to spill some beans about what happened during my years as a captive. I thought it only fair that I spoke about my experience, at least the ones I could talk about.

‘You know, I was in Hong Kong once’ I mentioned

‘Hong Kong? Why?’

‘well actually, we were always traveling from place to place. I have been to a lot of places. Well, not for good reasons’ I added, I felt her gaze on my face she was waiting for me to elaborate. So I turned my head to hold her gaze

‘Well, you know we were being sold off to people. Very rich people and for different purposes. These people live in different countries and if they were done with us they sell us off again. Like so like so’ I explained. Joan's face held an expression of pity and I started to regret mentioning anything to her.

‘Abby were you- hmm how do I put it? Were you- did they make you do things, like force you to do things?’ she asked, she was trying to be cryptic and failing at it. If not for the seriousness of the situation, I would have laughed.

‘You mean like rape?’ I asked and she nods ‘well you won't call it that when you're in a business like that. They paid your boss so they paid for services’ I answered, I got sick of seeing the look in her eyes so I looked away

‘I am so sorry Abby’ she said, I could feel how sorry she was in her voice and for a reason, it made forgiving my family a bit easier. It wasn't their fault I went through what I did, and it's not fair for me to expect them not to move on with their lives

‘dont be, it's not your fault’ I replied, and after a while I added ‘whats happened has happened, we all just have to move on aye?’

‘yes’ she answered ‘for all its worth, I wish it were me and you didn't have to go through all you did’ she added

I'm glad it wasn't you Joan, I wouldn't wish it on my enemy talk less of my sister’ I replied shocked she even blurted that out. We fell silent again and this time, we resumed our earlier position with Joan's arm draped over me. I could feel them getting heavy, she was falling asleep.

I'm really glad you're back Abby. I love you’ she sleepily mentions

‘to the moon and back’ I replied. And sleep wasn't far off and this time I slept with the lights on, and love in my chest. I didn't dream one bit.

(The concluding part of the story will be published shortly).....