"How would she know her name if you hadn't talked about her?" Dr. Foreman leaned toward her, grasping the pencil the way I have seen bays grasp switchblades,
"It... I didn't say anything. I just mentioned her."
"How did you mention her. Mindy? What did you say about her?"
"Nothing. Really," she wailed.
"I thought you weren't going to talk about Posy anymore:'" Dr Foreman said to Gia,
"I don't!" she exclaimed. She does!"
Dr. Foreman sat back. Mindy looked down. Gia was biting down hard on her lower lip, so hard I could feel the pain in my own. Silence seemed to fall like an iron curtain between us.
"Okay, girls." Dr. Foreman finally said. "These sessions are what I call purges. We get some of the hateful, spiteful, evil things out of our system. We don't have to be deceitful about any of it anymore. You all have much to do to repair yourselves, and this has been a beginning."
She held up the slips of paper. "Well take this vote again sometime soon, perhaps, and it will be interesting to compare the results. For now, I want you all to return to the barracks and do your schoolwork." She stood and opened her office door.
We rose and filed out. The mladies were waiting for us in the hallway.
"Be sure they go directly to the barracks and get to their schoolwork," Dr. Foreman told them. Then she reached out and touched Mindy's shoulder. "I'm not angry at you. Mindy. I have great faith in you. I know you're going to continue to do well for me, for yourself. right?"
Mindy nodded. and Dr. Foreman lifted her hand from Mindy's shoulder.
No one said anything. We put on our shoes and in a silent parade marched across the yard. I heard Natani on his drum in his hogan. No one else seemed to notice or care. After we entered the barracks, the door was closed and we all went to our respective bunks.
The silence and heaviness in the air was so thick. I could have molded it into a dark plate to put into the kiln,
"Are we going to work together or what?" I asked. No one said anything.
We might as well all have been in separate buildings. I thought. I started to read the chapter in science, but my eyes drifted off the page.
Mindy was staring at the floor. Suddenly, she started to tremble, "Stop it," Gia told her.
She didn't. She grew worse, shaking harder.
"What's wrong with her?" Robin asked.
Teal stood up. Drool was running down the sides of Mindy's mouth and she was making a small but deep moan.
"Maybe you should call for someone," Teal said.
"No, leave her alone." Gia got up and seized Mindy's shoulders, shaking her. "Stop it, Mindy. Stop it. You know what will happen if you don't."
She shook her head. "It., doesn't... matter. She's mad at me, really mad at me this time." Mindy gasped, Her eyes were wide with such terror, it took my own breath away.
I turned to Gia, pleading with my eyes for her to do something.
She smirked and took a deep breath. "She's not mad at you, Mindy." Then Gia shouted at me, "Damn you. Did you have to tell about Posy?"
"I didn't tell anything. I don't even know who Posy is!" I cried. "She's the one who mentioned her. How were we supposed to know we shouldn't say the name?"
"Who is she?" Robin asked. "What's all the damn mystery about that y'all know and we don't?"
"Yes," Teal followed. "Who is she?"
"Why can't we mention her name?" I demanded more firmly.
Gia rose and looked at us while she kept a hand on Mindy's shoulder. Mindy continued to tremble and held on to her.