Keshathria Part 1, 1970 Chapter Two

 

                                                             **** Diana****  

                 I took my time unpacking and complaining. What was i in a hurry for? Two years of this shit and I'll loose my... I slammed my finger in the dresser and stomped backward whimpering to my bed. 'My father tried to love us after mom died. But he didn't know how. He never hugged us or laughed with us. He just laid down the law. I cant stand the miserable bastard. ' 

               I wrap my throbbing finger in my tee- shirt and pace the room deep in thought. Around dark that girl knocked on my door to tell me dinner was about to be served. We went down the back way into the kitchen, it smelled wonderful, we set the brightly luminous dining room for the meal, via the back door frame just off the kitchen interior. The girl was kinda rude, I mean she didn't even tell me her name, just started barking orders about how to set the table. Carol came in through the double doors, the girl curtsied bowing her head and scurried about her task, I stammered a bit but tried to curtsy back too. 

               In a flash of movement Carol was in front of me with a slap. "What is rule one?" "but sh..." "Rule one!" "I am supposed to kneel when you come in a room." I sigh. 

" No. You are to take that position every time I enter or exit a room. Did you assume the proper position?" "No Mistress." I roll my eyes. She stood back with an expectant face, and I preformed. She looked over to Melinda who had frozen in her spot, and smiled nodding  to her, which made all the tension drain from her face and she smiled in return announcing that dinner is served, and went Walking/ kneeling /walking once again through the back door. Carol told me to go with her. I walked, awkwardly knelt and stumbled my way to the door and back. Dinner was roast and steamed vegetables.

                 "Diana how do you find your room? Cozy?" "It's ok Mistress Carol. Boring though. I mean the rest of your house is so well done why not that room?" " Ah, well there hasn't been anyone to have that room for a long time. While you are here you will be able to out fit it as you please. But you 'll have to earn the materials you want." "My room had some drab walnut paneling when i got here. I tore that stuff down in a hurry. Didn't I Mistress?" Bragged whats her face whose room as been frilly and pink with a white deep pile carpet. " Yes I believe it was within the first month. Had me put up that pink heartsy fartsy stuff. Which totally throws off my Gothic theme here." They laughed. "You live in the dark too much Mistress, someone had to brighten up the place. Sheesh, I cant imagine who had the room before me what was he some kind of murderer?" "A professional never tells." Carol coos playfully.

                       I sat awkwardly , pecking at my plate until the girl stands and starts to gather plates. Carol motioned halt and turned her eyes on me. "Diana, you are rather rude tonight. And very stubbornly refusing to do as you are told." "What... you haven't said anything... i knelted and stuff..." "Must I keep repeating myself. What is rule three? " I mutter back to her that i am supposed to do what she told me to." And did you?" to which i mutter yes. " Then pray tell, what is that girl's name?" I lifted my head and stared hard at Carol." And I shall be reminding you shortly What rule two is. " She told that girl to continue serving the desert but not to me. I was to 'go find the spot' and wait in the basement for Carol, and was excused from the table. 

                      The stair well was dark, but the basement grew more lighted as I descended the stairs. The basement has 12 foot high ceilings, it was not built under the house, like an afterthought, but it was instead a bottom floor built into the landscape. It was quite expansive, there some rooms, positioned around the open center. Arranged around the middle where the reformer's chamber. I swallowed hard and realized I was a prisoner again.

                     I've seen TV shows about reformers, there was a situation comedy about a house in Kingsington Heights. But... the reformer's chamber was always behind an ominous looking door, they never opened. There was a table with two chairs facing each other. and near it was a padded gymnast horse, and an large Ex-frame whipping post, on the other side of the desk was... and i gasped stuttering when i realized i was staring at a rack. Something i thought went out last century. There was also a few locked amours and a few barren end tables near the other furniture. I wondered what was the 'spot" I was supposed to find. I scanned the room and decided that it must be the chair. Once there I felt incredibly nauseous got up to pace, then I saw pair of worn grooves in the cement just past the foot of the steps. I swallowed again and took that to be my spot, and knelt waiting. Carol eventually greeted me.

"Diana, what we have here is a demerit system. They will accumulate through out the day some of them you will be warned of and some of them you will have to figure out for yourself. But you will pay the penalty for each. There are merits to be earned as well but you will not be warned of them nor will you be able to tell me what they are for. I will consider your trying to tell me when I owe you as pure rudeness and you will be given what you don't want.

I do not handle stubbornness well , Diana. You do not have any right to your will here. You do not have the luxury of escape while you are here. I run an exacting home and all there is for you are privileges, never rights. Except for your inalienable human right to fair treatment and protection from abuse. I will make sure that you understand why, when you are punished. And when your discipline does not need to take place down here, I will give ample freedom to discuss the matter with me. But once down here, you will not have that freedom.

"Are you keeping up Diana?"

"Yes, mistress" my throat cracks. ' oh get on with it pompous bit-th... i grimace as the cement under my knees grows sharper."

"Very good then. For your rude disobedience You'll be whipped, then you will go introduce yourself to Melinda properly. ." She instructed as if it was all a matter of business. She whipped my shoulders with a cat of nine tails flogger 25 strikes. And well the next few weeks when much like the first day only with an increase to 50 lashes at a time.

Melinda proved to be a funny and caring person. Carol went to her other job everyday. By day she's a reformer, by night. aw shucks.. she is still a reformer. Talk about taking your work home with ya. Each day when it is time for Carol to return Melinda and I have to wait kneeling beside the runner in the fore room. Melinda takes up the position at the slightest hint of a vehicle ... or more appropriately not any vehicle, but that of a iridescent red/green Barracuda. She told me that shes been caught off guard before,' you think you have time but you don't.' Or like today you think you just made it but she takes forever to pull in. But normally it works out in perfect timing. She told me that it is no use trying the phone, it only rings the School, the Emergency Department, or Slaves life line. Which was an network of operators who took calls and handled Reformer abuse cases. I've heard about them, a few years back there was a case of sexual abuse in a Reformer's home, That Master got 10 years hard time for that, and could never practice law again.

I might not have rights but if this treatment keeps up I am crying fire fire. I've already hovered over the receiver when I knew I was already well beyond in trouble. So freaking what... you wanted your eggs like thaaattt instead of thiiiiisssss... OH she is pi..pi ...........* looking around to make sure i am not about to bump into something" She just makes me mad. She freaking whip crazy. just once something different please ... I'll give up television...shoot I'll do your yard for a month... just lay off the back... I cant even move lately.

The front door unlocks and Carol enters, we stand, Mel takes her coat and I take what ever is in her hands that day, today was just a purse and umbrella. We put the things away as Carol sat in her chair. We go walk/kneel/walking in and sit on the couch.

"Melinda, only four days left." The girl grins excitedly, as Madam continued " You do know I'll miss you, we had many worthwhile times."

"I know I wont be forgetting you Mistress. But I am very ready to go back home. Ill be starting my senior year, cant miss that now can i?"

"Lucky you Mel... I don't get to graduate."

"Who says you may not graduate high school?" Madam says to me. I shrugged and leaned back on the couch, a movement i spent the next few moments regretting. " I just assumed , because I am kicked out of public education."

"Diana your education will continue privately. You will just have to take your Civics Exam as soon as your home, it will count the same as Graduation as long as you file before your 20th birthday." She instructed referring to my mandatory term in the military of 2 years when i am 20. My father was drafted and just 5 years ago the former King announced that there was an increased need for soldiers, and set the formally volunteer female enlisted, to a mandatory draft. I will get to serve as a reservist because my sister will only be 15 and since my father is already on call due to his career I will be the only family member who can adopt my sister until she is 18.

"Are you ever going to open up and share your thoughts with us?" Madam says, drawing me from my pensive meanderings.

"Why should i Madam? What do you care?" I snort. She softly smiles. Mel clicks on the TV.

"It is your choice to stay stubborn, but it will be a very long boring two years for you if you insist on keeping to yourself. "

"I guess you have a point, Madam. I just miss my sister is all. I didn't want to leave her."

"But you did, again and again."

"I could always come back when I wanted. I didn't stay away long. Not like dad did. "

"What about your Father? Was it fair to him to let him..."

"Damn straight it was fair Madam. He practically deserted us... then he stayed in the Army when mom died.serves him right to worry... if he didn't have to be so strict and chill a while......."

"Diana, it is rude to interrupt. What we are doing now is speaking openly, i will over look some expressions of emotion but I will not be interrupted."

"Sorry Madam."

"Do you honestly think your father wanted to desert you?"

I didn't expect that question. Most people get all gooey and tell me he's hurt, he needs time, he's doing the best that he can... but. did he want to desert me? My father was a man of his word, he used to be so happy, i was his little girl once.

"N-no Madam I don't believe that he wanted to desert us. "

"Maybe he had to, because every time he looked at you he saw her."

I sat there stunned to tears and laid back stubbornly against the couch and stared at the television until we where dismissed.