Amsterdam

Amsterdam – 20140508

Red lights and the Sisterhood make a strange alliance when witnessed first hand; more so when the Sisterhood’s voice casts advice from the heart; and one of those voices is the woman Jack had spent his years with.

The young guide, Rolf, seemed very well practised in his duties. Although Dutch, his English diction would put a lot of English people to shame. He walked his puppy-dog punters about Amsterdam and eventually over a little bridge into the Red Light district.

“First a warning”, he shouted down the crocodile, “You will not come to any harm on this tour but some of the streets are very narrow and so you will be walking in single file. Do not let anyone bump or jostle you. They are pickpockets but not muggers. Close your handbags and keep you hand over them like your mothers told you. We don’t want to lose our half pennies do we” he smiled.

There was no special instructions for the men. Following him two-by-two they reached the first corner and came upon a chubby black woman in a LBD with VPL shouting to a group of men.

“I give you special rate if all four.” Then repeated it in what sounded like German.

The men had a short conversation with one who obviously wanted her favours but the other three not and after a few seconds they walked away.

She shouted again. “Come back, you will have good time.”

The four men had turned a corner and gone. As the tour passed her, all of them couples, she ignored the men but made polite conversation with the WAGs.

“It’s chilly tonight girls don’t you think?”

Jack was amazed, the women in the group all answered her like it was the Sisterhood. He had secretly been concerned about Sarah’s reaction to the seedy side of the tour, life in the raw.

“It is, and you’ll catch your death in that dress.” Replied Sarah.

Laughter erupted.

“Yes, you need a liberty bodice,” Another one giggled.

More laughter.

“Have you got a child dear?” Asked one who obviously saw more than most of them.

“Yes, a little boy, he’s at home with my mum, he’ll be six next month and I have planned him a great party with all his school friends.” She gushed.

“That’s nice.” Someone said.

“They need spoiling on birthdays”. Added Sarah.

It was obvious that the prostitute was telling the truth, and more, she was enjoying the girlie conversation and the attention of the women. Rolf appeared from the front of our crocodile wondering why we had stopped walking. About seven women were in a little crowd around Blackbird chattering away as though they talked to prostitutes every day.

The men, like Jack, were confused and uncomfortable and had used the old Services dodge of taking one of two steps back when the women moved forward thus keeping out of it but blocking the narrow lane. Rolf got everyone moving again but not before the Sisterhood had wished her well with the party and success in life. As they moved along Sarah told Jack that Blackbird was studying Law at university and paying her fees and for her mum and son by working the Red Light area by renting a room in one of the licensed houses.

Moving along they came out of the lane into a bright, gaudy wider street with every house frontage a place of sex for sale. Women were in windows and doorways and they gave a little banter to the women of the crocodile but ignored the men. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but Jack’s eye wasn’t beholding much at all. Taking his cue from films and TV he thought most women would be young and pretty but the majority of these were mummsy and comfortable. That was until shop front number nine. It had a brightly lit plate glass window with a pulchritudinous young woman who looked about nineteen scantily dressed and moving slowly about on her podium while smiling the sweetest smile possible.

The sisterhood gathered round at the window and gestured at the girl.

“Go home dear.” Someone shouted.

“You’re lovely, don’t waste it.” Sarah added.

“Silly, silly girl, come out here and talk to us.” said another gesturing at her.

The girl spread her arms in incomprehension and then put her cupped hand to one ear, not taking the piss but to say she could not hear.

Learning fast Jack and the other men took a step back then the ex-navy bloke amongst them joked,

“Don’t kid yourselves fellahs, you don’t get her.”

The strange thing was that he cheered Jack up, his urge, like the Sisterhood, was to wrap her in a blanket and take her as far away from there as possible.

ARMaidd