The Baby Trade part 2 (A Summer Black serial)
by Jochem Vandersteen
Tina was leaning
against my car when I walked up the parking place. She was smoking a cigarette.
I used to smoke too, until I decided if I was going to quit my addictions I’d
really quit them, booze and cigarettes included. I really didn’t miss them
either, luckily preventing me from becoming one of those ex-smokers that became
some kind of smoking Nazi’s, scolding anyone for lighting up in front of them.
“Thanks for the
wait,” I told her.
“Thanks for
telling me where to wait,” she said.
I grabbed my
keys and opened the car door. “Get in, it’s cold.”
She put out her
cigarette and sat down in the passenger seat, right next to me.
“So, what’s the
story. Why do you need my help?”
“It’s about my
baby… A year and a half ago I got pregnant. Busted rubber in combination with
being too sick to keep the pill in my stomach. Should I have been working that
day? Of course not. My pimp doesn’t tolerate sick days though. He demands I
bring home the bacon every day, no matter how I’m feeling.”
“Just as much an
asshole as most pimps I know. What’s his name?”
“Donnie Brooks.”
I knew him.
“He’s been in the business for a long time. Fucking prick.”
“Yeah… Anyway, I
decided to keep the baby. Didn’t want anything from the daddy, wasn’t going to
put any effort in convincing a john to take care of the kid or help me out with
the money. I tried to combine my work with taking care of my little baby, my
dear Charlene, for a few months but decided that wasn’t a good idea. The
lifestyle I was leading was leading me straight to hell and I didn’t want
Charlene to grow up without a mommy like I did.”
“Good for you.
So you quit hooking?”
“Yeah. Kicked
the habit. Tried to find a job. Found one too, callcenter work, but I could do
that from home so I could take care of Charlene. Donnie wouldn’t put up with it
though. He beat me up twice.”
I noticed I
clenched my fist. Assholes like that had beaten me up a lot times as well. In
the Army they taught me how to fight back though.
“I wouldn’t give
in though. I took the fucking beatings and stayed at home with my baby. Then,
one day he came in and just took my little girl. I fought him like a tiger but
he’s just too big and strong. He took my baby, Summer!”
“Did you go to
the cops?”
“How could I?
You know what would happen. They know I used to be a hooker. They’d take my
baby from me. They wouldn’t believe I’m clean now.”
“I guess you’re
right. Sounds better than her being with Donnie, though.”
“He told me he
will give her back to me if I start working for him again. I can’t do that… I
don’t want to go back to that.”
I squeezed her
hand. “That’s brave. What do you want me to do?”
“I’ve heard
stories about how you can stand up to the pimps. You’re not scared of them…
Can’t you go to Donnie and get my baby back?”
I combed my hair
with my fingers. Thought about it. Donnie was a pretty tough and mean sonofabitch,
he wouldn’t hand over the baby to me without a fight. That could mean bruises,
maybe a broken nose or something for me. Fights are like that. It wouldn’t look
good, showing up at work looking like that. I couldn’t allow that baby to stay
in his hands though. And I did feel the urge to kick that asshole’s ass. For
what he did to Tina, but also for what guys like him did to me in the past. If
I wasn’t going to stand up to the guy, who would.
I said, “Sure.
Sure, I’ll get Charlene back for you.”
Tina gave me a
hug, saying a thousand thank-yous. I just hoped I’d be able to make good on my
promise.
TO BE CONTINUED
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