The Devil's Pawnbroker

This week’s assignment is using narrative portfolio to write a short biography of a creative character, modeled after the piece “The Hit Man” in Sudden Fiction

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The Devil Pawnbroker

Childhood

Strictly speaking, Lucy doesn’t have any childhood if childhood symbolizes love, sweet memories or laughter. At five, her parents were shot when the Japanese army crossed over the Manchuria, leaving her to a covetous uncle in Beijing. At twelve, uncle sells her to a landlord as the forth concubine for a hundred bucks. Displeased by Lucy’s defiance, the landlord rid her of to a whorehouse. She escapes, yet, a slim chance to survive given a far-flung famine all over China.

First encounter with Big Dee

Lucy is terribly starved. Her stomach howls as if she has swallowed the whole thunderstorm in her tiny tummy. Wait. It is indeed a thunder and the rain starts pouring over her already fragile body. Lucy is digging and scratching for anything to eat, tree skin, mushroom, dead bird or even corpse. A young gentleman shuffles and hands her a roasted chicken. Lucy gulps within minutes. The gentleman takes out more. “WoW, are you the G….” “No… no… no… I am the Devil but call me Big Dee. Be my pawnbroker, from today.” “soooooo, I can eat chicken?” “Of course,” Big Dee chuckles, “all money you can ever imagine and living forever. But there is a price. You have to trade your Love for all of these.” Without much thought, Lucy grasps hold of Big Dee like a life jacket. She knows it is a great deal, after all, love never knocked on the door throughout her miserable life.

The Business

All business is conducted at Lived Mansion, No. 99 on the Ninth Avenue. Lucy likes Big Dee’s business. It is simple: People come here for wealth, career or luck by pawning their limbs, organs, health, or souls, Big Dee’s ultimate pursuit. It is fair too, all done by freewill, choice and desire. After months of training, Lucy can manage the whole process from greeting client, discussing objective, negotiating, receiving pawnage, categorizing, shelving and record keeping.

First Client

Mr. Momoko comes to Lived Mansion for career promotion. Three kids, old parents and a huge mortgage he says. He will trade two years of his life for this. Deal. A week later, Mr. Momoko receives a promotion. He continues to climb up the corporate ladder and upgrades his house. A decade later, one of his sons joins the army, is sent to Vietnam, and is lost. Five years later, the son comes back only to find out it is too late. Dad just passed away a month ago.

Big Dee

Big Dee seldom appears at the Mansion unless for important deals involving souls or lives. To Lucy, Big Dee, her savior, is unassuming, eloquent and somewhat charming. But Big Dee also has his evil side. Lucy heard that the sparrow in the backyard was the last pawnbroker, being punished by Big Dee for misconduct, and same for the squirrel, the owl and the stone statue. .

Adulthood

Lucy convinces Big Dee to grow her to mid-twenties so that she can be more compelling, and can even do some outreach or counseling to proactively seek the lost soul. Granted.

Vacation

A typical vacation: flying to Paris for shopping, then Italy for lunch, Greece for the afternoon tea and Spain for a late dinner, slotting in a concert in London if there is time. Lucy loves facial. She doesn’t need Botox or any anti-aging formula though. The only annoyance is she has to change her dermatologist once a while, tenth time already. They are all top notch, yet life is too short for normal people.

Thunderstorm

Lucy hates thunderstorm which reminds her the dismal days. She has to roast chicken and eat it fiercely to comfort and reassure herself.

Lovers

Lucy has over thousands of lovers, and counting, from each country and generation. But she loves none of them. To her, they are just packages of organs and limbs which present possibilities for Lived Mansion. Some of them became repeated clients at the Mansion.

Baby

Lucy has longed for a baby for decades. She does not love baby, but believes baby can make her happier. One day, a middle-aged man comes to the Mansion to trade his wife’s six month old fetus for more money. Deal. Lucy looks at the fetus in the flask and thinks about taking it. But what if Big Dee discovers? How painful it will be to stuck it in my tummy? What if the baby born with defects? What if the baby doesn’t like to stay in the mansion? What if my love to this baby is unrequited? What if it dies before I die? Maybe it’s best to keep it this way. Everyday, Lucy walks by the flask, kisses the baby on the glass surface and it waves back, or so it seems.

The Lover

But there is this new friend Lucy meets in a flight across the Mediterranean Sea. He is different, from all the men she knows, and much so from Big Dee. Sipping her Moet & Chardon, Lucy peeks at her neighbor, who is looking into the sky. His refined face looks solemnly thoughtful, yet genuinely kind. She is intrigued. Then they start talking, exchange emails and visits. But, there is something missing, apparent to her, apparent to him.

The Love

Lucy has to make a very tough decision. She walks down to the cellar, stops at the last aisle, picks up the flask labeled Ms. Dahlia’s Love.

Lucy’s Death

With the flask in one hand, a jacket in the other, Lucy dashes out of the Mansion, passing the sparrow, squirrel, owl and statue, unknowingly walking into a forest. A pungent smell of rotten bodies, the thunderstorm, a downpour, a sense of déjà vu. Lucy scurries as fast as she can and suddenly she feels her head is behind her feet. Lucy is throttled by a hanging stem.

Lucy dies, dies of hunger, a hunger for love.

In one part of the world, a handsome gentleman is looking for another struggling, heartless or hopeless human being to offer help, and hope, and hiring.

In other part of the world, another gentleman is seeking for the same lost souls, to offer rescue, and redemption, and reborn.