A FOREIGN ENCOUNTER

The waitress returns with my food. I stuff my mouth with, jerk chicken and saltfish flitters, I washed down everything with a cool glass of lemonade. Ignoring the conversations of the men around me

Henry then decides that it is time to hit the club. He carries me to one of the hottest spots in the city, Badoink strip club. The hookers are all extremely scantly clad in exotic colored clothing, leaving very little to the imagination. They were as acrobatic and agile on the pole as monkey in trees this whole scene comes to me as a complete shock but for a strange reason, I did not mind. I blame this on the four margarita I had before. Henry asks me to go on stage to see my capability. I climbed centre stage, ignoring the smell of stale beer, cigarettes and the lustful eyes now affixed on me. Its as if an unknown entity starts controlling my body. Henry flicked a few switches and the club transformed into a mystical dark pit with sparkling red and pink lights that cast beautiful, swirling pattern across the stage. The poles gleamed and music flowed out of the speakers in the ceiling. I take a deep breath, and clambered up, gripping the pole tightly with both hands. I swayed my hips to the beat. Men of all ages and races showered me with one dollar bills. I only had limited repertoire of sexy moves. So I emulated the moves of a petite, red- haired girl standing not far from me wearing knee- high lace up boots and a tight black dress. A couple minutes later, the lights back on.

Henry compliments me on my performance at the club tonight. He urges me to strongly consider doing that full time. I immediately regretted the idea thinking that kind of lifestyle is degrading and it would be appalling for my mom to find me wasting away my life in strip clubs. It takes numerous arguments for me to reluctantly agree to start stripping. Going into the first night on the job, I did not know what to expect. Henry tells me to relax and let the music take over. He also recommend that I take a few shots of tequila. I just focused on the music while dancing. The men in the club made a request for me to go fully naked. I obliged unwrapping myself. I am instantly stricken with shame. I gathered my clothes before stumbling back stage to the changing room. I put my face in my palm and cried while thinking when and why did things go so wrong, so quickly. I phoned Henry to express my extreme displeasure of the experience. Nothing mattered at that time, I just wanted a little respect to my name. He seemed not to care and suggested that I give it another try but I had been adamant and insisted that I would never do a thing like this again. In no time he storms back stage angrily. He raised his fist and punches me in the face. I fell to the ground covering my face with my hand. My eyes widen at him as I looked up at him in horror, dismay and utter shock.

Henry hauls and pulls me into his car, driving straight home. He then locks me inside the room, and in walked Eric Pettis. He forced me to sleep with him. When he decided that he has had his fill, he pulls out of me. Henry pimps me out to his friends and strangers. Tears prick my eyes as I noticed the queue of men outside the bedroom. The men would walk into the room and have sex with me often, without condom and without saying a word. Even with blurred vision, I could see the exchanging going on by the door between Henry and the other men. At this point in my life, I just wanted to end my life but when I really think about it. I had my baby to live for. Too weak to fight Henry, I planned an escape in my head. The ordeal continues every night for a week.

"Coya, Coya, Coya wake up" I opened my eyes at the sound of my name to see the man name Arashudi Rahman towering over me. "Get up quickly" he whispered, helping me to my feet. He opens the door for me and I run for my life not looking back.

I run in the blazing sun, alongside the bushes that lined the highway until it connected to a bus stop. Since, I had no money for bus fare. I had no other option than to beg in hopes of a passerby feeling sorry for me. An old lady hands me a twenty dollar bill, I looked at her with much gratitude as I hurried to get on the number 15 bus to Miami.