ONE

The African kingdom of Wambazi was going through a tumultuous insurrection – one lead by ruthless rebels. The country had gained independence nearly half – a – century earlier and now decades of corruption had finally taken its toll. A sizable part of the military had split away and declared war on the ruling class, leaving a disparate faction defending the government.

While around a hundred thousand whites populated the country, they were mostly settled on large – scale farms and within urban areas. The Millers were no exception, living in a small suburb just on the fringes of the capital city.

Jenna Miller was fifteen and stunning in appearance – blonde, straight hair that reached down to her shoulders, bright, blue eyes and bow – shaped lips. And her younger sister, Carla, was just as pretty. The two girls were separated by only a year.

They had clearly inherited their looks from their parents, who were both fair and tall. Martin Miller was a successful businessman while his wife was a former model. They had met while Martin had been studying business in London.

Jenna was looking forward to continuing her studies abroad one day. She was probably going to inherit her father’s import business, but there was no hurry. She was still too young to care about such things. And her dad was only thirty – eight, so he was not going to retire any time soon.

However, the revolution was putting everyone on edge. The fighting was happening in the Northern territories, which was relatively far away from the city. But Martin Miller was taking no chances, hiring a driver to escort his two daughters to their private school.

He also started to follow the news more closely. Jenna noticed the change in his demeanour, although she pretended to be none the wiser…

Until about a month after the revolution got underway, and after she had completed her piano lessons one day, Jenna asked: “What’s wrong, dad?”

He was sitting by the desk in his room and hunched over his laptop. “Huh? What?”

She sighed. “What’s bothering you?”

He waved her off at first and smiled. “Nothing. Nothing. Everything’s fine. ”

“You sure, dad?”

“Off course. ”

Despite his affable grin, Jenna could see the worry in the man’s blue eyes. “It’s just, you’ve been hunched over your computer ever since…you know…”

“I know. The fighting has been going on for a while now. To be honest, I’m worried about our future. I’ve been talking with investors in Australia who are interested in buying my company wholesale. ”

She was shocked by the revelation. “Why, dad?”

“Because I think it’s time we left for greener pastures. How does Brisbane sound to you?”

“We’re going to Australia?”

Martin nodded. “Africa is not the place it used to be, honey. When I was young, we could afford to leave our front doors open. Now I’m concerned when you walk to the shop down the street. ”

“Is it really that bad?”

“Unfortunately, yes. I’m finalizing arrangements so we should be leaving in a month’s time. ”

“But what about my friends?” Jenna asked irately.

“Honey, I can guarantee you more whites are planning to leave. And I hear the civil war is moving towards us. Eventually the fighting will be in the streets. Do you really want to be caught in the middle?”

Jenna was crestfallen. “No, but…I grew up here. ”

“I would be a bad father if I didn’t consider the safety of my family first. I also grew up in this country, so it’s just as hard for me to leave. ”

She leaned against the doorframe. In a way it was a relief, considering the encroaching war. She did not want to be trapped in the middle of all the fighting. However, she would be leaving everything behind, and that saddened her immensely.

Two weeks later, Martin let go of his warehouse staff and dismissed his maid, Mandla. The middle – aged woman had practically raised his girls and had kept the house clean for years. He gave her a sizable severance and thanked her for her loyal service. Jenna and Carla were almost fully grown, so Mandla was not needed anymore. And she could not join the family on their departure to Australia.

Also, since they were leaving soon, the house could gather a little dust. The family members took turns doing the dishes and washing clothes. Not much else was left to be done, except school.

This carried on for about a week. There was a sort of malaise hovering over the Millers – almost sadness. Nobody wanted to leave, yet at the same time they were counting the days.

Then, one late afternoon, the first explosions could be heard. Dorothy Miller was making microwave dinners in the kitchen when she cried out. “Eek, ” she said comically.

Martin came rushing in. “I heard it too, ” he said with a raised voice.

“How far away is it?” his wife asked.

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Could be five kilometres. ”

“That close? What are we going to do? We’re not due to leave for another week. ”

“I know, ” he countered and ran his hand through his sandy hair. “Let’s wait and see, okay? It may only be an isolated event. ”

Little did he know that the civil war had finally reached the city – far sooner than anticipated. And it was only going to be intensifying.

The Millers had underestimated the situation, much like the other whites who were still living in the country. Almost none of them had left because they had erroneously assumed that their enclaves would be spared from war. Clearly that was not the case.

Pretty soon the girls joined them in the kitchen. “What was that sound, mommy?” Carla asked with big, frightened eyes.

Dorothy was at a loss for words, so Martin spoke in her turn: “I think the fighting has started, honey. ”

Jenna gasped. “Here? Now? The whites have nothing to do with this war, do they?”

“We should remain calm and wait this out, ” he said.

“Shouldn’t we try and get an early flight?” Dorothy said, making sense all of a sudden. “Phone the airport and make a new reservation. ”

“That’s a bloody good idea, ” Martin replied, heading for the phone. He dialled the number and waited a few seconds before an automatic voice recording answered.

It said: DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCIMSTANCE, THE AIRPORT HAS BEEN CLOSED INDEFINITELY. PLEASE ACCEPT OUR APOLOGIES. The message was on a loop and repeated itself soon after.

Dorothy looked on with baited breath. “What’s going on?” she asked, frowning when he put the receiver down on its rest.

“The airport is closed, ” he said grimly.

“But that can’t be, ” his wife said. “We’re already booked. ”

“Yeah, tell that to them. Look, this is probably just a few errant explosions. We should sit tight and try the airport again tomorrow. ”

“I have school tomorrow, ” Carla said.

“I’m afraid school is out of the question…for both of you girls. ”

“But – ”

“But nothing!” Martin said loudly, cutting his youngest daughter’s objection short. “I can’t let anything happen to you, understand?”

Carla exchanged a glance with Jenna. Both of them understood the gravity of the situation.

The war had spread far and wide. The next day, the Millers watched television with collective dismay as it became clear how screwed they were. The news broadcast was painting a rather bleak story – government troops were engaging guerrilla fighters in the city centre. People were being told to stay home and avoid the outdoors. Martin made phone calls to friends and distant family members, only to learn they too were trapped in their homes.

By the time dusk rolled in, the repetitive sounds of machine gun fire was starting to reach their proximity. Cannon fire was so close now that shrapnel dispersions were clearly audible.

“I’m scared, daddy, ” Carla said with an uneven voice.

“I know, honey. I think we’re going to sleep in the basement tonight…all four of us. It’s just a precautionary measure. I’m not expecting anything bad, okay?”

“We should’ve left long ago, ” Dorothy suddenly cut in. “I don’t know why you wanted us to stay here in this God – forsaken shithole of a country. ”

“Dorothy!” he retorted. “Not now in front of the kids, okay?”

“But it’s true. You’ve made so much money that we could’ve retired five years ago, with enough left to send the girls to university in England. But you just had to make more and more. ”

“It’s not so simple. A lot of my assets were locked in local ventures and investments. It takes time to divest so much wealth. ”

Dorothy rolled her eyes. “Now we’re stuck here. My mother warned me not to follow you to Africa. She said nothing good will come of it. And now I realize she was right. ”

Martin sighed and shuffled his feet. “This isn’t my fault. I didn’t start this war. ”

Meanwhile, Jenna and Carla were looking on. They had rarely seen their parents argue before, but the onset of stress was starting to take its toll on the family’s resolve.

“Anyway, ” Martin continued. “I’ll start thinking of a plan tomorrow. But we should be making camp in the basement as soon as possible. Let’s gather food so long and take it downstairs. ”

The Millers collected the bare essentials and gathered in the cramped room under the floor. It was uncomfortable and dank. The war’s ambient noises were hard to ignore, especially since they were so piercing. Jenna felt depressed by the massive change in her circumstances. She hated being trapped like an animal – not knowing what tomorrow may bring.

Eventually sleep overcame her, drowning her worries for the time being. That night she dreamed of the future she would be having in Australia. No longer was she sad about leaving Wambazi. Her mother was right about it being a ‘shithole’ country.

TWO

Jenna was startled by the howl of a siren outside the house and sat upright in her sleeping bag. She yawned and stretched her arms out as she usually did. It was a morning ritual.

Someone was bellowing over a bullhorn, muttering something incoherent.

It was then that she realized – she was alone in the basement. The others had already moved upstairs. She yawned once more put on her shoes before monkey – crawling to the stairs (the ceiling was very low).

By the time she reached the foyer, Jenna realized that the man with the bullhorn was talking in a very urgent tone. In fact, there was almost a tinge of anger in his voice.

Her parents and sister were standing by the front window and staring out towards the street outside. “What’s going on?” she asked, still half – asleep.

“I don’t know, ” Martin Miller said with a shrug. “But it seems they’re rounding up people. ”

“What people?” she asked.

“Some of our neighbours. ”

“Why?”

“Maybe they are being extradited or transported to safety. ”

Jenna walked around to the adjoining window and peeked through the curtain. Her view was not the best since it was partly obscured by a trellis, but what she did see was troubling. The man holding the bullhorn was a soldier. He was wearing a beige uniform with maroon lapels and matching beret. Further along the road, some families were being escorted to military paddy wagons.

None of the soldiers seemed to be patient with the civilians, Jenna noticed. It looked more like they were being forced to enter the large vehicles.

And why were the military grunts showing their weapons so brashly if this was an evacuation? The way her mom and dad were eyeing the situation told her that they were smelling a rat as well.

Her heart sank when the man shouted over the bullhorn: “Miller family. Leave your home immediately and stand on the lawn. Delays will not be tolerated. ”

His vitriol was indisputably patent. “What do we do, dad?” Carla asked with widening eyes.

Martin Miller was dumbfounded. “I don’t know. ”

“We’re not even dressed properly, ” Dorothy chimed in. They were all wearing long jeans, t – shirts and sneakers. This was fine inside the confines of their house, but the Millers did not like to slum it in public.

“I repeat, ” the soldier said, holding the bullhorn close to his mouth, “come out of your house NOW!”

“We should just go outside, ” Jenna’s father said uncertainly.

“But what do they want with us?” Carla asked. “And why are their rifles aimed at our neighbours?”

“I don’t know, okay?” Martin whispered impatiently. “There’s a war going on so maybe they’re just on edge or something. ”

“I don’t know, ” Dorothy said. “None of this is sitting well with me. ”

Martin was about to reply when the bullhorn – soldier interrupted their peace again: “Step out now! If I have to repeat myself again, soldiers will come in and drag you out. We know you are there so just obey. ”

After brief hesitation, Jenna’s father inhaled and opened the front door. He led his frightened family across the lawn and stopped when they were at the pavement’s perimeter.

The soldier approached and lowered the bullhorn. He was fairly tall, with typical features for the region – thick lips, beady eyes, a flat nose and pitch – black skin.

“You are the Millers, ” he said with a thick accent.

“Yes, ” Martin replied. “May I ask what this is about?”

“No questions!” he barked rudely. “Wait here for the Captain. ”

Jenna watched with morbid curiosity as another family was shepherded into the back of a paddy wagon. Adults and kids alike were briskly being pushed inside.

“Where are they going?” Jenna asked the African soldier.

“Be quiet!” he said. “Wait here and don’t say anything. ”

The Captain came walking across the road once the paddy wagon was driving off into the distance. He exchanged some dialogue with the bullhorn – soldier, but since they were speaking in a tribal dialect, Jenna had no idea what was transpiring.

After briefly checking his clipboard, the officer dismissed his underling, who seemed happy to leave and join his mates by the last remaining paddy wagon.

“You are the Millers, ” he said matter – of – factly, with a timbered voice. His tribal accent was not as bad as the soldier’s, but his appearance was just as unappealing to Jenna. But she did not plan on insulting an African officer who had armed soldiers just a few feet away.

“Yes, we are the Millers, ” Martin replied. “Will YOU tell us what’s going on?”

The black man’s eyes danced from one family member to another in quick succession. “This may be news to you, ” he said calmly, “but the civil war is over. The evil president has been executed and his useless cabinet has either been killed alongside him or arrested on charges of treason. ”

“That’s all good and well, ” Martin said, “but what does this have to do with us?”

The officer lifted the clipboard and seemed to be reading silently for a few seconds. Then he looked Jenna’s father square in the eyes. “You’ve had dealings with several local politicians, Mister Miller. You and your family have made undue profits while conspiring with corrupt leaders…at the expense of the starving population. ”

Martin gave him an incredulous expression. “W – h – a – t?” he exclaimed. “That was all above – board, I assure you. And I made no undue profits, as you say. ”

“Still, you have done very well for yourselves. According to the sheet, you have accrued a staggering amount…nearly two million of your English Pounds. ”

“I’m not British, ” Martin said. “I’m a citizen of this country, just like you. ”

The officer gave a rueful laugh. “Oh, you whites claim to be citizens of Wambazi, yet you choose to live apart from the blacks. You don’t like the way we look or smell, Mister Miller?”

“No, that’s not what I said…”

“Whatever, I don’t like this conversation. It’s boring. And like you said, you’re a citizen of Wambazi, so you will obey the laws of Wambazi. No special privileges for you and your family. ”

Jenna was disconsolate and close to tears as she and her family were led at gunpoint towards the paddy wagon.

“If you’re going to punish someone, ” her father said gruffly, “punish me and let my family go. They had nothing to do with this. ”

The black Captain, who had been following in their wake, laughed once more. Evidently he had no empathy. “Why, Mister Miller, haven’t you ever read the laws of the country? If a man is sentenced for a crime against the sovereign ruler, his immediate family must share his punishment. Including all children older than thirteen years of age. ”

“Those are from the days of…”

“You were going to say, from before the time you whites came and colonized our humble, African country? Well, we have reinstated that law since this is Wambazi, Mister Miller. All of you are under arrest, so get in the back already. ”

“You’re horrible!” Dorothy cried out with trembling lips.

“Is that some sort of insult?” he countered, drawing uncontrollable laughter from his troops.

“We did nothing to you, ” she blurted out.

“I don’t care what you have or haven’t done, white bitch. I’m under orders to arrest all conspirators. Don’t think for a moment that the colour of your skin exempts you of punishment. ”

“Where are we going?” Martin asked.

“I’m taking you to court. There you will be sentenced. ”

“Shouldn’t we be getting a fair trial first?”

“Political prisoners don’t get fair trials, Mister Miller. You stole from the royal ruler by committing fraud with political thieves. ”

“Like I said, this was how business was done. My dad used to do the same. He bribed officials, otherwise he would get cut out from future deals. ”

“And from now on, such corruption will not be tolerated. Now climb in the back and stop talking. ”

The four of them were miserable, but they obeyed, if only to avoid trouble. Jenna was last inside the paddy wagon and nearly had a seizure when the latch was closed and locked behind her. All of a sudden, she was experiencing severe claustrophobia. It was taking all of her willpower to remain composed. Yet, she knew that her face betrayed every kind of anguish imaginable. Carla was wrapped up in her mother’s embrace and weeping like a small baby.

Jenna slid sideways next to her father and could barely look at him. How could he put them in such a precarious position? How could he?

Instead of expressing her anger, Jenna just rested her chin against her knees and waited for the ordeal to end. She was sure it would end soon. Things never stayed bad forever…right?

The city was still covered in smoke when the paddy wagon stopped in front of the large building with the marble pillars. On the drive towards the courthouse, Jenna had seen that some houses had been reduced to rubble. The civil war had been brief but devastating.

The soldiers jumped out of the vehicle and quickly ran around towards the rear. Then one of them opened the latch, beckoning for them to step out. “Come, ” he insisted. “We have more people to pick up. Don’t waste our time. ”

As soon as all four of the Millers had their feet on the ground, the Captain ordered them to hold their hands in front of their chests. That’s when their wrists were tied with reinforced cable ties. Jenna winced because the hard plastic was digging into her skin.

“Not so tight, ” she pleaded.

“No talking, ” the Captain said with a sly grin. He was enjoying the humiliation his soldiers were inflicting on the Millers.

After that they were roughly ushered up the steps and over the short, cement pavement towards the large entrance. A few curious onlookers were already gathering inside the large hallway, some of them pointing at the Millers and muttering among themselves.

Jenna did not want to be an object of interest. She wanted to avoid the uninvited stares, but here she was in public like a monkey at a zoo. Her mind was still trying to reconcile reality with hope, wishing for a positive outcome. She knew this was not a dream. This was real and her stomach was churning.

There were many people lining the passage, and Jenna could tell by their stiff appearances that they had been dealt the same judgement. Most of them were black, but she spotted several whites as well – a few familiar faces from her neighbourhood.

And strangely, there was hardly any banter, just a strange, deafening hush. Several uniformed guards were dispersed among the captives, most assuredly to prevent anybody from running away.

The Captain shoved Martin from behind and pointed to the ebony door on the right. “Wait for your names to be called by the bailiff. You will enter the courtroom and await your sentence. You can protest, but this will not help you. And once you know your judgement, prison guards will take you. ”

Jenna saw that her father wanted to ask questions, but the officer had already turned about face and started for the exit with his underlings.

THREE

The black magistrate was leaning somewhat lazily in his chair when the Millers were shown in. The courtroom was basically empty, save for a few arbitrary witnesses in the backrows and a typist who was there to transcribe proceedings.

The magistrate was aloof, giving them just a cursory glance. “You are Martin Miller, Dorothy Miller, Jenna Miller and Carla Miller. Say aye to confirm, please. ”

Jenna felt a little foolish as she said “aye” in concert with her parents and sister.

The man nodded. “Alright, you have been brought here on charges of gross corruption. This is a felony and considered one of the worst crimes against the king. And because of the reinstatement of the country’s pre – colonial laws, the entire family must face the punishment.

Martin Miller was about to speak up. But the bailiff, who was standing behind them, tapped his shoulder and simply said: “Quiet. ”

The magistrate cleared his throat. “I can use my own discretion, thanks to my authority in such matters. The king has a desire to punish those that threaten to destabilize Wambazi. For that reason, I think it only fair to make an example of you. ”

Jenna was barely coming to grips with the situation. Surely this was all a big mistake. Surely.

“For the crime of corruption, ” the magistrate continued, “I hereby sentence the Millers to twenty – five years of hard labour in the Gondwana Colony. You will fall under the stewardship of the Efegini tribe who owns the land on which the colony has been located. ”

The four of them just stood there, as if waiting for a punchline to someone’s bad joke. Then Martin Miller said: “Are you serious?”

The magistrate looked outraged. “Am I one of your friends, Mr. Miller? Why don’t you address me as sir?”

Jenna dad was taken aback, but he mustered the courage to raise his voice once more. “Sir, my transactions with the previous regime were always above – board. I was merely following the rules, don’t you see?”

“I’m not interested in such details, Mr. Miller. You broke the law. ”

“A law that was installed just hours ago, sir. ”

The magistrate slammed his gavel against the desk. “Trivial. You will accept the sentence. And as recompense for your crimes, your entire estate, plus all your assets will be confiscated by the king’s regime. ”

The Millers were dumbfounded and exchanged confused stares. Jenna had nothing to say, although she felt winded all of a sudden.

Was someone going to run inside the courtroom and exclaim that the Millers had been ‘punked’ all this time? If that was the case, it was a horrible prank.

Yet, when the guards came for them moments later, the realization hit her like a freight train – they were truly going to prison.

After exiting the courtroom, the Millers were lined up against the passage wall and photographed one by one. Jenna was frantic and was struggling to look at the camera, but she managed a vacant stare in the end. And when a woman came around holding a strange contraption that resembled a pop – rivet gun, she was panic – stricken.

No questions were asked as the contraption was used to inject something into their arms. Jenna was last in line and jumped a little when the woman pulled the trigger. But at least it did not hurt.

They were led to a growing congregation of people at the rear of the courthouse. Several old buses were lined back to front and the guards were already pushing people inside. This was real, Jenna thought. Her heart was palpitating wildly in her chest, but when she turned to back away (perhaps in the hopes of prolonging her freedom), a new batch of prisoners were being escorted out of the building. There were so many that Jenna had no choice but to keep moving forward.

Carla was visibly crying. Her mother was upset, and probably close to tears as well. Her dad seemed stoic in the face of adversity, although his eyes revealed deep shock.

And Jenna? She did not know what to think. She just placed one foot in front of the other. The guards motioned the masses towards the buses; sometimes whistling loudly; sometimes clapping their hands to urge everyone along. Jenna made sure to keep close to her family, because if she was separated from them…that would be too much trauma for the day, and she would surely collapse in a heap.

In the end they entered a rusty bus with a grey livery. It smelled of flatulence inside. Yet Jenna was relieved to be with her parents and sister, no matter the odour. The four of them found their spaces in the middle of the aisle. Jenna was by the window seat and took a deep breath once she was able to sit down.

Her hands were still bound together. The cable tie was starting to make a shallow incision around the skin of her wrists. And it was painful.

“There will be no talking, ” a heavy – set guard pronounced, using all of his diaphragm. “And if anybody tries to escape, I will shoot them. ”

Then he walked to the front of the bus and sat down next to the driver. Three more uniformed men boarded and made themselves comfortable in the only remaining seats behind the first guard.

After that the driver pulled the lever that closed the door and turned the ignition. The vehicle’s engine woke with fits and starts. Plenty of smoke bellowed from its tailpipe before it started to idle smoothly. Jenna bit down on her lip when it rolled into motion.

About ten minutes after leaving the courthouse, she realized that her bladder was full. With all the stress she had not even noticed it till now, but she desperately wanted to urinate.

What to do?

“What’s wrong?” Martin Miller whispered in her ear. He was sitting next to her, occupying the aisle seat.

“Um, I need to pee, dad. ”

“What, now?”

“Sorry, ” she blurted out a little louder than anticipated. “I was not counting on being incarcerated and being driven to God – knows – where, against my will. ”

He shushed her and tried one of his disarming smiles again. “Just sit tight, okay? Can you hold out for one hour at least?”

She sighed. “I dunno…maybe. ”

“Well, try. ”

“And if I don’t, what will happen? Will they arrest me?” she said sardonically.

“I’m just trying to avoid drama, is all. ”

“Dad, we’re already going to prison. I don’t understand how wetting my pants is any worse than what’s already happening. ”

“Quiet back there, ” the heavy – set guard barked. “I said no talking!”

She sagged down and stared out the window, defeated. In its reflection, she could see the emotional expressions of her mother and sister.

What was going to become of her family? What was going to become of her? Twenty – five years was a long time to lose in some “colony”, she thought, especially for a crime she did not even commit. Was there a possibility of parole at some point? And did the magistrate mention “hard labour” during the sentencing?

Awe shit. Jenna had more questions than answers, and she was not sure that she wanted to know the truth. Already her mind was preparing for worst – case scenarios. All kinds of unwelcome ideas were swirling around in the deepest depths of her rousing nightmares.

The prisoners were being transported to some place distant – somewhere rural. They had left the city behind over an hour ago and now Jenna could see nothing but bushes and savannah. The few farms that still dotted the lands were few and far between.

Somehow her urge to urinate had lessened, although the pressure was still there. The best she could do was to distract herself with the passing landscape and the occasional antelope that happened to be grazing somewhere in the sprawling grasslands.

It did not help that the bus was following an uneven, meandering gravel road. Every bump and release was testing her resolve.

When the driver turned off into an inauspicious junction that seemed to lead nowhere, the heavy – set guard sprang up and addressed the miserable passengers.

“We are entering the cherished lands of the Efegini tribe, ” he said. “This is a protectorate, and therefore belongs to the Efegini people. As long as you walk on this soil, you will adhere to the rules of the tribe. You will not lift a hand in anger or speak ill of a local man or woman. Anybody who does will face severe punishment. Am I understood?” When nobody responded, he repeated his question. “Am I understood?”

A collective mumbling to the affirmative ensued. Jenna just nodded her head and simply said “yes”.

“The Efegini have been charged as your superiors, ” he continued. “They will effectively be your guards during your stay. Don’t be fooled by their lack of uniforms or their primitive customs. The tribe is very effective at putting prisoners in their place. So don’t try your luck. Am I understood?”

They all agreed.

“Good, ” the man said with a brimming smile. “We will arrive in about fifteen minutes. There will be no storming for the exit once we’re there. Passengers will leave in an orderly fashion and line up outside, where you will await processing. Am I understood?”

Jenna swallowed. “Yes, ” she said within the drone of other voices around her.

“Oh, and one more thing. Each and every one of you have been injected with radio – frequency chips. So even if you manage to escape, we can track your every movements. If you get caught…and you will get caught…you will get an even stiffer sentence. Am I understood?”

So that was what the contraption had been for, she realized with shock. She was now on somebody’s radar.

“Do I have to repeat myself again?” the man shouted angrily. “Am I understood?”

Despondently, Jenna and the others muttered “yes”.

FOUR

The Gondwana Colony was a forbidding place, with a high turnover rate. And by high turnover, it was meant that many of the prisoners died during their sentences. The Efegini tribe worked inmates hard in the quarry because the former government had rewarded the tribe well for its supply of stone.

Despite the new regime, it was still business as usual. Except now, the brand of political prisoners they were getting were apparently of a different stock.

Favo Ugbula had heard through the grapevine that some of the new arrivals would be white…males and females. He thought it was balsy, incarcerating former colonials when Western countries would surely object to their kind being treated so harshly.

Not that he cared. He was a native member of the Efegini, with little aspirations outside the tribe. He had tried living in the big city, many years ago. He had amounted to absolutely nothing, which was probably because back then, the whites were still the ruling class.

Although, he had discovered that most work required specialized skills – skills that he sadly never had. The only work he could find were odd jobs, like bricklaying, trench – digging or gardening. Since the pay had been horrible, and the hours irregular, he had decided to pack up and move back to the tribe.

As it turned out, his return had been fortuitous, since the prison was nearing completion and the new – found Colony was looking for guards. It was salaried work – not offering a whole lot, yet more than he had ever had before. So he had signed up and the rest, as they say, was history.

The tribe had ‘modernized’ somewhat in the ensuing years. His village was not far from the Colony – a stone’s throw away across the river. Over time, their huts had been replaced with adobe shacks, and it was no longer necessary to carry water from the river since the government had provided basic plumbing some time ago.

But, in many ways, it was still a primitive culture – would probably stay that way for a while still. The tribal members never embraced Western clothing, choosing instead to remain with their traditional shawls for men, and breach cloths for women.

Another tradition of the tribe was the taking in of slaves – usually women. During pre – colonial times, when the tribes had been fighting, it was common to enslave captured women and children. Now, they were usually acquired by trade.

And his village was not the only one that supplied the colony with guards either. All along the length of the meandering river, small settlements were straddling its fertile embankments. They were all Efegini, but run independently from one another – each one of them with its own elder. It just so happened that his village was closest to the colony.

Admittedly, he was curious as he was strolling to the compound’s perimeter. The facility was partitioned off into smaller “camps”, which made it more manageable, and was cordoned off with a very high chain – link fence. It was impossible to scale because the fence was intertwined with barbed wire.

Besides, all prisoners were ID tracked with small chips under their skin, so even if they escaped, the authorities in the urban centres would soon chase them down.

Favo was in charge of the fifth camp – a position he had gained not through any particular merit, but through seniority alone. If he had remained in the city, he would probably have been overlooked for a multitude of reasons.

He was fifty – one – an age where some would start preparing for old age. He was short, even for a tribal man – just over five feet from head to toes. To add to his misery, he was unsightly, out of shape and had an embarrassing speech impediment.

Yet, thanks to his tribe placing value on age instead of other quantifiable talents, he had ascended to a high rank in the colony. Only the superintendent was higher than him, and he left Favo alone for the most part – to run the fifth camp as he saw fit. To be fair, his job was not that hard. He could resort to violence or threats of violence. If prisoners got hurt (or died), nobody gave two fucks about it because more prisoners were always arriving.

These newcomers were different, however. It was not just that they were political detainees either. The colony had always been fed an unhealthy number of dissidents throughout the years. No, for the first time ever, they had been assigned a batch of whites. He had no idea what to expect, but he suspected that there would be a few surprises.

The brand – new government had already informed the superintendent over two – way radio that the “old” laws had been reinstated. In turn, the superintendent had briefed his camp leaders on what this could mean – almost certainly that some men had been arrested alongside their families.

So the colony was going to receive some very young inmates. He imagined some of them carrying pick – axes and digging through the quarry trenches. If fully – grown adults had trouble adjusting to life in the colony, children were not going to last long. If the hard labour was not going to kill them, they would surely fall victim to violent attacks.

Because not all prisoners were incarcerated for their political leanings. Some were just blatant criminals, with no compassion or inhibition. Favo mulled over this with nothing more than detached interest. He had never really had reason to care about other people.

After all, none of the tribal women had ever given him any favour. He had been rebuffed so many times, there was no reason to try any more. By now he had made peace with the fact that the Ugbula line was going to end with him.

He would have acquired a slave woman if he could afford one. But since he lacked anything of value, there was precious little he could trade with. So in the end, he just existed from day to day, living with quiet resentment as the men his age were starting to welcome grandchildren into the world.

Favo made his way to the colony’s entrance, which was a wide, gravelled driveway. Already, most of the guards had congregated behind the fence as the first of the buses made their way through the open gate. The engines growled noisily and their suspension creaked across the uneven surface, but the drivers deftly turned the massive vehicles and parked in front of the main building.

After the pneumatic doors swung open, the prisoners came out single – file and in regimented fashion – their limbs rigid and their faces revealing fear. At first, all he could see was black people. They were generally well – bred, from the looks of things. But that was to be expected.

There were women too, and this drew lustful sighs from the guards. Favo noticed some of them grinning from ear to ear.

Actually, he foresaw a lot of complications from this development. The colony had never before kept females alongside males. It had always been men only. How would the women be ‘protected’? Would they be kept separate, and in different lodging? Had the superintendent given it any thought yet? Did he even care about the well – being of female prisoners? Favo was a self – confessed bastard, but the superintendent was borderline malicious.

The amount of cruelty that the man allowed was mind – blowing. The guards had carte blanche to do as they please. Not that Favo had reason to complain. As long as he was the one dishing it out instead of receiving it, he was content with the status quo.

He was still mulling things over when the first of the whites started trickling out of the buses. They were a mixture of young and old – men and women. He counted several children in their midst as well. Some of them were as young as thirteen (which was the youngest permissible age at which someone could be sentenced) and a few who were just blossoming into adulthood.

His attention was grabbed by four whites in particular – a family, it seemed. They were standing very close together. The father was very attractive and tall, while the mother was absolutely gorgeous. Despite being dressed modestly, their privilege was unmistakable for the world to see. Their demeanour oozed entitlement.

Both of them looked like they had stepped out of a magazine – like those high – society, well – to – do jet – setting Europeans who had grown up with silver spoons in their mouths.

When he was living in the city, Favo had spent a lot of time admiring the huge Billboards with the white, bikini – clad models. This family reminded him of those models. He did not want to stare too long, in case the other guards became aware of his fascination.

So he briefly glanced at the two daughters, who were excruciatingly perfect in appearance. They both had a rare and unattainable combination of features – at least it was rare to someone like Favo. He was sure that in their sheltered world, there were many beautiful people with blonde hair and blue eyes, but not here in the tribe…not here in the middle of Africa.

They were unattainable, he reminded himself. A fifty – one – year – old, short black man had no business fawning over young, white girls. But were they not prisoners like everybody else? He forced himself to look away, only to realize that the other guards were transfixed by the young beauties as well.

After the buses started leaving, he remained close by as the prisoners were divided into groups. On first inspection, the selection appeared completely random. And for all intents and purposes, it was. However, he soon realized that family members were being separated from one another. Several husbands and wives started crying when they comprehended the gravity of the situation.

And when children were forcibly removed from their parents – absolute chaos. There were angry shouts and even threats of violence before the guards “subdued” the threats.

Meanwhile, the family of four had been staring with grim awareness as they waited for their turn to come up. They exchanged despondent glances. The father seemed to be even more torn up about the unfolding events than his wife and daughters. Favo thought it was touching.

Despite their apparent cognizance, all four of them started weeping as soon as the guards separated them. The two girls were visibly trembling but neither tried to resist the inevitable.

Favo wondered if the family members would meet again. All six camps were separated by high, concrete walls, so they were not going to socialize again – not while serving their sentences at the colony at least. At best they would see each other at the quarry, but the guards did not allow fraternization there either.

Again, none of this was of concern to him. Favo did not care what happened to the whites at the colony. And he suspected that the authorities back in the city did not care either. Most likely, most of them would die within the first year of their stay.

Not long after, the superintendent appeared through a side – entrance. He straightened his traditional shawl before addressing the unwilling audience.

“Welcome to the Gondgwana Colony, ” he bellowed in broken English. We here in the Efegini tribe are looking forward to dealing with riff – raff like you. ” He scanned the many faces staring back at him and continued. “Most of you have a privileged background, but that doesn’t help you. You need to check that privilege once you walk through that gate because I do not tolerate arrogant behaviour from prisoners. For the first time ever, we have whites as well as women here, but we expect just as high a quota of stone from everyone, no matter their gender or race. Am I understood?”

“Yes, ” the crowd murmured.

“Whites and non – whites will be mixed together in the camps. And under no circumstance will whites be allowed to fraternize with other whites. If a guard catches two of them speaking with each other or even catches them standing too close together, they have my permission to punish the transgressors. Am I understood?”

“Yes, sir, ” the crowd responded, with very worried expressions.

The superintendent nodded. “Right, you have been assigned to six different camps. You will now be taken to your domiciles. When you hear the siren tonight, the lights will be turned off and you will be expected to sleep. If the siren goes off again tomorrow morning, you will wake up immediately and form a line outside your domiciles. Am I understood?”

“Yes, ” they all bellowed.

“Yes…what?” the superintendent said with a wry smile.

“Yes, sir. ”

“Good…good. And you will call every guard “sir” from now on. I don’t care who you were before you came here. But now you’re worth shit. We are your gods now, so remember that next time you try to fall back on your supposed superiority. ”

“Yes, sir. ”

FIVE

Jenna was scared…very scared. And she was sad. It was as if her entire world was falling in on her. Yet, just this morning she had been preparing for a promising life in Australia. Now she was what…a common prisoner? Riffraff? Something disposable?

Her throat was dry and her heart beating like crazy as a guard was leading her group through the gates and down a large, open space towards a second gate at the end. Desperately, she looked sideways at her parents and sister, who had been separated from her. They were in their own groups and heading towards different gates.

Would she see them again? Oh God, she was missing them already.

The guard next to her said something incomprehensible in his native tongue, and from the way he was motioning with his hands, she deduced that he wanted the group to walk faster. They obliged accordingly, picking up the pace until they were almost jogging towards the end of the open courtyard.

As soon as they reached the gate, it was opened from the other side. They were all ushered through, one by one, and got pointed down to rows of dilapidated buildings in the centre of a huge, gravel courtyard. “You go there, ” another guard said.

She had many questions. For one, did the sexes share the same sleeping quarters? Because if that was the case…she shuddered to think of the ramifications.

Jenna was in an emotional state when she entered one of the buildings. There was no door, so she just crossed the threshold into the murky interior. There was nothing to see but rows of grey bunk – beds lined against the walls. Dust was everywhere. She also did not see any windows.

She chose the first bed that was available, sat down demurely and started crying. The tears came freely, rolling down her young cheeks until they gathered at her chin and dropped down to her lap. This carried on for what felt like an hour.

Eventually her self – pity was interrupted by a sharp whistle that was coming from the outside. She left her confines apprehensively to follow the sound, only to see her fellow prisoners gathering on the grounds in front of the buildings.

One of the guards had a whistle in his mouth, and he was blowing quite hard…repeatedly…annoyingly. He was very short – maybe just over five feet in length. He was as black as the ace of spades, with grey, peppercorn hair and one of the ugliest faces she had ever seen. He had the same build as the other guards, but seemed to be the worst possible archetype of the tribe – double – chin, very flat nose, thick lips, beady eyes and cauliflower ears. Urgh! He was almost simian in appearance.

Also, his leather shawl did not fit him properly – too long for his diminutive body, yet too narrow around his stomach. With such a rotund waistline, he was easily the most out of shape of the guards. Could it be that such an unimpressive excuse of a human being could be the camp leader? She hoped not. Surely he was more befitting serving customers behind a banana stand or tending to someone’s garden. Surely.

“I am Favo Ugbula, your camp leader, ” he mumbled. “Form a single line and put your hands in front. ”

The prisoners looked at each other with confusion. It was obvious that the ‘camp leader’ had a lisp, which was worsened by a heavy African accent. When he said “hands in front”, it sounded like handth in front.

“Do I have to repeat myself, ” he growled impatiently.

They all wizened to this fact after a few seconds, bumping haphazardly against one another as they started positioning themselves shoulder to shoulder. Another guard came around with a serrated knife, cutting the cable ties from their wrists.

Meanwhile, while their hands were being freed, one at a time, the camp leader kept talking, much to her chagrin. His voice was extremely grating.

“We need to confiscate all your personal items, ” he said with unwarranted confidence. And as he was talking, a third guard was following the second with a wooden bowl. There were groans from all those around her, but the detainees grudgingly removed their watches and jewellery and placed them inside the bowl. Some of them were staring with longing, probably wondering if their items were going to be kept safe or simply looted.

That was exactly what Jenna was thinking after her wrists became unencumbered. She rubbed the tender flesh and waited until the third guard stepped in front of her. She hesitated at first before removing her necklace. It had great sentimental value – a gift from her maternal grandmother in England. After that came her ring, the one she had earned at the recent swimming championship. She was fond of the ring and parted rather painfully from it.

Jenna caught a glimpse of the camp leader staring at her. It was an unsettling gaze. She pretended to be oblivious of the man’s attention and hurriedly looked away from his offensive countenance.

“Right, ” Favo continued and nodded briskly to the crowd. “We will now take your details. ”

The same guard who had removed their bindings came around once more, this time with a clipboard and a pen. “Name and age, ” he asked each one of them before scribbling down meticulously.

Finally, when it was her turn, she blurted out bluntly: “Jenna... it’s Jenna Miller. I’m fifteen years old. ”

It was official then. She was a prisoner in the colony. She swallowed hard when her name was recorded into the ledger.

All the while, the camp leader had been grinning for some reason. He was standing there with his arms folded across his distended belly and appraising the new arrivals. But his eyes seemed to land on her more often than not.

When the guard was done taking their names, the camp leader cleared his throat and said: “Alright, take off your clothing and throw them on a pile. ”

There were a lot of shocked expressions, and none more so than her own. Did that despicable African just ask her to disrobe in front of him?

“Are you serious?” a young, white man asked. He was in his mid – twenties and very attractive.

In response, the camp leader signalled to one of the guards, who wasted no time in hitting the young man in his chest with a nightstick. Jenna watched with horror as he winced and doubled over with pain.

“I’m not going to ask again, ” the evil, little man bellowed. “Throw your clothing into a single pile... NOW!”

Jenna was mortified, but went on autopilot when she realized that there was no escape. With trembling hands, she grabbed the hem of her t – shirt and started pulling it up. Her mind was screaming for her to stop, yet what was the alternative? Getting man – handled by the camp leader’s henchmen?

She could feel herself convulsing. The old African was definitely leering at her now. He was not even holding back his stare, probably because he did not have to. She had to remind herself of her dire situation – how any misstep could land her in far more trouble. And the last thing she wanted was more trouble.

After gathering all of her remaining courage, Jenna inhaled deeply and slowly pulled her shirt over her head. Despite wearing a sports bra underneath, she still felt exposed. The blood was rushing to her face.

Next were her sneakers. She lifted her legs and yanked them from her feet. Then it was the turn of her socks, coming off just as unceremoniously.

“Remember, ” the despicable camp leader said, barely holding back his amusement: “I want everything in a pile. ”

The prisoners acceded numbly and dropped their belongings together in a growing heap. Jenna felt deflated watching her shirt, shoes and socks getting mingled with everyone else’s.

There was not much time for reflection though, because the camp leader was tapping his sandals against the hard ground. “I don’t have all day, ” he said, referring to the assembly but looking directly at her.

She sighed and groped for the buckle of her belt. Just pretend you’re somewhere else.

The fact of the matter was, Jenna was excruciatingly shy about ‘showing’ herself in public. The last time her dad had seen her naked was twelve years ago, when she was a toddler. Even wearing a one – piece swimsuit during competitions made her blush.

Now she was going to bear all in front of strangers – African strangers. One of them was old enough to be someone’s grandfather. Oh God, Jenna wanted to disappear.

Fighting every instinct, she loosened the buckle and allowed her denim pants to fall down to her ankles. Somehow she managed to bend down and pick it up. All that she had on were here sports bra and matching panties.

Around her, the others were despatching their clothing just as reluctantly. After she threw her jeans on top of the pile, she knew that the moment of truth had arrived. Her head was a chaotic mess, and the only reason she was not crying was because fear was overriding all of her other emotions.

SIX

Favo Ugbula had positioned himself strategically close to the girl, who was more or less in the middle of the long queue. She was aware that he was staring at her, but he did not care. The fact of the matter was, he had the power so nobody was going to judge him.

He was sure his fellow guards were enjoying the show as well. A few of them were clearly licking their lips. Never before had the prison been blessed with female inmates. And five of the women were white, which was a strange (and welcome) novelty.

The girl called Jenna was easily the youngest at fifteen. She had straight, shoulder – length blonde hair, bright – blue eyes and a spectacularly beautiful face. The only white women he had ever seen up close were in Playboy centrefolds, and Jenna was more beautiful than all of them.

It was not just her face that drew his attention like a magnet. Now that she had discarded her t – shirt and denim pants, he could see that she had a lithe, athletic body. Her youthful skin was smooth and creamy – white, which was in stark contrast to the blacks flanking her.

She was tall – maybe close to six feet in length. He followed the gentle, alluring curve from her toned waistline to her hips and went down all the way to her long legs and delicate feet. How on Earth did somebody like this exist, never – mind find her way to this God – forsaken prison of all places? Also, she could have been assigned to any of the six camps, yet she happened to land right here. The fortuitous happen – stance was both baffling and pleasing at the same time.

Favo watched with anticipation as the young girl reached back, hesitated at first, and then unhooked her bra strap. She was embarrassed and tried her best to cover her breasts when the bra dropped from her torso.

Favo’s already – erect penis went into overdrive. It was wriggling like mad inside his boxer briefs. And when he caught the merest glimpse of the girl’s pink nipples, a little bit of pre – cum started trickling out of his pee – hole. Oh my...

He was almost within touching distance. Somehow he managed to maintain a calm demeanour, but just barely.

Jenna’s breasts were not that big (maybe 32C cups at best). However, they were perfectly round – almost teardrop shapes – and jiggled ever so slightly when she moved her right arm to pull the bra away from her chest.

Those titties belonged to a fiteen – year – old white girl, he reminded himself in disbelief. Her father was not here to protect her either. He was being held in one of the other camps, so Favo was safe in the knowledge that he could stare without fear of accusation.

The other white females were also attractive. Even the oldest one was easy on the eyes, which said a lot about Caucasians. He had always admired them from afar, despite his deep – seated resentment of them in general. There was no denying that whites had accomplished much in Wambazi.

And he suspected that Jenna Miller was descended from a very long line of accomplished individuals. Only selective breeding over countless generations could have led to the creation of someone as stunning as her.

In fact, her beauty was very intimidating.

Favo shook off his feelings of inferiority, focusing on the situation at hand. He strained his vision as the girl inhaled and dropped her arms down to her sides. Clearly she wanted to keep her breasts hidden, but that was impossible when the last of her clothing still needed to be removed. Her head was downcast, most certainly because she wanted to hide her shame.

In any event, it gave him another opportunity to stare at her perfectly – formed breasts, this time fully revealed. Her areolae were narrow in diameter (as he preferred them to be anyway), and her nipples were standing to attention. She was shivering and her smooth skin was now covered with goosebumps, so he surmised that her wild emotional state was causing her nipples to become erect. Fear could do strange things to the human mind... and the body.

Then, when the girl pushed her thumbs underneath the panty’s waistband, he forgot to breathe for a few seconds. She had an anguished expression, like someone preparing to walk over hot coals.

When she paused and wavered, this time seemingly unwilling to continue, Favo decided to provide necessary pressure. “I don’t have all day, ” he cried hoarsely. He made a point of addressing the entire crowd, but his words were aimed at Jenna.

She closed her eyes briefly and whimpered under her breath. Eventually, fear of reprisal got the better of her as she strengthened her grip on the waistband, pushing it down from her hips until the brightly – coloured panty went into free – fall.

Favo completely jizzed his briefs when he saw her standing there... naked as the day she was born. Jenna picked up her underwear and discarded it on to the growing heap, wasting little time before covering herself with her arms again. One arm was held horizontally across her chest while the other was placed in front of her vagina.

He scoffed at Jenna’s ineffectual attempt to hide her nudity. He had already seen her mons pubis, and the tufts of blonde hair gathered just above her slit. Most of the inmates were trying to cover themselves though, so Jenna was not unique in this regard.

“Alright, ” he said, trying to sound as intimidating as humanly possible. “Everybody stand to attention. Drop your arms... NOW!”

He waited for the prisoners to obey. At first they turned their heads and stared at one another, not wanting to be the first to expose themselves.

“Do it!” he said with even more intensity.

One by one, they allowed their arms to sag down to their sides. Jenna was one of the last to do so, standing there with clenched fists and a distressed expression marring her pretty features.

Favo allowed some time to pass before he spoke again. He was purposeful and patient. Until now, Jenna Miller had been avoiding his gaze, but the prolonged silence finally made her look in his direction.

There was an air of desperation about her now, he realized. She had the look of a cornered animal. After all, what was she going to do? She could not run away and she could not fight, even if she knew how. There were too many forces working against her.

If she happened to escape from the prison, the authorities would trace her with the RFID tracking chip and re – apprehend her. And even if she did evade capture by some miracle, where would she go? She was a white, fifteen – year – old white girl in the middle of nowhere. The locals would not take pity on her.

Armed with this knowledge, he calmly signaled to Elondo, who was his second – in – command. “Go get the lar – tens and sandals, ” he ordered in the native tongue. “Oh, and a bottle of lighter fluid. ”

While the guard was away to fetch the prisoners’ new attire in the office storeroom, he ambled casually towards the pile, which had been stacked quite high with shoes, shirts, pants, dresses and underwear.

Favo cleared his throat. “There are three reasons we don’t allow Western clothing here in the colony. One, prisoners can get very dusty working in the quarry. Two, clothing can become infested with lice. And lastly, we don’t allow slaves anything but appropriate outfits on tribal land.

As soon as he mentioned “slaves”, some of the miserable onlookers cocked their heads.

“Yes, you heard me right. The Efegini consider all of you slaves. As long as you live here within the colony, you will be nothing more than that. Your worth will be determined by how much stone you can bring in every day. We’ve never had female prisoners before, but we will expect the same amount from them. If you don’t meet the daily quota, you don’t eat. Am I understood?”

They stared back with wide eyes and open mouths.

“Am I understood?” he repeated himself.

“Yes, sir, ” the crowd muttered under their breaths.

“I didn’t hear you!”

“Yes, sir!” they replied more eagerly.

Moments later, Elondo returned with the burlap sack, which had been flung across his shoulder. His free hand had the bottle with the clear liquid. Favo took the bottle from him and unscrewed the cap immediately. Then he proceeded to pour the contents over the pile of clothing, making sure to spill every last drop.

When that was done, he stepped back and allowed Elondo to light a match. There was a collective gasp when he dropped the burning stick into the pile. The heap of clothing was suddenly a bonfire. The onlookers were aghast when recognition started dawning on them.

“Don’t worry, ” Favo said, barely able to hide his amusement. “We do allow slaves one article of clothing. We call it a lar – ten. ”

Elondo overturned the burlap sack and discarded the contents, not far from the bonfire.

“Come get it, ” he added, referring to the lar – tens and sandals strewn together across the bare ground.

The prisoners started walking forward like zombies. They seemed to be confused by the lar – tens, which were nothing more than animal – skin thongs. They offered scant concealment of private areas, particularly at the back, where the material was just a meagre, leather strip.

He was particularly pleased by the outraged look on Jenna Miller’s young face as she bent her knees to pick up one of the lar – tens. She was literally turning up her nose at the stringy material. But since she was a beggar and not a chooser, she held it down close to her feet and stepped through the hoop without much hesitation.

Her ired expression turned to discomfort when she began pulling the thong up and over her pelvic area. Lar – tens were not designed to go very high over the groin and buttocks, serving as nothing more than ceremonial garments.

And in the case of Jenna Miller, it appeared even smaller due to her height. She was trying to adjust the thong by yanking at its waistband, but every time it just snapped back, allowing a fringe of her pubic hair to peek over the material again. She tried the same at the back, and a few times as she was swivelling her hips to gain some purchase, Favo got a sneak peek at her curvy bottom.

Stubbornly, the lar – ten reverted to size as soon as she let go, adhering tightly to her body and revealing the top of her butt crack. She was evidently close to tears by now. Favo understood her frustration, but he did not care.

He was too busy admiring her beautiful body. The more she struggled with the lar – ten, the more her firm breasts jiggled, and the more he ejaculated into his boxer briefs. This was the best day of his life by a huge margin.

Nevertheless, he wanted to move things along. “Alright, we don’t have all day. Put on your sandals, ” he ordered the crowd, “and reform the line. ”

The people stopped fidgeting with their thongs and went back to the pile. Jenna was about to do the same, but as soon as she bent down, the lar – ten seemed to slide down a little further from her hips. After pulling at the slip of material and readjusting again, she lowered herself carefully on her knees.

It took them a few minutes to find sandals that fit them all. Favo did not mind waiting – instead appreciating her wonderful titties. She was going to be naked above the waistline from now on. And with the lar – ten offering such meagre concealment to her body below the waistline, not much was left to the imagination either.

SEVEN

She desperately shovelled through the pile until she found a pair of matching sandals. They appeared to be second – hand, which made her wonder if the thong was a hand – me – down as well. Add that to yet another concern she had to deal with.

Once she straightened herself, the piece – of – shit thong started slipping down once more. Frantically, she pulled it up by the waistband, using just her one hand. Then she threw the sandals down on the hard ground and stepped into them. They were form – fitting and thankfully had no straps, so she did not have to bend down again.

Oh God. So this was going to be her life for the next twenty – five years – wearing nothing but a small, useless thong and sandals in front of strange Africans. What about her privacy? What about her life? How could this be happening to her? How could authorities allow something so inhuman? She had never done anything to deserve such punishment.

It was at that point that she remembered... everybody could see her like this. From the depths of her periphery, she saw her breasts suspending from her chest. Her small, pink nipples were right there, out in the open... unencumbered... jiggling slightly with every fine movement of her torso.

The camp leader was standing about six feet away and leering greedily at her body. Why was it that his eyes always seemed to be pointed at her? Somewhere in the depths of her mind, she knew why. But she did not even want to think about it. An old African like him had no business fantasizing about someone like her.

She was still only a teenager. Surely, this Favo character would not try anything, would he? He would not dare.

There would be repercussions if he did anything untoward. Right? A cold shudder started running up her spine.

“Reform the line, ” he bellowed crudely, but never tearing his stare away from her. “Arms to the side. ”

Jenna swallowed hard and hesitantly assumed her position in the queue again. Her mind was being bombarded with so many negative emotions, yet at the same time she was following the despicable man’s orders as if he was her superior. She wanted to disobey, but she knew it was impossible.

Never before had she felt so vulnerable... so self – conscious... so ashamed. Till now she had always been proud of being herself, yet now she wanted to disappear.

“Alright people, ” he continued, slurring his words as badly as ever, “I think you need to understand the pecking order. In my camp, I am king. You are all replaceable. And here in the colony, we have a high turnover rate of prisoners. You can infer that in whatever way you want. In any case, here are the rules you must follow. Out here in the courtyard, none of you will be allowed to stand too close together. No fucking will be allowed within the confines of your sleeping quarters. You will always call me and the other guards ‘sir’. No fighting will be tolerated. Prisoners will be responsible for their own grooming and sanitation. You will only eat if you work. And lastly, the new rule is for you whites. You will under NO circumstances speak with another white person inside the camp. Am I understood?”

The few whites that were dispersed among the Africans agreed and said “yes, sir”, albeit with repressed resentment. Jenna was probably the most resentful of them all. She hated calling him ‘sir’. In her mind, he was the most undeserving person to ever be called ‘sir’. This Favo guy had no business having such privileges. Throughout his long speech, she had to strain her ears because his voice was almost indecipherable.

Yet here she was, standing to attention and hardly wearing a stitch of clothing. How far had she fallen from her promising days as a student? Just this morning she had believed herself to be destined for a better life in Australia. It felt so long ago now.

“Alright, you will be assigned your beds now, ” Favo said with a dismissive wave of his arm. “Building 5D is only half full. It’s the one at the far end. Follow me. ”

When he started walking, the prisoners went after him with small, tentative steps. Jenna decided to hang back a bit, thereby blending with the others. She did not want to be so close to the despicable man, especially after he had been creeping her out with his lustful gazes.

On top of her immense shame from wearing a thong, Jenna also had to deal with sudden discomfort. The material was chafing against her ass crack and perineum, especially now that she was walking.

Favo’s steps were purposeful as he led them to the old building with the chipped paint. His subordinates were not far away, keeping watch over the procession.

“Pick out beds further back, ” Favo said. “The ones near the door are already taken. ” He remained by the open entrance and gestured for all of them to enter.

She tried to keep a few bodies between herself and the old camp leader, but unfortunately, the inmates had to enter single – file. So there was a terrified moment when they were within touching distance.

Jenna tensed up as she passed him, almost expecting to be pinched on her buttocks. Somehow she knew that her fear was justified. And while that did not happen, thankfully, Favo did crack a strange smile in her direction, exposing his uneven, yellow teeth. She just shook it off and beelined for one of the beds.

When they were all inside, he walked after them and folded his arms. It did not take long before his gaze sought Jenna out again.

“This is going to be your home from now on, ” he said triumphantly. “Get used to it, because tomorrow you will be earning your keep. Dinner will be served when the other prisoners return from the quarry. ” Then he dismissed himself with a casual salute and added: “I’ll be back later. ”

She was just so relieved to see the camp leader leave. Never before had she been so ill at ease – so distrusting of a person.

As soon as the coast was clear, she considered climbing into bed and hiding under the blanket, but unfortunately her urge to urinate had returned with a vengeance. Somehow during the bus trip, she had managed to suppress the call of nature – had clean forgot about it until now.

A single guard had stayed behind and was patrolling the courtyard. Reluctantly, Jenna left the confines of the sleeping quarters and found him walking casually, holding a nightstick across his shoulder. She recalled how one of the white prisoners had been beaten with the weapon and imagined getting clubbed in the stomach.

When the guard saw her approach, he broke into giggles and mumbled something in his own language. She felt humiliated about her lack of clothing, yet what could she do?

If Jenna tried to cover herself again, the guard would know that she was ashamed. Maybe if he was so inclined, he would mock her and tell his friends how bashful she was about her nudity. Then her life would become even more unbearable in the colony.

Jenna pushed through her embarrassment and waved, trying to be amicable. But not too amicable, given her current situation. If the man got the wrong idea...

“Hi, ” she said. “I’m looking for a toilet. ” When he did not respond, she repeated herself: “Toilet. I need to pee. ” The blood started rushing to her face once more.

He looked her up and down and laughed with no restraint. Oh God. What was she to do? “Please, I need to go now. ” When words did not work on their own, she started pantomiming, assuming different positions to convey her message.

Finally, after many tries, the man seemed to understand her. “Uloba?” he asked, still grinning.

Out of desperation, Jenna nodded frantically. “Yes... err... uloba. ” She was hoping they were on the same page.

Using just an index finger, he beckoned for her to follow. She walked after him, feeling trepidation in every step. As it turned out, uloba did refer to toilet. During her short trip to the outhouse behind one of the sleeping quarters, she was relieved at first – then shocked by the state of it.

The outhouse was a rickety, wooden shack without a door. And when she got close enough, the stench nearly made her vomit. “Argh, that’s wretched, ” she cried.

“Uloba, ” the guard said, pointing to the outhouse.

She clenched her fists and tried her best to ignore the assault on her senses. Just do it already.

However, another problem presented itself once she was was inside the outhouse. The guard was still standing there, watching her intently. In fact, he was manoeuvring himself to get a better view.

Jenna gave a disarming smile. “Can I have some privacy, please?”

He replied in his own language again, but did not budge.

Oh no...

For a few seconds she was completely flabbergasted – unable to continue and at the same time, unable to wait any longer. Desperately, she asked once more: “Can you leave, please?”

This time there was no response. The man’s smile was gone.

Jenna felt a flutter in her belly as she leaned down to pull the thong down to her knees. She was aware of the man’s eyes burning into her.

For the next minute or so, she sat there on the grimy, porcelain toilet as the guard watched. When that was done, Jenna pulled up the thong as quickly as humanly possible. After stumbling out of the outhouse, she avoided looking at the guard and moved along.

She was fearing the worst for some reason. The guard was talking again, mostly to himself, but he stayed in place and merely studied her curiously as she walked back to the sleeping quarters.

Jenna was scared out of her wits. What was going to happen to her? She did not want to stay here in the colony. As much as she tried to remain calm, the pressure was getting to her. When she got back to her bed (if it could even be called hers), she lifted the grey blanket and climbed in. The other whites had already done the same.

Clearly the idea of prancing around with just a thong was not appealing to civilized human beings. It was completely unnecessary, she thought. What was the meaning of stripping away human decency? Unless the tribal men had no shred of human decency. Evidence would suggest that they did not.

Till now Jenna had projected as much serenity as she could afford. Yet, when the blanket reached her chin, she broke down into silent sobs. She wanted her parents to tell her everything was going to be okay – just a few words of consolation would be enough.

Instead, her nightmarish thoughts began plaguing her, reminding her of everything that had been lost. The gravity of the situation had not yet sunk in. Jenna was staring down the abyss, but was not inside it yet.

Perhaps, in the back of her mind, she was still expecting this to be some kind of prank. The judge and the prison guards were all in on it... right? This was candid camera?

Except, this was no joke. Nobody was laughing.

She must have dozed off without realizing it, because all of a sudden a loud whistle brought her back to consciousness. To her it felt like a blink of an eye, yet when she looked out the door, the sky had turned from bright – blue to a hazy orange hue.

EIGHT

Favo had been spending the remainder of the day with the prisoners at the quarry. And while he was away from the camp, he was constantly thinking about the gorgeous, young girl with the blonde hair and big, blue eyes. She was so tall and so beautiful – the ultimate, forbidden fruit, he kept musing to himself.

Back in the colonial days, the races had been segregated. Even when Favo was living in the city, there were precious few opportunities to spy on white females, never – mind see them without their clothes on. Now the barrier was gone.

All the while, he had been using his time away from the camp to scheme. Favo was not particularly smart. In fact, he had almost nothing going for him. So bad was his reputation, the villagers had quietly been mocking him all these years. They all thought he was a loser, and unfortunately they were right.

Jenna Miller was on the opposite end of the spectrum. She was very young, very beautiful and probably accomplished as well. No doubt her father had spared no expense raising her, giving her the best possible education.

So a fifty – one – year – old tribal man had no right fantasizing about a fifteen – year – old, white girl like Jenna. Except, circumstances had changed drastically, and for once fortune was smiling down on him. Granted, he was still reaching for the moon.

But why not try, he thought. The girl was alone and vulnerable. And once she started working at the quarry, she would realize just how impossibly hard her life was going to get.

Favo was planning on making a move... soon. Timing was paramount, however. If he tried to proposition now, the girl would tell him to take a hike. Why wouldn’t she?

He was an ageing, out – of – shape tribal man with a speech impediment. Jenna’s situation would have to deteriorate quite a bit before she even considered becoming his slave wife. He was willing to help the situation along, off course. In the back of his mind, Favo knew to what depths he could sink to get his way. He was that resolute.

He and his guards marched the prisoners from the quarry back to the camp. It was a slow process because the prisoners were knackered. Once they arrived, he ordered them to form a line, as usual.

Then he blew his whistle.

A few seconds later, the new inmates emerged from the building in staggered groups. Jenna was not among any of them, so Favo blew the whistle again. This time she came walking out, seemingly groggy after taking a nap.

“Everybody stand to attention, ” he barked. “You know the drill... hands to the side. ”

They all complied – the new prisoners somewhat more reluctantly. Favo straightened his shawl and squared his shoulders, making it clear that he was meaning business. He nonchalantly made his was to the end of the queue, where Jenna was standing.

“You will now receive your daily meal. Eat well, ” he added, trying to sound as ominous as possible. He glanced at Jenna and was enjoying her disconsolate expression. As soon as she saw him looking at her, she turned her head away. He appreciated her firm breasts for a brief moment longer and then started walking back to the centre of the line.

He made them wait like that. Favo was a sadist – something that he had not realized of himself until he became a prison guard. He enjoyed watching people suffer. And now that his camp had white prisoners, it made him even happier.

The other white females were attractive (although not as attractive as young Jenna). They were generally tall as well and ranged in a variety of ages. One was in her late teens while another was in her early twenties. The rest were much older, perhaps in their mid to late thirties.

Either way, he imagined that the older ones were all married. Maybe they had children in some of the other camps as well.

The white men were just as varied in age and appearance. The first one that stood out was the young guy who had earlier received some discipline from the blunt end of a nightstick. He did not seem nearly as dignified wearing just a thong and sandals, Favo reckoned.

In fact, he was a good match for Jenna in terms of physical appearance. He was tall and athletic, with a mane of wavy, blonde hair that reached down his shoulders. Too bad he was incarcerated, otherwise he and the girl might have made a cute couple.

Two of his guards were bringing the ‘slop’ from the kitchen – each one carrying the steel pot by its large handles.

“Alright, go fetch your bowls, ” he ordered. “For those of you who are new, your bowls are under your beds. ”

The experienced prisoners knew how to behave, dismissing themselves quietly before setting off towards the buildings behind them, in a very orderly fashion. And the new arrivals wisely took their queues from them.

His gaze followed Jenna when she started walking back to her sleeping quarters. He just loved the way her thong was cutting through her ass crack. Evidently, she had given up trying to readjust it, instead allowing it to hang low (as it was meant to). And the way her hips were swaying with her wonderfully long strides – phew, he was getting a hard boner again.

She, along with the other prisoners, came out soon after holding their bowls. He started giggling when a few of the whites were asking: “But what about utensils?”

The guards had already set the pot down on the hard gravel. They stirred it several times and then called for the prisoners to step forward. One by one, the inmates received their daily ration, a vegetable broth that served as nothing more than nutritional substance. It was bland in both smell and taste.

Eventually, Jenna’s turn came around. She grimly accepted her broth as the guard scooped it into her bowl with a ladle. She was pulling her pretty face into a frown.

Meanwhile, the new prisoners were learning proper food “etiquette”, which was to drink directly out of the bowl. Some of them were appalled, although in the end they had no choice in the matter. Jenna retreated away from the crowd and drank down her slop. She was not enjoying it.

The girl had never experienced hardship in her life, that much was obvious. It must have been quite a shock getting the rug pulled out from under her.

After all, what did she have? Nothing. Everything was taken from her, including her clothes.

Favo did not care about her. He had no reason to care... yet. Maybe once she belonged to him, his cold heart would warm a little.

He expected three impediments to his goal of conquering the girl. The first one was obvious... Jenna. She was still in her superior mindset, so he would need to work on taking her down a few pegs. The second was the village elder. What Favo had in mind was unprecedented. Add to that the sordid history between Wambazi’s races, and suddenly his ambitious plan seemed destined for failure.

And while the superintendent would surely endorse his plan, he would still require permission from officials in the city. Bureaucracy always slowed things down, and this urged him to set the wheels in motion post – haste.

But he was going through with his plan – come hell or high water. The worst that could happen was that he failed. It was highly doubtful that his superiors would punish him for merely expressing interest in the white girl. Maybe some of them would raise their eyebrows though.

If it worked, his reward was going to be huge. Jenna Miller was a nearly – impossible prize for most white men, never – mind a five foot tribal man with so many years behind him.

He stared at the white girl with longing. It was frustrating, because his loins were aching to ravish her. Favo must have blown three loads in his briefs by now, yet his cock was threatening to erupt again.

In a way he was relieved when she disappeared into the building. It allowed his overworked manhood to catch a break.

Before going home, he went to the superintendent’s office. It was at the back of the modest administrative building. Favo explained his intentions to the man, who was intrigued.

“You want to marry this white girl?” the superintendent asked with a sly grin.

“Yes, Adoman, ” he replied.

“Remind me, how old is she again?”

“Fifteen. ”

Adoman’s eyes widened. “Fifteen? My, you’re a hopeful one, aren’t you?” Favo did not sense judgement from the man – more a playful jest.

He smiled a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his neck. “I suppose I am. ”

“And have you told her anything yet?”

Favo shook his head. “No. ”

The superintendent made himself comfortable in his leaning chair and broke out into gravelly laughter. “That’s smart of you, ” he said. “You first want to get your ducks in a row. ”

He had known Adoman since childhood. The man was older than him, and perhaps the closest thing he had as a friend. They weren’t exactly kindred spirits, but they got along well enough – at least as well as colleagues could.

“Her father is a rich industrialist... at least, he was, ” Adoman added. “He’s not even forty yet and he’s already achieved more than a thousand men combined. It will be hard to impress his daughter. ”

“I’m not going to impress her, ” Favo admitted. “I’m going to offer her freedom from the colony. That should be enough. ”

“And then you’re going to turn her into a village slave. Still, I suppose it’s better than working yourself to death in the quarry. ” He squinted his eyes up at Favo and chortled again. “You are really being ambitious, going after a white girl so young. I bet she’s going to be surprised when you make the offer. ”

Favo could not contain his pleasure. “I’m sure she will. Jenna must think that blacks are beneath her. ”

“Exactly. But it will be nice to see a colonial bitch get her just desserts for a change, ” Adoman said. “My grandfather was murdered by a British regiment when I was a small boy. Did I tell you before?”

“No. Never. ”

“He was whipped to death, in front of his fellow tribesmen. Apparently they were making an example out of him. ”

“That’s harsh. ”

“Harsh?” Adoman responded incredulously. “That’s fucking murder. What you have in store for this privileged princess doesn’t even compare. But whatever it is, I hope you humiliate her. I Hope you make an example out of her. ”

Favo nodded enthusiastically. “If it makes you happy, I will. ”

“Good. Now, how will you convince the elder?”

“I don’t know yet. It may help if you put in a few words. The geezer always liked you. ”

The superintendent thought about it and shrugged. “Okay. Fine. And I’ll make a phone call to see if my bosses approve. Chances are, they won’t at first. But I’m a persuasive person. ”

Favo was happy to have the man fighting in his corner. It was going to make his job a lot easier.

NINE

Jenna suffered a restless sleep during the night. The strange smells and sounds had alarmed her senses – reminded her that she was in an alien place. By the time morning came, she was already half awake and looking up at the mouldy ceiling.

Nevertheless, her heart started fluttering when she heard the camp leader blowing his loud whistle. Some of the other guards were making noises as well, stirring unsuspecting prisoners from their slumber.

She did not want to get up. As long as she remained under the blanket, nobody could see her naked body.

Jenna moved her hands down to her hips, feeling the fabric of the ineffectual thong against her skin. A long sigh escaped from her.

She was naked, wasn’t she? This lar – ten (or whatever it was called) was nothing more than a near – invisible slip. As her eyes glimpsed the other prisoners getting out of bed, she realized just how naked they all were.

It was bad enough if you were a man, she thought. But surely the colony needed to provide the female prisoners with brassieres at least. For Pete’s sake, she was a teenage girl!

“Everybody get up and make up your beds!” a guard screamed, beating his nightstick loudly against the door frame.

Oh God.

Jenna struggled up from under her blanket. The blood started rushing to her face once her concealment was gone. But she put on her sandals and hastily straightened her bed’s linens.

“C’mon. Everybody out!” the guard shouted urgently.

The prisoners rushed out and she followed after them, falling in line as soon as she was outside. The despicable, old African was there as expected. He was still holding his whistle in hand, only dropping it to hang from his necklace when he seemed satisfied by the growing congregation.

Inmates were emerging from all five buildings and forming regiments. Jenna sort of fell in line, just like all the other newbies.

“Alright, hands to the side!” the camp leader bellowed in his nigh – unintelligible voice. “We have a long day ahead of us! We march now... and no talking!”

They were led to the camp gate in a double row. Jenna was filled with trepidation, feeling like a lamb being led to slaughter.

This was not the same gate she had arrived in the day before. This one led through an open corridor with high cement walls. At the end of the corridor, prisoners were being handed pickaxes.

She accepted her pickaxe gingerly, unsure of how to hold it at first. This was happening, she realized with dismay.

They all emerged into an open field, on a narrow footpath leading from the exit. It wound towards a distant, barren hill that seemed to be covered in a grey dust cloud. That was it?

“Move along, ” a guard yelled at them in broken English.

Jenna was wondering why she hadn’t spotted prisoners from the other camps yet. She took a chance and asked the inmate marching next to her, who was an African of medium height.

“Where are the others?” she asked in a hushed tone.

“Don’t talk to me, ” he whispered hoarsely. “Are you trying to get me killed?”

Jenna persisted. “Look, I’m sorry. But I have family members in the other camps. I’m just wondering where they are. ”

He looked at her askance at first, although his eyes quickly settled on her bare breasts. “There are six quarries that surround the colony, okay? That’s why there are six prisoner camps. ”

The news was heartbreaking. Was she ever going to see her parents again? What about Carla? Was her little sister going through the same ordeal?

The man leaned sideways, towards her. “If I was you, I wouldn’t worry about anyone but myself. A young, white girl is prime meat around here, especially one as pretty as you. ”

“What?” she asked indignantly.

“I’m just giving fair warning. Nobody’s going to watch out for you. The guards don’t give a shit what happens to us. I’ve seen a prisoner get strangled by another prisoner in broad daylight, and the guards just stood there as if enjoying a show. ”

“That’s horrible. ”

“The lucky ones get killed, ” he said, licking his lips. “Others end up getting turned out. ”

“Turned out?”

He gave a suggestive smile. “Do I have to spell it out?”

She gave an involuntary gasp. “You mean... ”

“Yes, you’ll wind up someone’s bitch. ”

“Never, ” she mouthed back.

“You sure? You think you’re special because you’re a white female? Have you noticed that you’re wearing the same uniform as all the other prisoners?”

Jenna decided that she did not like the man any more. She ignored him for the rest of the march.

The quarry consisted of a patchwork of trenches. These trenches were cut deep into the hillside and barely wide enough for two people to walk shoulder to shoulder. Loose rubble was gathered and put into mechanical lifts that were operated by crank arms.

After the prisoners were escorted up the incline, they were dispersed across the entire hillside. She was separated from the others and pointed to her allocated spot. “You go there, ” a guard barked at her. “Go down and work. ”

Tentatively, she walked along the edge until she found a rickety ladder. Here goes.

Only halfway down did she realize that discarding the pickaxe would make it easier to climb. When Jenna reached the bottom, she was immediately confronted by new – found claustrophobia. It felt like the stone walls would close in on her.

The guard looked down from the top. “Hit the rock and put the stone in the container. ”

“Where?” she asked, feeling hopeless.

He laughed and pointed with his index finger towards the mechanical lift. “Over there. ”

“Do I have to carry the rocks?”

The guard grimaced and waved her off dismissively. “Get to work, white slave. ”

Jenna was at a loss, but she managed to gather her strength and aim at the trench wall with her pickaxe. Raising the tool high over her head, she brought it down with all of her might and connected. However, only a few splinters broke off.

“You’ll have to try harder than that, ” the guard rebuked her.

“I’m trying, ” she shot back.

“Try harder. ”

She gritted her teeth and used even more force than before. Once again, her efforts resulted in just a few more splinters falling to the ground.

“If you don’t work harder, ” the guard threatened, “I’ll call the camp leader to punish you. ”

Oh no, anything but that, Jenna thought. She focused her aim on the rock face and slammed the pickaxe against it. The result was the same.

She cried out in frustration. How could the prison guards expect her to do the same work as a man? It was crazy.

Her arms were already aching – her hands were burning. Yet she had made no progress. Jenna leaned forward against the hard wall, feeling lost and hopeless.

It was not long after when she heard a forbidding voice reverberating from above. It seemed the guard had called the camp leader after all. Her throat started to constrict and her heart began beating faster.

Favo Ugbula was speaking in his own language, but she could tell that he was miffed. Once he showed his ugly face, peaking down over the threshold, her suspicions were confirmed.

“What are you doing?” he asked, switching to English again.

Jenna suddenly had the urge to conceal herself, but she resisted and stared back bravely. “I can’t do it... sir. I don’t think I’m cut out for work in the quarry. ”

“If you don’t work, you don’t eat, ” he replied bluntly.

“But... but isn’t there something else I could do? I would do anything if it meant getting away from here. ”

Favo paused for a moment. “Like what?”

“I dunno. How about filing or general secretarial work?”

She was grasping at straws. But what other choice did she have? Her body was not equipped for manual labour.

The man disappeared for a moment, exchanging gibberish with his guard. Then he stuck out his head again. “Get out, ” he ordered.

What was going on, she wondered. Was she in trouble? Would the camp leader consider her plea? She was conflicted, yet hopeful for a better deal. Anything but this.

Favo stared at her when she climbed up from the trench. Sternly, he said: “Follow me. ”

TEN

He hadn’t expected things to come together so quickly. Adoman’s influence had won him favour with the village elder and with the bureaucrats back in the city. The good news had come with a few provisos, however, most notably that Jenna remained within the confines of the tribal lands. She was still be a prisoner, regardless of her status outside the colony.

The village elder had also made it clear that she was to serve the village, if she chose to become Favo’s wife, which was an entirely different matter.

Either way, the only thing he lacked now was her consent. It would have been nice to force her into submission, but unfortunately the tribal laws did not work like that. Either he had to buy her from someone or she had to promise herself to him willingly.

Somehow he doubted that Jenna would simply conscript herself into slavery, even if it was better than working in the quarry. Yet, now was as good a time as ever to plant the seed.

From the corner of his eye, he watched her naked form with eagerness. Yes, she was wearing the thong, but it covered so little that it hardly mattered.

And he was aware that the girl was self – conscious about it. Every now and again she would tentatively move her arm to strategically shield her breasts from his hungry gaze. Then she would drop it once she realized how pointless it was.

After all, he had already seen her without clothes. He had fully immersed himself with the shape of her breasts – the alluring curves of her hips.

Her face was stunning as well: Bright, blue eyes with naturally long lashes, a delicate nose that was slightly upturned at the tip, high cheek bones and beautiful, pouty, pink lips.

In short, she effortlessly resembled those billboard models that used to titillate him back in the city. But she was a real person. Oh God, he wanted to ravish her.

Instead, he calmly led her to the main office building that served as the central hub for the colony. This was where the administration staff worked during the day.

It was accessible from many entrances, but Favo chose the side entrance near the main gate, which was the same one Adoman had used the day before, when he had addressed the prisoners for the first time. This required walking around to the front, but he did not mind.

The grounds surrounding the quarry had barbed – wire fences as well, so it was not like prisoners could simply run away. And the trek to the main office building passed through several gates, which all had to be opened by guards from the other side.

Eventually he and the girl arrived, walking up the porch. Then he opened the double door and ushered her inside. Everything was archaic by design. There were no computers or cellphones. Adoman was the only one who could make phone calls from his private office, and only for important business.

Jenna seemed to cringe when she saw the personnel working behind their ebony desks. The colony had three clerks – all men and all of them wearing their traditional shawls, just like Favo.

They were staring, and their eyes were still following after the girl when he stopped in front of his office, at the start of the hallway. “After you, ” he said, opening the door.

For a moment, she nervously rubbed the back of her neck. If there was hesitation on her part, she buried it quickly enough, most certainly because she was desperate.

He admired her beautiful bum and then walked in, closing the door behind him. He casually walked past the trembling, young girl and settled down behind his desk.

Jenna seemed to look around as if wondering if she could sit down as well. There was an armchair in the corner, but Favo did not offer it. Instead he leaned forward and crossed his arms on the desk’s surface. All the while, he was studying the embarrassed girl intently.

He cleared his throat. “Tell me again why you don’t want to work. ”

Jenna’s mouth dropped open. “It’s not that I don’t want to work... um... sir. I just don’t think I can work in the quarry. ”

“Really? You think you can do whatever you want. ”

Her big, innocent eyes widened. “No, that’s not it... err... sir. I can do many other jobs. ”

“You don’t get to decide what jobs we give you. ”

“But look at me. I’m just fifteen. And I’m female. How can you expect me to do the same work as a man?”

Favo shrugged. “I don’t know and I don’t care. ”

“You don’t care?” she asked with an incredulous expression.

“No, why would I? You’re a privileged, white girl who thinks she can order others around. I bet you’re used to getting your way, aren’t you?”

She started to speak and then paused to think momentarily. “No, ” was all that she could come up with.

Favo laughed at her expense. “Look, we have all the admin staff we need in the building, and the only one with a phone is the superintendent, and he’s not going to let you near it. So I’m afraid you’re gonna have to go back to the quarry. ”

Jenna looked shattered all of a sudden. “Please, I simply can’t do it. I’ll do anything!”

“Anything?” he asked.

She nodded. “Anything, sir. ”

He pretended to think about the girl’s proposal. “There is one... wait, no... you won’t like it. ”

“What... what?” she asked, with hope flickering in her sparkling eyes.

The moment of truth had arrived. Favo maintained his composure and said: “You could always become my wife. ”

If a penny dropped, he would have been able to hear it fall. The young girl looked at him strangely. “What?” she asked. “Your wife?”

“Yeah, I’m the oldest, available man in the camp, so I have privileges over the other guards. I get to make the offer. But you’re probably not interested, ” he added, waving it off.

She was still shocked and trying to process the information. “I would be your wife?” she said, clearly disgusted. “Why would I want to be your wife?”

“Outsiders cannot join the tribe, not even as slaves. They have to marry a member first. ”

“Are you serious?”

“Definitely. Off course, you would have to earn your keep in the village, you know... do menial work like cleaning toilets and herding animals. ”

“That’s impossible, ” the girl replied, suddenly angry.

“Why?”

“W – well... look at you. ”

He laughed inwardly. “Whatever do you mean?”

“You’re... you’re black, ” she blurted out. “And you’re so old. ”

“I’m fifty – one, ” Favo said, waiting for her response with anticipation.

“You’re fifty – one?”

He nodded to the affirmative.

“And you think... you and I... there’s just no way, ” she stammered. It looked like she was suppressing the urge to vomit. “I’m still a child. How could you even imagine that I would be interested in you... that way? That’s horrible!” she shrieked. Favo was sure the three clerks could hear her falsetto voice.

He shrugged and sat back in his chair. “I don’t care what you think. I heard your offer and you heard my counter – offer. Now, if you’re done, I’ll take you back to the quarry. ”

“Wait!” she interjected. That one word was music to his ears.

“Wait?” he asked, trying to appear unassuming. “What for?”

Jenna waved her elegant hands in a disarming fashion. “Can’t I just work in your village, without having to marry you?”

“No, ” he replied abruptly.

The girl closed her eyes and started weeping quietly. She was showing her age – being unable to control her emotions. Tears were slowly running down her pretty cheeks and gathering at her chin.

“Please, have some compassion, ” she said, still whimpering. “I should not even be here. I did nothing wrong. ”

“You were living off the fat of the country, weren’t you? I bet many Africans suffered so that your family could live comfortably in your mansion. ”

“My father worked hard for his money, ” she said with outrage. “He never stole from anybody. ”

“Then why are you here?”

Again, the girl was caught between two minds. Using her forearm, she wiped the wetness from her face and then managed to stitch together a sentence. “I... I... I think we were framed. That’s the only explanation that makes sense. ”

Favo decided to press the advantage. “Really?”

She sniffed. “Yes. ”

“Yes, what?”

Her blue eyes widened. “Yes, sir. ”

“That’s right. You forgot your place when you were yelling in my office. Who the hell do you think you are?”

“I... I... I was just upset, sir. ”

He shot up from his desk and deftly stepped around it to confront the girl. She hastily started retreating until she was backing up against the wall. Her face revealed a mixture of surprise and anxiety.

But Favo wanted to show his dominance over the once – proud, white teenager. He kept moving forward until there was hardly any space left between them. Because Jenna was so much taller, he was at eye level with her perfectly – formed breasts. If he wanted, he could reach out and touch her small, pink nipples.

Yet, as excited as they were making him feel, Favo managed to contain himself. “Never yell at me again, do you hear me?”

The girl nodded fiercely. “Yes, sir. I understand... although I wasn’t yelling at you – ”

“Quiet!” he shouted, cutting her off. “You think you’re better than me, don’t you?”

“No, ” she said defensively. “I mean, no sir. ”

He looked her up and down, enjoying her naked splendour. “You better not. A white girl such as yourself can’t afford to have pride. Not when she literally owns nothing and can’t even earn her keep. I’ll give you two days to decide... stay here in the colony for the next twenty – five years or join me in my village as my wife. ”

She started shivering when he mentioned the word “wife”. Her mouth was agape and her eyes grown wide as Favo verbalized her options. She had a visibly pained expression.

ELEVEN

Jenna was in misery for the rest of the day. After the despicable camp leader had escorted her back to the hillside outside the prison, she went back to work.

Or rather, she tried to work. All that she had to show for it were cramped muscles and blisters on her palms. She barely made half of her daily quota.

It was not due to a lack of effort either. Jenna really wanted to prove to herself that she could do it. But always in the back of her mind, she was reminded of the truth. Twenty – five years was a long time... too long to endure in such an arduous place.

Eventually the quarry was going to get the better of her. She knew it. That ugly African knew it as well.

She was incensed by his arrogance, thinking that the two of them could ever be husband and wife. He, a fifty – one – year – old black midget, wanted her to become his wife. Outrageous, she thought.

However, her rational mind was asking all kinds of questions – the types of questions she could not answer easily. The biggest one was, would she take Favo up on his offer?

While she had been toiling away in the trenches, the question kept repeating itself, only to be suppressed over and over.

She was desperate for an alternative... anything, besides having to become Favo’s concubine. There was hope that the new regime would recall the prison sentences, but it was a meagre hope.

There was hope that Western countries would intervene on the behalf of Wambazi’s whites. The problems was that Europe and America had become weighed down with political correctness. Yet, even if by some miracle the white prisoners did receive clemency, such things took time... maybe months.

And she did not have that much time. Jenna suspected that she could hold out for a few weeks at best. She was not cut out for life in the colony.

As expected, she did not get to eat in the afternoon. The guards had been notified of her “behaviour” and calmly bypassed her when she was standing ready with her bowl. She got a few sympathetic gazes from fellow prisoners, especially the whites.

Yet, what could they realistically do to help? They were in the same boat as Jenna. She was surprised that the other women had made their quotas, however. They must have, because they were getting their bowls filled with broth.

Still, they were all extremely tired. All around her, shoulders were sagging and faces were drooping.

Jenna wanted to retreat to her bed. But by now she knew that prisoners were supposed to stay together during mealtimes, even if some of them did not get to eat. The guards kept close watch around them, ensuring that none of them strayed from the group.

She was still embarrassed by her nudity – desperately wanted to escape from the prying eyes that repeatedly fell on her.

Ominously, she recalled the brief but dreaded conversation with that prisoner – the one who had warned her of the “others”. For all she knew, he was one of them.

If anybody tried to force her into sex... what would she do? Would she give in or would she fight? Surely she would fight, right? Or would she?

What would be worse? Getting raped by dozens of men or being the wife of Favo Ugbula? She could not believe that she was actually contemplating something as awful as that.

It was crazy – only a day after arriving at the colony, Jenna Miller was being confronted by the most horrendous scenario imaginable.

She, a fifteen – year – old teenager, had been propositioned by a fifty – one – year – old tribal man who barely reached her shoulders. Yes, he was ugly as sin. He could barely talk. He had a faint odour of faecal matter about him.

But despite all of that, Jenna could not merely put everything behind her. She was in a heap of trouble – something that she was not equipped to handle. Even a week ago, she would never have imagined herself being here of all places, standing so exposed and being confronted by so much.

What was she going to do? Was it even in her hands? The more she tried to wrap her mind around it, the more she realized, there was really only two options left to her. And she was not ready to simply give in and hand herself over.

Back in his office, Favo was smiling to himself. He had played his part to perfection. He was not expecting her to capitulate. Why would she? She was Jenna Miller – the white girl with the silver spoon in her mouth. To her, he was the equivalent of a lowly insect.

The fact that she was a prisoner in the colony was not enough to bring her down to his level. Not even close.

And she was clearly going to try and make her daily quotas from now on. After missing a meal, that would be motivation enough, he thought wisely.

For the time being, he decided to leave matters as they were – to let the young girl stew in her unhappiness. However, he was already working on a devious plan, in case the girl refused to reconsider his proposal.

There was always a danger that she would simply persevere until her dying breath. And the longer she stayed, the higher the chance that some of the prisoners would try something. The colony was not a safe place to be.

Experience had taught him all he needed to know. Jenna had a week (maybe less) before the jackals closed in on her. No doubt some of them were planning to assail the white females. After all, it was not just Jenna whose life was in danger.

However, his devious plan involved using those jackals for his own benefit. It was a calculated risk, he knew. But a few bribes would certainly get their cooperation.

It was late in the afternoon and his shift was over. He left his office and waved goodbye to the staff. They all knew what was going on. Favo’s ambitious plan had slowly filtered down through the grapevine.

Many of them were looking at him with new – found respect. Some were dubious that a man of his means could convince a white girl to become his wife. They did not say it, but it was evident from their expressions.

Favo made the lonely trek back to his village and went through the same routine he always did. He went home, took off his shawl, made himself something to eat and walked around in his boxer briefs.

There was not much to do, besides reading some newspapers that had been recycled from the landfill.

All the while, he was thinking... scheming... planning. It was the first in a long time that he actually had to consider the future. He made himself comfortable on his queen – sized bed and meticulously went over every detail in his mind.

Yes, he was not smart, but he was cunning when the situation called for it. For once he had the upper hand over someone, and he was going to use his leverage wisely. Years of disappointment had taught him the art of knowing when to fight for something. And by God, he was going to fight tooth and nail to get what he wanted.

TWELVE

As it turned out, Jenna managed to reach her quota the next day. It required a Herculean effort on her part and lots of arm grease. But somehow she filled an entire wheelbarrow with stone before emptying it in the container.

Back at the camp, she was rewarded with a bowl of broth, which was hardly worth celebrating. But at least she had gotten through it all in one piece.

It gave her some confidence at least... enough to relegate Favo’s “offer” to the back of her mind. Indeed, when she repeated the milestone the day after, her immediate fear about having to submit to the little African lessened more and more.

He was always there, standing close by every morning and every afternoon. Often she would catch him staring at her, and it gave her some satisfaction, knowing that she could evade his clutches for another day.

Yet strangely, her stubbornness did not seem to perturb him. The ugly tribal man maintained a calm demeanour at all times – maybe even a satisfied smirk as he surveyed the prisoners.

Even when his offer elapsed, Favo kept his distance. He did not harass Jenna. He did not ask whether she would reconsider.

It was a relief, but it put doubt in her mind as well. To be fair, he had only made the proposal on a whim after she had begged to be taken out of the quarry.

Still, she wanted nothing to do with him. Absolutely nothing. Favo had no business being in the same room as her, never mind asking her to marry him. Just thinking about it was beyond insulting.

Jenna struggled quietly for close to a week, until something happened that shattered her world completely. It was when she was at the quarry, close to the end of her shift. She was tired as usual, and with blistered fingers, but content that she was going to make her target once more.

She should have known that something was wrong because the guards were nowhere near her trench when four male prisoners appeared from around a corner.

From the way they were crouching and eyeing her, it was clear that they had bad intentions. Sensing danger, she gunned for the ladder immediately, only to be assailed before she could climb out of the trench.

One of the men pulled her down by the legs while another grabbed her around the waist.

“Help!” she screamed. “I’m being attacked. ”

Before long they had her down on her back. When she tried to resist, two of them started kicking her.

They were too strong, she realized. She was unable to push them away, but she tried nonetheless.

Just off to her side, she heard one of them yell a command. The others turned her on all fours.

Her screams had turned into pleads. “Please don’t hurt me, ” she cried repeatedly.

One of them (the leader, she assumed) went down on his knees in front of her. He spoke in one of the African dialects.

Then he finally switched to English. “We’re going to have fun with you now, ” he said with relish. “Prepare to have all your holes widened by our big cocks. ”

“No!” she screamed, scrambling for the ladder. Again she was held fast by a pair of strong hands. “Let me go. ”

“What’s going on here?” someone asked. One of the guards were peaking down over the threshold.

“Thank God, ” Jenna said. “These men are trying to rape me. ”

To her shock and horror, he did not seem to respond.

“Please help, ” she said, still struggling to keep the men off of her.

He shrugged without saying another word. Suddenly she remembered the story that the prisoner had told her – about the guards watching with glee as one prisoner killed another. The same thing was happening now.

The men were grabbing her thong now, intending to strip her of her only remaining protection. She warded off their hands as best she could.

Out of desperation, she did the one thing she did not want to do. But right now it was her only option. “Please call the camp leader. Call Favo!”

The guard disappeared, leaving Jenna to fend off her attackers. They were still fervently trying to take off the thong. She, on the other hand, was holding the waistband for all that she was worth.

Her adrenaline was pumping. Somehow, she managed to turn herself on her back again. Jenna began kicking at her would – be – rapists.

The victory was short – lived. One of them punched her hard in the stomach, causing her to convulse. This allowed them to shift her into a sitting position.

An arm came around her neck and held her so rigidly, she could hardly breathe. She knew there was a danger of getting strangled if she tried to wriggle free.

It was at that point when she saw Favo’s ugly face in the corner of her periphery. He had the same disinterested look as his underling.

She managed to crane her neck a little. “Please, sir. These men... these men are trying to hurt me. ”

“Why is that my problem?” he asked casually.

“What?” she said, feeling utterly defeated.

“If you get killed, we’ll just replace you. ”

The prisoners had paused momentarily when they had seen Favo, but renewed their attack on her when it was clear Jenna was on her own. One of them squeezed her breasts while another went for her thong, this time without any resistance from her.

She sighed, knowing that her fate was sealed. “I’ll be your wife, ” she muttered with a breathless voice. “Just get me out of here, please. ”

Favo held up his right arm and barked at the four men in one of the African languages. Within seconds they released her and scampered away. Jenna watched with relief as they vanished around the corner. The struggle had winded her, and she was aching all over from the kicks the men had given her.

“Did you just agree to be my wife?” he asked, turning his attention towards her.

She was at a loss. Was it at all possible to recant her words?

Favo was by the edge of the trench and staring down at her. “Did you agree to be my wife?” he asked once more.

Reluctantly, she nodded her head. “Yes... sir. ”

“Alright, ” he said, “get out of there. ”

Jenna was dejected, but she managed to climb out. When she was on her feet, Favo was standing there with arms folded. The guard was there as well, watching the unfolding scene with interest.

“You have now made a promise to me, ” Favo said. “I have a witness that can validate my claim. ” And by witness, he meant the guard.

“Um... sir, ” she replied, “I was not exactly sure if – ”

“Quiet, ” he said, cutting her off. “You made a promise. And in my tribe, a promise is as good as a written contract. You’re not trying to break a contract, are you?”

“I wasn’t aware that promises were so important. I just wanted you to help me, sir. ”

“So you were trying to trick me. ”

“No, no. Not at all, sir. ”

“Then you have agreed to become my wife. ”

Jenna wanted to say something – anything that would get her out of this. But what? If felt as if she had landed from the vat into the fire.

Favo dismissed the guard and, with his index finger, beckoned her to follow. She swallowed hard and knew that she had no choice but to walk after him.

THIRTEEN

The only one who had been tricked was Jenna Miller. Off course, she did not need to know that. It was true that the tribe valued promises as highly as written contracts. Maybe if the girl had known that, she would have used a different tactic.

But fortunately for him, she did not. She had promised to marry him, hoping to retract herself soon after.

He had anticipated this very moment when he had recruited those four men to attack her. If push came to shove, she would do whatever it takes to escape such harm... even make promises she had no intention of keeping.

Sadly for her, Goloda was there to act as witness. The young guard had played along from the start, as planned.

Either way, the manner in which Favo had gained her consent was irrelevant. The fact of the matter was that she had agreed to marry him. Young Jenna could not go back on her word anymore.

They walked the same path towards his office, passing through several gates until they were at the main building. By the time they stepped through the double door, he could tell that the girl was regretting everything. She was fidgety and looked highly distressed.

Reality starting setting in when he opened his office and showed her inside. Her naked chest was heaving by now.

“Look, sir, ” she said frantically when he closed the door behind him. “I don’t think I can go through with this. In fact, I know I can’t. My dad will have a fit if he hears about something this crazy. ”

“You think it’s crazy?” he asked calmly. But inside he was revelling in the white girl’s misfortune.

“I just wanted those men to leave me alone, is all. But I don’t see why I should marry you just because you agreed to help me. ”

Favo did something unexpected then. It was calculated, but to the girl his actions must have seemed out of character. He put his hand on her shoulder and slowly pulled her down until they were at eye level. Her smooth skin was moist to the touch.

Then he said: “You had two days to decide. But almost a week has passed. ”

She was panicking and seemed to be searching for something to say. Finally, she sputtered: “I didn’t think I would actually – ”

“Quiet!” he shouted at the hapless girl. “You had two days to respond to my offer, but you ignored me. Because of your behaviour, there will be a price to pay. ”

Her blue eyes widened. “A price?”

Favo removed his hand from her shoulder and allowed her to straighten herself. “You’ll find out... soon. ”

When Jenna was released, she retreated a few steps. No doubt being so close to him was making her uncomfortable. She managed to grow a backbone once the distance between them was wide enough.

“There’s no way I could EVER marry you. I despise you, ” the girl cried childishly. “You’re using your position here to intimidate me... to coerce me into something I don’t want. And I won’t, you hear? I won’t!”

Her last sentence was particularly loud – loud enough to reach the clerks in the lobby, no doubt.

“You can’t go back on your word, ” he reminded her calmly.

Jenna clenched her fists at him. “Just try and force me. An old, black midget like you should be a candidate for sterilization, not marriage!”

Before the girl knew what was happening, Favo sped forward and pushed her back hard against the wall, holding his forearm against her neck. When she tried to bring up her knee, he used his free hand to hold it down. Then he pressed forward – just enough to constrict her breathing.

When she started to wheeze, he did not relent, instead waiting for her to surrender. Jenna was tall, but she was not very strong, so it required minimum effort to subdue her.

Eventually her expression changed – from supercilious to miserable to whimpering. He only released the pressure once she began crying.

“I can’t do this, ” she said between sobs. “I’m only fifteen years old. Don’t you see that this is wrong?”

“I don’t care, ” Favo declared.

“But – but... this is child abuse. ”

“Not here in the tribe. ”

She sighed. “Please, I just want to be left alone. ”

Favo grunted. “I’m tired of hearing what you want, white girl. From now on, you will do what I want... you hear?” When she did not respond, he leaned forward and squeezed her neck with his forearm again. “You hear?”

Finally, she nodded with an anguished expression. Tears were streaming down her face.

He let go of her. “Okay, now we go to my village.

Favo informed the superintendent before they left the office building. The man required little explanation – instead exchanging a knowing smile from behind his office desk. “I hope you fuck her good, ” he said.

“Oh, I will, ” he replied. “By the way, can I have the day off tomorrow?”

Adoman waved his comment off as silly. “Take the week. I’ll ask Tengen to cover for you, how does that sound?”

“It sounds good. Thank you, sir. ”

“OK, enough with the pleasantries, ” Adoman said, still cracking a delighted grin. “Go home and put that privileged, white girl in her place. ”

He nodded happily and excused himself before closing the superintendent’s door. Then he walked back to Jenna, who was cowering in the passage. She was literally quivering in her sandals, despite the warm weather outside.

“Come, ” he said, beckoning for her to follow.

Jenna looked down in defeat and folded her hands together in front of her lap. Her pretty, young face was grim.

The two of them walked out of the foyer and then exited through the double door. Favo casually saluted the four guards by the high gate outside. They all looked at Jenna and then each other before smiling. Clearly they knew what was going on.

“Congratulations, ” one of them said to Favo in the native tongue.

“Thank you, ” he replied. “Now open up. ”

The guards obliged and let them through. Soon enough they were outside of the colony’s perimeter and crossing the veld towards the river. Never before had he been so happy to be going home.

Naturally, the white girl was reluctant to be going with him. She was walking several paces behind, seemingly resigned to her fate.

“You will like my village, ” he said, checking back over his shoulder.

She avoided his gaze and bit down on her lower lip. Favo was just appreciating the way her firm titties were jiggling with the gentle sway of her movements. He wondered if she was still embarrassed about her lack of clothing.

“You will definitely like it more than the quarry, ” he continued. “I’m looking forward to you learning my language. ”

Suddenly her head snapped forward. “Learn your language?”

“Yeah, English isn’t looked on favourably by my people. A few can understand it, but it’s mostly viewed as the colonial language. ”

“Colonial language?” she asked, furrowing her brow.

He nodded. “Yeah, many in my tribe remember the old days when your people invaded the villages. You imposed your laws and tried to give us your religion. ”

“I’m not a colonial, ” she said in an elevated tone of voice.

“You’re white, aren’t you?”

Her eyes widened. “I have nothing to do with the past. ”

“Yet you benefited from the past, didn’t you?”

The girl looked away again. “If you hate whites, why are you forcing me to live with you in your village?”

“Why? Why not? You’re no threat to me or my tribe. I’m bringing you in as a village slave, and slaves are always useful. ”

She sighed and moaned under her breath: “I don’t want to be a slave. ”

“Would you rather live in the colony?”

“No, ” she said, gritting her teeth. “I don’t want to be in the colony or your stupid village. Least of all I want to have to listen to your mumbling or look at your face. ”

Favo laughed. “I’m afraid your old life is over. From now on you lack freedom to do what you want or be with the people you like. ”

“And what about my family?”

“Fuck your family, ” Favo said bluntly. He was expecting outrage on her part, and was not surprised when she glared at the back of him. “Anyway, your parents don’t belong in your new life. ”

Perhaps out of frustration, she kicked a loose pebble on the ground, sending it a few metres to her right. “I just want to know if they’re alright. Is that too much to ask for?”

“Definitely. I want you to focus on being a good wife and a good slave. You have a lot to learn, and your old family might distract you. ”

She ran her hand through her flaxen hair and looked down at the ground, clearly deep in thought. Favo could imagine that she was panic – stricken, among other things. Her expression certainly seemed to imply it. He smiled quietly to himself.

FOURTEEN

Jenna was going out of her mind. What was going to happen to her? She had lost so much in such a short period of time that her mind had trouble keeping up with the changes. All that she knew was, her life had turned into a catastrophe.

And as they put more distance between themselves and the colony, the more she came to the realization – she might never see her parents or her sister again.

Her heart was beating like crazy. Cold shudders kept running up and down her spine. They intensified when she neared the river’s embankment.

There was no bridge, although the river was shallow. She watched numbly as Favo removed his sandals. She did the same, stepping out of hers and picking them up.

The two of them waded knee – deep through the water. There was mostly soft sand and small rocks underneath, and the current was not that strong. Yet, her legs felt like lead, resisting her at every step.

Jenna made it across in the end, wishing that she hadn’t. She wanted to be swept away from this place. But she put on her sandals again and followed Favo.

The man was in a hurry, she noticed. “Almost there, ” he mumbled. “Just past those trees. ”

He was pointing to a large grove with heavy thickets. A single trail cut through a narrow gap that seemed to lead up an incline.

Jenna gathered all her courage and reluctantly walked after the diminutive African. The large trees cast deep shadows across the landscape. For a few moments the two of them were completely cut of from the bright sky above.

However, not long after that, they emerged into a wide valley. The village itself consisted of primitive adobe – style houses and metal – sheet shacks – hundreds of them strewn across the expanse and straddling the river.

As they approached, a faint whiff of cow dung started stinging the inside of her nostrils. The smell was acrid and pervasive. She rubbed her nose before sneezing.

Favo turned around and laughed. “You like what you see?”

Jenna did not bother with a response. Everything was appalling. In the back of her head, she had always imagined how Wambazi’s tribes lived. It had been abstract thoughts that pertained to strange cultures – cultures that were separate from her own and far away.

Now that she was being thrust into one of those cultures, she found herself reassessing her opinions. No longer did she have romantic delusions about living ‘close to nature’.

About five minutes later they were walking through the dusty, gravel streets. Natives were doing double – takes as Jenna was walking by. She was sure that most of them had never laid eyes on white people before.

She was a novelty for more than one reason, but mostly it was her attire (or lack of) that shocked the onlookers. The men and women were very dark, just like Favo, and generally short in stature.

Most were dressed in shawls, including some of the women. There were a few that wore breach cloths and skimpy leather tops. On rare occasions she saw a few bare – breasted females. This reminded her of her own situation. She turned her head down and was dismayed to see her own chest so utterly exposed. Oh God.

Strangely, none of them had the ignominy of wearing thongs. Perhaps the natives had the decency to put on something less humiliating.

Jenna exhaled when she came to the understanding – these primitive Africans were not nearly as naked as she was. It was a bothersome thought, especially for someone like her who had always tried to behave in a dignified manner at home.

This was the first impression they were getting of her – a nearly – nude, white teenager walking servilely behind a much older, black man. Did it matter that Jenna was coming against her will? Would they care if she tried to explain? Her anxiety was growing.

She was still wrapped up with herself when Favo stopped in front of a large, adobe house close to the river. And when he entered through the beaded entrance, she hesitated for a second. Her destiny was already sealed. Her life was on a predetermined course, and she was not at the helm.

If only she had been stronger...

But she wasn’t. She was just fifteen years old. After quietly admonishing herself, Jenna walked in after her oppressor.

The first thing she saw was two men – one of them very old and sitting down on a tattered lounge chair. She focused on him first because he appeared to be the most important. Favo approached the elderly fellow and bowed respectfully. Then he proceeded to converse in a strange, African dialect.

Jenna felt foolish for being there. What was the point of all this, she wondered.

Choosing to hang back in the corner of the dimly – lit room, she changed her attention to the other man. He appeared to be in his forties and standing just behind the old one. He was carefully paying attention, alternating his vision between Favo and Jenna.

One thing she did know – these Africans were discussing her fate, as if she had no say on the matter. She desperately wanted to run away from here.

But where would she go? She remembered the judge saying something about confiscating her father’s possessions. At the time she had thought of the matter as a joke. How could the government simply take something from a man and his family without compensation?

Yet, that is exactly what happened. The blacks had taken everything from her – her home, her family, her clothing, her dignity... and now they were planning on taking what was left. This horrible little African man with the lisp had coerced her into becoming his wife.

Jenna was still trying to figure out how it had all happened. How did a young, white girl end up in a remote African village and about to be married off to the most hideous man imaginable?

She had no answer to the question. It all seemed so improbable, yet here she was, stressing out and fighting every fibre of her body not to bolt out the door. On the inside she was extremely fearful, mostly for herself but also for her family. What was going to happen to the Millers?

When the old man beckoned for her to step forward, she nearly fainted. But somehow she managed to make her way towards Favo’s side. And then, as a precautionary measure, she briefly bowed her head.

Jenna could feel those experienced eyes on her, examining her form from tip to toes. From the grimacing expression on his face, it was obvious that the old man had no love for her.

He started talking in his own language and the man behind him interpreted on his behalf. “You have entered the realm of the Efegini, not as an honorary member, but as a slave. Do you understand what that means?”

She inhaled. “Yes. ”

“I’m obliged to explain all the details. Firstly, from now on, you belong to the village during the day. Henceforth, you will be required to work for the du – danda, where you will perform important menial tasks. He will explain to you once Favo introduced you to him. I will say that no contradiction or disobedience will be tolerated, and punishment will be harsh if we get complaints about you. Am I understood?”

Jenna agreed, feeling petrified. “Yes. ”

“You will work six days of the week, without any remuneration. However, you will receive rations if we feel you deserve it. And when your shift is over, you will return home where you will serve your husband. From now on, he will make every decision on your behalf. He will tell you how to walk, how to talk and how to behave. Am I understood?”

“Y – y – yes, ” Jenna stammered. She could feel a single tear running down her cheek.

“Also, you own nothing. Everything you do will be for the advancement of Favo, and Favo alone. He’s under no obligation to share anything with you. Our tribal laws are legitimate and uncontested within the boundaries of our lands. They supersede all other laws. Am I understood?”

“Yes. ”

“And once you join the tribe as a slave, you cannot ever leave again. You will have to ask your husband’s permission. ”

“What?” she asked, suddenly frantic. “You mean, I’ll be a slave forever?”

“That is correct. But since you already agreed to marry Favo, it is too late to go back on your word. A contract is a contract. ”

“I was under extreme duress. It was the only way to get him to help me. ”

“That is not my concern. There is a witness who heard you make the promise. Do you want me to call him here to testify?”

She shook her head in dismay. “No, but... ”

The old man interjected, waving her off. “I have no patience with this. You already made the promise, so now you must go through with it. If you refuse, we will have no choice but to punish you. ”

“Punish me?”

“Yes, we will stone you to death. ”

Jenna stood there, shocked and speechless. They would stone her to death? What kind of barbaric tribe was this? What had she gotten herself into?

“Alright, ” the old man said. “We will now formalize the union between Favo Ugbula and Jenna Miller, who will henceforth be known as Jenna Ugbula. Please take the hand of your partner. ”

She allowed Favo to grab her hand. What else could she do?

“I hereby declare that you, Favo Ugbula, are now the lawful husband of Jenna Ugbula. Nothing can break this bond, except death. ”

That was it? She was married to the despicable troll? Surely that was impossible. But when she turned her head, only to stare into Favo’s leering face, she realized that everything was already done.

“You may kiss your wife, ” the elder added.

Oh no...

She stiffened when Favo put his hand on her shoulder. It was futile to resist, yet she so desperately wanted to.

He pulled her down until they were at eye level. Then he moved in for the kiss.

No, no, no, no, no!

For an awkward moment she tried to retreat as Favo strengthened his grip on her shoulder. He also slipped his other arm around her back to reign her in. Once he forced her close enough, he trained his mouth on hers.

Jenna clenched her jaw shut, but Favo solved this quickly by pinching her painfully on the skin of her back. She gave an involuntary moan, which gave him the opportunity to insert his tongue.

Immediately her senses were assaulted by his rank odour... the taste of his saliva mixing in with hers. His tongue was darting wildly inside her cavity, lapping at her palette. She could do nothing but accommodate his invasion, and at the same time wishing that it was over.

Finally he disengaged from her and smiled broadly, revealing his yellow teeth. Jenna felt desecrated.

The elder clapped his palms together. “It is done. May the marriage be fruitful. ”