A Middle Class Slave Revisited By Steam Train (steam_t2000@yahoo.com)
Chapter 11: An emotional reunion.
It was sometime later in the year as Josh studied on the Internet researching for Political Studies, Mr Morris's specialty that Josh beckoned me over to his screen.
He asked me a question about the titles of Judges, in particular about the title `Associate Justice'. I was explaining the term Associate and how the normal Justices of most of the State Supreme Courts and the Federal Supreme Court were technically called Associate Justices as opposed to the Chief Justice, when I noticed a news link to a recent judicial appointment in New York State.
I clicked on the link in the hope of highlighting the point to Josh, but when the page opened, I froze.
I instantly recognised the picture attached to the story. Older looking but no doubt who it was.
I was leaning over Josh's shoulder and he soon noticed my silence and the lack of any activity from me. My face was draining white as I read the article before me.
"Steve what's wrong" Josh asked.
At first I ignored him and just kept reading but when he shook me I mumbled out, "That's my brother Bill"
"Really Steve? Your brothers a Judge on the New York Supreme Court?"
Gaining back my senses I replied, "It would appear so Josh. Of course I lost all contact with my family when I was enslaved. That was twelve years ago Josh, lots of water has run under the bridge since then I guess".
"My brother Bill was an up and coming corporate lawyer in Manhattan when I was enslaved. He referred Dad to the lawyer who defended me in my court case. That Lawyer was supposed to be very good, I remember him saying he had success in over 90% of the cases like mine. But I was obviously one of the unlucky 10% because my trial only took about ten minutes in total".
"After that I was enslaved and never saw my family ever again. Neither of my brothers was in court that day I was sentenced. I think they thought I would be acquitted. I remember how shocked my parents were with the decision," I told Josh.
We both read the article in full. It told how William F Wright had been appointed as one of the youngest Judges in the history of the New York Supreme Court. It went on to give a review of his background in corporate law and then more recently as Deputy Attorney General for the State of New York.
What the story also told was that Justice Wright was the younger brother of Senator Michael F Wright, Democrat New York and the second son of Mrs Jaclyn Wright and Frank L Wright the business entrepreneur who had emerged from the relative obscurity of the ranks of senior management after the corporate scandals surrounding Amspeed' six years ago to take the reigns of control and steer Amspeed' back into corporate profitability.
"No mention of the third son" Josh joked.
It was a comment that hurt.
Josh wasn't to know how after all these years I still pined for my family. Josh and I were now intimate lovers but even in those most loving of embraces I never talked about my family.
I was never that close to my parents or my brothers but after I was enslaved I realise very quickly what I had taken for granted and had now lost forever.
I guess I showed my true feelings because before I could say anything Josh said, "Steve, Steve I'm so sorry, that was so insensitive of me, you know I wouldn't do anything to hurt you Steve".
"Hey come on buddy, be glad that all your family are all well and so successful" Josh said trying valiantly to cheer me up and take his foot out of his mouth.
"I know Josh, I know you didn't know how I would react to seeing my brother in an article like this, it's alright I'll get over it. It was just a real shock that's all" I said.
But I didn't really get over it. My mind now went constantly back to my family and the news I had learnt about them. When no one was watching I went and searched on the Internet for information on my father and my two brothers.
I knew I would get caught out about these searches and sure enough Mr Morris quizzed me about them.
"Steve get this out of your head real quick" he said to me, "I should report this to Master but it's the first time and the last, ok! Do I need to cane you Steve or will this verbal rebuke suffice Steve? You better cane me Sir just in case Master finds out that way your covered. I don't want you covering for my misbehaviour" I replied.
"Steve, Steve your too good a slave to sulk over what you can't control. It's a bonus that you know about your family look at it that way. Drop those shorts and lets get this over with then," Mr Morris said.
It was my first punishment in a long while. I could have gotten out of it but my slave feeling told me I should not put Mr Morris in a difficult position. He gave me two strokes of the cane. They were hard enough that Josh noticed the marks in bed that night. It was embarrassing having to explain my misbehaviour to one of my own students.
The next week Master noticed my still slightly sullen demeanour when he came down for his fortnightly visit. I told him why and how I had been punished for breaking the rules and researching on the Internet about my family, who were now prominent citizens of New York State not just ambiguous middle class citizens
Master was interested in the news about my family and sent Josh off to find and print out the relevant article for him to read.
It was during this visit that Master informed the whole household that with his company continuing to expand he had to restructure his visits to the plant. He needed to spend more time in Napa Valley as his wine growing ventures were on the boom. He had also purchased a large food processing plant in Idaho.
All this meant that his visits to our location would be curtailed. He would now fly in every second Monday and depart on the Wednesday morning not the Friday.
He made sure he wouldn't miss his game of golf.
That night in bed after sex we talked about my family and then surprisingly his family. It was a topic that had rarely come up. I knew Master was married but his wife never came down south to our plant. Apart from the Golf Course there was nothing of much interest in the local community that would warrant her visiting he had once said. He had also said at the time with a wink of the eye that it would spoil his fun if she were around too often.
This time though he talked about his two sons and his daughter. His oldest son Dean was a bit of a disappointment. He loved him but he was not mentally all that bright and had got himself into minor troubles through his teenage years. He worked for his father in the New York Office but he was only really capable of manual type jobs. Master joked that his son was the best-paid labourer in the company.
His second son Alex was quite academic, had gone on to college and was now nearing the end of his accountancy degrees. He would be joining the company and be groomed to take over from dad some time in the future.
The daughter Nicole was still at college not quite as academic as Alex, she never the less he felt had what it took to be a successful businesswoman if she wished. Master said she was free to join the company too if she wished.
"Steve I can see why you're despondent, but I think your wrong. Your family has prospered greatly since you left them. You see your life as a wasted opportunity, wrecked by your one indiscretion".
"Regardless of wether the girl encouraged you or you forced yourself on her as she claims, what you did was illegal, you know that. You were enslaved, as was the lawful outcome. You cant change that, no one can" Master said.
"Don't put your self down Steve. You have made the `William C Booth Indentured Slave Training Facility' an outstanding success. For a slave you have achieved much".
"You saw how both Aaron and Brett felt about you when they left. You know they have returned to see you when they are home from College. Both of them treat you still as an equal not as slave and master They are both doing well at College and that says a lot about your achievements." Master concluded.
"I am so lucky to have you as my Master, I will miss you, two nights in a fortnight is not much," I said.
"Oh come on Steve, miss me? I think not, you have Josh; I know when I am well beaten. He is your true love" Master said.
"Yes he is Master but soon I will loose all of Josh and I am loosing part of our time together too," I said, despair obvious in my voice.
"Well as I always say to you Steve you're a slave and slaves should not worry, that's my burden as your Master ok ... enough talk; let's get back to enjoying our time together.
Three visits later I was dispatched as usual by Mr Morris to pick Master up from the airport. This time as occasionally had happened before; Master was bringing down with him a party of business associates to play golf with him. So I was instructed to drive the mini bus to the airport instead of the car. Josh was sent with me to assist with the baggage etc.
It was nice driving along to the airport just with Josh. We talked about his college aspirations, where and what he wanted to study. I was surprised that he wanted to go locally to college as Master's scholarship would surly allow him to go to a bigger more prestigious college. I admit that the thought of him living locally also meant that he might decide to visit occasionally.
For study help of course! What else were you thinking I meant?
We waited about half an hour before the plane appeared and landed. After it taxied to a stop I walked out and stood at the bottom of the walkway taking up the slaves position.
Master came out first followed by Miss Hailey and Mr Anderson. A well-dressed lady and a grey haired gentleman followed them. Two well-dressed middle-aged men stood at the top of the stairs looking down at the older couple as they descend the few steps to the tarmac.
It was Josh who gasped first as he recognised one of the middle aged men standing at the top of the stairs. I glanced at Josh then realised the older man was standing right in front of me smiling profusely.
"Son" was all he said.
"Dad?" I replied.
He grabbed me and hugged me so tight and for so long I was short of breath.
"Oh Steve my son, my son, I've dreamed of this moment, but I never thought it would happen"
"Dad ... Mum!! Oh dad!!!! oh mum!!!" tears of joy ran down my face. I noticed out of the corner of my vision that both Master and Josh also had tears flowing down their faces.
When dad had let go of me mum rushed over and kissed me on the cheek then gently hugged me for a long time, tears flowing down her cheeks.
Finally the two middle-aged men came down the steps with broad smiles on their faces and they also hugged me.
"Little brother, we missed you so much" my eldest brother Michael said as he hugged me. William just held me tight and said nothing but I heard him suppress a sob as he fought to hold his emotions in check.
I was not capable of driving, luckily I had trained Josh in all aspects of driving and he willingly drove us back to the residence.
Mr Morris obviously knew who the guests were. He greeted them by name and showed them into the formal living room.
That slave feeling then kicked in and I took up position next to Mr Morris awaiting instructions. I felt embarrassed doing this in front of my family but I knew my place. They were free I was a slave.
Technically I had no family and also I thought to myself maybe technically they should not be meeting with me as I was not certain if such a meeting was against the law.
I could still remember the sentencing Judges comments all those years ago at my trial.
"The friends and relations of the slave formerly known as Steve Wright are formally cautioned that it is a federal offence to attempt to buy the slave for themselves. Any attempt to prevent the sale of the slave to a person not previously acquainted with the former Steve Wright will result in severe penalties ..."
The judge didn't exactly say we couldn't meet, just that they couldn't own me I thought to myself.
I soon realised that one thing that was for sure was that with a brother who was a State Supreme Court Judge there must be no major legal problems in our meeting.
"Nigel and Steve please serve us morning tea then you both shall join us as I am sure there are lots of questions that Steve's family want to ask and probably you have a few too to ask Steve" Master instructed.
It was a most wonderful Monday. Master allowed me to talk all day with my family though he and Mr Morris excused themselves after a while leaving us alone except at lunch and afternoon teatime.
I caught up on all the family gossip. I was an Uncle. Mike had two children a boy aged eleven named after me, Steven Frank Wright and a daughter Alana.
Bill had three kids two daughters aged ten and eight named Lucy and Sarah and a seven year old son named, yes you guessed it Steven Frank William Wright.
I was touched how both my brothers who I never was really close too had remembered me by naming their sons after me. Bill joked that if they hadn't, dad would have expelled them from the family.
I found out that through all thirteen years of my enslavement dad had tried to trace my whereabouts but to no success. The system was deliberately set up so no records were kept. If Master had not contacted my brother William and then through him my father they never would have tracked me down.
I was reluctant to tell them too much about my life as a slave. It was not exciting like theirs. I did talk a lot about the `William C Booth Indentured Slave Training Facility' but brushed over other aspects of my life.
Both my brothers and my father soon picked up I was not telling all. They kept asking questions and I felt more and more uncomfortable in answering, especially with my mother sitting there listening.
Eventually mum piped up and said, "Son nothing in your treatment as a slave will shock me, you know your father and I have long been active in our opposition to slavery, we know exactly how slaves are treated. I only have to look at you and all those hideous tattoos that I can see on your arms and legs and that probably cover lots of other parts of your body that I can't see and I have a good idea that you have been through hell. Now tell us everything son, hold nothing back".
"Yes mum" I said feeling like a child again"
So I told them everything even about my whipping by the county whip master on the orders of Master. They were quite incredulous that Master could be so callous when he had been so nice and caring in making contact with them about my existence.
I ended up explaining Master's philosophy on slavery. I had heard it many times. I told how he did not approve of it but how he relied upon it to survive in business, how as long as it was the law he would use it and ensure that his slaves were capable of surviving in a harsh world. I explained how having ensured that all his slaves had that `slave feeling' he then treated then with respect and dignity most of the time.
They of course asked me what I meant by `most of the time' so I told them about a slave's life, how it was either work or sex. How Masters used slaves for sexual relief, I told them that Mr Booth was no different to other owners in this regard, even though he was much kinder to his slaves.
I told them how male slaves were separated almost totally from female slaves and that at night locked in the slave quarters you could only have sexual relief with other male slaves or alone by yourself.
I paused here and looked at dad, at mum and my two brothers.
I expected to see them all blushing profusely at my comments, but my parents showed no signs of an emotional reaction one way or the other at this hint about my sexuality and my two brothers had broad smiles on their faces but didn't seem shocked.
I continued deciding to get everything out in the open, "You met Josh on the drive here. He and I have been sexual partners for quite a few years and yes before you say anything he is still only seventeen. I never made a move ever to force my affections on him. If you ask him he will freely admit that he bought on every phase of our relationship".
"Welcome to the club brother" My brother Mike said with a huge smile. "It took you long enough".
My jaw must have dropped because all my family broke out laughing.
Dad finally said, "You honestly didn't know your brothers were bi sexual Steve?"
"No dad, I never, gee guys why didn't you include me in this".
They laughed again then Mike said, "You were too young and well we thought we might be corrupting you. Mum and dad would not have been impressed if we had involved you when you were an impressionable young teenager and well when you were older we had moved out to college and work and it never became an issue. In hindsight I wish we had, it might have saved you from a lifetime enslaved".
That sombre thought kept us quite thinking for a while before mum to my surprise commented, "Well what's done is done, and we can't change the past. I am just thankful that I am now able to meet up with you and have the opportunity to say I am sorry too".
"Sorry mum? What do you have to be sorry about?" I asked.
"I didn't learn the lesson I should have from your older brothers. They came `out' when they were eighteen and told your dad and I they were bisexual. They even told us that having safe sex with another guy, even if it's your brother, meant that their sexual longings were satisfied and that they were much less likely to get into trouble with a girl. They were not as sexually frustrated anymore".
"They told dad and I this and I put my head in the sand and didn't want to hear or know about it" Mum said.
"Since you were enslaved Steve, I have blamed myself for that sexual longing that got you enslaved. The way the laws are written these days, guys and girls should be encouraged to enjoy the bodies of people of their own sex up until the time they marry, then there would be much less chance of young men in particular getting girls pregnant and having their lives ruined for life, like yours was.
"Mum, dad no you can't blame yourself, I have to live with my actions, I pay for it every day. That is enough suffering and burden, don't add to it please".
"That's what family are for son, yes you suffer every day for your actions but now you know that your father, your brothers and I all in our own ways take some responsibility for what you have ended up. You are not alone no matter how lonely and deserted you may feel. I am sure Mr booth will let us see you again, but even if that was not to be the case, know Steve that in our own ways we all love you and will till our dieing breaths" mum concluded.
Mum got out of her seat and came over and hugged me again.
I couldn't help feeling how much mum had changed from the mum I knew before my enslavement. This was not the same mother who had looked on me with shame, when all those years ago I was lead naked out of the courtroom and into slavery. This was a mum now confident in her own strengths and very aware of her failings. A woman who would now speak out if she felt there was a wrong to be righted. The middle class housewife had gone completely.
"Hindsight is a wonderful thing" I said "but hey guys I don't blame any of you one iota for my slavery, only myself. I need you to know this" I said.
Then to change the topic of conversation I suggested I escort then upstairs to their rooms so they could freshen up for dinner.
End Chapter 11 (Part 20 Continuance of Original)