A Place Far Away

by Vahan Zanoyan

  She stares at her hands resting on her exposed thighs and, before raising her eyes to look at Ano, asks, “What about the money I owe? My debts?”

  “All will be settled for now. This arrangement is for one year only. After that, you will return and work for Viktor. Probably not in Dubai, but it is too early to tell.”

  “After one year of this will I still have debts? Will I still have to work like this?”

  “Probably, but not for very long,” says Ano with a hint of irritation in her voice. “Maybe another year or two. And then you’ll be free. You’ll be free before you reach twenty, Lara. Do you understand how incredibly lucky that is? You have seen girls here in their thirties still paying off debts, haven’t you?”

  But Lara does not feel very lucky, nor does she look excited at the news as both Ano and Ali might have expected.

  “How much is this man paying for me?” she asks.

  “Now, now, Lara, what has gotten into you, eh?” snaps Ano, entirely changing both the tone of her voice and her facial expression. “A few days in jail and you have turned difficult already? You know we cannot discuss those matters! All you need to know is that you’ll be very well taken care of, you will have only one client, you will live in one of his houses, and you will receive a monthly salary from him to spend as you wish. We can keep wiring the money home for you from Moscow, as before. Nothing will change on that front. But your life will be a hundred times more comfortable. And you never know; perhaps your new master may give you all types of additional gifts, right, Ali?”

  “Absolutely,” Ali says, smiling from ear to ear. “He is a great man.”

  “Who is he?” asks Lara, looking at Ano.

  “You’ll meet him soon enough,” replies Ali. “But let me tell you that he loves women. He will be very kind and generous.”

  Lara is not sure if she is detecting sarcasm in Ali’s voice, or if that is just the way he talks.

  “But you have to be nice to him too, do you understand?” Now Ali sounds more serious. “You cannot sit there like that with a long face and expect him to take care of you! It is you who has to make him happy, not the other way around! Do you understand that, Lara?”

  Lara had been at this long enough to know that she was getting a potential break. But she also knew that they were not telling her everything. She had learned a lot from Anastasia in Moscow and later from Susannah and the others in Dubai. Anastasia’s strength was that she negotiated with the clients and handled the money herself. It probably took her a while to get to that point, but she had nonetheless managed to get there. That was the only way to control the situation. But here, Lara was in the dark. She was being sold and bought like a commodity, and had no idea how much money was flowing and where. She had to find out what her contract was worth, if she hoped to gain a measure of control.

  She forces a smile and looks at Ali. “I understand that. When will the new arrangement start?”

  “Immediately. I will take you to his house this evening. So get ready. There is a lady there who will take care of you and settle you in. Her name is Sumaya; she is like your Madame Ano here, but works just for him. She’s a very nice lady; she’ll take care of your needs and questions.” Ali and his eyes are beaming through his ear-to-ear smile.

  “Like Madame Ano?” asks Lara naively. “Why? Will there be others like me in the house?” This is a whole new dimension that Lara has not suspected. She will be exclusively his, but not the only one. Is this going to be more like walking into a harem?

  “Of course there are others like you,” says Ali, and his smile disappears so suddenly that his face looks like it is collapsing into itself. “You don’t think a man like that has stayed alone and waited for you all his life, do you? But they will not be in the same house. One lady per house, Lara. So in that house, you are the lady. You belong to him, but you obey Sumaya’s instructions to the letter. In everything, you understand?”

  “In everything,” Ano says, taking over and emphasizing the point. “Not just how to behave in general but also what to wear, personal hygiene, making love, pleasing him sexually, how to speak to him when you two are alone, how to act when there are others—everything.”

  Ali’s smile has returned and the folds on his face have been reshaped to accommodate it. He stands up.

  “I’ll pick you up around ten tonight. Be ready. And take no more clients from this moment on.” He waves goodbye to Ano and leaves the room.

  “Listen, Lara,” says Ano after Ali leaves, “you know that you can’t judge Ali by his lovely smile, don’t you? These people are vicious. The one thing that they will never tolerate, even to the slightest degree, is insubordination. Their whole system is based on full compliance. You understand, don’t you?”

  Lara nods.

  “I don’t want to scare you. In fact, I don’t want you to feel any fear at all. You cannot do your job if you’re scared. They can also be very generous and very kind. But they have zero tolerance for insubordination. And zero tolerance when someone talks out of turn or meddles in things that are none of her business. Just know your place.”

  “What do you know about this place?” asks Lara, as if she has not heard the last piece of advice.

  Ano is exasperated with the questioning, but decides to humor her. After all, she is young and curious; maybe she wants to know more so she does not make a mistake.

  “What exactly do you want to know?” she asks.

  “How many others like me does he have? Will I meet any of them? Is this like a harem? The girls talk about harems here.”

  “I don’t know how many there are, and it does not matter. He wants you. Who cares if it is a harem? You’ll probably be the youngest and the most beautiful one there. Where you are now is like a harem too, except it has many masters. What does it matter?”

  “I just want to know the system, that’s all, and what is expected of me.”

  “Ali just told you what is expected of you. Please him, make him happy, no long faces, and listen to Sumaya. That is very important.”

  “But why can’t I know what he paid for me? That will tell me something and give me some idea of what he expects in return.”

  “Now, Lara, stop that! And don’t you dare go there asking questions like that. I am serious. They’ll throw you to the dogs and even I will not be able to find your pieces, you understand?”

  The ice-cold, unreadable mask returns and looks into Ano’s eyes for a few seconds. Then Lara stands up. “I need to go get ready,” she says.

  They enter into what looks like a gated private community. Huge iron gates are swung open by an Indian guard as Ali’s car approaches. He drives through and nods to the guard, who looks as if he is standing on military alert. The place looks immaculate—beautiful street lights on ornate cast iron stands, perfectly manicured shrubs and flowers, palm trees, trees with bright red bell-shaped flowers that Lara does not remember ever seeing before.

  “This whole place belongs to your master,” explains Ali. “His mansion is this first house in front of us.”

  Lara stares at the well-lit façade of a palace to their right, with a beautifully maintained green lawn in front surrounding the circular driveway leading to the gigantic front door.

  “Behind this are the houses of his ladies, one of which you’ll occupy,” continues Ali. “And behind that are the staff quarters, where all the household help and drivers live.”

  Lara notices that the entire property is fenced in with a two-meter high stone wall. There are lights everywhere, even on the wall. In several places there are water fountains in shallow, circular pools. Even though it is close to eleven o’clock at night, there are workers here and there and guards standing at irregular intervals. She notices huge cages on the side of the road holding colorful exotic birds that stir uncomfortably as the headlights of the car shine on them. Several cats cross the street and rush into the bushes. So who is this guy? She wonders if the key to her liberation could be hidden somewhere in these groun
ds. Ali is driving very slowly but is his upbeat, jovial self, pointing, explaining and highlighting features he probably thinks should matter to her. He has made several left and right turns already and Lara realizes that she has lost track of how they got to where they are. She tries to visualize their path from the main gate but cannot.

  Ali comes to a cluster of smaller homes, more like small single story chalets, and pulls up in front of one of them.

  “Here we are,” he says with excitement. “Your new home.”

  The outdoor lights are on, and there are also lights inside. Ali rings the bell. A woman in a black abaya, the long, neck-to-ankle Arab ladies’ dress, but with uncovered hair, answers the door. She has short, black hair and drawn eyebrows.

  “Hello, Madame Sumaya,” beams Ali on all cylinders, speaking Arabic, “may I present to you miss Lara?”

  “Come in,” says Sumaya in English, and shuts the door behind them.

  Ali repeats the introductions in English, tells Lara that she’s in excellent hands, repeats a few more pleasantries to Sumaya and takes his leave.

  “Follow me,” says Sumaya, leading the way. She looks Lara over from head to toe a couple of times without her noticing it and realizes that she has a new situation on her hands.

  “This is your bedroom. It is your job to keep it clean and tidy at all times. There is no telling when Sir may visit. He likes the bedroom tidy. You will find nightgowns and lingerie in the dresser and closet. You will dress appropriately and seductively every night before going to bed, even if you are alone. Being seductive will be a permanent state of mind for you, and not something you do on special occasions. Do you understand that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. You also need to understand that he can have any woman he wants. Anyone. I’m sure you know you’re very beautiful. But don’t fool yourself. He’s had many beautiful women. You need to learn how to please him. Do you understand that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. The door across the hall leads to an extra bedroom. Do not use it. It is there because they put it there when the house was built. This,” she says, opening a third door, “is a small study, with a desk and small collection of books. You can use it. There are paper and writing pens if you want to write anything. But you cannot send any letters without my prior knowledge. Is that clear?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. You cannot use any computers or send emails or visit websites. You can watch TV as much as you want. You can receive phone calls only on this house phone,” she says, pointing to a phone in the living room, “but you cannot make any calls yourself from here. If there is any need to call anyone, you tell me, and we’ll see what we can do. Clear?”

  “Clear.”

  “Good. This is the bathroom.” Lara notices a large Jacuzzi and huge shower. “It has everything you need,” continues Sumaya. “If anything is missing you let me know. Let’s go to the kitchen. It will be stocked at all times. You can cook once in a while for yourself if you want, but I do not recommend doing it often. Eat what we bring you. You will always have freshly cooked meals, which you can warm up, and fresh fruit and other foods. Do you have any dietary problems?”

  “Sorry, what?”

  “Is there anything you cannot eat?”

  “No, no problems, sorry.”

  “Good. Now come and sit down.”

  They walk back to the living room and sit down on two armchairs across from the sofa. Sumaya catches her breath, looks at Lara for a long minute, breathes deeply and begins:

  “As I said, there is no telling when Sir may visit. You are at his disposal 24/7. He can come to call any day and any time. You will let me know regularly the days of your menstrual period, so I can keep the schedule properly. I presume you are on the pill?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. So your periods are pretty regular, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. You will keep your private parts very clean and thoroughly waxed at all times. No hair whatsoever, not even the slightest growth will be allowed or tolerated. Is that clear?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. You have everything you need for that in the bathroom. If you need help waxing you tell me. Now, can you give good massages?”

  “Not sure, Madame.”

  “Okay. You’ll learn. Sir likes sensual massages. He also likes all things oral. You will make love to him more with your mouth than anything else. We’ll explain more details on that later. But be prepared to use your mouth and tongue all over his body. I mean everywhere. Do you understand?”

  “I think so, Madame.”

  “Good. As I said, someone else will explain the details to you later. Now, do you have any questions?”

  “No, Madame, I don’t think so,” says Lara, even though she has a hundred burning questions. Ano’s stern warnings about not speaking out of turn have sunk in. But Sumaya senses the hesitation in her answer and sees the confusion on her face.

  “Speak up,” she says. “It will not be often that I’ll ask you if you have any questions. This is your first night. Ask what’s on your mind.”

  “Okay, Madame. Will I interact with anyone else? I mean, will I see only Sir, and be alone here all the other times?”

  “Actually, good question,” says Sumaya. “We do not encourage a lot of interaction with others. That is why you have books and a TV. Of course, you cannot see any other men, no matter what. From now on, you cannot even be with Ali alone, even though he drove you here. But sometimes we allow female companionship, to relieve some of the loneliness and boredom. I’ll first have to get to know you a bit more and then decide who would be a good match for you. I see your English is very weak, but adequate. What other languages do you speak?”

  “Armenian and some Russian.”

  “We do not have any Armenians here, but there is one Russian speaker, and one Turkish speaker. Do you know any Turkish?”

  “Very little, Madame. Some Azeri Turkish, which they say is Turkish and they can understand it in Turkey as well. But very little.”

  “OK. Any other questions?”

  “No, Madame.”

  “Good. There is an extension number by the phone. You can reach me there if you need anything. You will keep the front door locked at all times, even though this place is the safest place on earth. You will not leave this house without my knowledge and never without an escort. Do you understand that? You will not leave this house alone for any reason.”

  “Yes, Madame.”

  “Good. Now, stop calling me Madame. I hate that. You call me Ms. Sumaya from now on.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay what?”

  “Okay, Ms. Sumaya.”

  “Good.” And Sumaya actually smiles for the first time. “Now, speaking of what to call people, Sir likes Arabic names. He does not like foreign names. So your new name is Leila, not Lara. Close to your name. You will answer to Leila, and when asked your name, you will say Leila, not Lara. Is that clear?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. As for you, you will address him as Sir or Your Excellency. Both are fine. You decide which, based on the mood. You can change the way you address him only if he asks you to call him something else. He has done that on occasion. Now one last thing before I go. Inside the house you will always wear an abaya just like mine, with seductive lingerie underneath it. But keep your hair uncovered and well groomed. You can never leave this place, even when accompanied, without the abaya, head cover and hejab. Never. Even on the grounds of this estate you have to be covered head to toe. All the necessary clothing items are in your bedroom. If you do not know how to put on the hejab, someone will show you tomorrow. Do you need someone to show you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. They will also show you how to walk in something longer than you’re used to so you do not trip all over your own clothes.” A second smile.

  “Yes, Ms. Sumaya.”

  “Good. Now I have to leave. Lock the door behind me.”


  With that, Sumaya walks over to the phone in the living room and dials four digits. A few minutes later the headlights of a car are visible through the front windows. She leaves. Lara locks the door and watches her get into a car and slowly drive away.

  Finally alone, Lara took her time surveying her new domain. She went through her bedroom and bathroom and checked every detail. She rummaged through the contents of the dressers and closets, all the toiletries, checking every item carefully. She even checked the location of the light switches and tried them all. She tried one of the abayas over her clothes and looked at herself in the mirror. She played with her hair, holding it up and letting it down. She turned on the TV, even though she had no intention of watching. She checked the thermostats in the living room and her bedroom, and tested them to make sure the gauges worked. She looked out of every window and then carefully closed the curtains again.

  It was past one o’clock in the morning. She walked to the bathroom and drew a bath. She carefully laid some underwear and a nightgown on a chair next to the tub, and gratefully walked into the hot water. That morning she was in a jail cell. Now she was here. If there ever was a time to ask ‘how did I get here?’ it was now. But the question did not even occur to her. She was where she was.

  Lying in the hot bath all alone and in total quiet had a hypnotic effect on her. She drifted, allowing her subconscious to take over. She had to figure out the layout here. What role did Sumaya play? Who were the others? And what was the master himself made of? Sumaya was obviously doing her job. But was that all? Could women manage other women in this environment just as a job, without any personal involvement, preferences or views? Did Sumaya behave exactly the same way with every woman in this modern-day harem? Lara wanted to go further, and wonder how someone like Sumaya got the job she had, but that would have taken her too far from her immediate reality, too far from the realm of what was relevant to her. She did imagine her as a former lover-turned-manager, which was not far from the truth. Sumaya had in fact been appointed to guide and educate Al Barmaka into sexual maturity by his family early on, and had stayed on as his recruiter/manager later at his own request. But as Lara’s mind drifted it could not dwell for long on Sumaya, and focused instead on the present, and only on what mattered to her. Broader questions of life usually came later, once she had built a firmer sense of the immediate realities facing her.