TEA LEAVES

A sharp eyed Inspector in the Immigration Office, constantly looking for suitable domestic workers for the wealthy, noticed the thin, pale bewildered looking  young woman standing in a line of new arrivals.

She looked exhausted, almost faint he noted, but that was not his problem.  Studying her from head to toe while walking slowly towards her,  

the Inspector knew she would make a fine domestic. 

Gaffney was in the business of selling suitable people into a certain bondage that he did not find the least bit reprehensible. On the contrary, he thought he was doing them a favor while lining his own pockets.  He had a

keen sense about the people he recruited and was rarely wrong. 

Eileen was tired, exhausted and looked vulnerable to be sure,  but she used the look whenever she needed help.   It always seemed to work to her advantage, and even now her eyes locked on the big man with the badge coming towards her.        

Stopping in front of her, he drew her aside and asked a few questions which she responded to quietly. 

“Afternoon, Miss,”  he said looking down at her, a benevolent smile on his fleshy face.  “Is there someone traveling with you?” he asked looking

 at the line he had just taken her from. 

“No sir,” she replied in a soft voice.

“Have you got a place to go, or a job waiting for you?”

“No, sir, I have not.”

“How old are you then?” he inquired, trying not to seem too anxious.

“I’m going on nineteen, sir,” she lied. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, wondering where this man was going with all this, but expecting he was no different from any of the men in her country.

“Well then, maybe I can help.  People are always looking for domestics here.”  He noticed her rather blank look and asked, “Do you know what domestics are?”

“Of course..... servants.”

“Well yes, cooking and cleaning and serving, yes.” He smiled broadly as if she were the smartest person and patted her arm in reassurance.     He had big beefy hands that made her want to recoil, but held her ground waiting for whatever was coming next.

“Would you like to sit down while I explain the whole process to you?” He led her to a couple of straight back chairs and waited while she adjusted her small wicker bag on the floor pulling it close to her leg so that she could feel it’s nearness.  Gaffney wanted to smile at her worldly possessions, can’t be much he imagined.

Eileen looked up at him smiling, grateful at least for being able to sit down, and waited, bile starting to rise in her throat.

“My name is Inspector Gaffney, and I have helped many immigrants like you who come to this country looking for a better life.”

“Why me sir?” she interrupted.