Akari laughs, and I help myself to both jelly and custard. I’m fucking starving. And if I’m heading to Faerie, I no longer need to worry about keeping my body thin and firm.
Akari grabs a bottle of water from the fridge for me, and we make our way over to Akari’s small friendship circle.
The two women look up as we approach, wearing friendly and curious smiles.
“Delta, this is Jasmin and Jabira.”
Jasmin is young; she couldn’t possibly be out of high school. She has blonde hair, which she has tied into a neat ponytail, and a creamy complexion. Her heart-shaped face is honest, yet I’m picking up a certain shyness as I spy a pink blush creeping along her fair cheeks.
Jabira is a contrasting opposite. Her rich, dark skin is as beautiful as the mop of tight curls that frame her face. She’s strongly built and has known a life of hardship, if the muscular arms and calloused hands were anything to go by. She was older than the rest of us and had an air of maturity to her.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all, though the circumstances are shit,” I say as I plop myself down next to Akari. The girls laugh, though a little sadly. “Where are you all from?”
“I am from Khaya La Bantu,” Jabira says in a strong accent. Her voice is robust, throaty, and oddly attractive. “We are a cultural village in South Africa. I was a dancer and made beaded jewelry during the tourist seasons.”
“And during the down season?” I ask through a mouthful of my sandwich, completely lost in my curiosity about the vastly different cultures we come from.
Jabira’s shoulders sag slightly, and I think I’ve asked the wrong question. But she regains her composure quickly.
“We all helped around the village, collecting water, schooling the children, preparing meals, and the like. My husband…” she trails off, looking sad. “He was never the same after our daughter died. He wanted to start afresh in the city. We had no money, though. So he sold me. I agreed it was for the best. Our son is nearing manhood. He deserves to have advantages that my husband and I did not.”
My heart sinks at her revelation. Not only had she been a mother and a wife, she had also lost a child. I couldn’t even imagine the pain she must be in.
I reach for the hand she rests on the table. She grips mine even as I grip hers. Our eyes meet, and she smiles and nods, accepting the comfort I am trying to give.
After a moment of silence, Akari speaks up.
“I am from Tokyo, Japan,” she says, and I turn to hear her story, not letting my grip on Jabira loosen. “My parents are both CEOs of separate organizations. I have an older brother who is following strongly in their footsteps. I, however, have always been a bit of a disappointment to them.” Her seemingly always bright face darkens as her sadness attempts to steal the show. “My grades were never perfect. I wasn’t top of the class. The final straw was… well, I came clean to them about my sexuality. I’m about to… orwasabout to… start college. My girlfriend and I were moving in together, finally. We have been together secretly for years. Coming out to her parents was a breeze. But being a lesbian was an enormous burden to my parents. It caused them great shame. I guess this is their retribution. They don’t need the money. They just wanted me to be important to the family name. I’ll be grieved as a Chosen instead of a lesbian. In their eyes, they’ve only won.”
I can’t help but pull Akari into my arms as a tear slides down her face. She leans in and takes what little comfort I can give before pulling back and smiling at me.
Jasmin takes a deep breath before starting her story.
“I’m from LA. My parents both died a few years ago. My older sister has been caring for me as well as she can. She has sacrificed so much. I hate that she had to give up on her dreams to look after me. So I… volunteered. The money they were offering will give Jackie the jump start she needs. She can live her dream now. And I will no longer be her burden.”
Jasmin cries in earnest. Jabira quickly gathers Jasmin into a warm, motherly embrace and holds her tight. I can’t hear what she whispers inJasmin’s ear, but eventually her sobs weaken and she raises her head to give us all an apologetic smile before turning an expectant look towards me.
Right, it’s my turn. Where do I even start?
“Well, I’m a New Yorker, myself. And I’m still trying to figure out how I got here. I mean, I guess my dad sold me. It’s the only logical explanation. He kept going on about how the money was going to give him a fresh start.” I snort. “He’s too thick into the gambling and drink to get out of it again. In less than a month, the cash will be gone, leaving him just as lost as before. I hope the image of me being dragged away from him haunts him forever. He doesn’t fucking deserve a clean break.”
The girls raise their eyebrows at my vehemence, but Jabira and Akari’s eyes tell me they feel it too. The anger. The resentment. The despair. Jasmin certainly feels the last, but her self-sacrifice is so damn honorable.
Ding, ding, dong.
I wince as the overly happy robot Karen announces that lunch period will be over in five minutes.
I quickly shovel down the rest of my sandwich, disappointed I hadn’t gotten to my jelly and custard in time.
“They’ll let you take the dessert back to your room,” Akari says after her humor at my ravenous demolishing of the sandwich seeps away. “You just can’t take cutlery.”
We both wince. Was I willing to eat jelly and custard with just my fingers? Abso-fucking-lutely. But damn, it was going to get messy.
“And the water bottle?” I mumble through my still-full mouth.
“Yes, water is fine to take, also,” Jabira says.
I smile and nod in thanks, finally swallowing my mouthful.
