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“I never knew my father. My mother died of cancer when I was sixteen. Eric was eighteen at the time so I was allowed to stay with him rather than go into foster care for two years. As it turns out I was the one that took care of him. Anyway, after Mom died, he went crazy. He got mixed up with a gang and came home drunk every night. He started gambling a lot and eventually got into drugs. Meanwhile, I was doing everything I could to finish high school. I was up for a scholarship to the dance conservatory and worked with all my energy towards that goal. I won that scholarship – it was the happiest day of my life. It was a dream come true.” Ellena got a far away look in her eyes when she spoke about the conservatory. She shook her head and continued.
“Eric met a hooker named Geena. I don’t think they had much of a relationship. They just got high together. Eventually Geena got pregnant. Eric left town a month before Lacey was born. Geena tried to stay clean after Lacey was born but she was weak. She died of an overdose the day Lacey turned two months old. Eric came back when he heard Geena was dead. Between the two of us, we took care of the baby. I was forced to drop out of the dance conservatory to look for a job. Eric said he would help me find one, lord knew he wasn’t bringing in any money. He convinced Ken to give me a waitressing job even though I was underage. A week later, Eric had disappeared again, leaving me at seventeen alone with Lacey.” Ellena shifted uncomfortably and pushed Kevin’s hands away from her. She cast her eyes downward, too ashamed to look at him.
“After working at the club for four weeks, I still hadn’t received a pay check. I went to Ken to ask what was going on. He laughed at me. Besides being a greasy club operator, Ken is also a loan shark. Before Eric disappeared, he borrowed thirty thousand dollars from Ken. Eric told Ken that I would work for him to pay off the debt.”
Kevin clenched his fists. “How did –“
Ellena held her hand up to silence him. “Wait, let me finish.” She hugged her knees to her chest and went on.
“I graduated high school and picked up two more jobs so I would actually get a paycheck. Ken found out that I was a dancer. He told me that if I would strip instead of waitress, he would double my salary, thus cutting in half the hours I would have to work to pay off Eric’s debt. I tried it for one night. It was so humiliating that I told him I wouldn’t do it again. It made him so mad that he doubled my shifts.” Ellena ran her hands through her hair and let out a laboured sigh.
“So here I am, three years later. Twenty years old and raising a beautiful little girl that’s not mine, working off a debt that’s not mine, living a life that’s not mine.”
“You are only twenty years old?” Kevin was shocked to find out she was so young.
“Yes, only twenty years old but I have seen enough grief to last two lifetimes.”
“What about Eric?” Kevin questioned.
“What about him? He never tells me where he is. He calls about every four or five months. He talks to Lacey and promises to take her places and spend time with her. When he leaves town without even saying good bye, I’m the one that has to dry her tears.”
“What did he threaten you with tonight?”
“I need refill…you?” Ellena stood abruptly and took the two glasses to the kitchen. Kevin followed her. She took ice cubes out of the fridge and dumped them into the glasses. “Oh damn, there is no vodka left…”
“Ellena, tell me. What did Eric threaten you with tonight?” Kevin said gruffly, a little irate that she was trying to change the subject.
She twisted the top off the pop bottle. Kevin came up behind her and took the bottle from her hands and set it on the counter. He held her hands still and repeated his question. “What did he threaten Ellena? Tell me.”
Ellena hung her head and let her hair fall around her face. “Ken is going to force me to take more shifts. I told Eric that I can’t do it. If I take them, I have less time with Lacey.”
“And if you don’t take the extra shifts?” Kevin pressed.
Ellena turned to face Kevin. She lifted her hollow grey eyes to meet his. “Eric will take Lacey away from me.” She whispered. Her shoulders sagged in defeat. “If I don’t work more at the club, Eric’s going to take my baby away from me.”