Junior wakes Liyana up in the early hours of the morning, just as the sun begins creeping back into the space. He informs her that he has to leave.

“I will be back for you tonight,” he reassures her.

Big Mike is stationed outside the room, waiting to collect the key from Junior and shove it into his pocket. Thulisiwe barges in moments later, holds up the toiletry bag and urges Liyana to follow her to the shower. The water soothes Liyana after a good night’s sleep.

“Your client looked happy,” Thulisiwe notes on their way back, “How was your first night.”

“Not as bad as I imagined,” Liyana answers dryly.

“It gets easier,” Thulisiwe says.

“How have you been surviving in a place like this?” Liyana asks as she pushes the door closed behind them.

True to Big Mike’s promise, Liyana finds her dress on the bed and she is more than relieved to get out of the silver garment.

“I have my ways,” Thulisiwe pulls out a small bottle from her bra before she offers it up, “Take it and hide it.”

Liyana reluctantly accepts and studies it.

“Hide it,” Thulisiwe whispers harshly.

“Okay!” Liyana snaps back. “Are you going to tell me what it is?”

Liyana paces around the room before she finds a sweet spot behind the toilet.

“I can’t tell you that. Anyway, you pour a few drops into a client’s drink and it will knock them right out. They will wake up with no memory of what happened,” Thulisiwe answers.

“You want me to drug people?” Liyana asks, appalled by the suggestion.

“I want you to defend yourself!” Thulisiwe cannot suppress her outrage. “We are being forced to live like animals. Your morals won’t help you in here.”

“All right.”

“How has my mother been?” Thulisiwe shifts the conversation.

“Your mother, uhm …” Liyana times her response, “your mother passed away. When you ran away, she spent the first two years searching for you. When she couldn’t find you, the grief took her.”

The news knocks the wind out of Thulisiwe and she shrinks onto the bed.

“I did not run away,” Thulisiwe begins, “Dalia offered me a job right after I finished my matric. She brought me to this place, just as she did with you and the other girls. She told me that I was pretty enough to hustle up money and that I would be taken care of. I didn’t know that she would sell me into prostitution.”

“What happened to the others?” Liyana is almost afraid to ask.

“They were either killed or sold off to other places. Places that are worse than this.” Thulisiwe stubbornly wipes a tear away, “I have a plan though. I am not going to die in here.”

“What plan?”

“That doesn’t matter. I have to go,” Thulisiwe hops to her feet.

Liyana cannot summon up any words of comfort, so she lets her leave.

*****

That night, Thulisiwe does not make it to the podium. Liyana gets caught up in searching for her among the strange faces and forgets to take note of her buyer. That is until a hand circles around her wrist and she realises that it is not Junior. He isn’t at the corner table either. The man drags her off the podium. He carries a bottle of whiskey and reeks of alcohol.

“Come on!” he roars as he staggers towards the stairs.

When they get to the room, he impatiently shoves her in. He pauses to search himself and laughs, noting that he forgot the key to lock them in.

“Hold this,” he pushes the bottle into her arms and turns back.

Liyana seizes the opportunity to fetch the small bottle from the hiding spot in the room. She forgets Thulisiwe’s warning and empties the entire bottle into the whiskey. When the man returns, he grabs his whiskey and downs it. He cannot taste the difference, she thinks.

“Today you have me, Sergeant Mhlongo,” he pokes his chest. “Dalia told me all about you. I wanted to meet you before they sell you off again. Come over here.”

Liyana boldly refuses to entertain his desires. His happy drunk smile quickly becomes a sneer and he teeters towards her. Liyana nervously backs away. The effects of the drug kick in and the sergeant stops. He grabs hold of his head, complains of nausea and retreats to the bed. He mutters a few curses before he passes out. Liyana searches him but cannot find a cellphone. Defeated, she spends the rest of the night nervously biting her fingernails and watching him. He is so out of it, he doesn’t stir.

***

Tell us: Do you think Liyana did the right thing? What do you think of Junior now that he hasn’t come as promised?