Animal husbandry; grazing.

Animal husbandry is one of the most profitable businesses in Kampala, with many people taking it up  on the side to earn an extra buck. As of October 2015, the inflation rate lies at 8.8%. This has forced many people to take on other jobs.

What some people don't anticipate is how expensive this business is, compared to a few years ago. With an estimated population of 1.6million in Kampala, space is a problem. There is little greenery left, as many buildings and slums spring up in every free space available. Rural areas have large grass fields that many of the animals can graze from freely. In Kampala hovewver, animal owners can't let them wander around neighbourhoods as the risk confiscation from authorities or damaging property.

The owners have to rear these animals on their own property, like fields or back yards. This leads to over grazing and owners have to look for banana peelings, which are sometimes sold at a price set by the seller. A cow for instance can feed on about a sack of peelings a day.

Despite feeding and medical expenses, animal is a business that pays off well. For example; a goat can go for UGX 150,000 and a cow ranges from UGX 300,000-500,000. A litre of cow milk goes for UGX 1,600.

The 69 (part 3)

Daisy loved her daddy so much and her dad had an eye for her; she was daddy’s little girl. Stacy on the other hand, being the older sister, was mummy’s favourite. The parents never bothered hiding this distinction. Which often made their other sibling Tasha feel like the ugly duckling. Although Tasha was always quiet and by herself many a times, she was informed about all the little secrets in the house. She knew everyone’s dirty secret but no one suspected that she did know.

She knew her father was a sneaky despicable bastard despite the subtleties he exuded that were oblivious to everyone but Tasha. Her mother wasn’t the saint that they the rest all gullibly believed. Daisy was just a teenager trying to fit in with her peers through lies and feigns; they weren’t as rich as she would claim. Stacy had had two abortions in the past one year but told no one at home. Since no one ever gave attention to Tasha’s whereabouts, Stacy didn’t hear her pass by her open room door as she sobbingly narrated her ordeal to her best friend; who later picked her up to go to the clinic under the disguise of a party.

Daisy groggily forced her eyelids open. Her head felt heavy and ached with immense pain. She lay on the cold cracked cement screed floor with a little blood leeching from her flayed left leg just above the ankle. She sat up slowly and held her spinning head between her palms. With squinted eyes, she inspected the room as she tried to make out where she was and more so what had happened. The small room had nothing but her. It reeked of death. Its walls were of fair faced bricks, not plastered and had blood stains with decayed flesh on it. There was a small window in the wall opposite the worn flush door. A dirty curtain hung from the top of the window and was slightly pulled back to let in a small ray of light and fresh air. She rose amidst pain and held onto the window ceiling as a contrivance to escape through the window. Enthusiastically, she fully drew the curtain only to be stopped by the burglar proofing. About to scream for help, she noticed the high wall that faced the window. She knew she was trapped.

Desperate and frightened, Daisy ran to door and attempted to push it open but to no avail. After 10 minutes of trying, she turned and placed her back to the door. Slowly, she slid down into a mound and buried her head between the knees. There, she sobbed for what seemed like an hour before her memory jarred.

David and the two big macho men sat outside the small room drinking beer to pass time; which room was only used to incarcerate their victims. They had seen so many young girls in that room who never came out alive. ‘’The 69’’ was not just an ordinary guest house. It was owned by the supreme. Both the receptionist and gateman were phonies; in that even though the victims screamed their lungs out, it was guaranteed that no one would ever come to their rescue.

The procedures and orders which never altered hailed from the supreme that none of them knew. All the three men knew was that there were so many parties involved in the business; including some influential people in the state. David did all the dirty work. He was a valet to the big bellied man, Dobido. Due to his good looks and charm, he was in charge of getting the girls and bringing them to ‘’The 69’’ where everything went down. As a bonus, his allowance constituted having sex with the girls. Dobido, who funded David, was second to the supreme. He had the final hand with the girls depending on the orders he received; whether to kill them, sever parts or organs from their bodies. Thereafter, he would deliver them as required. These parts and organs would then be sold, which 60% of the money would be given to the clients. It was mandatory for the clients to pay a small lump sum on request. If the plan was compromised in anyway, the girls would be killed to erase any evidence. The two macho men were his bodyguards.

‘’Hey!!!’’ Dobido shouted from the gate to get their attention. They all turned. ‘’Is she awake?’’ he 

asked.

‘’Yes. Like an hour ago’’ David shot back.

‘’Okay. The boss has arrived’’. The three men gave each other a quizzical look.

‘’Did he say boss?’’ one of the macho guys whispered to David.

‘’I heard that too’’ David replied confusedly. They all straightened up and with their fingers brushed through their one inch thick black hair. Then, hid all the beer bottles under the wooden chairs. Just when they were done, two casually dressed men, about 40years of age came through the gate with Dobido leading the way. David thought one of them looked familiar. Although his memory failed him, he couldn’t help notice how tense and fidgety the man looked. He kept looking around in shame.

‘’Gentlemen’’ Dobido said pleasantry to the two gentlemen. ‘’This is David, my valet. Without him, business would not be as successful’’

‘’Nice to meet you, Si….rs’’ David stammered and held out his hand in greeting to the two gentlemen who returned the handshake one after another.

‘’And these are my two bodyguards, John and Paul’’ Dobido continued. ‘’David, Paul and John meet my boss Mr. Emara’’ he extended a hand in direction to the second gentleman, who had an intense, brooding quality about him. ‘’And Mr. Tinde’’ he said in direction to the rather odd gentleman.

David retrieved the key from his pocket and opened the door. Daisy was curled up in the left corner of the room with her head buried between the knees. She was barefooted and her dress was drenched with dirt. The room proclaimed decay and death. Mr. Tide almost gagged when he saw her all wretched.

‘’There she is Mr. Tinde’’ Dobido said. At the sound of the name, Daisy quickly lifted up her head and was agape with astonishment.

‘’DADDY!’’ she exclaimed. He looked at her motionless as he tried to fight back the tears. She got up and rushed to hug him with relief but pushed her away.

‘’I think we should give these two a minute of privacy’’ Mr. Emara told the other men. David, whose mind had now pieced the puzzle together, stood in shock. He was disgusted by the actions of a father giving her daughter away for worldly pleasures; money. Usually the clients who sought their services, asked for other people’s daughters. Not family. And in such cases where one sacrificed their daughter, they would get at least 80% of the money from the sales. David’s orders had been to get a particular girl which he found odd as they had never been specific before. Dobido, though was hidden in the crowd, had showed David where Daisy was seated. Everything had been planned out in advance.

‘’Daddy, what’s wrong’’ she queried. Mr. Tinde’s Adam’s apple moved up and down as he swallowed hard with guilt.

‘’I’m sorry sweetie. It’s for the best. I’m sorry you had to be…’’ he hesitated. ‘’...the gage.’’ He paused and placed her hand in his. ‘’We need the money. I just came to say goodbye. I love you Daisy’’ he said softly and then turned quickly to the door.

‘’Daddy please don’t leave me’’ she begged in tears. He walked straight out of the room and to the car outside the gate neither turning back nor saying a word to anyone. David immediately, shut the door in her face and locked it.

“Must have been tough in there’’ Mr. Emara commented. ‘’Dobido, I hope you have the tools ready?’’ he probed.

‘’Errm…..’’ Dobido looked at David.

‘’You know the drill. Deliver by midnight’’ Mr. Emara instructed. ‘’You have about 6 hours. That is more than enough’’ he turned and left.

Daisy crawled up in the corner and wept bitterly. She couldn’t believe her ever loving father would do that to her. This day was supposed to be her first date; Sweet memories that she would keep away in a journal forever and obviously brag about to her friends. Instead, “The 69’’ was where dark days and darker deeds would haunt her for the rest of her life.

‘’Daisy!’’ she heard someone whisper. She ceased crying and tried to listen carefully.

‘’Daisy!  Over here, at the window’’ the voice came again. She got up and walked to the window before her eyes widened in shock.

‘’Tasha!!!’’ she shouted.

‘’Shhhh….!!’’ Tasha warned.

‘’Please get me out of here. Daddy wants to kill me. I don’t want to die little sis. Please get me out of…’’

‘’Okay! Slow down. I’m going to get you out of here’’ she interrupted her.

‘’Hurry up please’’ she begged.

‘’I’ll be right back’’

Outside the room, Dobido was blaming David and his body guards for not having the tools ready. He tagged them bumblers and useless. This, the three man did not take lightly. The altercation went out of control as they all complained to Dobido their now accumulated grievances. David claimed that he did most of the work so he shouldn’t be responsible for the tools too. John and Paul complained of the little pay Dobido chipped in for them and also wanted in on the bonus David enjoyed; having sex with the girls.

‘’I’ve given you everything you pathetic twerps of servants’’ Dobido shouted. ‘’I can take away all your privileges’’ he threatened.

‘’Which privileges you bastard?’’ Paul shot back. ‘’ You’re such a mean contemptible son of a bitch’’.

‘’And what are you going to do about it, huh? Dobido bragged

‘’oh…okay…watch this’’ John said.

The three men rounded up Dobido and started punching him hard. Dobido struggled but they held him fast. Paul’s podgy hands moved like lightning, delving up under Dobido’s coat to let loose his belt from the trousers. Dobido howled as his trousers were pulled off him and badly ripped in the process.  He begged for mercy when he realized his incapacity to overpower them. His coat was then wrenched off, his shirt next and ties leaving him only in drawers and shoes. Dobido finally broke free and ran towards the gate. The three raging men ran after him as they wanted to kill him. All this while, Tasha had been watching with one eye from the corner of the house.

Tasha knew what to do but had no key. She eye searched the place till she saw a long flat piece of metal lying in the compound. Quickly, she got it and stuck it between the door and the frame. With all the little energy she had coursing through her 12 year old body; she pushed the hard piece of metal. After several attempts, the door finally fell open. Quickly she grabbed Daisy, who was ready for the sprint, by the hand and fled for their lives. They hid in some scrubs several kilometers away from the guest house wherein Tasha narrated to Daisy how she had found her. Having been worried sick when Daisy hadn’t returned home, Tasha knew that something was wrong and that their daddy had something to do with it. This she knew from a mysterious phone call he had received that evening and when the line went dead, he looked flushed and sweaty. She had then hid in the backseat of the car to see where he was going. And that’s how she had got there. There was no gateman so she stood outside the gate and peeped. She had seen their father entering a room and the door close behind him. Quiet like always, she had managed to get to the back of the house and looked through the window.

‘’So you saw everything?’’ Daisy probed

‘’Yes…and we need to warn mummy and Stacy’’ Tasha said impatiently. And off they ran as fast as their thin identical short legs could carry them.

David was the first to return to the now open empty room. The others followed after a few minutes and found David standing outside wide eyed and motionless.

‘’Where is she?’’ Paul asked the already devastated David

‘’We are dead. The boss is going to kill us’’ David said, his head buried in his palms. ‘’She’s gone’’

‘’What do you mean she is gone?’’ John queried.

‘’She’s gone!’’ David replied, loudly this time.

John tapped Paul on the shoulder as a cue that they should take off; which they did in a split of a second.

The 69 (part 2)

‘’Are you okay Daisy? He queried mockingly.

‘’I thought we were going to have lunch’’ she mumbled, her eyes still glued to ‘’The 69’’ engraved on the house.

He sighed heavily. ‘’Of course we’ll have lunch’’ he looked at her impatiently. ‘’Let’s get inside first’’. He got out of the car and rushed to the other side. Hand placed in his, he helped her out of the car. They headed straight to the house with the two tormenting words on its fascia. He hooked her arm in his as they approached the house; the reception.

‘’Hello David! Nice to see you again’’ the receptionist grinned before handing him a key.

David winked at him. ‘’Please send some red wine and canned soda to our room. My girl needs to hydrate before we…errrmm’’ he turned to her and licked his lips with a smile. To which she turned her head away in disgust.

‘’Right away sir!’’

Daisy’s thoughts were now whirling and her senses numb as he dragged her along by the arm still hooked in his. They walked past two houses before they got to their room. It had a discomforting silence that gripped her. She almost ran when he was opening the door but tightly grasped her hand just in time.

‘’Ouch!’’ she yelped. ‘’You’re hurting me’’ she frowned.

‘’I’m sorry sweetheart’’ he said while gently guiding her into the room before locking the door behind him. The room was miniscule. It had one medium sized metallic spring bed, one inch sized mattress and a small grey blanket. A small round table was flanked at the bed’s head.

‘’You should rest your bag here so it gives you no trouble’’ he said while placing his phone, car and room keys on the table.

‘’I’m fine with it right here’’ she declined. She was already contriving to escape and letting go of her bag that had her defense weapons wasn’t part of it. Nervously, she sat at the edge of the bed like she was ready to make for a run if the opportunity arose. He could tell she was frightened which he wasn’t used to. The other girls he always brought to this place were never this tense. They were more than willing to get it on with him. Maybe because they were a lot older than Daisy, he thought. ‘’But no! With the way she’s dressed, she’s probably just another one of them whores only after money. I doubt she’s even 15’’ he convinced himself. He moved closer to her and placed his hand on her lap.

‘’You look scared. Everything is going to be fine’’ he assured her and stroked her thigh gently.

There was a knock at the door and David got up to open it. Daisy couldn’t see who he talked to. She figured David intended for her not to – at least from how he opened the door – barely. He grabbed the bottle of wine, two canned sodas and two glasses from the man hurriedly before kicking the door shut with his foot. He set them at the table and immediately went back to lock the door. He pocketed the key after.

‘’I want to leave this place now David’’ she shot at him.

‘’Already?’’ he asked in astonishment. ‘’Come on. You haven’t even taken your drinks yet’’ he popped the wine bottle and filled both glasses.

‘’I don’t take alcohol’’ she declined as he handed her the glass.

‘’You can take the soda then’’ he passed her one can.

‘’I don’t want to take anything. I just want to leave now’’ she begged.

‘’But we just got here’’ he sipped on his wine and put the glass down gently. ‘’Come here’’ he held out his hands to her.

‘’For what?’’ she queried. The delusional part of her wanted her to stay in the room and comply with his sexual demands. ‘’Maybe it’s the way I look that has made him act this lustfully. He’s too hot to be a bad man. I know he loves me. He has already told me’’ she told herself. The sane part of her, the one where the little voice resided, knew that David was bad news.

‘’I want to hug you’’ he smiled. She stood up hesitantly. He pulled her closer and embraced her tightly. As she tried to break off from him, he pulled her back heftily and placed his wet lips on hers forcefully.  She finally freed herself from him and quickly rubbed her lips vigorously with the back of her hand.

‘’You bastard!!’’  She exclaimed as white hot rage erupted within her.

‘’I thought this is what you wanted. Right?’’ he probed. ‘’Come on. You’re old enough for this. Enough with the innocent act!’’. He grabbed her rump.

‘’Get your filthy hands off me you jerk!’’ she shouted as she pushed his hands away.

‘’So now they are filthy, huh?!’’ he snapped. ‘’You’re not a little girl anymore Daisy. And since you don’t want to do this the easy way, then the hard way it is’’ he gulped down the rest of the wine in the glass and croaked. ‘’Get onto the bed right now!’’ he ordered angrily.

‘’I won’t!’’ she stood her ground and looked him straight in the eyes. He laughed sarcastically.

‘’We don’t have enough time Daisy.’’

‘’The better! I want to leave this place as soon as possible anyway’’ she said confidently and folded her hands on her stomach.

He shook his head in amazement. ‘’You really don’t get it’’ he poured himself another glass and guzzled it all down his throat. He was now tipsy. ‘’There’s no way out here you fool!’’ he shot at her tiddley. Daisy’s heart was now racing. She didn’t know how to leave the room as the key was in David’s pocket. She opened her bag slowly and got her phone while he poured himself another glass. He turned just when she was about to dial.

‘’Don’t you even think about it you bitch’’ he raced to where she was and tried to grab the phone away from her. She kicked him in the stomach but he didn’t fall. He pushed her to the ground and enclosed her legs into his so she couldn’t move. Slapped her hard on the cheek and in agonizing pain, she let go of the phone. He got one of her heels at the door and smashed the blackberry at her watch. ‘’You want to get me in trouble?’’ he drowned another glass of wine. ‘’I really need this money and you won’t mess this up for me’’ he shouted at her.

‘’Which money? She was bemused.

He gazed and wagged a finger at her.  ‘’Don’t ask me questions. They’ll be here soon’’ he said drunkenly.

‘’Who?’’ she asked. Daisy was beyond scared. Scared of David; of everything.

‘’What did I tell you about asking me questions?’’ he shouted. Daisy sat in the corner of the room with tears rolling down her cheeks and shaking like a leaf. She stared at him with rage as he drank the last glass of wine. He stood up and staggered towards her.

‘’Get onto the bed now!’’ he spoke with desperate menace.

‘’Fuck you!’’ she spat at him. He shook his head. Amidst her several attempts to free herself, he grabbed her left leg and dragged her towards the bed. Lifted her and dropped her on the bed so hard that the springs almost gave away. He fell onto her and with his hands started pulling up her dress and down her knickers. Her screams and kicks went on and on.

‘’Shut up!!’’ he shouted at her. The struggle continued as he unzipped his trousers to make way for his big manly night stick. Daisy’s shrieks became more excruciating by the second. He was about to get inside of her when he heard the key lock turn. ‘’They are here!’’ he gnarled. Quickly, he jumped off her, pulled up his trousers and zipped up. The door fell wide open. Confused Daisy, whose screams had now ceased, rolled off the bed and pulled down her dress. Her eyes were red and flooded with tears. Her cheeks sodden from rolling tears.

‘’Well well well! What do we have here?’’ the big bellied man with a cigar in his right hand asked softly. He had side-by-side two big macho men dressed in black.

‘’Errm..boss..’’ David started. ‘’She’s all yours’’ he stepped aside nervously to give way for him. The big bellied man walked slowly towards Daisy. He gently pushed back her hair that was covering her face. Her previously well tied back ponytail was now in state way worse than a bird’s nest.

‘’Everything is going to be fine…’’ he hesitated and turned to David with raised eyebrows.

‘’Daisy!’’ David said immediately.

‘’Everything is going to be fine Daisy’’ he soothed her.

‘’So David, is she still a virgin?’’ stroking Daisy’s hair gently, he asked.

‘’Yes’’ David replied with face parallel to the floor.

‘’What a pity! Too bad no one will ever deflower her’’ he said. ‘’Boys, take care of her’’ he ordered and walked out of the room. The two big macho men grabbed Daisy by the arms and one of them squeezed a cloth onto her mouth and nose. She struggled, kicked and gagged till she felt all the energy drained out of her. Her Daddy’s face was the last thought she had before her mind and senses shut down.

The 69 (Part 1)

Staring at the phone on the table ringing, she bit her lip in eagerness. Revealing her excitement for his call didn’t seem like a good idea. She waited for a while; picked up on the sixth ring.

“Hey” she answered sheepishly.

“Hi darling. What are you doing today?

”Nothing really…just chilling’’

“How about lunch? He suggested enthusiastically.

“Perfect!’’ she said excitedly.

“Cool. Will pick you up in a few’’

And the line went dead.  Daisy looked at the phone with a blush that left her brown skin scarlet. Just like any other teenager excited about her first date, she dashed into her room and started rummaging through her closet like a mad man; clothes, shoes, hats and belts were flying around the room aimlessly. She finally landed on an outfit and looking at the time, it had been an hour of trying on this and that. Trying to suppress the excitement in her head, she raced to the bathroom.

Forty minutes later, the phone rang. It was him. ‘’I’m at the gate Sweetie”.

In her sleeveless little black dress stretching through the boundaries of decency but still looking elegant on her slim body, hair tied back in a ponytail, a gold bracelet that complemented her red earrings and silver necklace that ran down to her cleavage, she looked at herself in the mirror one last time. Six inch heels in one hand and pink bag in the other, she rushed out of her bedroom. Whilst in the corridor, she bumped into the last person she always dreaded meeting at such times.

“Daisy!’’ Stacy, her big sister called out. Startled daisy came to a sudden halt like a statue. ‘’Where are you going?’’ she queried as her eyes inspected Daisy from head to toe.

‘’Uhmm…to see a friend” she muttered shakily. Stacy was a hard one; rigorous. She never let her siblings out of the house without a sound reason. But this time, because her kid sister looked drop dead gorgeous with a glow in her eyes she had never seen before, she let it go. Besides, she had seen the car parked outside the gate which made it no secret that her sister was not meeting a “friend”. And judging from her outfit, made it crisp clear that this was her first date. “Amateur!” Stacy whispered to herself.

‘’Okay. Be back before dusk or else I’m telling on you to Ma” she jibed mockingly as her lips twitched with suppressed laughter.

David was pacing around the deep blue sports car while smoking on a cigarette when she got outside the gate. He dropped the cigarette on the ground and placed his foot on it. They exchanged pleasantries and hugged before he opened the co-driver’s seat door for her.

“He has a car?” she asked herself in shock. She knew she had to give more thought on her suspicions of this man possessing such a posh ride let alone own any car at that, given his profession. But the car had an exotic interior she had only seen in movies. Like any other girl, she thought it was just paranoia and anxiety. She gave no thought to it. The car engine sputtered and chuffed. If the suspicions were at the front of her brain before, they were now at the back of it. David swerved the car and whisked them away in a flash.

They had met at a concert seven days ago. Daisy was seated at the edge of the crowd with her best friend Tina when he saw them. He was taking pictures. Daisy’s dazzling big eyes looked like diamonds he wanted to keep for himself. Her ravishing face and poise that was outstanding from the crowd had made his lower body ache from tension.

Click! He took a picture of her heedless. Her laugh echoed through the noise of the crowd and she had the whitest set of teeth he’d ever seen. Click! Click! He took more pictures. This time she noticed.

“Hey! What the fuck?” she shouted.

Click!                                                                                                                                     

“Excuse me Sir?” “Tina, I think this dude wants trouble” she said furiously. Tina laughed like she always did in such scenarios.

“But you know you’re a beauty. Dude is just appreciating’’ and she laughed more.

Click!

‘’I hate you Tina’’

“You can’t hate me for telling you the truth sweetie’’ she retorted

Click! Click! Click! Click! David went on without a care of her rants and the middle finger she kept showing him. In fact, he loved the angry Daisy. She looked super gorgeous and the photographs were amazing. She was the best subject he’d ever taken pictures of.

“So, stalker, I’m not paying for any of those photographs you just took’’ she said contemptibly.

Click!

‘’Who said you were going to pay for anything?’’ he smiled. Tina who was now all stitches from laughing at their unorthodox conversation shoved her elbow onto Daisy’s arm in a don’t-even –think-of-messing-up-this-one way.

“You know I’m going to need a sponsor  for later on drinks while you sleep away at home’’ Tina whispered.

“But Tina!” she scoffed.

Click! Click!

‘’Okay, I’m Daisy.’’ She shot at him

“David. You’re so beautiful Daisy’’ he smiled at her

“David, will you please stop taking my pictures?’’

“Only if you give me your number’’

Click! Click!

“Fine!’’ she said after a long thought. And gave Tina a you’re-going-to-pay-for-this-later look before giving him the number. However nagging he had been, she thought he was fairly good looking. He was tall. He had a great beak of a nose, like a prey of some sort she thought. And yet he exuded gentleness. His fingers were long with nails that gleamed whitely at their tips.

‘’I’m sorry sweetness but I have to run. Will call you later tonight’’ David walked away briskly.

“Yeah, cool!’’ she smirked.

‘’Have you seen those biceps? Lord have mercy. You’ve hit the jack pot!!’’ wide eyed Tina shot at Daisy as soon as David was out of sight. Daisy laughed sheepishly in agreement.

Daisy had to leave early that evening; curfew. They hugged and laughed crazily all the way to her cab. Later that night, David had called like he’d said. He called her every other day after that and they’d talk for hours. She had declined all meeting arrangements because of her stringent big sister Stacy. His constant demands of them meeting every time he called didn’t make it any easier. She didn’t want to lose this one. He was her first boyfriend. He was older. Ten years older than her. But she didn’t care. In fact, it thrilled her. Dating older guys was like having a new Chanel or Louis Vuitton collection at her school; instant idolization. Like any other 15 year old at the peak of puberty with numerous fantasies created from hearsay, movies, magazines and romance novels, all anticipated to grow to reality. She decided to take off her “Miss goodie two shoes’’ tiara and give up the title. If she wanted to pursue this relationship with David, she had to rebel and defy some rules; which she gladly did in a heartbeat and so far, luckily got away with.

‘’You look gorgeous’’ David glanced at her luscious thighs before shifting his eyes back to the road.

‘’Thank you’’ she blushed.

‘’I’m so happy to be here with you, next to you’’ he grinned widely while placing his hand into hers and briefly staring into her innocent eyes.

‘’Uhmm…yeah, me too” she feigned a smile nervously. Not because she wasn’t happy to be there. She had noticed how salaciously he had been staring at her thighs and body since she got into the car.

‘’I know a perfect place where we can go’’

‘’Where is that?’’ she looked at him quizzically.

‘’You’ll see. We’re almost there.’’ He smiled excitedly. The little voice in her head that always alerted her when trouble was ahead was now echoing hard. Something was wrong and she knew it. First it was the cool car this ‘’camera guy’’ owned, then the lewd way he looked at her and now the ‘’perfect place’’ he refuses to disclose.

It wasn’t long before her fears were confirmed.

They stopped at a red gate. The gateman opened and smiled at her, looked at David and winked. He must be a regular, she thought. Her eyes immediately searched the place for a restaurant, bar or barbecue. All her eyes could see were these several tenement houses arranged in no specific pattern. ‘’The 69’’ in bold black letters was written on the fascia of the house in the centre.

‘’What’s this place David?’’ she swallowed hard, her Adam’s apple slowly going up and down.

‘’It’s a guest house honey’’ he grinned as he placed his hand on her right thigh and caressed it gently.

Eyes wide open, heart beating twice faster and sweaty palms, Daisy froze.