PRETTY FLOWER - by Khadijah Mohammed

Chapter two Do not bite the hand that feedsSix months, three weeks and four days… that was how long she had been there. Amber started from the bottom. She had scrubbed the floors, washed the toilets, change the sheets in every room used by the girls, until one day, a man paid handsomely for one night. By morning, the client was satisfied. Madame Loranne knew she needed teaching, on how to be seductive, how to be one of her top girls. Amber spent hours watching the best of Loranne’s women please these men. And when they were happily pleased, they would give Madame Loranne a fat tip, their stay at the crystal room would never change. It made her Amber excited knowing that she would soon be one of those women that would make men tremble at her feet. She would have her own money, she would be independent . She wanted it all, after all the world was ugly, you just have your beauty in the ugliness. On a random day, when she was done with her daily classes, she saw him, a young boy, someone of her age. He was carrying a bucket of water. She didn’t realize she had been staring at him for long. It wasn’t until he turned around and their eyes locked that she realized she was staring. He smiled at her and at once, she took her face away. This wasn’t the first time she had seen him. There were times she had seen him talking to the other men in the Madame Loranne’s house. He was in charge of the anything the women couldn’t do like carrying heavy things, getting rid of difficult clients. She could call him, the handyman. She knew that every day for an hour, he would go to Madame Loranne’s room. He would come out like freshened up, his face would still be wet. She knew what was going on there but she didn’t care. She had never spoken to him but the attraction she felt for this man wasn’t anything she had felt before. She didn’t realize when she had started trying to get his attention. When some of the workers were too busy, she thought of calling his name; Timothy, that was his name. She would pull up her skirt, and other times, she would wear a much more revealing blouse, only when he was around. Everything seemed to not work until one day, it did. He finally noticed her. When he would go to the market, he would buy her Roses. She loved them He would tell her she was beautiful ,he would help her with her chores and when it was late, they would sneak off together and spend time, she was in love with him and he was with her. He treated her in a way that no man had ever. It no longer mattered to her that he was sleeping with Madame Loranne, he told her he loved her and that was all that mattered. This went on for several months. She was happier than she ever was. When she asked him to leave the brothel with her and he agreed, she was excited. They were going to to start their lives afresh, with their child. But it was short-lived. The madame found out. Someone reported to Madame. So she waited for them at the storage house, where Amber and Timothy would always meet. The moment she saw Amber walk in, that was all the confirmation she needed. She told her workers to drag Amber by her by the hair and into the courtyard. Timothy was no where to be seen. “You have guts you know” Madame said as pulled out the whip. “You wanted a piece of what I eat?” Madame hissed. “So be it.” The whip cracked. Her skin flamed red — not enough to bruise, of course. The clients still had to find her beautiful. From that day, Madame gave her the worst clients, the violent, vicious ones and moved her out of the crystal room. Even after she gave birth, Madame didn’t stop. Amber named her, Rose.

Other insights from Khadijah Mohammed

Referral Earning

Points-to-Coupons