Escape to Haiti 2
Absentmindedly, the tall gentleman with short, cropped light hair and a chiselled face of military personage, slipped a maroon British passport out of his shirt pocket and flicked to the main identity page at the back, to once again ascertain his new name. The printed name was ‘Marcus Broad’ and the picture was certainly him in a business suit with white shirt and dark blue tie. He flicked the pages until he came to the entry visa into Cuba. He wasn’t interested in the stamp and entry details but examined carefully that the page had been inserted correctly and that it didn’t appear tampered with. He was pleased with his handiwork of that morning and gave the exit stamp a cursory glance to confirm that the departure airport of Holguin in Cuba was clearly readable. He was on a flight to Santiago in the Haitiand was anxious that his papers were in order. On a previous page a faint stamp showed that a few days ago he had departed Madridon route for Havanabut that had been on a different passport in the name of Alex Trentham but that passport was now a small pile of ash in a hotel waste bin.
Marcus or Mark as he decided to call himself looked out of the plane window to his left and noted the turbo-prop engine slung under the wing and the wide expanse of blue sea beneath. He wasn’t sure if was strictly the Caribbean or part of the Atlantic Ocean but that was nit picking, he decided. A glance to the right and he noted that the diminutive lady of Caribbean extraction sitting next to him still had her eyes closed and her rosary clicking between her fingers on her lap.
Mark smiled to himself. A satisfactory smile that all had gone exactly to plan and on schedule. He’d been driven to Madridairport from London, boarded a flight to Havana under a false passport, bussed to Holgiun to board a small twin-engine plane bound for Santiago in the Dominican Republic under a doctored passport. There, he would be met by one of his employees, Andreas and secreted out of the way for some time in the wilds of the island, away from the authorities and especially from Interpol.
An urgent shout or more of a cry of help awakened him from his thoughts and he looked over the aisle to see a passenger up at the plane window shouting. By now he had everyone’s attention as he gabbled excitedly in Spanish. All the passengers on the port side were now up at their windows blocking the view from the rest of the passengers. The single stewardess tried in vain to settle all them back in their seats and in the end had to push her way past to look out and immediately rushed off shouting, to the cockpit cabin. By now people were screaming in panic and trying to distance themselves away from the problem they had seen out there and Mark caught sight of flames and smoke coming from the port side engine. His immediate reaction was to check the starboard engine on his side and that was operating as normal which allowed him to relax.
The communication system crackled and an urgent voice of the Capitan came across pleading with the passengers to stay calm but his voice had the waver of concern which was picked up and panicked them more. Screaming and crying could be heard with people scrambling out into the aisle and grabbing their luggage from the overhead lockers. The stewardess was beating the passengers at the front with her demonstration life vest to get them to sit down but as soon as she was past, they were up again.
Mark placed his hand gently on the arm of the lady next to him to restrain her as she was about to join the mayhem in the aisle. She gripped his hand and held on as if it was a life raft whilst her left hand was flicking the rosary at double speed. Eventually the Captain appeared and bellowed at the wailing crowd in the aisle. At the sight of some authority the crowd quietened a notch and he managed to get them to sit even though they were clutching their belongings. He told the passengers that they would land at Cap-Haiten Airportin twenty minutes time to check the engines and that the flames had been already extinguished. Too much information is always a bad thing to people already in a panic as he unfortunately enlightening them all that the plane could fly quite safely with only one engine.
Realising that they were flying with only one engine instead of the full complement the crowd started surging again. Where to in the confines of a cabin at twenty thousand feet up was an unsolved mystery? The Captain used his hat to beat the passengers back into their seats and hurried back to where he should have been, at the controls. The helpless stewardess could only march up and down the aisle beating miscreants over their heads with her yellow life vest. The lady next to Mark now clung tighter onto him, now with both hands. The rosary cast aside as ineffective.
With his feet, Mark edged his hand luggage comprising a small canvas bag from under the seat in front of him in a position where he could rest both feet on it. He stowed away both of the folding tables with one hand and lifted the arm rest which enabled his lady to grip him even tighter in fear. The pandemonium continued until the Captain made a second announcement that they would be landing earlier than planned, in five minutes and they were all to be strapped in correctly otherwise he would continue flying. This put some incentive for the passengers to behave and the stewardess was able patrol the aisle and to check their belts. Someone started a prayer and everyone joined in the chanting of the Hail Mary in Spanish. Mark retrieved the lady’s rosary from beneath her feet and she clicked away in time to the chant still hanging on to his arm. Looking out of the window Mark saw land approaching but no airstrip or township of any kind. He wondered if the Captain had decided to land early rather than put up with a rebellious crowd who could quickly get out of hand. A bleep on the intercom and the stewardess now looking rather dishevelled, quickly sat and strapped herself into her dickey seat at the front and the Captain announced that they would be landing immediately. No time was given but land could be seen flitting by the windows as the plane got lower and lower.
The undercarriage was lowered and the noise just increased the intensity of the Hail Mary’s. Mark tried to see any evidence of airport buildings and the usual paraphernalia on the perimeter of an airport, however small, but all he could see was a forest of trees. He decided a prayer for himself wouldn’t go amiss, even though he was an unbeliever. Suddenly the plane levelled out and the trees swept past his window at a terrific rate. A bang, a bounce, another bang and the screeching of brakes told him they were down but the trees on either side seem to get closer and closer. The plane slewed to the right and came to a stop. The passengers clapped in relief and so they should have with the skill the pilot had shown because it was apparent to Mark that they had landed on a road, a dirt track in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, there were no telegraph poles or power masts on the roadside to catch the wings.
The Co-Pilot was out opening the front exit door and setting the stairs as the crowd surged forward in the cabin. Mark held the lady back as she was about to rush forward with the rest. It was total mayhem with men climbing over the backs of the seats to get to the front, shout expletives, punching and shoving in an effort to get to the front and out. As the crowd surged ahead, Mark urged the lady to stand aside and let him through, forward a couple of seats to the emergency exit over the wing. He led her forward, opened the door and carefully stepped out onto the wing, urging the lady to follow. Two things hit him: one the intense heat and second the sight of trees, jungle. They were in a lay-by just off a gravel road amongst the trees. With his bag over his shoulder, he jumped to the ground and lifted the lady down beside him and ushered her to a safe distance away from the plane. By now others had spotted the emergency exit and were tumbling out in an uncontrolled fashion, over the wing. All this was just too much for his lady and she collapsed in a heap at his feet. He lifted her up carefully and carried her to the shade and propped her up against a tree.
Taking stock of his unfamiliar surroundings, he noticed locals rushing forward to view the dramatic spectacle. Walking in the direction they had come from; he found a truck stop set off in the trees with three trucks and two motley cars parked under the shade. A driver of a car was in two minds whether to pull away or check what the commotion was all about in the distance. With a twenty-dollar bill visibly in his hand Mark asked him in his best Spanish to take him to a town with a bank and hotel. With the sight of the money the driver didn’t hesitate a moment. He opened the passenger door, grabbed the note and sped off along the forested road. It took them over an hour on bumpy tracks to reach a metalled road and another thirty minutes to reach the centre of a small town. The driver tried to strike up a conversation but Mark pretended not to understand so the driver turned up his radio and concentrated on avoiding the potholes.
They pulled up in front of a bank with armed guards slouching outside and the driver pointed to the bank and to another one on the other side of the road. With a thumb’s up to the man, Mark climbed out of the car, brushed himself down and waved the driver on. With two banks in close proximity, he surmised this must be the town centre and somewhere in the vicinity there would be an estate agent’s office. He had decided along the way to change his overall plan. Walking down the street he stopped at a café and asked the whereabouts of an ‘Immobilier’. The man grunted and pointed down the road. A block down and an estate office presented itself. Like shoe shops, estate agents also crowded together so he looked down a side street for a smaller and less conspicuous office. Immediately he found a scruffy shop front with its door blocked by a plastic bead fly screen.
“Anybody speak English in here?” he shouted as he pushed the beads aside with his hand and poked his head in. The shop appeared empty but a head appeared from behind a screen.
“Come in! Come in,” said a friendly voice disappearing behind the wooden screen. “I’m making coffee. Would you like one?”
“Thanks, that’s very kind but I could kill for a cold beer.” The lady came around the screen and plonked the mug onto an untidy small desk and looked up at Mark. Sizing him up, satisfied she continued, “Sit down here and I’ll send for a beer.” She thrust her head through the bead curtain and shouted down the street. “Now what can I do for you Sir. Don’t get many Americans here at this time of the year. Too early for them,” she said showing off her brilliant white teeth in a dazzling smile.
“Well, I’m here to recharge my batteries and need a secluded house for a month, maybe longer.”
“You have come to the right place Sir. Will you need a live-in maid?”
“That would be nice if that includes cooking, shopping and cleaning etcetera.”
“Since it’s out of season how about a hundred dollars a month, up front do? We have a choice.”
“It needs to be out of the way. I don’t want any prying neighbours. I just want to be left alone and in peace.”
“I understand and I have the very thing for you. Would you like to see it? It’s been vacated last month so I don’t know what state it’s in but the properties on either side are holiday homes and the owners only come for a couple of weeks at a time. The only disturbance you will have is from the birds and the sea. Ah here is your beer. It’s on the house.”
“Thanks. When can I see it? I’d like to move in straight away.”
“Well, it quite a drive out of town. I can take you now if you like, when you have finished your beer.” Mark fished out his wallet from his back pocket and slipped out two, one-hundred-dollar bills.
“Now one is for you and could you split the other for me into manageable bills? People are wary of the hundreds.”
“Sure, thing but you could do that at the bank around the corner. You must have passed it on the way here?”
“I’d rather not do it through a bank myself. They ask too many questions and need to see passports.”
“No problem. I will do it. You wait here Master, eh?”
“Call me Mark.”
“Right Master Mark. Pleased to meet you. I’m Angelina. You wait here with your beer and I’ll get the money and my truck. Where’s your luggage?” Mark pointed to the bag he was clutching and without comment or raised eyebrow Angelina swept through the bead curtain and onto the street outside. Mark heard the receding clopping of her flip-flops on the pavement as she ran off. A paranoid though went through his mind that he had given a total stranger two hundred dollars that had run off. He assured himself that he was always a good judge of character and anything untoward was only in his mind.
Angelina ran along the dirt walkway with her flip-flops smacking against the soles of her feet. She was on the way to the bank to deposit her note, to the shop to get change and to the mechanic shop to pick up her truck. She pondered why an American had turned up off season with some cock and bull story no doubt. He didn’t look the type to be a sex tourist although he did ask for all services. This would be a good position for her cousin Axis she surmised who was out of a job at this moment, with two kids to bring up. At least it would keep her in food and maybe this American may be generous with tips. The place she had in mind would be ideal for her in that she had got rid of that nasty German and his wife who were wanting to video perverted things with the maid. Good job she had the foresight to pretend that the Porn Police were after him and shunted him off to the airport and away home before he had time to consider the situation. He must have been bad to take such a fright.
Now this American is different. She could tell from his eyes and assured appearance. He wasn’t a pervert, maybe just wanted a break from a relationship. He didn’t have luggage but that wasn’t unusual. He had a fat wedge of hundreds she noticed. Maybe I should have asked him for more rent she thought. Having completed her transaction with the bank which now changed her balance from red to black she changed the hundred in a shop to small notes even though they were disgustingly dirty. The truck was at the workshop whose owner used it whenever they needed as part payment for keeping it roadworthy. The tank was half full, sufficient to get them to the villa and even to the second free villa if the first didn’t come up to muster.
It was ten minutes before he heard a motor slow down before the shop and a blast of a horn. He looked out and there was Angelina smiling at him from a large brown and battered Ford pickup. He jumped in, placed his canvas bag carefully at his feet and looked for the seat belt.
“We don’t worry with those things around here. Here, the money. It’s a bit crumpled and dirty but it’s the best I could do at short notice.” Mark nodded a ‘thanks’ as Angelina lurched off as he was trying to stuff the bundle of money into a side pocket of his canvas bag. “What brings a young, good-looking guy to these parts? The bright lights further down the coast would be more your style.”
“Well, I had a bit of a business disaster in Chicago,” lied Mark. “Too many debtors around my neck and some were getting rough; couldn’t wait for their money. I couldn’t dispose of the business fast enough for them, to release the cash, so I decided to disappear until the dust settles. I would appreciate if you wouldn’t talk about me in town. You know what I mean.”
“My lips are sealed and I have a perfect hideaway for you.”
With the windows wide open to provide natural air-conditioning, noisy petrol engine and bumpy road wasn’t very conducive for conversation so Mark hung onto the overhead strap and tried to ride the bumps and humps the best he could. Angelina drove recklessly and chattered all the way with Mark not hearing or understanding anything she was saying in the din. They drove through a small town that Mark deduced was Jean Rabel, turned off on a side road and headed towards the coast. Occasional glimpses of the sea could be seen through breaks in the trees. They turned through an overgrown gateway and came to a stop in front of a large bungalow that had seen better days.
“It’s better than it looks Master Mark. It’s cheap and secluded and there’s a beach at the bottom of the long garden if you can get to it. The vegetation takes over if left unchecked. The previous tenant obviously wasn’t a keen gardener. He left in a hurry with rent paid until the end of the year. So, I’m not complaining. You look around and check it out. I’ll go and get some provisions for you and arrange a maid. I’ll be away an hour or so.”
“What if I don’t like it?”
“Nothing lost. You still need provisions and a maid.”
“What about a key to get in?”
“There’s one in the lock and there should be a set of keys for everything on a ring in the lobby. See you in an hour. Bye!” Angelina swept out onto the road with a wave and a bright smile, leaving Mark standing there bemused, clutching his canvas bag.
He didn’t need the key. The door was unlocked so he stepped into the lobby and sure enough a large ring of assorted keys was there on a brass hook. All the doors were open so he could see into the two bedrooms, the large lounge and a kitchen beyond. The whole place was a mess with books, papers, rubbish, and clothing just strewn carelessly around. More a sign of and untidy person rather than the place being ransacked noted Mark in relief. The kitchen was the same with dirty pans and plates on every surface and the sink full, plus an overflowing rubbish bin with a mass of flies gorging off the contents. The large fridge was also stuffed with rotting food and he closed the door quickly. He tried the lights but no electricity. He tried the tap in the kitchen but only a gurgle of brown water dripped out. The main bedroom was again a jumble of lady’s and men’s clothes scattered on every surface although the clothes in the wardrobes were neatly arranged but smelled of moth balls. A large bathroom led off the main bedroom with shower and toilet plus a large bath. The second bedroom was just a junk store full of boxes and again had a small shower room. The lounge was spacious and probably quite comfortable under the debris. It led onto a large veranda with an overgrown garden beyond with just a glimpse of the sea in the distance.
With a large stick in hand Mark beat his way through the brambles and growth to the beach. On the face of it, it looked idyllic; a spacious villa fronting the golden sand of the beach. Not that much of the beach could be seen since it was strewn with debris. Mark did note that the beach on either side was much neater and surmised that the gardener or helping hand cleaned their part of the beach and just dumped the stuff on his part. The though of ‘his’ brought to mind that he was only inspecting the place and still making his mind up but the inner self had already accepted the new abode. On the way back he saw a water tower screened by large trees and a series of out buildings.
He checked the one nearest the water tower and found a petrol generator. He pressed the starter button and after a few gasps the machine started followed by lots of gurgling. He correctly surmised that it powered the water pump and probably provided electricity for the property. He left it running. The next large building was a workshop neatly arranged with all the tools in racks and gardening equipment set out thoughtfully. The accumulation of dust on every surface indicated that previous tenant hadn’t ventured into this area. A small motorbike stood propped in one corner. The usual type he’d seen on the roads with a plastic fruit crate strapped on the back. Unscrewing the fuel cap showed that the tank was dry. The flat tyres showed that it hadn’t been used for some time.
The next large shed garaged a large pickup truck similar to Angelina’s but in slightly better condition. The keys were in lock but the engine wouldn’t turn over and Mark assumed that the battery was flat since the ignition light didn’t even light up. There was a fuel can in the back but only had dregs in the bottom. On his way back to the main house he spotted a small lean-to with a couple of propane gas cylinders. One was attached to a regulator the second was a spare. It was heavy and probably full. Mark calculated that these provided power to the kitchen, heated water and probably ran the fridge. He switched the regulators and noted in his mind to check the gas boiler and relight the fridge at some time. Arriving on the veranda Mark spied a hammock neatly stowed away and suddenly he felt tired and decided to set it up and have a few minutes to lie out and consider his current situation. With his canvas bag acting like a pillow, Mark adjusted his position on the swinging hammock and pulled the mosquito net over him to keep away the annoying flies.
He decided that there was nothing to lose by staying put here for a month or so rather than meeting up with Andreas in Santiago as planned. He would have to get in touch with Andreas at some stage when he could get to a phone. He would be wondering what had happened to him. There was plenty of money in his canvas bag, at least twenty thousand dollars, that would see him through any eventuality and he would lay low here until Gerard had sorted out the mess he had left in London and got the police and Interpol off his back.
His Colonel in Afghanistanhad put him on to Gerard when a sortie that he had led against the Taliban had gone totally wrong. He’d been given the wrong information and ended up attacking an American outpost. He was the sacrificial lamb for his Colonel since the Authorities needed someone to point a finger at. Colonel Harris had taken him aside and suggested he might serve British interests far better by working with Gerard. He met this Gerard in Casablanca and discovered he ran a network of mercenaries and gun runners, working hand in hand with the British Government at high level. If a group of guerrillas needed training, they would do it. If the unrest in Cairo needed some direction, they would send in their men to fuel the revolt in the right direction. Gerard had just come out of Tunisiawhere he had assisted in overthrowing the Dictators. He was now recruiting trained Arab mercenaries to fight in Libyaagainst Gaddafi and sending supporters into Syria to maintain the conflict there. His people in Pakistanhad found Osama Bin Laden’s whereabouts. The next big venture was to set up a rival group in the Yemento overthrow the warlords there and cut down on the ship hijackings. It all sounded more exciting than being shot at by the Taliban. Mark, or Sam Bates his real name, accepted the position for an unbelievable salary plus bonuses and was tasked to run the security side of the business which was mainly providing suitable and vetted bodyguards for British businessmen abroad.
Sam or Mark would also operate a secure transport service to move secret goods from one country to another, mainly on Government contracts and that was the root cause of his current problem. A rival security company had requested Sam to run a security check on them to up their status so that they could bid for more lucrative contracts. This they duly did and found that their rival was now picking up and elbowing them out of all the plumb jobs. Sam decided to extend his contract with this rival and hijack one of their consignments and let slip to the Government Procurement department that there were some gaping holes in the rival’s system. All went well until a Government infiltrator or spy in his own setup alerted the Authorities and they set up a sting operation. All went pear shaped and Gerard sent Sam into hiding. Here he was in the Dominican Republic as Mark Broad trying to escape the clutches of Interpol until the mess sorted itself out.
“Hey Mark! Want a beer?” crooned Angelina’s voice as she nudged him awake pushing a bottle under the net. “We have been back half an hour or more but decided to leave you alone for awhile as we tided thing up a bit inside. No don’t get up, enjoy a beer. We need a bit more time.”
“Thanks, quite a place this! The previous tenant left all manner of stuff in there.”
“It’s up to you Mark. I can get the stuff cleared out or you just leave it hidden away.”
“Might as well leave it. I could do with a spare shirt or two.”
“Make use of anything that’s here. Any personnel property you don’t need, get the maid to sell. She could do with some extra. I’ll leave you to it. I see you’ve started the geny for the water and power, plus changed the gas bottle. Looks to me that you have made your mind up but give us two a bit more time to make the place more presentable. Bye.” With a wave and an engaging smile, she strode off leaving Mark with a warm bottle of beer. It was better than nothing.
A shout brought Mark to his senses and he slipped out of the hammock clutching his canvas bag and strolled into the lounge area. The transformation was remarkable. All the clutter had disappeared and all the wooden surfaces were gleaming with polish. The kitchen had had the same treatment.
“Master Mark, let me introduce you to your new live-in maid who’s done most of the hard work in here. Come over here Axinterrena and meet your Master Mark, your new boss.” From the bedroom strode a confident young woman with a lovely smile similar to Angelina’s. She was wearing just a tight pair of shorts and halter top which showed off her figure nicely. A glow of perspiration from her work just enhanced her appearance. She wiped her hand on her shorts and held it out to Mark.
“Hi Master Mark. I hope I am suitable for you and I will look after you well.” Her English was good and had that nice Caribbeanlilt. “I’ll just finish your bedroom and Angie can show you the kitchen.” With that she quickly disappeared into the bedroom leaving Mark with Angelina.
“Will she do Master Mark? If you get fed up of her then I’ll find you a replacement.”
“Oh, she’s more than fine but will you let her know that I don’t want her talking about my presence in the town or locality”
“Oh, Axis is very discrete and will look after you extremely well.”
“Now how do I pay her?”
“It’s in the fee and you will also have to provide her with food and a roof over her head. A tip now and again won’t come amiss Master Mark, you know what I mean? You will have to give her some money to buy food at the local market but I’m sure you will work it out. Now we have emptied and cleaned the fridge here but its gas operated so you will have to light it. You seem a competent mechanical person, so I’ll leave it to you. The water is pumped from underground and the electricity for the lighting, fans and radio is operated by the geny. You will have to fuel it up regularly. People around here only run it at night to save on expense.”
“Why are these buckets so positioned?”
“Ah Master Mark. You have come at the beginning of the rainy season and the roof probably leaks in these places. The owner isn’t inclined to fix the problem. He’s a mean old thing. Now I’m going off back home. Here’s my card. Get Axis to call me from the village if you need me. OK?”
“Thanks Angie. I think I’ll be fine here,” answered Mark as Angelina gave him one of her famous smiles and rushed off to her pickup.
“Master Mark. I have made up your bed with new sheets and new pillows. I hope you like Caribbean food. It’s hot and spicy. I shall be cooking later for you.”
“Hot and spicy is fine Axis. I’ll light the fridge. I hate warm beer.”
“Now you go back out on the veranda Master Mark and I’ll finish up here.”
Mark lit the gas fridge with a taper, set the thermostat to high and decided to check the fuel tank of the generator. The tank was less than half full and the can had only a cup full left. The workshop generated a further half gallon and the petrol can in the back of the pickup again yielded only another few cupfuls. He made a mental note to get Axis to get all the cans replenished. After all, he wasn’t short of a few bob in his canvas bag which he was still clutching. The lounger on the veranda was reasonably comfortable but flies were a nuisance, so he decided to make use of the hammock and mosquito net again. With his iPod plugged in he settled to listen to some Coltraine. It was dusk when he woke up and heard strains of Caribbean music coming from a radio inside.
“Hi Master Mark. A cold beer for you. Dinner in half an hour. Give you time to shower and change.”
“Thanks,” mumbled Mark as he watched Axis disappear, now wearing a long wrap around skirt and a fresh halter top. Her hair was wet and obviously had a shower. Mark decided to shower after the cold beer but changing to fresh clothes would be a problem. He only had his toiletries and a pair of boxers in his bag amongst the bundles of cash. He would have to find a safe hiding place for his canvas bag.
After the initial spurt of rusty water, the shower soon ran clean with nice refreshing tepid water. A clean towel had miraculously appeared on a rail. He shaved and with a towel wrapped around his waist he investigated the wardrobe. The shirts were fine but the trousers were far too short and too big in the waist, so he settled for a pair of shorts with elastic waistband and a pair of flip-flops which just about fitted. Thus, attired he entered the lounge to find that Axis had set the table for one and had lit a scented candle to keep the flies at bay. He saw Axis disappearing into the spare bedroom with a plate of food. She came out a few moments later looking rather flustered.
“Do sit down Master Mark and I’ll bring you your food and a fresh beer.”
“Aren’t you going to join me Axis? You have only set the table for one. A girl has to eat you know and I could do with some company. We need to discuss the shopping and the arrangements.”
“Yes, Master Mark, I will join you if you like. Please sit down.” Again, Mark though she looked uncomfortable as he watched her ladle two lots of food onto large plates whilst he collected two beers and two glasses from the fridge.
“I’m a little puzzled Axis,” said Mark as he poured the beers. “I saw you take a plate of food into the spare room. Have you someone in there? Is there a Mister Axis lurking in there?”
“No, no Master Mark! No Mister Axis. I hope it won’t be a problem but I have my two children here with me. They are as good as gold. They won’t be any bother. I can send them off to their grandmother if you wish?”
“Hang on Axis slow down. If you have you children here with you, I don’t mind but I wouldn’t like them to be hidden away somewhere. Bring them out and they can eat with us. I honestly don’t mind. I’d rather they be here as part of the household. Do go and bring them out to join us.”
“Are you sure Master Mark?”
“Sure!”
“Now this is Joseph and he is ten and his sister Imelda who is eight. Say Hi to Master Mark. You have to be good and keep out of his way.” The children looked on shyly with big wide eyes and muttered a greeting.
“Now come and sit up here at the table Joseph and Imelda and your mummy will bring you some food. You can tell me all about yourselves.”
“Their English is not so good Master Mark. They will go to school in the mornings. Angie has arranged it down at the village school.”
“Well, this is an opportunity to for them to improve their English and they can help me with my Spanish.” The two children sat quietly at the table eating their food with occasional glances at Mark, not daring enough to speak. Mark decided not to push the matter with them and discussed domestic matters with Axis. He told her to get the fuel cans and gas canister replenished, plus a battery charger for the pickup, giving her fifty dollars in small notes as a kitty. After dinner Mark sat back in the lounge contemplating his beer and wondering how he was going to keep himself busy in the forthcoming month of solitude. He was the proverbial action man and a sedentary life was going to be difficult.
The children helped their mother with the washing up and they then all retreated to their room. Mark wanted to call them back into the lounge but decided that it might be better for the children to have a slow introduction to him. ‘Take it easy’ he told himself. They will come around eventually. In fact, he considered that it may even be good for his own disappearance from life. People are less likely to notice and comment on a family and more likely to notice and gossip about a solitary man. He glanced at the clock and decided that an early night was called for.
After washing all of his clothes and hanging them up to dry in the bathroom he popped into bed, arranged the mosquito net and lay back, recounting in his mind the events of the day. The door opened and he saw the outline of Axis against the dim light in the lounge. She closed the door quietly, slipped in between the sheets and snuggled up to him. ‘Well,’ he thought to himself, ‘a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do’ and he enjoyed a night of passion and fell into a deep sleep. Rain on the tin roof woke him up and it was midday by his watch. He was deciding between a shower or making himself a coffee when the door opened and Axis walked in up to the bed and brushed the mosquito net aside.
“Morning Master Mark. You slept well I see. I popped out to take the children to school since it was their first day. I hope you don’t mind. Do you want sex now?” she asked sitting on the bed.
“Well, I was hoping for a coffee and a shower.”
“Suit yourself Master Mark. I’ll make a pot off coffee and fry you a couple of eggs while you shower.”
Over a supposedly breakfast of a couple of fried eggs with refried beans and sliced mango on the side, washed down with fresh cups of coffee, Mark asked Axis about the school and the children.
“How far is their school from here Axis?”
“Oh, only about an hour’s walk to the village.”
“Wow, that’s quite a way. Do you have any transport yourself Axis? Is there a bus service?”
“Nothing like that around here Master Mark. I can’t afford a motorbike.”
“Look, there’s a bike and pickup in the garage here. Would it help if I got them going for you?”
“I would light a candle for you Master Mark. I would have more time for the housework and other things here. That would be fabulous Master Mark.”
“Well, when you go to pick the children up. Get some petrol, a battery charger and get a taxi or car to bring you all back. Will you do that?”
“Yes Sah, Master Mark, I will go straight away and arrange that,” answered Axis leaping up and giving Mark a big kiss on the lips and a cuddle of delight.
The bike wouldn’t start even with a generous amount of fuel in the tank. Stripping down the carburettor Mark found the jets and filters all blocked up with paraffin wax. After a good clean of the components and flushing of the tank and pipes there was some life in the engine but it wouldn’t run smoothly. A careful cleaning and adjusting of the sparkplug and tuning of the carburettor and the engine ran like clockwork. A pump of the tyres and wipe down with a rag dipped in petrol and the bike looked like new. The plastic crate on the back looked worse for wear and Mark found another more serviceable one and fastened it with a few bungee cords. He wheeled it out onto the veranda under protection from the rain.
The truck was more of a problem. He removed the battery and took it into the shed with the generator so that it could be charged at some point and went back and dismantled the fuel system, flushed and cleaned it all out and reassembled it all. The sparkplugs were checked, cleaned and adjusted, plus the points. The small amount of petrol left was decanted from one can to another through a funnel and filter of material that looked like discarded nylon stockings and the tank filled with a cup full or so of clean fuel. All that was needed was the tyres to be pumped up and the cab inside to be cleaned up.
He heard a vehicle draw up and Axis shouting for him. He decided to hide himself away and not be seen by strangers that might talk. After about five minutes he heard the vehicle pull away and he made his way to the veranda.
“Ah, there you are Master Mark. We were looking for you. I’ve brought the cans and we wanted to know which charger you needed. He’s left both.”
“That’s fine Axis. I didn’t want to be seen by strangers that’s all.”
“I’m so sorry Master Mark. I wasn’t thinking with all the excitement. I promise to be more careful. The children have been told not to say that they are living with a white man. I see you have brought out the bike. Does it run?”
“It does but I’d rather you told the children not to sit on it like that. I don’t think the stand is that safe? Can you manage that bike?”
“Oh yes Master Mark. Imelda will sit up front and Joseph behind me. It will be fantastic and I can have more time for fun with you Master Mark,” she blurted out and gave Mark another big hug and kiss. She kick-started the bike and with the children sitting on it Axis rode around and around the house as Mark sat on the veranda sipping a bottle of cold beer. A sheepish Axis and two children appeared around the corner of the house pushing the bike.
“Sorry Master Mark but it’s broken down,” said Axis and the children stood there looking forlorn.
“It’s just run out of fuel Axis. There was only a cupful of petrol in it to start with. Don’t look so dejected. I’ll fill it up when I’ve had my beer.”
“Oh good,” she sighed with relief. “What would you like for lunch Master Mark?”
“I’ll skip lunch if you don’t mind. I had a late breakfast. You feed yourself and the kids. I’ll see to the refuelling and get the battery on charge.”
Dinner was a happier affair with Joseph and Imelda at least chattering together if not yet quite comfortable with a white man at the table. After dinner we all played drafts and I tried to teach them the first moves in chess. We finished off with a game of cards and before going to bed they formally shook hands with me. Very polite. I spent the rest of the evening trying to fix my iPod to the ancient HiFi system so that we could all listen to my music, if only in the background.
Axis produced a bottle of local rum and a couple of glasses. It was rough so I mixed it with the kid’s cola to make it more palatable. I decided to check the fuel levels in the generator to have some idea of usage. It was more comfortable with the fans running all the time. When I returned Axis was not in the room so after switching off the lights I departed for bed. As soon as I got into the squeaky bed, the door opened and Axis slipped in between the sheets for another bout of passion.
I was woken up early next morning with Axis telling me that she was taking the kids to school on the bike and she would make breakfast later and I was not to get up. I wasn’t a stay-a-bed type so ignoring the instructions I got up, made some coffee and decided to explore the beach again. Apart from the upper part, all strewn with branches and debris the lower part was idyllic if not magnificent. I sat on the sand contemplating whether to take a dip to cool down when I heard rustling in the garden behind me. There was Axis with two cold beers coming down to the beach.
“Hi, I looked in the sheds but you weren’t there so I came down to the beach and here you are. You need a sun hat down here. I’ll get you one if there isn’t one in the house.”
“Thanks and thanks for the beer. You are very thoughtful you know.”
“Part of the service Master Mark. Are you married? Have you a wife and kids in America? Do you miss them?”
“Woah! That’s a lot of questions. I was in the military so had no time for a wife. Not much fun being married to someone and being away all the time and being shot at; unfair to the wife in my book. I’ve had my share of girlfriends and women if you want to know. It’s getting hot. Pity we couldn’t sit in the shade under a tree over there. I’ll have to clean up a stretch of beach up there under the trees.”
“I know how to cool you down. Let’s go and swim.”
“Is it safe for a white man to paddle out there?”
“It’s OK. It’s just a fallacy that white shark just go for white men. Come on Master Mark,” shouted Axis as she slipped out of her clothes and ran down the beach. I was too hot to decline a bit of skinny dipping and joined her in the warm water for a good splash around and a swim for an hour or so. Axis looked at my watch and said she needed to go and collect the kids soon so she led me by the hand to a shaded piece of sand, on the adjoining beach front and insisted we had sex. All sandy and exhausted we ran naked back to the house where I was going to have a shower and clean up but passing the water tower there was a torrent of water from the overflow so we both showered the sand and salt off outside. I made a mental note to fix the pumping system to shut off when the tank was full instead of the pump working all the time.
I was in the shed working on the generator and pumping system when I heard a frantic pipping of the horn coming from out at the front of the house. I cautiously peered around the side of the house and Joseph spotted me, shouting ‘Master Mark,’ ‘Master Mark!’ at the top of his voice and waving me to come. Out on the road was Axis talking to a youth holding up a motorbike, looking most dejected and streaming with sweat.
“Ah Master Mark. Meet Bobby. He works as a gardener next door. His bike is broken. Can you fix it for him?”
“Hi Axis, hi Joseph and hi Imelda. Tell this Bobby to wheel the bike to the shed and I’ll see what I can do.” When Bobby and bike plus the kids were out of earshot I spoke harshly to Axis. “I told you not to bring people here and tell them about me! I don’t want to end up as the local mechanic with floods of people coming here!”
“Oh Master Mark, don’t be cross with me. He works next door so he is bound to see you sometime. It’s better to make friends with him and then I can persuade him not to talk about you. Also, for a bite to eat he will clear the garden for you and the beach.”
“So, he’s the one whose been dumping his rubbish onto our beach!”
“You can’t blame him Master Mark. He looks like a nice boy. You help him and I will make a nice lunch for all of us.” I went off in a huff and looked over the bike. It was a wreck but the only valuable possession the boy probably had. I got a bowl of petrol and stripped down the fuel system and cleaned out the pipes and carburettor. The sparkplug was burned out so I found another serviceable one in the shed box. I checked the brakes, oiled bits that needed oiling and tightened up the sprockets of the wheels. It was as much as I could do. I filled up the tank for him, adding some two-stroke oil. Cleaned the seat and handlebars with an oily rag and indicated to him he should start it. It fired on the first kick and the beaming smile on the lad’s face was enough to get me out of a bad mood. The running was rough so I tuned the carburettor the best I could and told him to take it for a spin around the house as I cleaned up. He came around smiling and whooping with Joseph and Imelda running behind shouting with excitement. I beckoned to Bobby and pointed out the gushing overflow wondering if he knew something about the system. I followed him into the shed with the generator and he immediately found the appropriate switch and the pump stopped and I got an engaging smile.
“Master Bobby, Master Mark, lunch ready,” announced Imelda and ran away in embarrassment.
“Axis, tell Bobby to have a shower before he comes to the table. He smells.”
“You can tell him yourself Master Mark. Master Bobby understands and speaks some American, don’t you Master Bobby. Come Master Bobby, you can use my shower and I’ll get you a towel and a clean shirt.”
Suddenly the noise levels at the table rose to a crescendo as Imelda and Joseph chattered and laughed with Bobby in Spanish. I couldn’t quite follow but he seemed to be embellishing the story how his bike had broken down and how he had to push and free wheel it down hills to get here.
“Now Master Mark, what do you want Master Bobby to do in the garden? He can make a start after lunch and the kids can help.”
“Well, he can clear the yard at the back and also start on the beach, kind of work from both ends. Tell Bobby that if he does a good job, I’ll keep his bike topped up with fuel for him.”
“That will please him. I don’t think the owners pay him much next door. You’re a good man Master Mark.”
“Enough of that Axis. Now tell me do you drive?”
“Drive? Where do I have the money to own a car of all things? I can hardly afford a bike as you know.”
“Well, I’ll have to teach you and then you can pick up fuel, gas cylinders, beer more easily. Do you want me to teach you?”
“That would be wonderful Master Mark. I could then get a job as a cab driver or a truck driver.”
“Well, when the time comes for me to leave then you should take the pickup with you and the bike. I reckon the previous tenant was a nasty character. I found some peculiar and unsavoury stuff about. I think he left in a hurry, just ahead of the porno squad so I wouldn’t have any compunction in taking all of his personnel effects and selling them.”
“But he had a woman, maybe wife here with him?”
“That’s what makes it more peculiar. Anyway, I’ll get the battery back in the pickup and you can have the first lesson driving around the house.”
“Wait, let me tell the children. They’ll be proud that their mother can drive.” Both Imelda and Joseph rushed around to give me a hug and immediately dragged Bobby off to inspect the pickup in the garage.
I replaced the battery, filled up the tank and watched by an audience, hopped into the driving seat and turned the engine over. It turned but didn’t fire. The audience looked disappointed. I turned the engine again and it caught, spluttered and roared into life as I gunned it. The audience burst into cheers and jumped about in glee. When I told them to clear the way as I would back the pickup out and they all clambered into the open back for a ride. Blasting the horn, I chose reverse and slowly backed the vehicle out to more cheers, then careered around the house a few times to more cheers and shouts from the back. I stopped and told Axis to climb in the driving seat and we would have the first lesson. After a few kangaroo starts we managed a few circuits of the house in first gear with an encouraging audience in the back. We then did a number of practice stops and starts until it started to rain and we parked the pickup in the garage, rushing back into the house. Immediately Bobby and Axis started positioning the buckets, plastic containers and tins to catch the drips. Satisfied, Axis turned up the radio, grabbed my hand and dragged me into the bedroom whispering into my ear that she wanted to show me some gratitude for my kindness.
We were sitting up, resting after our bout of exercise, our bodies glistening in the heat when Axis sat up and prodded me in the chest.
“Hey Master Mark, you no smoke? Most men smoke after sex.”
“Well, I stopped. I had to preserve my life. On my first tour of Afghanistan, I gave up because the Taliban could smell us miles away with our American cigarettes. The local stuff was awful and smelled more like goat’s turds. Now I have a personal and delicate question to ask. Do you normally sleep with your boss like this?”
“But Master Mark, you asked for a maid providing all services. Most of my work is like this. Better than working the streets and less dangerous most times.”
“Oh, I didn’t realise that, Axis. I just though eh …well…you know, you just wanted a man.”
“I have to look after my kids and there’s no work in Dominican Republic. I’m good looking, nice body. I’ve seen you looking Master Mark so don’t deny. Angelina is my cousin and gets me work during the season. Don’t worry I have a medical check before each job. I’m clean.”
“Do the children stay with you on these assignments?”
“No, they normally stay with their grandmother but this is a long way from her and home and I would miss them. I hope you don’t mind them? I can send them away.”
“No need for that. Now I didn’t ask for ‘All services’ or at least didn’t expect it. You don’t have to you know…”
“Master Mark, you are a good man, kind man and I know you like me. I sleep with you when you want. You don’t demand nasty stuff like the Germans and rich Turks. Americans are fine. That’s why I speak good American. Now do you want more sex or are you going to teach me to drive?”
“Let’s shower first and we’ll go for a spin when the rain stops.”
“Oh, so you want sex in shower Master Mark. Kinky!”
“Now will you stop this Master Mark business, just ‘Mark’ will do!”
“In Caribbean it is just polite to use ‘Master’ and I will feel more comfortable since I like you.”
“Please yourself Axis. Do I have to now call you Mistress Axis?” I got a punch in the chest and she ran off to my shower and I followed.
We took it slowly and we had Bobby in the back to direct us on the by-roads avoiding villages and settlements. He was local and knew the area. Imelda and Joseph wanted to ride in the open back but for safety I insisted they rode with Bobby in the back of the cab. There was nothing on the road apart from the occasional motorbike, so we managed to practise changing gear, hill starts, going slow and going fast. Fast was rarely an option since the roads were so bad. At least it had rained so we weren’t leaving a cloud of dust behind us. The kids enjoyed the kangaroo starts and wanted mummy to do it every time. After an hour we returned and Axis insisted that she continued on her own, doing circuits around the house. I made it more complicated for her by introducing reversing and Axis had to drive around to the veranda area at the back, reverse and repeat the exercise in the other direction. With much crunching of gears and kangaroo hops she got the hang of it and continued on her own with Bobby and I watching and cheering her on, enjoying a bottle of beer from the comfort of the veranda. The kids just loved being thrown around in the back.
After dinner I asked Axis if she ever got in touch with Angelina. She told me that she had phoned her that morning to tell her that Master Mark was satisfied with all services and would be staying. She said she would call in later in the week since she was in the area and bring some American newspapers for me. I asked Axis to call her again and tell her I needed to split another hundred-dollar bill. I though we might just need lots more fuel in the coming days.
The rest of the week went by in a flash and we settled into a homely family routine. Axis insisted on sleeping in my bed to which I didn’t object. She would get up early, take the kids to school, do some shopping and I would make breakfast for her return. If it wasn’t raining, we would go down to the beach and swim and laze for an hour or so, have an outdoor shower that I had fixed up and Axis would take the motorbike to pick up the kids. Bobby would arrive and spend an hour clearing the garden and I would prepare lunch for all of us. We would have that as soon as the rains started when Booby would come in have a shower and I would set the table for five. When the rains had stopped, we would go for a drive with Axis at the wheel. These drives got longer and longer as we explored more of the countryside. On return we would all play football or cricket, have a shower and whilst Bobby took the kids off to do some gardening or light fires on the beach, Axis would drag me off to bed for some lovemaking followed by another long cool shower. Dinners were getting to be more and more lavish affairs since I insisted that Axis bought the best. I was also getting more used to the local rum and the empties plus beer bottles were piling up. Axis told me that we should let Bobby take them to the shops and get the deposit back for them. That sorted the bottle heap problem.
Bobby uncovered all kinds of fruit trees in the garden and I looked forward to enjoying bananas, mango and papaya at some time but I wasn’t sure when they would be in season. In the third week I had got totally fed up with tripping over containers in the living room so Axis, driving on her own this time, went into the nearest village and bought a metal cauldron, brushes and blocks of bitumen, plus a supply of six footballs since we were constantly bursting them on the spiky vegetation. Bobby and I then spent three days on the roof, covering the corrugated sheets with a thick coating of hot tar. It did the trick and also deadened the noise of the rain. We could now dispense with all the rain collecting containers. I was becoming quite a handyman. Much of the furniture, especially the wooden chairs had succumbed to the voracious appetite of the termites and woodworm. Bobby showed me how and what varnish to apply to kill them off and I cannibalised the broken ones into a set of serviceable ones. I was becoming a good husband and handyman to boot.
Angelina called in for lunch and brought me a cell phone, topped up with fifty dollars of call time. I decided to make contact with the outside world. Angelina told me that I would probably find reception if I drove close to a town or village with a communication mast. On one of our trips out I called Andreas but got no answer. I tried an international call but the reception was so bad that I closed the call. I would have to get Axis to book a call for me at a call box in some distant town of village. I needed to contact Gerard to see how the land lay for me in the real world although I was in no hurry to return. I was thoroughly enjoying my vacation.
Angelina was becoming a nuisance. She started coming every week on the pretence of bringing me some ancient American newspapers and a hundred dollars worth of small notes. She would come for lunch and openly flirt with me in front of Axis. She would go and have a shower and come out naked, towelling her hair. I would keep her at bay with a kitchen knife as I prepared the lunch. Her body wasn’t quite as fine as Axis’s. My favourite trick was to tug at her pubes and as she involuntarily pulled back and leant forward, I pushed an ice-cold bottle of beer into her breast. She screamed and we all laughed. She would tell Axis not to hurry back when collecting the kids from school. I kept telling her that I couldn’t handle more than one Caribbeangirl at a time. I could with white girls, but not the voluptuous black Caribbean ones. That seemed to please her and keep her at bay. Axis suggested I sleep with her just to keep peace but I could note the reluctance and jealousy in her eyes.
As a ploy, Angelina said her truck had broken down and she would have to stay the night. I managed to get around that by telling her she could take ours and I would have her truck repaired for her next visit. Hers was a wreck and with Bobby’s help I had to work hard to get it running properly. The garage she shared the truck with just kept it running with minimum of maintenance. I showed Bobby how to clean all the fuel lines, change the spark plugs and ignition system and tune the engine. Oil was topped up and all the grease points filled up. Axis took the truck into town with Bobby and they had the tyres renewed with better used ones, the wheel rims sandblasted and repainted and the calliper brakes re-shod. Imelda and Joseph did their bit with a pot of black paint over the rust spots. It pleased Axis who told me it would heal any rifts between her and Angelina over me. She would be delighted with the transformation of her truck. She insisted I should be rewarded and she dragged me off to bed after turning the radio on to full. Bobby took the kids out to light fires on the beach.
The top drawer of my bedside cabinet was sticking and it was annoying me so I took it to the workshop to shave it down a little. It seemed heavy and under close inspection I found it had a false bottom. I prised open the lid and found an automatic Beretta pistol with a full spare clip, an assortment of pornographic Polaroid pictures and a pile of memory sticks. I lit a fire in a tin can and blazed the pictures and the sticks. I made a mental note to tell Axis to start selling all the personal stuff of the previous tenant and buy some new clothes for me. I was feeling dirty wearing cast-offs of a pervert. I re-assembled the drawer with the gun hidden inside. As a military man on the run, I felt distinctly more comfortable with a firearm at hand.
Bobby’s bike roared into the front yard. Early for Bobby I thought and instead of parking it out of the rain on the veranda I heard it screech to a halt in front of the shed. I expected Bobby to appear any moment looking dejected and reporting a problem with his bike, hoping that I would come and show him how to fix it but he didn’t appear straight away, only when I heard Axis arrive back with the kids from school. They ran up to where I was sitting on a lounger and Imelda gave me a customary kiss and a hug whilst Joseph immediately started his nonstop monologue of what he had done at school, catching his breath after each long sentence. I noticed Axis and Bobby standing watching me instead of going off to do their chores before the rains. Joseph finished his vivid description and as was the daily custom offered to fetch me a cold beer. I then listened to Imelda but she was a little shy and I had to prise it out of her how many times the teacher had praised her work that day. She finished, gave me another kiss and ran off to her mum.
“Master Mark!” said Axis rather more politely than usual. “Can you come and look at this?” and both Axis and Bobby disappeared behind the side of the house before I could ask why or what. As I turned the corner, I spotted Bobby holding his bike up and strapped precariously on the back was another similar small bike.
“Bobby has brought his sister’s bike here. Can you mend it for her or at least help Bobby do it?”
“Look Axis, I told you and Bobby not to talk about me to anyone and now it seems everyone on this blasted island now knows I’m here and I mend bikes! I thought I made it crystal clear to you both!” I said crossly and loudly enough to attract the kids to the scene.
“Don’t be cross Master Mark. It’s not like that.”
“What do you mean it’s not like that? Bobby’s sister is going to tell all her mates that I repaired her bike and the whole world will know!” I shouted in desperation.
“Let Bobby tell you himself. Go on Bobby. Tell Master Mark what you told me. Go on. Don’t be afraid.”
“Master Mark, I’m sorry and I will take the bike back. I didn’t tell my sister. I didn’t tell anyone that I was bringing the bike here,” said Bobby, haltingly and in a very apologetic manner.
“Tell Master Mark what you told me Bobby. Tell him!”
“Well Master Mark, my sister has no job and can’t get a job at the market without her bike. She took fish to the market every day to a small village far away and sold well since the farmers there couldn’t get fish daily, only when they went to the main market once a week. Without a bike she has no job and the only job she will get is in the sex trade and my mother doesn’t want that. Nor do I. So please Master Mark, help me to mend this bike and help my family.”
“So, this is going to be a surprise for your sister?”
“Yes, Master Mark, a surprise. I haven’t told her about you. She only knows that I can borrow some tools from my employer. That’s the truth Master Mark.”
“OK, OK Bobby, I’m sorry I shouted at you and you Axis. Get the bike in the shed and we’ll look at it after lunch when the rains arrive.”
The bike was a wreck with many of the parts missing, probably reused and salvaged for some other machine. I got Bobby to strip the bike down and make a list of missing parts and those damaged beyond repair. Bobby went off in the rain to the town with some dollars and a list to buy some serviceable or in the last resort, new parts whilst I repaired and cleaned up what I could. I had the three bikes in the shed and supervised Bobby in putting all the new parts on Axis’s bike and the used parts shared between Bobby’s and his sister’s. His sister got the worst part if there was a choice but at least, she ended up with a serviceable set of wheels. Bobby improved his immeasurably and Axis almost got a brand-new bike. Joseph and Imelda had great fun splodging all the rusty bits on all of the bikes with a good covering of black paint. With a new sparkplug and new condenser, the bike burst into life and Bobby tuned the engine to run smoothly as I had shown him. The silencer needed a bit of patching and the two mudguards that I had fashioned from a sheet of roofing got a coat of paint and wired into place. All that remained was to fix a couple of plastic fruit boxes on the back for the fish and the bike was ship shape and ready for work, saving a girl from the seamier side of life. That evening Axis drove the pickup within spitting distance of Bobby’s home, with the two bikes in the back and we escaped back home leaving Bobby to surprise his sister alone.
It was midway through the second month that I managed to communicate with Gerard via internet and he advised me to continue to lay low since the Authorities had advanced their search for me to a higher level with Interpol. Gerard wanted the ‘Dogs’ to have a good run to check how good they were in finding me. The Minister was aware. That suited me to the ground and I told Axis to get some beers, vodkas and rum plus any other goodies she could get, since we were going to have a party. She said she needed to go to a town nearby where there was more choice and I should accompany her. I reluctantly agreed but lay or sat in the back to avoid being seen whilst the kids had the fun sitting up front with mum. We had a ball but I got horribly drunk that afternoon and Axis, with Bobby’s help, had to lay me out on the bed to sleep it off.
With a lazy kick the bike started and Axis eased it off its stand and powered away to pick up her children from school. She was happy and smiling. All was rosy in her life at this moment and apart from good living for her family she was actually building up a nest egg for the future. She couldn’t believe her luck. This Master Mark was a gem, a real gentleman not like any of her former customers. Oops, I better concentrate on the road rather than dreaming. He’s funny. I have to initiate sex with him and I even like it for once in my life. I don’t have to fake enjoyment. I don’t have to make noises. In fact, for once I can enjoy sex. I even think I might call it lovemaking. My husband treated me like a trophy wife and even made me have sex with his clients. I hated him. He beat me when he was drunk and that was most of the time. His lucrative business went down the Suwannee. His debtors and his enemies fortunately cut him up into pieces and fed them to the parrots. I ran off to my Grandmother’s.
Imelda loves him to pieces. He is a daddy to her. The only one she’s ever had. He helps them with their homework. They love it. He pretends he doesn’t know how to do things so they patiently show and explain, learning themselves. Joseph’s reading is not so good so Master Mark reads a line in Spanish, stumbling over each word with Joseph helping. Then he gets Joseph to read the line and it’s perfect. Imelda in the meantime practices her English, reading from the American newspaper to herself and then reads it all out. She is a clever kid.
He makes delicious lunches for us all. Bobby brings fresh fish, lobsters, scallops and crayfish from his father’s catch. Master Mark can afford the best. No more mealie slop for my kids, only the best. Tropical fruit salads with fish strips fried in butter not oil. He insists on American butter in tins, a tray of seafood to pick at, delicious. In the evenings, we watch a video and I cuddle up to him. Wrap his arm around me and place his hand inside my top. He fondles me gently. No pawing and hurting. I slip my hand down his shorts and play with him until he’s ready then we go and have sex on the bed. No, make love. He’s not exactly gentle but doesn’t hurt me. During the day I sometimes get moody. I couldn’t afford to get moody with my other clients. I’d be beaten and thrown out. He teases me and I pretend to be even crosser with everything. All my emotions are in a turmoil but I can display it all in front of him. When it gets too much, he gathers me in his arms and I burst into tears. I feel so much better for it all. Letting it all come out, a real release of bad feelings inside of me, probably all my fears from the past and for the future. If only I could find a local black man like that. No chance of that.
He keeps telling me that he will suddenly get a message to go back home or even the police may arrive one day to take him away. He says he hasn’t done anything wrong and I’m not to be afraid. I believe him but I hope he stays for ever. All maids like me normally steal from our clients but I couldn’t bring myself to do that to Master Mark. He gives me money for shopping and clothes for me and my children. The only money I save is selling the old clothes that the last pervert left behind. Master Mark says I have to keep that money for the family. I will have to give Angelina some so that she will look after me in the future. On the other hand, he is very generous with her too. Every time she brings a bundle of notes in exchange for a hundred-dollar bill, he gives the flirty bitch a ten dollar note which he stuffs down he bra personally and gives her nipple a tweak, makes me jealous though I can’t show it. Angelina would dump me and I can’t afford that. I would like to open a shop like the one my Grandmother had. That would keep the family going and I could give up on the horizontal work as us maids call it.
By the beginning of the third month my Spanish had improved and Imelda’s and Joseph’s English was getting good, extremely good. It’s amazing how youngsters pick up new languages. Axis would hire DVDs for us and the Disney ones for the children and they would watch in English. I chose to watch ours in Spanish since I’d seen most of the films before. There was a library of DVDs in the house but I had long ago burned them having viewed a short clip of one and shuddered.
We had eaten our lunch and were waiting for the rain to stop when there was a loud knock on the door. I looked quizzically at Axis and nodded to her to answer the door whilst I made myself scarce in the bedroom. Before I had time to depart, both the veranda doors and the lounge doors burst open and a bunch of heavily armed and uniformed men charged in shouting and bawling orders. My training kicked in and immediately I lay my hands on my head and knelt down on the floor in total submission. Axis, Imelda, Joseph and Bobby started screaming in fright until they were restrained and forced to sit down on the floor. The officer in charge came in with a white man in civilian clothes.
“So, you found me at last,” I said facing the civilian, still keeping to my submissive position with rifles and scatter guns pointing at me. “You took your time.”
“You were difficult to find Mister Trentham or Broad or whatever you call yourself at the moment,” said the suit who I presumed was from Interpol.
“Can you tell your men to stow their weapons,” I ordered the Commander of the assault party sternly. “You’re frightening the children and the civilians. I’m no threat to you.” The Commander barked an order and the men raised their rifles and the tension eased.
“Have you any papers, passport?” asked or requested the suit.
“There’s my passport for what it’s worth in the top draw of the bedside cabinet in there,” I stated clearly pointing with my eyes with hands firmly entwined on top of my head. “You will also find a firearm in the false bottom so tell your guys to go carefully with it. It belongs to the previous owner or tenant here. I would be obliged if you chase him now that you have caught me. Tell me, how did you find me? I must have slipped up badly somewhere.”
“You were fine but it was your man in Santiago, who panicked and more or less did our investigation work for us looking for you. We had him under close surveillance. He’s a good investigator and led us to Port-de-Paix. We heard from him about the problem you had with your plane and we took over. He didn’t know when to give up looking for you.”
“I suppose you labelled me as a vicious murderer on the run to get help from the locals?”
“Yes, the estate agent you used was very helpful when she found out you were also a paedophile and vicious sex maniac. Works every time,” said the suit with a satisfying smile. The Commander barked an order and a soldier produce handcuffs and approached me carefully. I put out my hand and he clipped the cuffs on in front of me, not behind me which should have been their procedure. I stood up and the soldier instantly took up their alert stance.
“Before you take me out, can I say goodbye to these good people. After all, I have been with them for almost three months. Family,” I added for maximum effect. The suit nodded. “Imelda, Joseph, don’t be frightened by these men. Come to me one by one and say goodbye to Master Mark.” They came one by one crying and I could give them a hug since I had my arms in front of me. Bobby came, shook hands and I gave him a hug and he burst into tears. Axis was last and very tearful. I hugged her close, kissed her and whispered in her ear, “Look after them all. I’ll be alright. Check out the burst footballs in the shed. I’ve hidden my money in there. Bye. I’ll promise to write and even visit when this has been cleared up.” The soldiers pulled her off as she burst into tears and wouldn’t let go. They led me out to their vehicles outside.
