Trade Agreement

I didn't really hate my husband, but I didn't love him either. I don't know why I ever agreed to accompany him on this trip. I usually insist that he goes without me so that I can spend time with William. William is everything my husband George isn't. William is smart, good looking, well educated and hung like a horse. George has none of those attributes, but he does know how to make money. Lord knows that is the only reason I stay with him.

We have a beautiful house in the Hamptons and a condo in the city, that's where I usually meet William. George has never denied me anything and he has always showered me with goodies and gifts. I guess most girls would be happy to have a man like George. I took him for granted and to be honest, enjoyed knowing that I was using him. Sometimes, in the evenings, I would find myself quietly snickering to myself as I recalled my afternoon with my lover. George would be sitting close by with his nose in a book, oblivious to the world. He was a joke, my joke.

George was a cotton merchant. I am not sure what that all entailed, but to sum it up, he bought and sold cotton. Apparently, he was very good at it because he was extremely wealthy. As I said, I usually avoid going with him on his trips, but this one was different: he promised me a full week in Monte Carlo. The only catch was that I had to go with him for two days in Uzbekistan. I had no idea where Uzbekistan was and I still don't.

Our hotel was old and very ornate. It seemed like the whole place was covered with mosaic tiles. Some of them were pretty but most of them were a little gaudy for my taste. We had a breakfast of fresh fruit, mostly melon, the first day. George had appointments scheduled for the entire morning and promised to make it up to me that evening. I told him I would find a way to entertain my self and not to worry.

The side streets by the hotel were full of shops. I was sure I would have no trouble keeping myself occupied. There were a lot of embroidered tapestries, bags, jackets, and woven rugs. What really caught my eye were the beautiful silk items. The large fur hats were fun to look at, but I would never buy one, not even for William.

After a half-hour or so, I found a silk scarf that I just had to have. Price negotiations were out of the questions since they spoke no English and I was willing to pay the full price anyway. I opened my purse and found nothing. There was no wallet. There was no passport. There was no money. Of course, there was no cell phone. When I noticed the shopkeeper making a phone call, I decided that I had better go back to the room. I quickly left the shop and started making my way back to the hotel. A few minutes later, I realized that I was helplessly lost. That is when I saw them.

Two gentlemen in cheap, ill-fitting, suits, approached me before I was able to get away from them. In broken English, they ask to see my papers. I assumed that they wanted my passport. All I could do was repeat the hotel name several times until they finally understood. Not understanding the language, made things difficult, however, I was able to determine that the desk attendant claimed that I was not a guest there. I kept saying the room number over and over. The two men in suits finally took me to the room.

It was empty. There was no indication that anyone was or had been staying there. After that, we went to the local police station.

I found out that there was no United States Embassy in Nukus. In fact, I don't think there was any in the whole country. George was nowhere to be found.

A few hours later a large black Mercedes Benz limousine parked in front of the police station. A well-dressed lady took my hand and escorted me to the car. I had no intention of being complacent, but I didn't know what else to do. As we drove off, I got a strange feeling that I would not be seeing George or William again.