MISTER WHY?

Chapter 2

The day was dull and typically northern for October. The cold had started to set in and people were starting to stay more indoors. Hannah watched the rain drip down the window of the minibus, which ferried her to and from the client's houses. She had heard how bad British weather was but she hadn't expected it to be that accurate a description, nor had she expected to still be working off the debt to the gang that had bought her over. She desperately needed that passport if it only bought her a few weeks before someone found her then at least she would have a chance to find a way to stay here. "Your stop Hannah." The man at the front of the minibus called out. He handed her an electronic door key. It's apartment 266." He told her, "He gave the key over because he's out all day, but you make sure you stay away from the room with a sticky note on." Those were the only instruction she got as she stepped out into the street feet getting instantly wet in the old second-hand trainers she had been given to wear. Hannah didn't say anything she just used the key to enter the building and get in the lift and was glad to find they had the apartment numbers for that floor written on a sign next to the lift. "The fourth floor it is." She thought to herself as she entered the lift and pushed the button. A woman from the building stopped the door from closing and jumped in, in a hurry.

"You must be Alistair's new cleaner." The woman said with a smile, all Hannah could do was nod. It wasn't often anyone spoke to her but she still wasn't quite sure what to say. "You just arrived from Poland?" She asked.

"Yes," Hannah replied. "A couple of months ago."

"Well, I hope everything works out for you over here." she politely said, "By the way my name is Jennifer and I'm on the front desk over there and my job is to phone for maintenance and stuff. So If you need anything at all just come down and ask." She said.

"Yes, I will." Hannah smiled realizing Jenifer was friendly.

The lift stopped at the fourth floor, and Jenifer held the door for a moment. "If anything happens at Alistair's and you can't handle it let me know," she warned Hannah with a now serious look on her face, and then Jenifer pointed her in the right direction.

Hannah stood outside the door staring at the metallic numbers two, six, six. Hannah wasn't sure whether or not she should knock or just go straight in, and the warning that Jenifer had said in the lift almost made her want to run. She gave a quiet knock and didn't hear a reply so she went in using the card she had been given. It was certainly posh and seemed to be well kept except for a few things out of place the apartment seemed well maintained. She found a list attached to the fridge by a magnet, it was filled with the usual shit to do but at the bottom, there was a request not to go into his studio at the back. "Fine." she thought to herself, "I have no idea how to read this but I will clean everywhere I can."

She started at the back of the apartment in his bedroom. The door to his studio had a sticky note on it making sure she knew to stay clear. Along the side of the walls were young women posing in black and white photos. One that she paid particular attention to had a back turned to the camera, her hair wet and facing a bathroom mirror where she had written Why in the steam on the glass. she thought it odd and she was curious as to what the why could mean.

It was lunchtime when she finished and then knew she had to wait a couple of hours for pick up. Perhaps there was some way she could get away now, but if she didn't have the passport immigration would throw her into jail or worse, but tonight she would have to walk again. She hated every minute of it, them standing in the cold and the nasty men that didn't care about her putting their hands on her. She had to find a way to get that passport or get another passport so she could get away from that house and everyone in it. The thought of the other girls being left there had crossed her mind but what could she do to help them. There was a knock at the door interrupting her thoughts and she tentatively opened the door. "Are you Hannah?" She nodded not sure what to expect. "I was told to make sure you got lunch." He handed her a delivery bag with Subway and a drink of what she guessed was a sprite. Not having anything decent to eat for a while she took the bag and thanked him. She started to eat the sandwich and drink the fizzy pop. She wished she could leave Mister Alistair a letter saying thank you but she hadn't learned to write in English yet. She finished her lunch and looked at the clock on the wall and saw it was nearly her pick-up time. She went down to the reception area and waited for her lift. She saw Jenifer at a small desk answering a phone and tapping on a computer as she did.