you make the girls…”
Jane held her breath.
“You make them restless.”
“I…I don’t want to go.” She finally said and hot tears splashed from her eyes as she hugged her books.
“You have to. This is not a healthy place for you anymore.”
Jane’s stomach began to hurt and she became lightheaded. “Where am I supposed to go?”
“Sister Nicolette said that you can stay with her until you find an apartment. There are also half-way houses-”
Jane’s vision blurred as the first sobs came.
“She’s waiting to take you home with her now.”
“Now?”
“Yes, Jane it’s for the best.” Sister Louise withdrew a large manila folder and slid it across the desk. “These are your documents.” Jane reached for them and clutched them as well. “Jane, I’m so sorry-”
“My name is not JANE!”
Sister Louise stood up and reached out a hand to her. “Child-”
“Do you even know my name?!”
Sister Louise allowed her hand to lower and her brow gathered. “Martier Nufaika Besigye. I’ve never forgotten your name, or the name of any child here.”
“Then why did you give me a name that had no history?!”
Sister Louise’s eyes glistened. “I have 47 young girls to care for. 47. They have no family, or their family left them behind. They are abused, starving, mentally disturbed. All I know to do is…to put those girls in the hands of God.”
Martier wiped her eyes. She would never go by the other name again. She gave Sister Louise one last look. “ You were our God.” Then she left.
~***~
Tim felt good again this morning. He whistled as he walked down the corridor, despite the fact that his hamstrings were wire tight and there was a bit of a twinge in his knee.
“Good morning Jane.” She looked up quickly and gave him a strange look.
“Could you please not call me Jane anymore?”
“What?” There was something different about her. Then he realized that it was her eyes. It was as if someone had turned the light off in them. Also the smile that he had become accustomed to seeing was no longer present.
“Jane, come into my office, please.” He waited for her to rise then he led her into the office and shut the door. “ Sit down.” She did as he asked. He hung up his coat, not taking his eyes from her. Was she wearing the same clothes from yesterday? The bottom of her skirt was a bit dark from yesterday’s rain where her rain coat hadn’t quite reached. What the hell…?
“What’s happened?”
She thought about not saying anything but that was impossible. The words came without thought. “When I first came to the school Sister Louise told me that my name was Jane and so…that became my name. She said that Martier sounded like a boy’s name and that…that Besigye was the name of a murderer.”
“Jesus.” Tim sat on the end of his desk in front of her. “She gave you a new name? And your real name is Martier? Besigye…”
Martier nodded quickly.
“Okay…and why are you dressed in yesterday’s clothes? Did something happen?”
Martier rubbed her forehead. She looked tired. “Sister Louise kicked me out.”
“Oh my god. She kicked you out?! You weren’t late! I mean…” He reached for the phone. “What’s her number? I’m going to call that school and get this straightened out…or by god, they will never see another dime of my money!”
Tim already had the phone in his hands but Martier shook her head. “It’s not because of that and I don’t want to go back. I’m staying with Sister Nicolette in her apartment.”
“Why in the world did she kick you out?”
“Because she found the books that I had hidden, and the CD from the movie.”
Tim came to his feet while shaking his head. “Lunacy…Pure LUNACY! You couldn’t even get your clothes?” He asked angrily.
“I was so mad that I ran out with what I
Jane held her breath.
“You make them restless.”
“I…I don’t want to go.” She finally said and hot tears splashed from her eyes as she hugged her books.
“You have to. This is not a healthy place for you anymore.”
Jane’s stomach began to hurt and she became lightheaded. “Where am I supposed to go?”
“Sister Nicolette said that you can stay with her until you find an apartment. There are also half-way houses-”
Jane’s vision blurred as the first sobs came.
“She’s waiting to take you home with her now.”
“Now?”
“Yes, Jane it’s for the best.” Sister Louise withdrew a large manila folder and slid it across the desk. “These are your documents.” Jane reached for them and clutched them as well. “Jane, I’m so sorry-”
“My name is not JANE!”
Sister Louise stood up and reached out a hand to her. “Child-”
“Do you even know my name?!”
Sister Louise allowed her hand to lower and her brow gathered. “Martier Nufaika Besigye. I’ve never forgotten your name, or the name of any child here.”
“Then why did you give me a name that had no history?!”
Sister Louise’s eyes glistened. “I have 47 young girls to care for. 47. They have no family, or their family left them behind. They are abused, starving, mentally disturbed. All I know to do is…to put those girls in the hands of God.”
Martier wiped her eyes. She would never go by the other name again. She gave Sister Louise one last look. “ You were our God.” Then she left.
~***~
Tim felt good again this morning. He whistled as he walked down the corridor, despite the fact that his hamstrings were wire tight and there was a bit of a twinge in his knee.
“Good morning Jane.” She looked up quickly and gave him a strange look.
“Could you please not call me Jane anymore?”
“What?” There was something different about her. Then he realized that it was her eyes. It was as if someone had turned the light off in them. Also the smile that he had become accustomed to seeing was no longer present.
“Jane, come into my office, please.” He waited for her to rise then he led her into the office and shut the door. “ Sit down.” She did as he asked. He hung up his coat, not taking his eyes from her. Was she wearing the same clothes from yesterday? The bottom of her skirt was a bit dark from yesterday’s rain where her rain coat hadn’t quite reached. What the hell…?
“What’s happened?”
She thought about not saying anything but that was impossible. The words came without thought. “When I first came to the school Sister Louise told me that my name was Jane and so…that became my name. She said that Martier sounded like a boy’s name and that…that Besigye was the name of a murderer.”
“Jesus.” Tim sat on the end of his desk in front of her. “She gave you a new name? And your real name is Martier? Besigye…”
Martier nodded quickly.
“Okay…and why are you dressed in yesterday’s clothes? Did something happen?”
Martier rubbed her forehead. She looked tired. “Sister Louise kicked me out.”
“Oh my god. She kicked you out?! You weren’t late! I mean…” He reached for the phone. “What’s her number? I’m going to call that school and get this straightened out…or by god, they will never see another dime of my money!”
Tim already had the phone in his hands but Martier shook her head. “It’s not because of that and I don’t want to go back. I’m staying with Sister Nicolette in her apartment.”
“Why in the world did she kick you out?”
“Because she found the books that I had hidden, and the CD from the movie.”
Tim came to his feet while shaking his head. “Lunacy…Pure LUNACY! You couldn’t even get your clothes?” He asked angrily.
“I was so mad that I ran out with what I
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