Ken and I had been friends since grade school. We did the usual stuff together, played football with friends in his yard, went swimming in the summer in his pool, it seemed we always did things at his house.
The day we graduated high school he seemed upset about something. I kept asking him what was wrong, but all he'd respond was that it was private. That night there was a party at his house. Everything was always at his house, in 12 years Ken had never gone out with us. Not to a movie, nor a party. Nothing.
His step-mom was super cool, A woman in her late 30's, maybe 5-6, with thick curves, and dark-chocolate skin. She let us do almost anything we wanted. That night it was a keg of beer for graduation. Yet still, I wondered why Ken was never allowed away from home.
I finally confronted him in the back yard by the pool. I had had a few beers and was feeling brave.
"Seriously Ken, not even prom. You never go anywhere with us. In fact, how is it you have no girlfriend?" I asked point blank. Ken was the same height as I was, and was in better shape.
Ken opened his mouth to speak, but his mom Karen, provided the answer.
"Kenny here has a responsibility to take care of things around the house after his dad died." Karen said mournfully.
"Yeah but, a football game, prom?" In my arrogance, I had dove over the "dead dad thing".
"William, you may not understand now, however when you lose a family member, your whole life changes. Right Ken?" Karen squeezed Ken's shoulder lightly.
"Yes ma'am." Ken said quietly.
"Now I have burgers done on the grill, you boys need some food to help with the beer!" Karen announced.
After that moment it seemed like Karen was watching me. It was unnerving, and yet I was somewhat turned on by it. I had been attracted to black girls before, but never dated one.
Later that night Ken pulled me aside as I left the upstairs bathroom.
"Follow me." He said simply.
I followed him down the hallway to his room. Once inside he closed the door behind us. He seemed agitated.
"Billy, I know you want out of your parents house, right?" He asked. I nodded.
"Yeah?"
"Move in here!" He wore a smile that didn't quite seem genuine.
"Yeah, but it is still living with your mom, instead of mine. I like going out, you know something you never, ever do?" I tried to gauge where this was coming from.
"Dude, you can drink here. You can even smoke inside. My mom has parties every weekend!" He boasted.
"What's the downside?" I asked. There was something not quite right with this.
"You know that favor you still owe me? You know for wrecking my PS3?" He asked.
"That was an accident! Besides you got a PS4, the next week." I pleaded. Soda plus PS3, do not mix.
"You promised a favor, I'm calling it in." Ken looked serious.
"Moving in? Nah, you don't need to call that payback. I'd do that anyway."
"No, not the moving in part. I want your help to keep my mom happy. That is the favor." He was staring at me intensely.
"How?"
"Just do as she asks." Ken said plainly. Sounded simple.
"Done!" I said and walked down the stairs and outside to get another beer.
The guys left one by one, and I stayed to help clean up the yard of solo cups and other trash. Ken announced to his mom that I would move in and help with the chores and what-not. His mom smiled at me. It was a genuine smile, and the woman hugged me.
"It will be good for Ken to have you here William." Karen beamed.
Karen thought it better, if I wanted freedom from my folks, that I tell them I was moving to another town for a job. This way they couldn't hound me about college, or drop in at Ken's place when I was shitfaced. I agreed,
Two weeks later I drove my 30 year old car to Ken's house and began to unload my belongings. Ken ran out into the driveway saying to leave everything in the car, and to come inside. He looked worried. So I simply did as he asked.
Once inside Karen waved me over to her desk in the study.
"This stuff is all insurance and security, in the event something might happen to you while you live here. I also need permission for a background check. The last bundle is for power of attorney, you know in the event you end up in the hospital, I can speak for you. Just sign where noted, and I'll help you with that burden in the car." She instructed.
She handed me 3 small bundles of paperwork. All of the print was rather small. I looked for the highlighted signature lines and signed them.
"Last thing, I need your ID to copy and fax in to the background check website." She stated. I handed her my drivers license. Ken ran into the room as Karen left.
"Thank you so much Billy!" Ken hugged me. "I thought it would be me, but you saved me. Now I get to go to college.
I blinked at him as he released the hug.
"Ah what?" I asked. Ken spun around to behind me and put hand cuffs on me. "What the fuck Ken?"
"Mom said, as long as I recruited you to be her slave, that I could get to go to college." Ken started. "You are paying back that favor Billy. Feel good about yourself. You did the right thing!"
"That was not the agreement." I said as anger welled up inside of me.
"You signed yourself into servitude to my mother and any man or woman she sells or loans you to. You are gonna be a whore." Ken sat me down in a wooden chair near the desk.
"No, I did not agree to this." I tried. "I'm not gay!"
"You don't need to be gay. However you will enjoy your new life better if you accept that taking cock, real or strapped on, is your new job." Ken said, as he was rubbing his crotch.
"I did NOT agree to this!"
"You agreed to pay back the favor yes?" Ken leaned in close to my face.
"Yes."
"You agreed that you would help keep my mother happy, yes?" He asked, his eyes staring into mine.
"Yes."
"You signed those papers while you still had free will?"
"Yes."
"That is consent." Ken said and smiled. "Welcome home, slave bitch."
When Karen returned, Ken left to begin packing. I must have looked red faced.
"He told you already huh? I had asked him to wait." Karen sat back at her desk as if nothing special was going on.
"LET ME GO!" I yelled.
I will say this. Karen looked a little heavy, but damn she was fast. I never saw her coming. I was on the floor before I realized she had slapped me so hard my face was hot. She was in my face with her well manicured index finger pointed an inch from my nose.
"IT does not SPEAK!" She spat.
I was reeling trying to find anything to think or say. I had been struck dumb. She walked back to her desk and sat going though papers that Ken had just dropped on her desk. He walked past me like I wasn't there. He left as quick as he had arrived.
I knew why he wanted out of this house so bad. I wondered if she had been doing this slavery thing with her own step-son.
"Kenny now owns that car that you used to drive. Slaves don't have property they are property. Thank you for becoming mine. He's going through your clothes to pick out a couple outfits...for when we need to go out. You will have a uniform at your new job, so you will not be needing all of that crap." She said softly, as if talking to herself.
"Before you get all twisted up in that feeble mind of yours, that I was doing this to Kenny. You are sick. My step son simply kept the place clean and took care of my nails. He ran errands for me as well. His dad was the slave." She said as she signed things and scanned or faxed them off.
"His father ran away. Couldn't handle the strain of a Mistress love. Poor thing had an accident 48 hours later and he was found, along with a 3 keys of Colombian white in the trunk. Car was stolen, (the car and the coke were mine), he had no ID, and had renounced his citizenship. Computer records from the slave room showed he had pledged loyalty to ISIS. He's in a worse place now.
Warden tells me that he is the only white man in an all black controlled block. Bet he walks funny." She looked up from the desk and smiled a strange little smile.
She couldn't be telling the truth. Kenny told me the day of the accident, that his dad had died and he wouldn't be coming to school.
"She is saying this to intimidate you." I thought. Call it good. I was now afraid of this woman. I lay on the hardwood floor looking at the side of her, not knowing my future.
"All done." She clapped her hands once and grinned down at me. "William Lee Gardner no longer exists. He died on the way into Mexico. At least that is what the Mexican Government is reporting. Killed by a cartel. So sad. Afraid it will be an empty casket funeral. I will attend, so will Kenny." She mocked wiping a tear.
I shook my head, my mouth agape. This woman had no end to her evil. "Who was she connected to that she could make that happen? We live in Phoenix, not a border town." I thought.