Title : “ I Still Love You ” Artist : Daniel Holmes III
on fire . You are not to call anyone . You are not to take any food from the refrigerator . In fact , you may not touch any of our things with those paws of yours unless we ’ ve told you to . You are not to watch TV . You are never to touch the computer . And when my husband and I aren ’ t at home , you ’ re to stay in your room at all times . Do you understand , you silly little bitch ?”
“ Y-yes , ma ’ am ,” Jie stammered , unable to meet her mistress ’ s harsh gaze . “ Can - can you please show me my room ?”
Mrs . Chow grabbed Jie painfully by the arm and dragged her across the condominium to a closet-sized bathroom . A few towels had been thrown down on the floor by way of bedding , but otherwise there had been no efforts to convert it into a living space . “ This is where you ’ ll be sleeping ,” Mrs . Chow said . “ I hope you like it - it certainly must be better than what you ’ re used to back in whatever pig sty they dragged you from .”
Tears welled up in Jie ’ s eyes . “ Ma ’ am , with all respect , there must be some mistake ,” she said . “ The agency told me that ...”
Mrs . Chow seized Jie by the throat , her lacquered nails digging into flesh like talons . “ Don ’ t ever tell me I ’ ve made a mistake , you fucking bumpkin ,” she hissed . She took the cigarette from her lips and placed its burning cherry just centimeters from Jie ’ s eye , freezing Jie with terror . “ My husband and I paid for you to come to this country , we ’ re paying for your room and board , and when you pay for something you own it . We ’ re going to get our money out of you , mark my words .” She shoved Jie backwards , and the girl fell painfully onto the cold tile floor . Jie looked to Mr . Chow through a mist of tears , but he was observing his wife ’ s tirade with a contented smile . He seemed to be enjoying the show .
“ We ’ ll be nice and let you rest up for the night ,” Mrs . Chow said , as she shut Jie
inside the tiny bathroom and locked it from the other side . “ But first thing tomorrow , you ’ ve got to be ready to work . Welcome to America .”
Mrs . Chow kept her promise to get her money ’ s worth out of Jie . She woke the girl early , worked her well past the point of exhaustion , and fed her nothing but table scraps . When Mrs . Chow was in an ugly mood , which she generally was , she would beat Jie with a belt until Jie ’ s sides were a rainbow of bruises . She burned Jie with her cigarettes so often that Jie ’ s forearms came to look as speckled as those of a leopard . When they locked in her in the tiny bathroom , where they sometimes left her alone for days on end , the walls seemed to close in and Jie could not breathe . But when they let her out to clean , her master and mistress loomed like dreadful ogres , and Jie yearned to escape to the safety of her tiny cell again . At least she had her Granny ’ s doll in there . That little goddess made of scraps was the only friend and protector she had .
Title : “ I Still Love You ” Artist : Daniel Holmes III