All that glitters is not gold

  Anna smiled as her date drove through her gate. She watched as he climbed out of his sleek black BMW. She sighed in pleasure. He was everything a girl could want. He came from a rich family, he himself was a lawyer, he was very well dressed, always in the latest fashion, and was that the flash of a Rolex watch she saw on his arm?  She smoothed down the short, red sequined dress she had bought especially for the occasion; it was a designer piece. It had cost her a small fortune, but she had been out with him once before and realized that he wasn’t too impressed with what she had worn. It was important to her that she pleased this man. She planned to keep him for a while.
    “Hi David,” she breathed seductively as she hurried toward the car, anxious to leave. Hoping they made it though the gate before her mother came outside. On her first date with David, her mother had insisted on meeting him, but David had practically sneered at her when they were introduced and didn’t take her proffered hand. Anna had made excuses for him, telling her mother that it was because her hands smelled of the onions she had been chopping earlier to season that afternoon’s dinner. Her mother, however was not the gullible type, she had not been impressed with David. “That boy don’t have no good values” she had said. Anna had turned away from her and rolled her eyes. Her mother didn’t understand how things were. It was money that mattered now a days. “Where are we going tonight?” she asked as the BMW glided smoothly through the gates and roared up the street, “Dinner and a club, and afterwards I have a little something special planned.” She smiled, she already knew what he had in mind. It was a good thing she remembered to pick up a few condoms at the pharmacy the day before.
    The restaurant was beautiful, and expensive, she noticed, happy now that she had invested in her new dress. No one would guess that she was the daughter of a butcher and a helper in these clothes. Several people came up to greet David. She stood off to the side, knowing from previous experience that he would not introduce her. One couple, an older man and woman eyed her sympathetically. She felt a flash of shame that she quickly suppressed, she was doing what she had to do to get by in this life, who were they to judge her?
    Dinner went by in a blur. The club that David chose to go to was crowded and he decided he didn’t want to stay. He made her wait in the car while he made, “a few calls to friends” he had said with a smile, after which they made their way back to his place.
    David’s apartment was large, spacious and furnished for comfort. He sat her down before the television and went into the kitchen. He brought back a large glass of red wine which he then pressed into her hands. Anna took it, not telling him that she didn’t drink, and made a pretense of sipping it. When David went to the bathroom, she disposed of it wine in a nearby flower pot. She settled back into the plush leather seats and relaxed, allowing herself to drift of to sleep. David would wake her when he was ready.
    Anna had a sensation of floating, and realized she was being lifted up. It was so nice to be taken care of like this. She opened her eyes to say so and realized that the man carrying wasn’t David at all. She looked around, suddenly realizing that there were three other men in the room including David. They were in various states of undress and there was video taping equipment everywhere. She began to struggle. The man carrying her looked down sharply and cursed out “you fool! didn’t you drug her?”.  Anna let out a blood curdling scream. The man carrying her dropped her to the floor and then reached down to drag her forcefully up to him. He lifted his hand as if to strike her, but at the same time someone banged on the front door. Several voices were heard shouting, asking what was going on in there, demanding that the door be opened up. The men in the room panicked, pulling on their clothes hurriedly and heading for the door. They tried to get though the growing crowd gathered there. The crowd realizing that something was not right held them back. Someone yelled “call the police!” All the while Anna still screamed.
    Anna sat huddled by the door, wrapped in a blanket someone had wrapped around her. She vaguely heard people commenting that she was lucky, and what a good thing it was that she never drank the wine. She felt gentle hands on her shoulder and started. She looked up, it was her mother. Fresh tears started to flow down Anna’s face. She clung to her mother and wouldn’t let go. The rest past in a blur, she was taken home.
    Anna looked on as the preacher gave a rousing sermon. His theme today was, all that glitters is not gold. “In these times”, he said “people value money, more than they do human beings. We are easily seduced by flashy cars, nice clothes and ostentation. We can be bought.” He called on people to get up and give testimony as to their own experiences in this matter. Her mother who was sitting beside her looked at her with a penetrating gaze. Anna gave her a slight nod and a smile. Got up, slowly made her way to the podium, and spoke.