Between slaves, there are very few places we can talk, but there’s a certain set of subtle head tilts and glances which we use to communicate. A flick of a finger or the brush of an arm can mean a lot when you can not communicate through speech.
I would love to go into specifics, but it’s best if I don’t say much in case these notes are found. It’s enough to know we can communicate, to a degree, with each other while among the guests. We look out for each other the best we can. More so around the pools. Maybe each area looks out for each other, and there is a coolness between groups. There is certainly a distrust of new comers, as if a new slave is a spy or competition.
Part of the reason we can get away with our signaling is that we are seen to be little more than furniture or pets. It is pretty clear that before they came here, the guests already saw other people as lessor beings. Their wealth, the seemingly eternal party, and life free from worry makes them somehow superior to the rest of us, in their minds. Sometimes it is like they are surprised we are capable of speech or independent thought.
In many ways this assumption of our ignorance benefits us. Since we are slaves and there is nowhere to escape to, the best we can do is to be judged incapable of critical thought. It allows us to communicate and get away with certain things. We play the part. We apologize profusely every time we make the slightest mistake. We take the blame for things we did not do. We act dumb because it makes our lives easier.
Not everyone can handle interacting with the guests. It is brutal work, which takes a lot of courage and stamina. All day long, we are groped, ogled, and yelled at. Sometimes, all at the same time. We are admonished for the slightest mistake. We are belittled and bullied, pushed and pulled, and our clothes are torn off from time to time.
Some of the women only work in the kitchens and cleaning. Typically, when a slave causes problems or does not do her job well, she is demoted to cleaning and from there must work her way up again into another position when it becomes available. Some women prefer these jobs, because they interact less with the guests. They are more routine, more predictable.
~~The kitchen might sound nice but it’s under constant surveillance. It’s said that any language we speak is translated. There’s a coded language for the kitchen slaves as well but the women are scared it might be seen and deciphered retrospectively. So it’s used sparingly and not taught to anyone outside of kitchen staff. ~~
The women in the kitchen seem to be the most scared. They are quiet, work hard, and keep out of the way. They don’t want to cause problems and don’t want others to cause problems. They take few risks. As a result, they don’t move around to other positions. Good kitchen staff stay in the kitchen. For some, the kitchen is a desired position. It has the least contact with guests. As long as a slave can cook, and does not mess up orders or attract the attention of one of the guests, she can remain working in the kitchen.
