The Courier Copyright 2008 by EC EC's Erotic Fiction - /~caligula97030/ (warnings: erotic discipline, sex between adults, medical fetish, public nudity, harsh police interrogation) Chapter 9 – A moment in life with Victor The next morning Maria Elena was awake early to set up the kitchen, in spite of having had only a few hours of sleep. Cecilia was up as well, fixing breakfast for her nephew, who was still in bed sick. The Dominican was clearly exhausted from having spent the entire night with Jason, but she also felt guilty from having dumped caring for Pedro on Victor while she spent Saturday out of the house. She’d have to make it up to both of them on Sunday, although it was obvious the only thing she wanted was to go to sleep. Cecilia took her nephew’s breakfast to his room while Maria Elena awaited Victor. Because it was Sunday, Victor had no reason to dress in a suit; instead he put on a prayer robe to go to a nearby church for early services. As dictated by custom, he wore nothing underneath the robe and was barefoot. Apart from putting on a single piece of clothing; there was nothing he needed to do to prepare for worship. Maria Elena wanted to accompany him, partly out of curiosity and partly out of wanting to be with him. However, the thought of going outside in the nude on a cold drizzly morning did not appeal to her, and she was intimidated at the prospect of being naked at a Temple service without understanding anything that was going on. Victor did not give her any indication he wanted her to go, so she held back and quietly watched him as he went out the door. He joined a group of neighbors in the street, all of whom wore black robes. Victor and his companions knelt in a circle, stood up, and solemnly marched out of sight. Cecilia had crawled into her nephew’s bed to read to him, but promptly fell asleep. Pedro was asleep as well, so Maria Elena was left alone. She cleaned the kitchen and bathrooms, but those tasks were completed within 30 minutes. Out of boredom she turned on the TV, but all the channels were playing the same public service message, a still picture of an old temple with scrolling text. Maria Elena later would learn that the message was a request in archaic Danubian for the viewer to leave home and attend services at the Temple. On Sunday mornings there were only two socially acceptable activities in Danubia: resting or attending worship services. The prisoner’s melancholy mood from the night before returned, as did her desire to step out into the chilly misty weather. Although it already was mid- morning, the only sounds she heard were drops falling off the trees and the ringing of Temple bells. The bells had a different sound than what she was used to hearing in Colombia, which she found sinister and spooky when combined with quiet dripping of water and rustling of tree leaves. Maria Elena looked at her ruined fingernails, which still had traces of fingernail polish. That polish was the final reminder that, just a few days before, her life had been totally different from what it was now. Her nail polish, just like all of the other items she had brought with her from Panama, was gone, seized by the Danubian police. She took a deep breath, because she realized that her only material possessions were a toothbrush and a comb, both of which had been given to her by Cecilia. That was it, just two insignificant personal hygiene items that she could call her own. She was stripped… totally stripped, completely cut off, not only from her former life, but also from the world of material possessions. ---------- Two hours after they left, Victor and the others returned. It was clear that their religious obligations had ended, because instead of marching in silence they were chatting casually. The neighbors disappeared into their respective houses while Victor noticed that his house guest was standing alone in the street. The poor girl was soaked and shivering… why was she standing in the rain instead of staying inside where she could be warm and dry? Before he could say anything, Maria Elena went to her knees and touched her forehead to the ground. She was immensely glad to see her host and enormously relieved he had returned. He wondered what was going on with her, but his first concern was getting her back inside before she got sick. He tapped her on the shoulder: “Doshéschkt dék holódnikt. Pogánakt dék nad tebe… pogánakt dék nad tebe.” She knew the words “holódnikt”, which meant “cold”, and “pogánakt” which meant “bad”. She correctly guessed that he had said “This rain is cold. It’s not good for you.” She responded: “Ya pogánakt. Ya negát harásh... ya…” Victor whistled to show his disapproval of her last comment. She had told him in Danubian that she was no good, but with a long low whistle he disagreed. There was nothing wrong with her, she was a nice girl… but he didn’t know how to tell her that in Spanish. With a quick short whistle he ordered her to stand up and follow him into the house. Victor and Maria Elena were alone in the living room. She was trembling badly from being cold: her skin was covered with goose-bumps and her teeth were chattering. Unfortunately, she was prohibited from covering herself. Her only option would have been to take a hot bath. Victor felt immensely sorry for the poor girl. Maybe he couldn’t give her a blanket to warm up in, but he wanted to stop that shivering and try to cheer her up. She looked at him with sad eyes… her expression clearly stating: can’t you at least hold me, Victor? Shyly, Victor stuck out his hand. She immediately took it and snuggled up to him, trying to warm herself against his body. She put her arms around him and started crying. He wrapped one arm around her waist and with his free hand gently pressed her head against his shoulder. To be held… after all this time… to be held… Long buried emotions and passions welled up inside Victor, the thrill of a new love, a new beginning. After a while Maria Elena quit shivering and quit crying. She was content to just stay standing close to him, to feel the warmth and comfort of his body against hers. The emotion continued to build inside him. Without thinking about what he was doing, he gently touched the prisoner’s chin to turn her face towards his. He looked at her eyes… yes… she wanted him to kiss her. Their lips met, shyly at first, then much more passionately… So… it was done. Victor and Maria Elena were in each other’s arms and had exchanged their first kiss… two broken, lonely souls that had found each other. They were separated by language, by age, and by social status… but none of that mattered. Each desperately needed the other. ---------- The rest of the day seemed to pass uneventfully. The household had dinner and cleaned up, and the women prepared for the following day and the upcoming workweek. After sunset Cecilia put her nephew to bed and fretted about some stains on one of her fancy dresses. Then, she realized the house was totally silent. She checked both Victor’s room and Maria Elena’s room. Both were empty. Cecilia had an unpleasant feeling. Hmm… better check downstairs to see what’s going on… She descended a few steps and peeked into the living room. Victor and Maria Elena were passionately kissing each other… Cecilia flinched. SHIT!!!! Shit… shit… shit!!!! I should’ve kept a better eye on those two! This is my fault! Shit! Kim’s gonna kill me! She thought about continuing downstairs and interrupting, but hesitated. She knew there was no point in doing that; they’d only wait until she was asleep and continue. No, there was no way she was gonna keep those two apart and she should have realized it from the beginning… no point at all. The matter was out of her hands. Cecilia managed to calm down. She still was angry at herself, but that anger was subsiding. Well, at least she no longer had to lose any sleep worrying about keeping her host and her housemate apart: she had failed and the issue was settled. She also realized that, if Maria Elena was occupied with Victor, chances were that she no longer would try anything with Jason. That had worried her from the outset, because it was clear that Jason had noticed the prisoner and enjoyed looking at her. At least that was one concern she no longer had. Cecilia took off her clothes and went to bed. She shut her door, no longer worried about standing watch over Maria Elena. There was nothing more that she could do. Only the Creator knew what Path in Life was in store for Victor Dukov and Prisoner # 101025. ---------- Victor took Maria Elena’s hand and led her upstairs. Outside her room they kissed again, but they were not sure what to do next. They still couldn’t communicate with words; everything between them had to be via expressions and gestures. Maria Elena looked towards his room and back into his eyes… yes, she was ready. To make absolutely sure, Victor ran his hands down her back and caressed her bare bottom. Her hungry expression did not change. With that he led her to the master bedroom. Maria Elena sat on his bed and undressed him: pulling off his tunic and shirt, then untying the strings on his boots. Once those were off, the only item left was the linen pants. Like most men in Danubia, Victor did not use underwear. In bed they took their time. Maria Elena was content to feel the gentle caresses on her body from the hands of a man who was much more patient than either of her two previous lovers. His passion was different from what she was used to, because he was older. For a long time she simply relaxed, but finally she began to caress his penis and massage his thighs and stomach. She reflected that three sons had come from him: but maybe he wasn’t done yet. Perhaps more children were destined to come from his body, children that she would carry for him. When Victor was ready, Maria Elena lay on her back, eager to surrender herself. For the first time in nearly a year, Victor Dukov made love to a woman. He was much gentler than she was used to, but at the moment that was what she wanted: a slow gentle experience. Maria Elena did not return to her own room that night. She stayed with her lover, violating her status as a criminal by sleeping under a warm blanket in the arms of the man she hoped to love. ---------- Maria Elena woke up with a start. She was not in her own room, not lying uncovered on top of her own mattress. Instead, she was under a cover, sharing a warm bed with her lover. She nervously glanced at the bedroom door, realizing it was open. She remembered that Victor had closed it the night before. She wondered if he had gotten up in the middle of the night; or if Cecilia had peeked in and not bothered to close it. She closed the door, hoping it had been Victor who had left it open. She returned to the bed and sat down. She looked at him, studying his lined face and aging body. Time and stress had taken their toll on his health and appearance. He was not physically attractive, but she had not been looking for that when she began her relationship with him. She wasn’t worried about being with someone who was young. Instead she wanted to be comforted and protected by a person she could look to as an authority figure, someone who she could respect and who she felt could guide her. As a young teen, Maria Elena Rodriguez-Torres had been fascinated with some of the older male teachers at her school, especially the school director. Nothing ever came of her interests, nor could she ever figure out why older guys would fascinate her. She had never taken any psychology, so she did not have the education that would have helped her understand her own needs. A psychologist could have looked into the girl’s past and quickly identified her basic issue with men. Her father had abandoned her mother when she was young, forcing her mother to be a single parent throughout most of the girl’s life. Señor Rodriguez was missing, leaving his daughter with the burning desire to find an older man who would give her some direction. Of course the popular culture around Maria Elena told her that she needed to find a handsome young guy her own age, which clashed with her hidden hope of finding someone older who could replace her father. Maria Elena’s traumatic experiences over the most recent two weeks had intensified her subconscious need to find a mature man with authority who could protect her. Victor Dukov, who was a business owner and the head of the household that had taken her in, fit her aspirations perfectly. Victor’s own circumstances; the fact he was recently widowed and his sons were grown-up, added to his availability and desirability in Maria Elena’s mind. She would heal him, and he would heal her. ---------- Maria Elena lightly kissed Victor on the cheek and stood up. She’d have to go downstairs and get the kitchen set up for Cecilia to cook. It was Monday, so after the kitchen was ready she’d come back to her lover’s room and help him get dressed. She would be his adoring partner… he would rely on her and not be able to live without her. It turned out that Cecilia already was awake and had gone into the kitchen first. A quick glance sent the message that yes… she did know the prisoner had spent the night with their host. There was no greeting. The Dominican simply began with: “I hope you understand what you’ve gotten yourself into. If it goes bad, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” The prisoner blushed. Cecilia continued: “I saw you two last night… in the living room. I checked the bedroom later on… and I left that door open on purpose.” There was another pause, because Maria Elena didn’t know how to respond. Cecilia gave her a skeptical look. “You don’t have… anything to say about… what you did?” “Not really… it just happened.” “No, Maria Elena, it didn’t ‘just happen’. I saw it coming as early as Thursday. I warned you. You knew that I was watching you, and you knew why…” “But was it really that wrong? We love each other…” Cecilia rolled her eyes. “You love each other? After six days you love each other. You don’t even speak the same language, but you love each other. He’s 46 years old and you’re 19, but you love each other. Please… give me a break. You can’t love someone you don’t know in just six days… It doesn’t work like that!” “Well I do love him! I don’t care about any of that stuff you’re telling me! I love him! What’s wrong with that? Why can’t I love him?” Cecilia rubbed her forehead and sighed. She thought: Maria Elena, you don’t get it… “You can’t love him because you belong to the Danubian Government! That’s what I was trying to tell you last week! There’s nothing wrong with you having a relationship, but it really has to be with another criminal, with someone in the same situation as you. If you’re married to another criminal, the Ministry will try to respect that and they’ll do what they can to keep you together, as long as you…” “I don’t want a relationship with another criminal! I want Victor! I mean… what about Tiffany? She’s not married to another criminal! What about her? Why can’t I just do what she’s doing?” Cecilia did not know how to answer Maria Elena without spending the entire morning explaining the unique circumstances that had brought Vladik Dukov and Tiffany Walker together. It was true that he was a cop and she was a criminal, but they first met when he was suspended from his position with the National Police and performing Public Penance. When he and Tiffany started their relationship, Vladik was little more than a criminal himself. Anyhow, Cecilia didn’t want to argue further. She wasn’t going to convince her housemate not to pursue Victor; the only thing she could do was try to get her to think about what she was doing. “Maria Elena, it’s a long story about Vladik and Tiffany. Your situation is different. It just is. I’m worried about you and Victor, and I don’t want to see either of you get hurt. I just don’t think you being with him is such a good idea. Right now… I really can’t figure out how to tell you why I feel that way. But I know him. I know this country. I know what it’s like to be criminal. And, I know some things about you. I really think that a year from now, you’re gonna have different needs and Victor’s not gonna be able to fill them. That’s when things are gonna go bad between you two.” Cecilia’s words were met with a hard, skeptical look from the prisoner’s eyes. No, she wasn’t going to be convinced. Her only option was to give up on trying to dissuade her housemate and fall back on at least making sure she adhered to criminal protocol: “I hope I’m wrong. But I want you to think real hard about what you’re doing. And there’s something else…” “What?” “The next time you see her, you’re gonna have to tell Spokeswoman Lee- Dolkivna what’s going on. That’s not just protocol, it’s the law. The Spokeswoman holds custody over you, so she gets final say over whether or not you can have a relationship with someone. You need to talk to her, because if you don’t, you’ll get charged with insurrection and in theory you could get Victor in trouble.” “But… she’ll simply say no.” “Not necessarily. What she will do is force you to be sure, in your own mind, why you want to be with him. And, I’d imagine she’ll want to talk to him as well. Then she’ll make a decision. She won’t say no until she talks to both of you.” As Maria Elena knelt to hand Victor his shoes and finish helping him get dressed, her heart was heavy. She was learning that romance, especially for a criminal, was not something that simply happened in Danubian society. For her to love Victor, other people had to get involved. Her romantic life would be documented in her criminal record. To have a relationship with Victor she would have to obtain official permission, and to marry him she would have to seek permission yet again. She felt enormously sorry for him, because for her sake he would have to seek the approval of Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna, someone half his age (and his former employee on top that) for a decision that really should have been up to him to make. ---------- Maria Elena returned to the university that morning with Cecilia and Jason for a normal day of work, class, and exercise. She spent most of the afternoon with Carmen, realizing that the Californian was her best chance at having a friend among the US students. Maria Elena was aware that there was nothing Carmen could really do to help her situation, but it was nice just to have someone else to talk to in Spanish besides Cecilia. After class, the norteamericanos split up by sex to undress and attend physical fitness training. As usual, Cecilia handed Maria Elena her running shoes, which she was only allowed to use during exercising. As usual, the gringas took off their clothes in the locker room for a ritual that many still were not comfortable with. Exercise proved to be an unnerving experience for Prisoner # 101025. The instructor announced that she was ready to fully participate in the program, which included the runs. The Colombian would be expected to run three kilometers non-stop, which was the distance that the other women typically ran every other day. Cecilia made the mistake of telling the instructor that she couldn’t use her switch to punish Maria Elena because she was going on trial the following week and faced a full judicial switching of 50 strokes. The instructor cheerfully responded: “That’s not a problem, Director Sanchez. Since you are in charge of the prisoner and are responsible for her success with us, then I will simply give you any strokes she earns. If she fails to live up to my expectations, then I will hold you responsible.” Maria Elena noticed the Dominican’s dark skin turn a shade lighter. Cecilia turned to her and translated what the instructor had just said, adding: “You’d better do what she wants, and do it right. If I have to take any strokes for you, I’m gonna be pissed.” “No… Tell her I’ll take the strokes… It’s not your problem.” “It is my problem, because you have to go on trial next week. When it’s over and you get sentenced, you’re gonna get your butt whipped. You can’t have any marks on you when that happens, so in the meantime I have to take your punishments for you ‘cause I’m in charge of you. The only thing is, I’m not gonna take any punishment for you ‘cause you’re not gonna earn any, ‘cause you’re gonna bust your ass on that run. Get it?” “Yes, Cecilia, I get it.” Maria Elena certainly did try as hard as she could, but there was no way she was capable of running three kilometers non-stop. She fell to her knees and threw up after completing just half the distance. Cecilia screamed at her to get up and keep moving. Maria Elena cried as she staggered along the university sidewalk, pain tearing through her sides and her legs trembling from weakness. She put everything she had into the run, terrified that Cecilia already was in trouble. It was just a simple physical exercise, something that everyone else in the group had long since mastered, but for Maria Elena it was every bit as awful as what had happened to her the previous week in the interrogation room. When Cecilia and Maria Elena finally crossed the finish line, both were expecting the instructor to hit Cecilia several times with the switch. However all she said was: “Good effort, Prisoner # 101025. You put everything into it, and that’s all I’m asking. Wednesday I’ll expect you to do better.” ---------- Cecilia had to stay late at the university that night, because one of the male participants had decided to quit the program. He was having trouble with the Danubian language, was not getting along with his host family, and to top off everything else, he had taken three strokes that afternoon from his physical fitness instructor. The program director was used to dealing with crises stemming from Americans struggling to adapt to Danubian culture. Normally she was able to convince the students to stay by reasoning with them. They already had paid their money and could not get a refund, if they left Danubia they would lose the semester because there was no time left to enroll back in Chicago, and if they quit, that decision to give up would forever haunt them. If a student was determined to leave, she did what she could to get him or her to put it off as long as possible. There were cases where Director Sanchez spent an entire semester convincing a student to “wait just one more week… just another week… is that really gonna hurt you? Just one more week?” She always pointed out: “I know it’s hard, but if you at least wait another week or so, do you think you’d really lose anything? If you really can’t stand it, you can always decide to leave later on, but once you leave, you can’t decide to come back.” In the end the student usually procrastinated one week to the next, right up to the end of the semester. During the three years Director Sanchez had been counseling exchange students, 130 had participated in the program and only 4 ended up leaving early. ---------- Maria Elena went home by herself. She noted that Victor was helping Cecilia’s nephew with a homework assignment, so she started dinner and began straightening up. She washed a load of clothing, set the table, served three portions of food and set aside a fourth for her housemate, for whenever she came home. All the while she was attending to the needs of the house; two huge worries loomed in her mind: her upcoming trial and the horrific switching she would have to endure, and her concern over what to do about Victor. She dreaded the upcoming session with her Spokeswoman even more than she dreaded her trial, because she was convinced that Kim would put an end to her relationship with her host and embarrass him at the same time. Victor made sure Pedro was properly cleaned up and in bed before putting on his prayer robe and performing his nightly vigil beneath his wife’s picture. Maria Elena wondered if the Danubian Church had a formal mourning period and if Victor would ever get over doing that strange ritual and move on with his life. She felt that he could move on, but that he would need her to do so. That was something Prisoner # 101025 could tell her Spokeswoman; that Victor’s future depended on her. She was offering him the chance to emerge from his emotional pit of grief and guilt. Maybe she was his last hope, the final opportunity he would ever have to return to a normal life. Did Kim really have the right to take that away from him just because of protocol? With that thought, Maria Elena felt much more confident of herself. Yes, she now knew what she needed to say that would counter the doubts of both Cecilia and Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna. Victor’s life was at stake. Maybe his relationship with his guest was not “correct protocol”, but did anyone have a better option for him? Did anyone else know how to get him to return to his old life and find happiness? She finished in the kitchen and set a pot of water to boil for tea. As usual she would make a cup for her host and kneel beside him to serve him. She now knew a few words and phrases, so she could communicate with him at a simple level. As she waited for the water to boil she went to the bathroom and studied her reflection in the mirror. She noticed that her breasts now were as tanned as the rest of her body, that the marks from her swimsuit were completely gone. She was developing a new tan-line, the one on her lower neck that was the result of constantly wearing a collar. She knew that her neck would be uncovered briefly the following week, when she would take off the temporary collar and be fitted with her permanent one. For a few minutes her neck would be uncovered, then covered again, permanently. Permanently. This would be her life. How strange… only a week before she had been sitting on a plane, worried about delivering a kilo of cocaine. Just two weeks before she still was in Colombia. Just two weeks, but it felt like so much more than two weeks. So much had happened in just two weeks… so much… The worries she had just two weeks before had no presence in her life at all now. She was a different person, worried about different things, with different goals and aspirations. It was not her choice to become different, but nonetheless she was able to accept what had happened to her. Just one week after her arrest, Maria Elena had fully adjusted to the Path in Life that the Creator had set up for her. The prisoner knelt with her cup of tea. This time Victor quickly finished his prayer and took the cup. He stroked her face and touched her hair. Yes, she was his escape, the sign sent to him by the Creator that he was free to stop grieving about his dead wife and move on with his life. A few minutes later they were upstairs in his room. Maria Elena pulled off his prayer robe and carefully hung it up. He took her hands and kissed her passionately. The couple embraced, then he explored her bottom with his hands. He felt bad, because within a week her backside would be covered with painful welts, but after her trial he would comfort her. She would spend the night crying on his bed, as he gently rubbed lotion onto her body. Finally he would hold her hand and she would fall asleep. The next day she would wake up, and he would be there for her… and for once he would be the one with a cup of tea for her… and she would begin her new life… Yes… my poor little foreigner… He became aroused much more quickly the second night than the first. She had reawakened those old feelings and passions, something that just a week before he felt that he had no right to enjoy. There was so much in him that she had brought back, so much of his life that she had restored. He now had something to live for, apart from running his business and serving his employees and clients. He held, in his arms, a lovely girl that he could call his own and love. That night she got on her hands and knees on the bed and he took her from behind. She was so lovely… so different from the Danubian women he had known… so lovely… his Maria Elena… ---------- The next day Cecilia asked the university gardener to let Prisoner # 101025 off work early so the two women could see Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna before lunchtime. At 11:00 she met Maria Elena at the shower. The Colombian sighed, because the trip meant that she would have to come clean about her relationship with Victor sooner than she had wanted. She cast an angry look at Cecilia, suspecting that she must have placed a call to Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna to arrange the appointment, precisely to mess up her plans with him. The Dominican, who was extremely observant and picked up on everything, snapped: “Quit looking at me like that. I didn’t call your Spokeswoman. She called me. She wants to talk about your trial. It’s got nothing to do with Victor.” The two women arrived at the Central Police Station and entered the Spokeswoman’s office. At that moment Maria Elena saw the reality of her future close-up, because a badly beaten criminal was lying face-down on a foldable table that looked like a padded massage table. He was young, perhaps even younger than Maria Elena. His bottom and the top part of his thighs were a solid mass of reddish welts that were about a centimeter wide each. Where the blows crossed each other they formed blisters that were purple. Six reddish stripes crossed the criminal’s upper back. In spite of the severity of the punishment, Maria Elena noted that he was not bleeding anywhere, but that was not much consolation. It was obvious the young man was in a lot of pain and content to just lie still on the table. Cecilia explained that all criminals received their first judicial punishment immediately after they were convicted. The first switching was part of the ritual of trial and the criminal’s formal introduction to the reality of his sentence. No matter how many or how few switchings were assigned during sentencing, the first one always came at the end of the trial. A formal police switching consisted of 50 blows administered to the criminal’s bottom and upper thighs over a 30-60 minute period. Following the switching, the punishment was certified by the trial judge, and then the criminal had to be photographed. Once that was taken care of, the convict normally spent a couple of hours lying on a “recovery table” in the Spokesperson’s office until he could stop crying and walk home. “No matter what happens during your sentencing hearing, next Monday you’re gonna be switched and this is where you’ll have to recover. A week from now this is gonna be you.” Maria Elena looked at the man, studying the painful welts and blood blisters that covered his backside. She had known being flogged was going to be part of her punishment, but to actually see it up close... “Your Spokeswoman had to go through this three times. She told me that it feels like you’re being ripped apart, like it’s gonna kill you, like it’s never gonna end. When the cop is whipping you, it’ll be the longest hour of your life. You’ll want to scream, but you need to resist and stay quiet because that’s part of a criminal’s honor. You’re gonna have to show courage when you’re on the switching table or else your fellow criminals aren’t gonna respect you. That’s the reality you’re facing. But it’s the same for everyone who gets convicted. Everyone who wears a Ministry of Justice collar goes through the same experience. You’ll go through it and you’ll survive, just like everyone else.” Maria Elena stood in horrified silence as Cecilia continued: “In one way you’re a lot luckier than most of the foreigners that come through this office. Most people go on trial the day after they’re arrested and really don’t have a clue what’s going on… and you can imagine how scary that would be. You’re lucky because the Ministry had to wait to put you on trial. You’ve had a chance to get used to things here. You know what it’s like to be a criminal, you know what to expect, and there won’t be any surprises. Most prisoners don’t have that opportunity.” The two women passed into the back office, where Kim was organizing a folder with her client’s information. As usual, Cecilia stood at attention while Maria Elena knelt and put her head to the floor. Kim told her client in Danubian: “Please rise, Prisoner # 101025, and take a seat so we can fulfill our Paths in Life.” “Thank you, Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna.” Tiffany, now in the final weeks of her pregnancy, struggled to move about the office as she served glasses of blackberry punch and buttered dinner rolls. Maria Elena and Cecilia were grateful for the snack, because the trip downtown would force them to miss lunch. As the prisoner and her translator ate, Kim laid out what was going to happen the following week: “I think you’re going to be in luck next Monday. The Inspector seems concerned that he and his crew roughed you up too badly. He doesn’t want the details of what they did to you coming out in the trial, for obvious reasons. So, your corporal punishments are going to be cut way back. At most they’re gonna ask for only two switchings per year, and I’ll argue it should be less than that, at least later on in your sentence. So, getting whipped is not something that you’re gonna have to worry about all that often.” Kim waited for Cecilia to translate and continued: “Anyhow I’ve got another piece of good news. Because of the information you gave us, the Germans arrested ‘El Flaco’. That’s the first time they were able to act on anything we gave them that we got from someone working at your level. For once we actually managed to mess up the bad guys’ day.” Maria Elena was less than elated, because her old fear of retaliation came back to her full-force. There was no question that “El Flaco” would want to come after her. Kim picked up on her nervous reaction. “El Flaco’s not going anywhere. He’s got major problems right now. You know that he’s not really a cocaine trafficker; he just did that on the side. His group was more focused on running a human trafficking operation. What they’ve been doing is to get women to come into Europe as cocaine couriers, then they take their documents away and sell them.” “Sell the documents, Spokeswoman Lee Dolkivna?” “No, not the documents; the women. They sell the women, you know… to brothels, strip joints, pimps, private individuals, that sort of thing. From what the Germans told us, El Flaco’s specialty was moving Ecuadorians, Colombians, and Peruvians into and out of Germany. Their investigators traced a couple of your fellow couriers to a brothel in Bucharest and some others to a place in Istanbul. Those are the only ones they found so far. They don’t know where the others are, but the Frankfurt police recovered 42 passports from his apartment. That’s at least 42 women that have gone missing, because the records show them entering Germany but not leaving. Now they know who’s responsible.” “… and they all flew out of Panama City… to Frankfurt…” “Yes, for some reason Alex and ‘El Flaco’ liked moving their women out of Panama… the Germans will have to figure out why that was. From what I know about these groups, I’m gonna guess ‘El Flaco’ had customs officials paid off in both airports to let you guys through. I suppose that’s why it was always Panama City-Frankfurt.” As Cecilia translated, her expression clearly read: “I told you so…” Maria Elena’s heart sank at hearing, for certain, what her translator already suspected. There was no way El Flaco would have simply paid her off and allowed her to depart for Spain. She now understood that it was not the kilo of cocaine that she was transporting, but herself. Had Maria Elena’s flight not been diverted to Danubia, she would have delivered herself right into the control of a human trafficking ring. Kim waited for her client to fully understand the significance of what she had just said. Judging by her sick expression, it was obvious that she did understand. “Prisoner # 101025, I want to ask you something. Knowing what you know now, about what was waiting for you in Germany, do you still regret having landed here last week?” “No, Spokeswoman, I don’t regret it. I’m sorry that I got on the plane in Panama. That I’m sorry about.” “You getting on that plane was inevitable. You were obsessed with a dream, and nothing was going to stop you from chasing it. Alex promised you quick money and an escape, and you didn’t have the common sense to see that you were getting into a trap. You had no way of knowing because you were ignorant. You didn’t even bother to find out why they were giving you so much money or why you were flying alone. Nothing could have stopped you.” “I suppose that’s true, Spokeswoman.” “I want you to understand that is was not luck that saved you. The Creator chose to save you. The Path of your Life led you here to Danubia and the Path of your Life is to stay here and serve our country. You need to ask yourself, why you and not the others? Why were you spared? You cheated slavery or Death, but why?” Maria Elena did not know how to respond to Kim’s deeper question. However, her narrow escape from horrific enslavement and a likely early death gave her the courage to comply with her duty to report her relationship with Victor. After a long silence she said: “Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna, last night I slept with Merchant Victor Dukov. I slept with him because I love him.” Kim glanced at Cecilia: “You were aware of this?” “Yes, Spokeswoman, I was. But I thought it would be better for Criminal # 101025 tell you herself.” Kim pondered how to proceed. She knew that both Cecilia and Maria Elena were expecting her to simply say that the relationship needed to end immediately. However, because of her suspicion that her client had come to Danubia for some special purpose, the Spokeswoman was reluctant to pass judgment on what was going on between her and the man she used to work for. “You do understand that, by the standards of our society, what you two are doing is not proper at all?” “Yes, Spokeswoman, I understand that.” “Now for another question. Why did you do it? And why with him? Why Merchant Dukov?” “Because he needs me, Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna.” “And what about you? What are you getting out of it?” Maria Elena thought for a moment. “I… I guess it’s because I’m tired of being with people I’m afraid of. I’m tired of living my life in fear. When I’m with him I don’t feel that way; I’m not scared. When I’m with him I feel different.” Kim contemplated her client. Maria Elena’s expression was perfectly calm: she was not ashamed of what she was doing with Victor, nor was she proud or defiant. It was clear that she saw the relationship as part of her Path in Life, even if she didn’t understand it in those terms yet. As improper as Maria Elena’s behavior might have been, Kim did not feel that she was in a position to simply prohibit her from spending time with Victor. “Right now I can’t tell you how I’m going to handle this, Prisoner # 101025. I’m going to have to go to Merchant Dukov’s office this afternoon, talk to him, and see what he has to say about his feelings towards you. If he’s as sure about you as you seem to be about him, then I will have both of you submit written statements about your relationship and your intentions to the Ministry. Once I get them approved, they will go in your criminal file. Then I will have to grant you provisional permission to continue seeing him. But there is something that you’ll always need to remember.” “What is that, Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna?” “As a criminal, the Path of Your Life is to serve the people of Danubia. If the Ministry of Justice decides that it needs to move you to better serve the Danubian public, then you will have to obey, and your feelings for Victor won’t matter. That’s the reality of being a criminal in this country. Your life belongs to the Ministry, not to Victor or anyone else. I’m sure he understands that, but I need to make sure you understand as well.” “Yes, Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna.” ---------- A few minutes later Cecilia and Maria Elena returned to the university. Cecilia went to her office to make some phone calls to Chicago, while her prisoner barely had time to make it to Danubian language class. Meanwhile, Spokeswoman Kimberly Lee-Dolkivna went to Merchant Victor Dukov’s office to deal with the uncomfortable situation of trying to determine if her former boss would receive permission to have a relationship with one of her clients. She was sure that she had no choice other than to tentatively approve the relationship, because she had worked for Victor Dukov when she was a criminal herself. He had not been particularly nice to work for, but she later understood that Victor’s personality and behavior did not reflect what he really thought of her. As her months working under him passed, she acquired more respect for him. In theory the Spokeswoman was legally above Victor Dukov, because he was a private citizen, while she was a public official. However, in no way did she see herself as his superior. Kim always considered Victor as her former boss and never would she see him in any other manner. The thought that he owed her any deference never entered her mind, no matter what she might have said to her client. Even the mere thought of forcing him to justify his relationship with Maria Elena made the Spokeswoman cringe. However, because of her position and her client’s legal status, at the least she would have to go through the formality of talking to both partners before filing a report about the relationship. Kim took a deep breath and entered Victor’s office. As soon as she saw him, her doubts about interfering with his relationship with Maria Elena were confirmed. He looked better than he had in years and his normally dour expression had softened considerably. He knew why she had come to his office, and also could tell that she was uneasy about what she was doing. Kim began the interview by asking about some other clients who were working for Victor's company and he responded with honest assessments about their performance. Following that, Kim asked him to tell her how Prisoner # 101025 was doing in his house. Victor replied: “Well, Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna, you must know what’s happened between us, or else you wouldn’t have come to see me.” “Yes, I do know, Merchant Dukov. Prisoner # 101025 came to my office and reported her relationship with you, which was her duty as a prisoner and as my client.” Victor tried to think of a response, or something he could say that would somehow justify his behavior, but Kim continued: “The only question I have for you is this: do you love my client?” “I think so… You know, it’s been such a long time… married so long, and widowed… I’ve loved one person over many years, but I’ve forgotten what falling in love felt like… and I saw her… and she loves me…” “If you love a person, you will always want the best for her, is that not so?” “Yes, Spokeswoman, I do want the best for her.” “…and you think you can do that for her? Provide guidance to her and do what you can to ensure that she properly fulfills her Path in Life?” “I can try. I will seek the guidance of the Ancients and I will try.” “Then, Merchant Dukov, there is something else I’d like to ask of you. Prisoner # 101025 will go on trial next week on Monday. I need you to take that day off from work so you can be here to comfort her. I don’t want you in the courtroom; but I want you here in the office when I bring her up. I want you to attend to whatever injuries she might have, and wipe her tears and stay with her. Can you do that?” “I would be honored, Spokeswoman.” “Very well, Merchant Dukov. I am not going to ask you about your relationship because I know you are a man of honor. But you do understand I need you to fill out a report for the Ministry of Justice and I need to put it in Prisoner # 101025’s file. You understand that?” “Yes, Spokeswoman.” Kim stood up and Victor saluted her. Out of respect for her former boss, she saluted back. “May the Ancients protect you, Merchant Dukov.” “and you, Spokeswoman… may the Ancients protect you.” With that Kim did a sharp about-face and left his office. Undoubtedly she would see him soon enough at a Dukov family get-together and she could drop the formality and talk to him normally. However, because the meeting involved an official discussion over her client, both Victor and Kim felt that it was necessary to exercise proper protocol, even though they were alone in his office. Anyhow, it was done. Victor knew from Danubian protocol that Kim would recommend approval of his relationship with Maria Elena. He was relieved about that, but at the same time he knew that she fully expected him to be supportive of her. He was taking on a responsibility with the Ministry of Justice, because he was caring for a person who was considered public property. ---------- Later that night, once Cecilia and her nephew were asleep, Maria Elena entered Victor’s room with a cup of tea and knelt. He took her hand, asked her to stand up, and kissed her. With that the couple spent their third night together. Both Victor and Maria Elena knew that there was no way they could know how much time they would have. Most people either live in the future, thinking about their plans and what they are going to do, or they live in the past, pondering what was or what might have been. In life most people either look forward or backward, but neglect where they are at the moment. Victor and Maria Elena were different, because they had only the moment at hand. For each of them, the past was nothing but regret and missed opportunities, while the future seemed bleak and ominous. They knew that the only choice they had was to live in the present and enjoy whatever time the Creator would allow them to share.