tom

For as long as I can remember, I've seen my cousins, sisters, and aunts leave, wearing a thin, delicate white dress, never to return. I always wondered where they were taking them, but I always got the same answer: "To a better life, honey."

That simple answer made me not want to go. All the girls who left home wearing that dress were sad, crying, and with resentment in their eyes toward my mother and aunts, especially my grandfather, because he and each of their mothers would take them out of the house when they turned 16. I don't know where they took them, and to tell the truth, I didn't want to know.

My day arrived, tomorrow was my 16th birthday, I was sitting in a chair in my room while my mom sadly brushed my hair.

—What's wrong, Mom?

Mom left my room, leaving me wondering what was wrong with her, but I finally stopped paying attention. I lay down on my bed and fell asleep after a few minutes.

Monday 5:30 pm

I was sitting in the back of the car, staring out the window. I was so nervous. I was wearing my white dress and the bun my mom had done for me. I didn't know where they were taking me. Fear was eating away at my nerves. I didn't want to leave home, but they made me.

They started raffling off the girls 1-for-1, as if we were toys. I looked for my mother in the audience, and when I looked at her, she avoided me. She looked apologetic, but that didn't stop me from feeling angry. They were selling me out!

My turn came, I stepped forward with a smile as my grandmother had trained me since I was little. The amounts startedWe arrived at the place and it was worse than I imagined The amounts started to rise: 500 thousand pesos, 1 million, 2 million, 5 million… Until a tall guy with African braids stood up and made a bet that no one dared to double.

—10 million dollars, I want it for myself.

The lady who was selling us, so to speak, smiled flirtatiously at the guy who bought from me and spoke into the microphone:

—Sold to Tom Kaulitz for $10 million