Subcutaneous Magazine Revenge 2017 | Page 11

The Lady of the Latrine by Max D . Stanton

Qi was bringing a basket of laundry back from the river when Lady Li ’ s eunuchs came for her . She had dreaded this day for months , yet when it came it still took her as a surprise . “ Stop !” she screamed . “ I have your master ’ s son in my belly !” But of course , that was why Lady Li had sent them to kill her .
The eunuchs dragged her shrieking across the estate to the latrine trench where the servants shat and the pigs dined . So many people saw and heard , but nobody interfered . So many of her fellow chambermaids , women she ’ d thought were her friends , saw her being dragged to her death . Not one of them even said a word in protest . She both despised their cowardice and understood it .
She was damning Lady Li as a frigid bitch and the eunuchs as worthless half-men when the knife came down . In a strange way , it was a mercy that they cut out her eyes first . That way , she didn ’ t have to watch as they mutilated her face and hacked off her hands and feet . She didn ’ t have to witness her humiliation as they hurled her into the shit-heap to die . She didn ’ t have to see the pigs gnawing at her open wounds . But as she was sucked down into the vast darkness underneath life , she did have to hear that awful woman ’ s piercing voice one last time .
“ Look , husband !” the master ’ s wife crowed . “ The Lady of the Latrine !”
“ I still don ’ t understand why you want to go all the way to San Francisco ,” Jie ’ s granny muttered disapprovingly as they waited together for the bus that would take Jie to the airport , shivering slightly in the early winter chill . Muttered disapproval was Granny ’ s favorite mode of communication , with the preparation of elaborate meals running a close second . “ There are plenty of dirty homes in China to clean .”
“ The homes in San Francisco are even dirtier ,” Jie said brightly . “ They ’ ve got money lying all around , and they need someone to pick it up for them .”
“ It doesn ’ t make sense . There aren ’ t any girls in San Francisco who can clean ?”
“ The agency told met the Chows want a Chinese girl who ’ ll do things the Chinese way , not a black girl who ’ ll do things the American way . They ’ re an old-fashioned , traditional family . I thought you ’ d appreciate that .”
Granny snorted . “ Agencies . Some agency sent my brother to work in the Philippines years ago , before you were born . We only heard from him once more after that . He wrote to us asking for money and then --- pfft . Vanished like a ghost .”
“ I won ’ t vanish , I promise . I ’ ve got my phone and plenty of calling cards . I ’ ll call as often as I can . And even better , I ’ ll send cash ! You ’ ll be able to move into a nicer place , and you won ’ t have to scrimp and save to afford your blood pressure pills anymore .”
“ I can get you a job at the factory ,” Granny said . “ And there you can talk to me all day .” Granny worked a sewing machine at a sweatshop that churned out both expensive designer handbags and reasonably-priced-but-otherwiseidentical counterfeits for the black market .
Jie wrinkled her nose . “ I told you , I don ’ t like it there ,” she said . “ It ’ s too hot and noisy and dirty .”
“ If you ’ re looking for a job that ’ s clean and quiet , being a chambermaid ’ s not it ,” Granny said . “ That reminds me , I have something for you before you go .” The old woman handed Jie a parcel wrapped in paper . Inside was a pad-faced doll in a violet dress , made from leftover handbag scraps . “ This is the Lady of the Latrine ,” Granny said solemnly .
“ The Lady of the Latrine ?”