Becky had served five men by the time her shift came to an end. Two of them had paid fifty Euros while three paid forty.She was supposed to wrap it up by 5:30 am. It was now ten minutes past time. She left the room and mounted up the stairs to the shower rooms. After washing, she then slid back into her red dress and came to the bar. She had to clear with Rosa before proceeding home.Other girls were waiting to be cleared too. She was shown into a seat by a waiter who informed her that she would be served after the African girl in a blue dress. Meanwhile, an energy drink was placed on her table.She took stock of the other girls in the room. They were fifteen of them. Most of them were white. There were four Africans and she was the fifth one. Perhaps she was the oldest among them they all looked so young and innocent.Rosa had moved from her usual seat to the counter. The girls walked up to her in turns and paid their dues just as the other customers paid for their drinks.When
With the knowledge of the injustices that were being perpetrated against them, Becky kept cooperating with her molesters, just as the other girls were doing. She kept paying her debt, faithfully and diligently and sharing the proceeds of her work with her mother and her kids while keeping her painful emotions bottled up within herself. She sought friendship from among the other girls at the place of work, sharing their part of the story. And it was the same thing; confiscated passport, debt and sexual slavery. What broke her heart was the troubling realization of the age of the majority of the colleague girls. She was among the few adults who could be counted as having full responsibility for their actions. But the others were just kids who were being clearly defiled and abused. And the network kept extending and getting deeply rooted and diverse, with the booming sex industry. It got to a point where they were being advertised on the internet. Sometimes pictures of their naked bodi
After the meal, Tom led Becky to a room he had booked. It was just a simple single room with a bed and a couch. Becky sat on the couch while Tom took the bed."I hope you are comfortable."“Yeah, am good.”"You are probably wondering what it is I want to talk to you about. I am an investigative journalist working with CNN," he said fishing out a document and handing it over to Becky to verify that he wasn't lying about his identity. Becky grabbed the document and took a moment to study it. Then she gave it back."We have information concerning what is going on in the place I found you and I am on a fact finding mission to establish the truth."Becky thought about it. She was not sure whether it was safe. She had come to learn that those people in there were bad. They were capable of doing anything to protect their reputation.Tom saw that Becky was hesitant. "Are you afraid of something?""Yeah. If I tell you anything I will risk my life in the process.""I will protect you
The case was taken up by Interpol. Mr. Owen was arrested and tried in Belgium. Dennis was not spared. He was deported to Kenya and was arrested at the airport.Becky was taken to the Kenyan embassy in Belgium where she received a queenly receptionKenya had recently enacted a counter-trafficking in persons act. And criminal proceedings were instituted against Dennis so that he became among the first to be found on its wrong side. Becky appeared in court to testify against him. She was not even sure whether she was being fair. The man had come to her aid in her darkest moments; when she thought she had lost it all.But then again he did her wrong by taking advantage of her situation for his own benefit; by selling her to Mr. Owen. It was okay for him to face justice. He pushed Becky into crossing boundaries she never imagined she would cross and pocketed a lot of money in the process.Becky could not wait to go home. The case had been adjourned. It would come up again in three mont
Becky earned a lot from the government job she had landed. Having built a house for her mother with the money she had earned during her stay in Belgium. She now needed to concentrate on educating her two children Claudia and Baraka. But Baraka still had a year or two before he could enroll in a nursery school.She inquired about Kiplimo. Her mother told her that the last time she heard about Kiplimo was when the boy was having a farewell party at her father’s house before joining Moi University for his undergraduate degree course. Becky missed him so much and thought about going to Moi University to look for him. But her schedule was so tight that the little time she got during the weekends was barely enough for his mother and her two kids.One weekend, a woman from the neighborhood came visiting and requested for a loan from Becky. Her name was Zeddy. She needed a thousand shillings. Becky gave her without question and she returned the money within two weeks.A month later she cam
Becky's daughter blossomed into a beautiful girl. She was such a brilliant kid who filled her heart with more hope. Hope that she would grow up to become somebody in the future. She posted good grades in school. When she got to form four. She used to tell her mother that she wanted to do her undergraduate course overseas. She had always dreamed of going to the US.The mother was troubled by this request. She feared for her daughter. She hated the idea of her daughter going through the same experience she had gone through.She remembered the other girls she had met in Belgium lured into sex trafficking by the promise of a quality education abroad. Her daughter could end up being another victim.But was she not now an ambassador in the campaign against sex trafficking? Did she not have links all over the world? Had her story not spread all over the world making her a celebrity?Her name itself would protect her daughter. She needed to suppress her fear. Her daughter would be well. S
Becky strode gracefully along a narrow path. A twenty litre barrel of water lay on her back, held steadily in place by a robe wound around it and looped about her head. Her upper body slightly leaned forward, and her eyes were glued to the path on which she trod. When she raised her head a little, to have a good view of the way, her eyes caught a glimpse of Pabonya, her husband’s venerable paternal uncle. She tensed but kept her eyes on her path and kept walking. When she sensed that she was very close to him, she looked up again and met his gaze. He was leaning against the fence, his arms folded across his chest. She noticed a weird smirk in his austere façade and her heart sunk in a sickening plunge. There was a marked difference in the way Pabonya had been treating her lately. And it sucked. Their recent meetings had been as discomforting as meeting a swarm of angry bees. “Why don’t you listen?” Pabonya started so suddenly that Becky gasped despite having anticipated this. "
Fifteen minutes later, he stood at the gateway to Becky's compound. Much to his surprise, smoke spewed out of one of the houses that served as a kitchen; a sign that she was already awake. He scanned the compound and at first, he could not see any sign of her, then he moved closer, and she came into view bent down next to a chicken coop, her back to him, washing dishes. Becky soon heard the footsteps, stood upright and turned around to face him. She paced aside from the dishes and wiped her hands dry against the leso wrapped around her lower body from the waist. She intended to shake his hand. And so, with a smile lighting up her face, she boisterously extended her hand towards him; a courteous and polite gesture. Pabonya had not expected to be treated to such a welcome sight. But still, he would not be easily entertained. He did not take her hand. Instead, he just stood still staring hard at her, a look of disdain in his eyes. This act reminded Becky how she had crossed paths with h
Becky's daughter blossomed into a beautiful girl. She was such a brilliant kid who filled her heart with more hope. Hope that she would grow up to become somebody in the future. She posted good grades in school. When she got to form four. She used to tell her mother that she wanted to do her undergraduate course overseas. She had always dreamed of going to the US.The mother was troubled by this request. She feared for her daughter. She hated the idea of her daughter going through the same experience she had gone through.She remembered the other girls she had met in Belgium lured into sex trafficking by the promise of a quality education abroad. Her daughter could end up being another victim.But was she not now an ambassador in the campaign against sex trafficking? Did she not have links all over the world? Had her story not spread all over the world making her a celebrity?Her name itself would protect her daughter. She needed to suppress her fear. Her daughter would be well. S
Becky earned a lot from the government job she had landed. Having built a house for her mother with the money she had earned during her stay in Belgium. She now needed to concentrate on educating her two children Claudia and Baraka. But Baraka still had a year or two before he could enroll in a nursery school.She inquired about Kiplimo. Her mother told her that the last time she heard about Kiplimo was when the boy was having a farewell party at her father’s house before joining Moi University for his undergraduate degree course. Becky missed him so much and thought about going to Moi University to look for him. But her schedule was so tight that the little time she got during the weekends was barely enough for his mother and her two kids.One weekend, a woman from the neighborhood came visiting and requested for a loan from Becky. Her name was Zeddy. She needed a thousand shillings. Becky gave her without question and she returned the money within two weeks.A month later she cam
The case was taken up by Interpol. Mr. Owen was arrested and tried in Belgium. Dennis was not spared. He was deported to Kenya and was arrested at the airport.Becky was taken to the Kenyan embassy in Belgium where she received a queenly receptionKenya had recently enacted a counter-trafficking in persons act. And criminal proceedings were instituted against Dennis so that he became among the first to be found on its wrong side. Becky appeared in court to testify against him. She was not even sure whether she was being fair. The man had come to her aid in her darkest moments; when she thought she had lost it all.But then again he did her wrong by taking advantage of her situation for his own benefit; by selling her to Mr. Owen. It was okay for him to face justice. He pushed Becky into crossing boundaries she never imagined she would cross and pocketed a lot of money in the process.Becky could not wait to go home. The case had been adjourned. It would come up again in three mont
After the meal, Tom led Becky to a room he had booked. It was just a simple single room with a bed and a couch. Becky sat on the couch while Tom took the bed."I hope you are comfortable."“Yeah, am good.”"You are probably wondering what it is I want to talk to you about. I am an investigative journalist working with CNN," he said fishing out a document and handing it over to Becky to verify that he wasn't lying about his identity. Becky grabbed the document and took a moment to study it. Then she gave it back."We have information concerning what is going on in the place I found you and I am on a fact finding mission to establish the truth."Becky thought about it. She was not sure whether it was safe. She had come to learn that those people in there were bad. They were capable of doing anything to protect their reputation.Tom saw that Becky was hesitant. "Are you afraid of something?""Yeah. If I tell you anything I will risk my life in the process.""I will protect you
With the knowledge of the injustices that were being perpetrated against them, Becky kept cooperating with her molesters, just as the other girls were doing. She kept paying her debt, faithfully and diligently and sharing the proceeds of her work with her mother and her kids while keeping her painful emotions bottled up within herself. She sought friendship from among the other girls at the place of work, sharing their part of the story. And it was the same thing; confiscated passport, debt and sexual slavery. What broke her heart was the troubling realization of the age of the majority of the colleague girls. She was among the few adults who could be counted as having full responsibility for their actions. But the others were just kids who were being clearly defiled and abused. And the network kept extending and getting deeply rooted and diverse, with the booming sex industry. It got to a point where they were being advertised on the internet. Sometimes pictures of their naked bodi
Becky had served five men by the time her shift came to an end. Two of them had paid fifty Euros while three paid forty.She was supposed to wrap it up by 5:30 am. It was now ten minutes past time. She left the room and mounted up the stairs to the shower rooms. After washing, she then slid back into her red dress and came to the bar. She had to clear with Rosa before proceeding home.Other girls were waiting to be cleared too. She was shown into a seat by a waiter who informed her that she would be served after the African girl in a blue dress. Meanwhile, an energy drink was placed on her table.She took stock of the other girls in the room. They were fifteen of them. Most of them were white. There were four Africans and she was the fifth one. Perhaps she was the oldest among them they all looked so young and innocent.Rosa had moved from her usual seat to the counter. The girls walked up to her in turns and paid their dues just as the other customers paid for their drinks.When
She didn’t want to do it. But Dennis would cut off her support. She had been completely dependent on his charity. He had been sending money to her mother ever since she came to stay with him. He would also send her away from his house. “Mr. Owen informed me that his offer still stands but if he doesn’t get your feedback by the end of tomorrow he will give it away,” Dennis said casually. Mr. Owen was the white man who wanted to recruit Becky. “You should have just let me know that you were Introducing me into prostitution,” Becky said struggling without success to hold back tears. “How would I have known?” “You knew. You discussed me in details. You told him that I was beautiful and best suited for the job.” “I thought, it was a hotel management job, a beautiful woman like you will make a good waitress in a hotel, a club, or a restaurant.” “Can’t you get any other job for me?” “Without a passport, I can’t.” “How will I do this without a passport?” “Mr. Owen has a way ab
Nancy described how she came home that day and found her husband lying unconscious in Becky's room; how she took the husband to a hospital; that he was admitted and treated and was discharged after one week in a stable condition. “Becky was not there when I came,” Nancy said. “At first I thought she had an ill intention to kill my husband but the motive behind her act had puzzled me. When my husband was discharged, I tried finding out from him what really happened on that day and he had refused to say a word about it. For that reason, I have come to think that perhaps Becky was not in the wrong. But what troubles me is the reason behind her running away.” “So you don’t know her whereabouts?” “I don’t. She left all her belongings in my house.” “I am looking for her. Her family is looking for her.” “I have no idea where she is. Perhaps you need to take her belongings so that when you find her it will be possible to take her home because even her passport is in my house.” Den
Whatever the case may be, she was not ready for any. She had come here to make it big in life. And that she had to achieve by whatever means.She crouched down close to Henry to check on him. Blood was oozing heavily from the injured part at high pressure like water in a punctured pipe. A pool of it had already formed on the floor around his head.She stood up and reached for her towel in the wardrobe. She tied it around his head covering the wounded area. She was hoping it was going to help stop the bleeding. She checked his pulse and a renewed hope developed within her as she felt the rhythm of his throbbing heart.She took her phone and texted Nancy, telling her to come home Henry was injured. But she could not wait for her to arrive. Having done what she could do to save his life, only one more thought remained in her mind: to get as far away from the homestead as she could. She didn't know how to face Nancy and explain the series of events that led to Henry lying unconscious a