I let it go. It dripped off the chair. She looked back.
smiling. Then she opened the door and shouted. "Get
up a diaper. Baby One had an accident."
I heard some laughter outside.
I was crying harder now, the tears of shame and
rage sliding off my cheeks as if my skin had turned to
ice, my fists at my sides, my nails digging into my
palms.
"Bitch," Teal shouted at M'Lady Three. Her smile faded. "One word without specific
permission. One extra hour for all of you to spend in
here," she pronounced like a judge laying the death
sentence on some convicted murderer.
M'Lady One returned with a new diaper for me.
Teal and Robin watched with disgust and rage. Then
Teal stood up and just let go. Robin smiled and did
the same. M'Lady One and M'Lady Three looked at
each other, then M'Lady Three smiled back at Teal
and Robin.
"Gee, girls. sorry." she moaned as if she really
cared. "but we had only one extra diaper." Her phony
smile vanished, Now sit down and shut up." she
snapped at them. Their faces of defiance quickly
changed into faces of disgust and panic. "Sit down or
we'll keep you here two more hours for every minute
you're standing."
Without any other choice, they did what they
were told, both grimacing with discomfort. I returned
to my seat and held up my completely filled
composition book. M'Lady One took it and flipped
through the pages. Then she took the pen and left. Robin and Teal started to write faster, the need