Slavery itself had been around as long as humans.  For about a hundred years before Lucus there had been farm slavery or penal slavery.  The jails were emptied of convicts, and slaves that were supposed to be exclusively used on the farms became an underground commerce.  Most cities had little ‘clubs’ where illicit slaves were bought and sold.  Many were not from the jails.  The whip can change minds, and some people are just submissive.

Most cities have laws against the slave trade, but in rural towns like Leesburg Florida farmers and farm interests held sway.  Everyone looked the other way if a slave was sold in a barber shop or pawn store.

After graduating form high school I enlisted in the Army of Florida and Cuba along with my school chum Harold Bradshaw.  At boot camp in Tampa Harold had a medical problem come up.  He would faint from heat exhaustion, and so the army gave him a medical discharge, and he went back to Leesburg.

We both got an enlistment bonus, checks from the Florida government for 30,000 credits.  We put the two checks together to buy an existing pawn shop in downtown Leesburg and the two acres around it.  The name of the business was Tom’s Pawn.  Tom was going to retire and 40,000 credits would buy his real and personal property, accounts and even the money in his business account, which ended up being 3,500 credits.

My plan with Harold was that we both spent our bonus on the property and then Tom would keep running our business for us and take 10% of the profit as his salary.  Then we took out an insurance policy on each others life called a Key Man policy.  It said if either of us died the other would get the business and the property free and clear, from the other.

The war was in Mexico when we joined but I fought in Brazil.  Anyway the deal was that both our basic salaries went to the business.  Mine did, but Harold was put out of the army.

Harold fixed up the garage on the property and lived at the business, and worked there with Tom after his discharge.  Tom gave Harold the part of his 10% that was larger than normal.

I got short letters in Mexico from Harold saying, “Dear Bennie, With Tom and me both working we changed the business name to 24 HOUR PAWN.  Harold.”

“Dear Bennie I met Lanna at Hilltop Bar.  Married her and her sister Betty yesterday.  They will help Tom and I in store.  Harold”

“Dear Bennie,  Tom’s sick, Lanna’s taking over daytime store duties.  Betty had twins.  Harold.”

“Dear Bennie, I have to go to Alcoholics Anonymous now, Lanna’s orders.  Tom is very sick.  Betty cares for him and our four children.”

“Dear Bennie,  I bought a life indentured man and wife who work in store with their children. Ed and Sue.  Harold.”

“Dear Bennie, I got out of 30 day rehab in Ocala, and Lanna ran the store days as usual, then Ed (our indentured man) kept the store open nights.  He woke up Lanna when people wanted loans.  Harold”

“Dear Bennie, Crystal our oldest is almost 6 now and Harold said you would be home from Brazil when she entered 1st grade. Harold was injured in a robbery.  Lanna.”

“Dear Bennie,  Sorry your enlistment was extended because of the war.  Harold was hurt worse than I told you at first.  He was shot in the head and hasn’t been able to wake up.  He’s home with a breathing machine.  We have a generator in case there’s a hurricane and lights go out.  We keep up all the insurance.  We have Tom downstairs again on a wheeled bed, so he can sign loans.  Lanna.”

“Dear Bennie,  Sorry I’ve been so long since writing.  Ed has been working 14 hours days.  I know if Harold was still able to say so, he would want to free Ed.  Ed is older than you and Harold,  he has worked very hard every day for years to make your business into the best pawn store in Leesburg.  It was Ed’s idea to put daily ads in the Daily Commercial newspaper.  That alone has doubled your bank account.  Tom’s attorney is sending you all the papers to sign to free Ed.  Lanna.”

“Dear Bennie, I know I’ve been slow to write.  I guess it was because I was so wrong about Ed.  Who would think that when you signed up for the army they would keep you fourteen years.  Tom died three weeks ago and his lawyer says you inherit everything.  Harold gets nothing because he’s an alcoholic and in a coma.  The lawyer says, by Florida law, it’s the same as him being dead.  Tom had no family, but you two boys, he sort of adopted , and Betty and I took care of him till he died.  We got nothing for that.  The lawyer won’t tell me how much you get.  It is none of my business.

Ed was caught in Ocala, drunk and disorderly in the Ho Down Bar.  Most of the money he stole from you was spent or lost.  He told the Marion County Sheriffs office that he was a slave here.  For 14 credits they transported him to the store door in chains.  Betty and I both were mistaken about Ed and she had 2 of his children, and I had one.  We were really stupid, and know it really well now Bennie, but Harold didn’t know a thing about it.  Coma’s are like that, you just breathe and thats all, except emptying the pans of piss and shit.

Sue was Ed’s wife, enslaved with him and never had any children with him.  She went to Leesburg High with Harold and you.  Her name then was Sue Ellis.  Harold said you knew her in high school and would rush home if you knew she was a slave here.  I think before Harold was treated for his addiction he would call her down at night and have his way with her.  She is a slave.  Ed’s seven children were by a woman who left them all and ran off with a circus clown.  They are all dumb, but take orders well.  Lanna”

Dear Bennie,  Crystal is seventeen and will graduate this year from high school.  My daughter by Ed, and Betty’s two children don’t get to go to school, because their father is a slave.

Harold got to coughing on a Friday night and coughed himself to death by Sunday.  It is really for the best, he didn’t know anything since that slug went thru his head. He is buried outside town in the graveyard on Apopka Road.  Green Hills Grave Yard is what they call it, but it’s totally flat. We closed the store the day he was buried.

With crime the way it is at night we are closed at 6PM, except for a slot when things can be slipped thru.  Were just women and slaves here now. Lanna”

I got back from Brazil in November and Sue Ellis was just as pretty as in high school, maybe more beautiful.  Lanna and her sister Betty were very fat.  The daughter was sort of cute in a fat way.  All Harold’s children, or whoever’s children (none looked like him) were fat as little rolly-polly’s. 

Lanna and Betty both volunteered for slavery.  I brought a whip back from Brazil, a long black thing and Lanna even called the notary rather than be chastised for messing around with Ed.

Ed and his brood were sold in the store as merchandise.  Sue had no complaint about it.  She appreciated her new position with me as chief bed slave.

There were no fat slaves in Brazil when I was there.  I ran the store and Sue helped me.  Lanna and Betty were worked thin in less than a year.  I called it the ‘Bennie scrub the place clean diet.’

The author can be reached at: rcates2@cox.net

Fax him at: 1-352-629-1573

He owns Oceans High School where students of all ages can earn their high school diploma by testing at home.  http://oceanshighschool.com

One of his stories has a list of links to other stories:  The story is called ‘Teeth’ found at: http://unsightlyteeth.wordpress.com