Profile
Name: Aya Mokoena
Place of Birth: East London, South Africa
Age: 32
Birthday: 22nd of August
Religion: Protestant but not practicing
Relationship(s): On and off boyfriend
Abilities: speaks three languages, can use Krav Maga as well as a gun (though she never carries one but instead a stiletto knife hidden in her shoe)
Aya was born as the youngest of five siblings. While her oldest two brothers were working in her father's car dealership and repair shop, her other two middle brothers were studying economics and law. As Aya grew up, mostly looked after by her grandmother and mother with little contact to her ever busy father and finding not much of a connection to her brothers due to the age gap, she quickly realized that all her dreams and ambitions were looked down on, smiled about or belittled.
When she turned sixteen, she made a first attempt to communicate to her parents her own wish to study. It was shot down quickly by her father with her mother simply agreeing with him. Instead she was informed that she was expected to fulfill her role as a 'good and faithful daughter' and eventually marry the son of her father's competitor as he was hoping that through this marriage both companies would end up being combined with the wealth of the family growing further.
Aya having no interest in getting married, especially to a guy she hardly knew, decided that instead she'd have to take things into her own hands. At the age of eighteen she left the household, claiming she wanted to go 'shopping for clothing for the upcoming meeting with her one day to be husband's parents' but instead packed enough belongings and the money she had saved up to live with a friend and work at a job she had scouted out prior to leaving.
Soon after that she started an education to become a stewardess. Her father was fuming about her disobedience and her mother and grandmother and two of her brothers were sent to her to remind her of her duties towards the family. Realizing she would never escape their harassment and her father's scorn she simply left the airport during a stay in London, England and disappeared into the city, cutting all ties with her family.
With the money she had earned so far she managed to rent a cheap box of a flat and started out working in a coffee shop while also cleaning an office space and taking night courses to further her own education. Things were pretty rough, especially with her illegal status. In one of the companies she was cleaning she found out that they were looking for a receptionist and decided to send in an application.
Of course Aya knew that it was very likely they'd do a background check but even so she had to chance it. On the way to her interview she was attacked by a man who tried to steal her handbag which resulted in her kneeing him in the groin and punching him in the face, causing the man to relent and run off. Ending up disheveled and late for her interview she was certain this would ruin all her chances but she still went to show at least her determination for what it was worth.
The interview did take place and she was told she'd be called back eventually but Aya knew there was no chance in hell she'd still be hired. Feeling defeated and angry she returned home but after a night's rest decided she couldn't give up and had to keep fighting to find her place in this city.
Three days later she found an envelope in her mailbox which contained next to a work contract for the company also a brand new ID and passport. Confused about that she quickly realized that somebody had indeed checked her background just that now she was, according to her new papers, a legal British citizen. Aya had no idea who had issued these papers or how they were connected to the company she had applied for a job for but decided that this was the sign she had been waiting for. A new job and a new life was awaiting her and she'd reach for it with both hands even if this meant there was somebody out there who knew more about her than they should or could have known just by looking at her face or reading her name.
This was a secret she knew she wanted to solve but also didn't know how. At first it did make her a bit hesitant but not only did she need this new job and this opportunity, she also was quite certain that somebody who had put so much effort into her even before she had started working there, would keep an eye on her anyway. For what reason she couldn't tell.
---
While the first two years were unexpectedly uneventful (besides her move to a less ratty flat), she did notice that there was always a certain group of men that would come in, sometimes greeting her but often just heading for the elevator, obviously part of the company as the elevators would only work with designated key cards. But after finding herself in the elevator with one of them and catching a glimpse of their name on the key card and following this up with a quick research trough the register of everybody working here, Aya realized that this man was definitely not part of the company.
So why did he have a key card and where was he going?
Watching the others as well and figuring their names out too, she found out that it was the same for all of them either. With one of them she had had a few chats even, a French man who often would come to the front desk to say 'hello' and make small talk. When she steered the topic to work and started lightheartedly complaining about her job, the man who she only knew as 'Martin' never really revealed much about what he was doing here or evaded these topics by trying to change them or sidetrack them.
It almost became a game between them, even when they went on a few dates. It took almost four years for her to finally find out that the person who truly owned the building was not connected to the company that was using it and that the man she had an on and off relationship with was far far more dangerous than she could have ever expected.
And that's when Aya also realized something else-
The knowledge that she was meeting up with a man who was most definitely doing very illegal things didn't scare her at all.
Since she was by no means a big player in whatever game was being played behind the curtains that were still closed for her, she decided to just go with the flow. Aya got to meet the rest of the group as well on her on and off boyfriend's birthday party. And if she had ever had doubt about him being part of a dangerous and criminal organization, she definitely was certain after meeting Martin's best friend Kamal.
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During her time working for the company and the firm behind it, she had had a few calls with the man who had truly hired her and had given her her new identity. She knows little about him, just a name- Mr. M. These talks would be usually very short and Aya knew he expected her to keep her eyes open and report in any activities or people she found suspicious. And she was in the perfect position to do so because...who would ever really bother thinking about the receptionist. She was out of people's minds as soon as they left. Which made her an excellent choice to be an extra set of eyes and ears, another responsibility she gladly accepted.
