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Chapter 8 � �Socrates� Mistresses�
Maria
Elena woke up early and set up the kitchen so Cecilia could prepare
breakfast. Cecilia entered the kitchen with a concerned look on her
face, partly because Pedro was still in bed sick, and partly because
she correctly suspected that she had interrupted something between her
housemate and Victor.
As usual, the prisoner focused on serving her host and making sure he
was ready to go to work. She assisted him dressing much in the way a
wife would help a husband get dressed; brushing off his suit and
straightening his tie. He was flattered by the attention and happy for
the companionship.
Cecilia attended to her nephew, pretending not to notice what was going
on in Victor�s room. She was in an awkward situation, because she was
determined to forestall any romantic involvement between her host and
her housemate, but she knew that there was no point in trying to openly
confront either of them. She did not want to tell Kim what was going on
either, for fear that the prisoner would be moved and she would have to
resume doing everything in the house. Instead she reasoned that if she
could keep Maria Elena occupied until her trial and introduce her to
other young criminals, eventually she would settle on a more appropriate
partner, one closer to her age and social stature.
Because it was Saturday, there was no field trip and no P.E. class for
Cecilia's exchange group. The students had their language class in the
morning and were released at noon. Maria Elena did not have to work on
Saturdays, so she would attend class with the norteamericanos
and, like them, be free in the afternoon.
After class Maria Elena was planning to go back to Victor�s house and
wait for him. However, Cecilia was determined to keep her occupied. In
the middle of the afternoon she took her housemate to a nice two-story
residence at the western edge of Dan�bikt M�skt, almost into the
countryside. It was the home of Vladik Dukov, who was the son of the
country�s Prime Minister. Cecilia also learned that Criminal # 98946
lived there, because she was married to Vladik.
�That house used to belong to Spokesman Vladim Dukov, before he got
elected Prime Minister. But now he�s living in the Prime Minister�s
residence downtown, so he turned his place over to his son and his wife
Tiffany.�
�Tiffany?�
�That�s her name before she was arrested, Tiffany Walker. I call her
that, and I suppose you will too, once you two can talk to each other.
Her married name is Tiffany Walker-Dukovna, but her official name is
Criminal # 98946.�
�98946? Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna told me her number was # 98945� and
Tiffany is # 98946��
�Yes, because they were arrested together, along with another American
girl called Susan. It�s a long story, what happened to those three� but
the short version is that Tiffany and Susan were arrested with Kim for
smoking pot, but then they got released while she went on trial and got
convicted.�
�But� then� if Tiffany was released� why is she collared?�
�She came back to Danubia.�
�But��
�She came back on purpose. She knew she was gonna get arrested, but she
came back because she had to.�
�On purpose? But��
�It�s a very long story. You�ll find out about it soon enough. Now� look
over there.�
Cecilia pointed down the street. Just a few doors beyond the house was a
yellow sign with an electronic sensor.
�Those yellow signs mark the edge of the Dan�bikt M�skt collar zone. If
you go past any of them without having your collar turned off or
re-programmed, an alarm will go off. If that happens, you�ll have to
kneel next to the sign and wait for the police to come get you. Don�t
try doing anything else except kneeling next to the sign, or you�ll get
in serious trouble.�
�What happens when the police come?�
�They�ll take you downtown and there will be a hearing to find out why
you went past the sign. You�ll be switched, but how many strokes you get
will be determined by what you were doing that set off the alarm. If it
was just carelessness or not paying attention to where you are, normally
you�d get 20 strokes. If it was something you had no control over, like
being on a city bus that gets diverted and takes a different route,
you�d just get 10.�
�That�s not fair� If you�re on a bus��
�No, it isn�t fair, but it�s up to you to stay within the collar zone.
That�s how they see it.�
Cecilia led Maria Elena into the house and to the back yard, where
several women already had gathered. Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna was
present, along with Tiffany Walker-Dukovna and three young Danubians.
All of them were naked. Cecilia was the only person still dressed among
the group. After saying hello to the others in Danubian, she quickly
undressed as well.
Maria Elena knelt upon seeing her Spokeswoman, but Cecilia told her to
stand up.
�This is one time you don�t kneel. We�re all equal here.�
In the back yard there were two plastic chairs and a large tub of warm
water, along with bottles of shampoo, combs, towels, and several bowls
and pitchers. It turned out that Maria Elena had been invited to
participate in an ancient Danubian tradition: the weekly hair washing
and re-braiding.
Danubian culture considered a woman dishonored if she appeared in
public, or even alone in front of a male relative, with her hair
unbraided. Women kept their hair tightly braided at all times, except on
Saturday afternoons, which was the only opportunity during the week they
had to let their hair loose to wash, comb, and re-braid it. Danubian
women normally did not touch their own hair, but instead gathered with
female friends or relatives to attend to each other. The tradition was
considered very intimate because it was the only time it was socially
acceptable for Danubians to touch a person of the same sex. Maria Elena
did not realize it at the time, but for her to braid her hair with Kim
and the others was an important gesture of friendship towards someone
who barely knew them.
The Danubians were introduced as Eloisa, who was Kim�s best friend;
Tatiana, who was a fellow Spokeswoman from the Ministry of Justice; and
Valia, who was another friend of both Kim and Eloisa. Eloisa stood out,
because she was very pretty and had blond hair, which was rare in a
country where most people�s hair was brown. Maria Elena looked hard at
her� because she seemed� very familiar�
The women took turns sitting down and loosening and shampooing each
other�s hair. After everyone�s hair was clean, they drank wine from a
large goblet while waiting to dry out for the final combing and
braiding. The goblet was a symbol of equality among the group; women who
shared the intimacy of braiding also shared the intimacy of drinking
from the same cup.
Cecilia taught her housemate how to braid Eloisa�s hair while Kim and
Tiffany braided each other�s hair. However, the big surprise came at the
end, when it was Kim, not Cecilia, who braided Maria Elena�s hair.
Supposedly Kim held custody over the prisoner, but in that backyard they
were not Spokeswoman and client, but instead two women sharing an
ancient ritual. The fact they both were naked was an important part of
that ritual, because without their clothing they were equals. Both
understood that as soon as the Spokeswoman put her clothes back on,
Maria Elena would have to kneel for her. However, Kim was determined
that her client clearly understood that she saw her as a person and not
a foreigner, in spite of their different positions in Danubian society.
For most of the afternoon the others chatted in Danubian, with Cecilia
translating whatever she thought was important. Towards the end, Kim and
the Danubians started singing. Maria Elena recognized the song� and the
voices. Suddenly she realized who she was with� three of the singers
from the band Socrates� Mistresses! Yes, of course she recognized
Eloisa� and Kim and Valia� they were from that controversial New Age
band! They were international celebrities, and here Maria Elena was�
sitting naked with them and having her hair washed!
The entire experience that afternoon had a profound impact on a person
who had come from a country that still placed great emphasis on wealth
and social status. She couldn�t even begin to imagine spending such time
with a famous Latin American singer or soap opera star. However, in her
new life she had shared an afternoon with three famous singers from
Danubia, who thought there was absolutely nothing strange about her
being in their presence. She still felt that she was nothing, just a
pathetic dishonored prisoner, a failed drug trafficker with a squalid
past, an uneducated low-life. And yet, that was not how the people in
Dan�bikt M�skt saw her. Yes, she was a criminal, but she also was a
person who had her place in society and, as long as she understood her
responsibilities, was worthy of being treated with respect. To the three
Danubians, she was Kim�s client and a member of Cecilia�s household, so
of course she was welcome as part of the group.
----------
The afternoon ended in the traditional manner, with the husbands and
fianc�s of the women showing up together to retrieve their respective
partners. It turned out that all of the women were married with the
exception of Cecilia, who was engaged. Jason, as always, was completely
naked except his collar. The other young men were dressed. For the first
time Maria Elena saw Victor�s nephew Vladik, who was in full police
uniform to greet Tiffany. The criminal, in spite of the fact that she
was his wife and very pregnant, got on her knees to greet her husband.
Like Kim, Vladik was a public official and it was Tiffany�s Path in Life
to kneel for both of them, as a display of respect for their positions.
The other four men were musicians from Socrates� Mistresses.
As
dictated by ancient tradition, each of the men had brought a flower that
he put in his partner�s hair. The only member of the group who did not
have a man picking her up was Maria Elena. As an uncommitted woman,
there would be no flower for her, no gift marking the renewal of her
relationship with her beloved and the world around her. In her
imagination she pictured Victor, standing among the others in his dark
business suit, holding a flower to put into her hair. She was determined
that, soon enough, his Path in Life would include bringing her a flower
every Saturday afternoon.
Kim turned to her client:
�We�re singing tonight at the Socrates Club; would you like to come?�
Before Maria Elena could say anything Cecilia interjected:
�Of course she would� I�ll make sure she�s there. She�d love to see you
sing� and also have a look at the club.�
Actually, that wasn�t Maria Elena�s desire at all; what she wanted was
to go back to Victor�s house and spend time with him. However, before
she had any time to react or think of a reason she shouldn�t go, she had
been drafted to join Cecilia and Jason to see Socrates� Mistresses
perform live.
The group said goodbye to Tiffany and Vladik, who stayed behind at the
house. The others boarded a trolley to go downtown. Jason and Maria
Elena had to stand, but the others, to show sympathy and solidarity,
chose to stand with them. It was just starting to get dark outside when
the trolley stopped in an old section of the city just outside the
ancient wall.
----------
The Socrates Club was a unique institution, because it was the only
place in Dan�bikt M�skt where criminals could meet and socialize. The
club occupied an entire block: there was the main building housing a
restaurant and dance hall, an adjacent building with small rooms that
could be rented by the hour, and an old armory that had been converted
to a fitness center and gymnasium. The clientele were mostly criminals
and ex-criminals, but anyone in a romantic relationship with a criminal
was welcome as well. An important rule of the club was that, whether a
person was collared or not, clothing was strictly forbidden anywhere on
the grounds. Criminals always showed up naked, of course, but
ex-criminals and other visitors had to surrender their clothing and
other belongings at the check stand right inside the main entrance. The
rule was that anyone who had completed their sentence had to show
respect to those still collared by entering the club completely
undressed.
The Club�s importance extended far beyond being a simple haven for
criminals. Most evenings started with people speaking on stage to recite
poetry or express their feelings, followed by live performances of
musical groups of criminals and ex-criminals. Singing was a hobby for
many club members, but for the more talented performers, singing at the
Club could turn into something much more significant. Most famous
Danubian musicians started their careers performing naked on stage in
front of hundreds of fellow criminals.
Performing at the Socrates Club was how the most famous Danubian group
of them all, Socrates� Mistresses, got its start. The group had been the
most popular band in Danubia for more than five years. Their music also
was popular throughout Europe, especially in the countries immediately
bordering Danubia. In the US sales of anything by Socrates� Mistresses
was boycotted by all the major music stores, but the group had a
fiercely devoted following among political activists and university
students, who obtained their music off the Internet or from friends who
had visited Danubia.
�Socrates� Mistresses� performed live at venues in Dan�bikt M�skt and
Rika Chorna, sometimes to very large crowds. The band also was a fixture
in the Central Plaza during national holidays such as New Year�s Eve,
the Summer Solstice, and the Day of the Dead. However, the group had
their start in the Socrates Club, and it was in the Socrates Club where
they always introduced new songs. No matter who else in the world liked
or bought their music, Eloisa and her fellow musicians considered the
clients of the Socrates Club their core audience. In spite of the
group�s fame, their source of inspiration and their �home� remained
among Dan�bikt M�skt�s criminals.
The band had a unique style of singing that combined traditional
Danubian female vocals with instruments that ranged from ancient to
modern. The music typically was classified as New Age, although the
overall sound was distinct from most New Age music in the US. The stage
performers included five women singers and 10 male musicians. Eloisa was
the leader of the singers and ultimately had final say over the band�s
musical direction. She had the most beautiful voice that Maria Elena had
ever heard, as well as an instinct for music unmatched by anyone else in
the group. Kimberly Lee-Dolkivna was the lead singer for any song in
English, but when performing she always deferred to Eloisa�s guidance.
Upon entering the front door everyone in the group undressed and stuffed
their clothing in cloth bags. Other friends of Kim and Eloisa showed up
and undressed as well. When the band members surrendered their clothing,
all of them held on to a single item, a Ministry of Justice collar with
a broken latch. Cecilia explained that Socrates� Mistresses always
performed in the nude, and during performances they always wore the
collars assigned to them when they were criminals. �It�s to remind them,
and everyone else who�s watching them, where they came from and how they
got their start. Actually, it was Kim who thought up the idea a few
months after they got released. The others really liked it, so that�s
how they always sing.�
Once inside, the group sat at a row of tables that had been pushed
together. There were a total of 35 naked young people sitting at the
tables: the stage performers and various wives and friends. The women of
the band all were married to other band members, but the remaining men
also had brought their wives. Cecilia introduced additional members of
Socrates� Mistresses, although Maria Elena was too overwhelmed by the
large group to be able to remember any of the Danubians� names.
However, one new acquaintance very much stuck out for Maria Elena. A
second young Asian woman joined the table along with her Danubian
husband. She looked like a slightly older, slightly more heavy-set
version of Kimberly Lee. It turned out the woman was Kim�s older sister
Cynthia. Cecilia greeted her very warmly; obviously they were very
close. Maria Elena immediately noticed that both Cynthia and her husband
were wearing collars identical to the one Jason had on. Apparently, just
like him, they were performing Public Penance for the Danubian Church.
Their bodies were deeply tanned and it was evident they had not worn any
clothing for a very long time.
The club�s main room was very large, capable of fitting hundreds of
customers. In the center was a small stage: in front of the stage there
was a large dance floor, and beyond the dance floor were dozens of
tables for sitting and dining. The food at the club was simple and
cheap, consisting of salted deep-fried vegetables and dishes full of
fresh blackberries. The only drinks available were organic beer and
water.
The club, as always, was full to capacity. Maria Elena estimated there
might be over 700 naked people in the room. She was a bit overwhelmed
seeing so much exposed human skin: bare bottoms, penises of all
imaginable shapes and sizes, naked breasts, uncovered vaginas. Several
nude waiters wearing orange tennis shoes moved among the tables, taking
orders and delivering food. A few of the collared criminals had
switch-marks on their backsides; some fresh, others faded, from
punishments administered a week or two before. Many of the naked women
were pregnant, including several sitting at the Socrates� Mistresses
tables. As bizarre as the scene would have been for anyone not familiar
with Danubian society, it was obvious that it was a typical evening for
everyone in the room.
The band members excused themselves to get ready to sing, leaving a
reduced group of about 20 people. Immediately they had to consolidate
and give up several tables to other customers, leaving Maria Elena
sitting between Cecilia and Cynthia. It turned out that Kim�s older
sister was much more approachable than the Spokeswoman herself and was
genuinely curious to know more about the stranded Colombian. Cynthia and
Maria Elena exchanged numerous details about their lives, but Cynthia
also was interested in learning more about Colombia. Cecilia translated
with a mischievous expression, all the while running her hand up and
down Jason�s thigh and occasionally touching his penis. He sat quietly,
blushing because he had a furious erection.
While Maria Elena was talking to Cynthia, various singers performed on
stage, most of whom performed very melancholy-sounding music. Part of
the conversation included telling the newcomer what the songs were
about; all of which were serious or melancholy themes. The entire genre
was very different from what she was used to in Colombia; cheerful Salsa
that either talked about sex or the joys of dancing.
Maria Elena realized that not only the sound, but the very purpose of
Danubian music differed from Latin American music. In Latin America the
purpose of popular music was for light entertainment and dancing, while
in Danubia the purpose of music was to make a person reflect on serious
subjects. That change suited her just fine, because in her current
situation dancing to rapid happy music was the last thing she wanted to
do. The songs coming from the stage were sad-sounding, but at the same
time were relaxing and calming to her frazzled nerves.
Cecilia excused herself and tapped Jason on the shoulder. Even though he
was fully erect and embarrassed, he immediately stood up. The couple
exited through a small door in the back of the room. For about 40
minutes Maria Elena and Cynthia sat in uncomfortable silence while they
waited for their translator to return. When she came back, leading Jason
by the hand, she had a much more relaxed look on her face. Jason was no
longer erect, but his bottom was red. Apparently his fianc� had spanked
him. When the couple sat down, she resumed her conversation as though
nothing had happened. Within a few minutes she started stroking his
thigh again, occasionally touching his penis.
----------
Shortly
after Cecilia returned, Socrates� Mistresses got on the stage. Normally
they sang three songs when they performed: one of their original songs,
one of their more recent songs, and the new song they were introducing.
The group only performed at the club when they were introducing new
music, but every new song was tested among the criminals at the Socrates
Club before anyone else had a chance to hear it. The criminals of
Dan�bikt M�skt did not have much in their lives, but one privilege they
did enjoy was the being the first audience to hear new music from the
famous group sung live.
Kim and Eloisa took their positions at the main microphone, with the
other three women standing slightly behind them. The 10 musicians sat
behind the singers. As soon as men had positioned their instruments,
Eloisa tapped the microphone and started moving her hand to set up the
beat. The first song they performed was one of the group�s most famous,
�My bicycle�, or as it was titled in Danubian: �Nem�t mi bicikl�t.�
As soon as she recognized the song, Maria Elena�s memories transported
her back to Colombia, to Pereira, and into the arms of her first
boyfriend, Jose Pablo. Maria Elena's first love had totally loved �Nem�t mi bicikl�t�.
She knew what the lyrics were about, because he had translated for her:
the story of not appreciating what one has in life until it is too late.
Maria Elena certainly had not appreciated what she had in her life until
it was too late. She had not appreciated her mother, who had struggled
to keep her in a good school so she could have opportunities in life,
nor the boyfriend who had loved her, nor the boss who had been patient
with her and tried to give her an opportunity in his store. No, she had
not appreciated any of that. Her life in Pereira was not flashy, but it
could have been a decent life if she had just understood what she was
sacrificing to look for adventure and quick pleasure.
Oh, how Maria Elena wished Jose Pablo could have been with her to see
Kim and Eloisa sing in person, in the place where his favorite song was
created. She would have given anything just so he could have had that
moment, the opportunity to watch the band whose music meant so much to
him. She would have given anything just to have him hold her once again;
to tell him she was sorry for what she did and somehow make him
understand that she actually meant it.
However, it was too late. She could never apologize to Jose Pablo
because he was dead. Maria Elena knew that it was because of herself that
her ex-boyfriend had died.
When she broke up with him and he found out why, he was determined to
get revenge against drug traffickers by joining the Colombian Army and
become a paratrooper. He never made it that far; just a few weeks after
he got out of basic training, his unit was ambushed by guerrillas and he
was killed in combat.
At first Maria Elena didn�t think much about his death, but later it
began to weigh on her. Now, hearing that song, with all those memories
coming back to her, the burden of guilt fell even heavier on her
shoulders. What weighed on her the most was not only his death, but the
fact that at the time she found out about it she didn�t really care.
What evil had possessed her that she didn�t even care about the death of
an honorable man who had loved her?
Now the time had come to face her regret and her guilt. She buried her
face in her hands.
Jose Pablo� I�m so sorry�
----------
Maria Elena wasn�t much company after Socrates� Mistresses sang their
first song. She sat with her face buried in her hands for a long time.
However, Cecilia and Cynthia didn�t see anything strange about their
companion�s behavior, because plenty of criminals at the Club had to
deal with grief and guilt. They didn�t know the details of Maria Elena�s
anguish, but they understood she was dealing with a personal crisis and
they needed to leave her alone.
Anyhow, Cecilia�s fingers had worked their magic on Jason and he was
ready for another round of sex. She tapped him on the shoulder, grabbed
his hand, and led him to the back door for a second time. They would
return to a room they had rented for the evening where he would make
love to her. He then would go over her lap to be spanked for his
indecent behavior of having an erection in public, and once his bottom
was sufficiently punished, there would be yet more love-making.
----------
Kim and the others returned to their places among their friends at the
table a few minutes after finishing
the debut of their newest song. Cecilia and Jason were gone and Maria
Elena still was crying with her face buried in her hands. Cynthia
figured it would be best if the Colombian went home and offered to take
her. Kim accepted the offer and Cynthia, who had taken Spanish in high
school for a couple of years, spoke just enough that she could make
Maria Elena understand that they were going back to her house. The
Colombian was ready to leave and grateful to be escorted back.
Maria Elena, accompanied by Cynthia and her husband, stepped out of the
club. It was almost midnight, foggy with a chilly September drizzle
falling on the streets. The three naked people shivered as
they felt the wet pavement on their bare feet and the cold damp air
hitting their exposed skin. Cynthia pointed up and said:
�Oto�o. S� uh� tu dices oto�o?
�S�, se�ora, as� se dice� el oto�o.�
�Temprano� mucho llueve� mucho fr�o� invierno��
She hugged herself to indicate that soon the weather was going to get
cold.
�Se�ora, que nos pasa durante el invierno, cuando hace fr�o? Nos
quedamos desnudas?�
�Yo no� uh� comprendo.�
�I� naked� winter� cold. Naked� desnudas� we?�
�Desnuda� s� Maria Elena, invierno desnuda��
The Colombian took a deep breath. She would have to confirm that fact
with Cecilia the next day, but from what she understood from Cynthia�s
bad Spanish, she would have to remain nude no matter how cold it got
outside. Not a pleasant thought�
The naked prisoner and her companions took a late trolley to the
university. At the university transfer station they got off. Cynthia and
her husband had to catch another trolley to go to their own home, but
she pointed down the street that led to Victor�s house. The couple then
boarded the trolley going west, leaving their companion shivering alone
on the platform.
Maria Elena slowly walked along the quiet street. She felt numb, not
only from the chilly rain, but also from the emptiness in her soul. For
a long time she silently stood in front of Victor�s house in the dark,
punishing herself by allowing the cold mist to soak her bare skin.
