Bought my Life

***Her*** Unknown Location*** Tuesday I was falling in and out of consciousness; they had drugged me again… they always did before moving us. I had stopped counting the days and was holding on to the day they abducted me; it was the only way I will know how long I have been held captive. The drugs made it impossible to keep track of time; it had been weeks for sure but how many… I had no idea. ***Narrator*** Hasleton Town*** Wednesday Marcus was going to town to attend to his various businesses; something he no longer was looking forward to. His businesses were doing fine but He no longer had the will to improve them. Whenever he left his home, he felt exposed to the world and all these people know who he is: the son of the richest and most powerful man there was in the country. His father passed away twenty-two years ago; he was a legend and people remembered him for the reforms he made and his generosity. It was that time of the year when the outdoor market reopened, and the tourists made their way to town. That is when he convinced himself to travel two hours to ensure that the businesses were ready for the busiest season. He owns many businesses, his favourites are the brewery, the orchards, the vineyard and he also adore that warehouse which holds imported fine products. Over the last fourteen years he had acquired an empire but the last three years my personal struggles had kept him mostly away. As usual the town is very animated, children are running around playing with balls, skipping ropes and bicycles. Merchants are advertising the virtue of their products and the artisans are well at work; but since his wife passed away almost three years ago it was especially hard to watch the children play. His wife Mary had died in childbirth; his daughter, Leah, survived only to die at the age of 10 months from an unknown illness, leaving me alone. He had met his wife in this town ten years ago; she was selling the family brewery with her father. He had no idea he would meet the woman he would marry. Marcus was handsome on top of being a rich businessman, he had short curly brown golden hair; he was tall and well built. His face was soft with a nicely trimmed beard, his brown eyes were confident, and he had seductive manners. He had a reputation for breaking hearts; he had never met a woman he wished to build a relationship with… most of them were after his money and if they weren’t, they always got too comfortable too fast at spending it. Mary was known for her beauty and wisdom; she had long black hair, her skin was pale, she had green blue eyes that expressed sincerity. She has studied at a few universities; she has a degree in business and in art. She was twenty six years old and still unmarried… She had refused many proposals for various reasons mainly because she didn’t want to be a rich man’s trophy wife. She had her own money and was running several businesses including the Brewery. When Mary met Marcus she was playing hard to get, he was clever, young, handsome and he could get any woman he wanted but her. Mary volunteered to show the business to Marcus; they met every morning for about a month so she could show him the daily operations. She could have shown him in two hours but she needed a reason to see him. Mary made her way into Marcus’ heart… Marcus had seen all the beautiful well ladies looking for his family status; it was a breath of fresh air to talk to a woman that had knowledge, she was beautiful, she wasn’t looking for money, and had her own status. Through the business they got to know each other; soon all they could think about was one another. Mary was an artist, she would draw, paint and she played the piano. She was also ferocious in business; she knew how to restructure a business and maximize profitability. Her negotiation skills had gotten her far in business but there was something dark haunting her, as a child she was in a car accident which caused minor damage to her womb making her unlikely to bear a child to term also a possibility that she might die giving birth. He was raised side by side with his cousin who was now the leader of the Tuscanton family; their mothers are sisters and when his mother, Selina, became a widow she moved into the Tuscanton castle with him. From the age of ten until he was eighteen, he studied with the best professors with access to the best equipment and library. At the age of eighteen he received the inheritance from his father and he bought back his childhood home... Hastleton Villa. He bought several dying businesses and made them profitable. He was tired of being in his cousin Jake’s shadow and tired of all these women looking to get noticed. Mary was the first woman that captivated him; she made him want to forget about the world. He has always been humble but this woman made me want to do all extravagance to please her. He was daydreaming again, Mary is now gone and his world fell apart; for over a year he had refused to attend to his businesses in town. He was still mourning her loss even after three years, no one could fill the void Mary left behind. He was on his way to visit the brewery when he noticed a woman being taken to the basement where illegal slave exchanges still happened even after being banned for over 30 years by my father… his heart stopped, she looks exactly like his deceased wife. She had the same facial features, she had long black hair and he could distinguish her beautiful green blue eyes from where he was standing. She was dirty and thin but she was the spitting image of Mary. He couldn’t believe it, instead of going to the brewery he made his way to the basement of Johnson’s entertainment bar. He registered his guard to bid on the slave auction; he couldn’t have his name near this establishment. His men followed him baffled; he has never been interested in slave trading… He had to blend in, he appeared to wait patiently for the slave girl to be put on stage for auction… No one could tell how anxious he was; he could not be recognized attending such an illegal event…Specially that his father was the one who started enforcing slavery ban. They had taken advantage of his absence to make those gatherings common in town. He knew he would have no choice to intervene before it got to his cousin’s ears but not today. He would buy her and he would leave. Who is this woman? She captivated him with one look; we could see the distress in her face. When she was finally brought to the stage; his rival Ernest Johnson was the first to open the bid at $3000. His father was the district leader before he died; Marcus was to inherit the title when he would be old enough to claim it back. The Johnsons were to lead the district until then; this created a rivalry between the Johnsons and the Hastletons; even if the Johnsons were well aware that their role leading the district was temporary. So when he told his guard to raise the bid to $4000. Ernest then raised the bid to $4500 then he responded with a bid of $20,000. Ernest responds by bidding $30,000 on the slave girl; he ends up closing the bid at $80,000. Never in the history of the auction had a slave girl been sold for that much… The auctions are far from over but he stands up and leave. He assigned his men to pay the auctioneer and gave them instructions to remove the ropes restraining her wrist and ankles; he also asked them to provide water and food. He doesn’t want to see this woman in the miserable state she was in. He still has to finish visiting his businesses in town so he asked two of his men to attend to her until he came back to the cottage. She heard men calling increasing numbers; she couldn’t see what was happening. She was put under the brightest lights that completely blinded her. She was scared, the other girls in the back had warned her about the kind of men who had bought them in the past. She had been sold to two different merchants but she never had an owner. She was terrified when she saw the two men who were taking her with them… ***Narrator***Hastleton Town Cottage***Wednesday At the end of the day, Marcus goes back to his cottage; Riley, his guard, comes to talk to him, “Sir, I just wanted to inform you that she cannot speak… or she refuses to speak”. That will definitely make his mission to repatriate her more challenging. He enters the cottage and finds her still in restraints… “What is happening here? Was I not clear when I told you to free her?” Marcus is mad. “Sir, we did but she started fighting and tried to run away many times before we had no choice but to put them back.” The security guard explained. “Nonsense, there are ten of you and she is a defenceless young lady. How can you not control her?” Marcus cuts the rope holding her captive. “Did she eat or drink?” He then asks his guards. They look at each other but no one says a word… “The question is not difficult, yes or no, did she eat and drink?” Marcus asks impatiently. “We gave her food and water but she didn’t eat…” one of the guards answered. Marcus goes to the girl; he sits beside her but far enough away, “my name is Marcus, I will be taking care of you from now on; I hear you are giving my guards a hard time,” he tells her. “If you run away or if you don’t behave; I will have to tie your hands and feet, it is up to you… I would give you the opportunity to leave but you cannot speak; you will get yourself in trouble or killed. Until I find out where you belong, you will stay at the Villa with me,” he says firmly. “I know you don’t speak but do you understand?” He asks, the girl nods shyly. “Eric and Riley, you will be responsible for her until she reaches the Villa…” he shouts at his guards, “Bring her to my room, we will have dinner up there, it is more quiet. Get everything ready, we are leaving tomorrow at sunrise.” He instructed the team. They were supposed to stay for five days but with the purchase of the fugitive slave girl he didn’t want to take the chance she would escape and he didn’t want to tie her up. Mary would have been upset with him, he couldn’t help thinking. When he got into his room, the girl was waiting, seated far from the table; he couldn’t help noticing that she was staying at arms length away from him. He joined her at the table and served her dinner then served himself. “You don’t have to be afraid, I will not harm you.” He said. She just watches him eat but doesn’t touch anything… “You are not hungry?” I asked and she shrugged. “I didn’t eat much when I was upset after my wife died; you are probably fairly upset.” He said. “I am not sure how to proceed, I have never bought or freed a slave before… You will have to forgive me but leaving you helpless in the streets is not an option. You will come stay with me, you will have your own apartment until you are ready to leave safely. I want what is best for you.” When he finished eating, “I have to go to the brewery, try and eat something,” he said as he instructed the guards to watch her but to leave her alone to eat. He walked all the way to the brewery; everything was shut down for the day, he was reminded of the time Mary came to see him in the evening. She was wearing an evening gown; she had escaped from a social function nearby. She was stunning wearing her silk emerald green dress with her black hair in an up-do. The night she kissed him passionately for the first time; that night he knew he wanted her to be his wife. ***Narrator***Hastleton Town Brewery***About 6 years ago She had been dropping hints for months but he didn’t want to be one of her many suitors. “I know they want my money and my businesses, none of them ever took the time to know me. They often try to corner me by convincing my parents; I am not a child and thank God my parents have let it be up to me to choose my husband.” She used to tell him. That same night he dropped to one knee, “Mary, I have known you only for a few months, but it was love at first sight… Mary, I promise to honour you, I promise to protect you, I promise to let you be yourself, I promise to love and support you. Mary, would you marry me?” I asked. “Oh Marcus, I was hoping you would ask me before I had to ask you myself,” she answers smiling. I pulled out a small box containing a beautiful ring with three diamonds on a golden band. “I have been holding on to this ring for three weeks; I was waiting for the perfect moment.” I said as I placed the ring on her finger; then Mary surprised me with a passionate kiss. I had to break her embrace, “Mary if you continue I won't be able to help myself and I will take you on the brewery floor,” I said catching my breath. “Would that be so bad? I imagined you taking me everywhere in this brewery… Marcus I want you,” she replied. “Mary... I want you too… but our first time, on the floor in the brewery? Not the romance I was hoping for...” I said, she had me aroused; if she would have insisted I couldn’t have resisted. “Kiss me, Marcus...” she answered playfully. I kissed her deeply and passionately, I pushed her against the wall and pinned her arms over her head. I kissed her neck; then licked her and blew softly on it, making her shiver; I kissed her deeply before letting her go. She tries to catch her breath “Marcus you take down all of my defence; I should go before we lose control,” she says. “Let me walk you, Mary,” I said as I offered my arm. “I still have to ask your father to marry you as our tradition requires,” I said. “You didn’t ask my parents?” She answers with surprise. “No, I did not, I wanted to ask you first,” I replied. “Marcus, that was so thoughtful of you,” she says before kissing me again. I was daydreaming, this brewery was my favourite business but at the same time it was a constant reminder that Mary was now dead and she didn’t lit the place up with her joy anymore.