Page 68 of The Sign for Home

“Admit it. You took this job for the money. Not because you give a hoot about the DeafBlind. It’s summertime and work was thin, right?”

“Maybe at first—”

“But you care now?” she mocked. “Then what happened on Friday? You care so much that you’d bail on Arlo last-minute, leaving him with that horrible Justin?”

“Justin?” I said, my anger suddenly tripping over a huge lump of remorse. “But Ange gave me her word she wouldn’t send Justin.”

“Have you ever seen me cancel for another job?” Molly barked.

“No, but—”

“No! I’m there every single day, unless I’m dying with the flu, and then I make sure there’s a competent sub. Does Brother Birch tell Arlo,Sorry, I can’t be your guardian today?You have no idea what that man has sacrificed for that boy!”

What was going on? Why was Molly defending Arlo’s uncle so vociferously?

“Molly, let’s get honest here. His uncle is not exactly nurturing. If anything, he’s limiting Arlo’s access—”

“Arlo’s uncle is a great man I have known for many, many years. When Arlo’s mother died there was no father around to step in. Arlo’s uncle, a man who had his own life, his own family, his own work, had to suddenly take a troubled DeafBlind teenager into his house. Do you know the strain that put on Brother Birch? On his own relationships?”

Molly’s voice cracked with feeling.

“Molly, I’m just trying to help Arlo.”

“But you don’t have any idea what that poor boy has been through. You just make assumptions. When I started working with Arlo ten years ago, he was horrified when he arrived at school. His language skills were terrible, and he barely understood the basics of how to care for himself. But I was there for all his training. I practically introduced him to the world. Me! Not you. Me! I earn a fraction of what you do, but I work with Arlo becauseI actually care. I love that boy. I was the one who had to tell him when his mother died, I was the one who had to pick up the pieces when he was kicked out of school and tell him that his friend—”

Molly clapped her hand over her mouth, stopping herself. I wasn’t sure whether it was because of emotion or not wanting to say more. Removing her hand, she attempted to steady her voice in a low, hoarse whisper.

“I gave up everything for that boy. We were likea family.I even moved to Poughkeepsie for him. And you accuse me and Brother Birch ofneglect? Of taking advantage of him? We aren’t the ones using him as some little experiment to feel good about ourselves. Or dragging him around and introducing him to sluts like he’s a show-and-tell toy!”

My face flushed lobster red with guilt. Had it been Hanne who was responsible for the haircut thing? The dressing him differently? The essay? A sick feeling overcame me. If he was hanging around Hanne, what else might have happened?

“First, you can stop calling my friends sluts,” I said defensively. “Hanne’s a good person. And maybe I shouldn’t have been introducing him around, but—”

“And for your information,” Molly hissed through gritted teeth, “there are good reasons to keep Arlo away from his old school friends. Putting him in contact could be dangerous. Brother Birch did everything to bring that boy back from where he was five and a half years ago. No, I don’t agree with everything Brother Birch has done. But you encouraging Arlo to write that essay, making him remember all those terrible things, could cause him to have a mental breakdown again. Is that what you want? I can’t believe I defended you!”

“Defended me?!” I was screaming again, my voice bouncing off the hallway walls. “From what?! And for your information, I had no idea Arlo had any kind of mental breakdown, and I wasn’t trying to encourage anything. And could someone please tell me what exactly happened at that fucking school?!”

Molly’s expression suddenly turned from rage to shock. She nodded to something behind me. It was Professor Bahr, commanding us with her eyes to be silent.

“If you please,” she whispered angrily. “Those of us in this school who arenotdeaf can hear everything you have just said. However, Arlo—your sole purpose for being here—is sitting all alone in that room, unable to understand what’s happening around him while you two…”

Professor Bahr inhaled through her nose, shaking her head in disappointment. I felt disgusted with myself. Molly wiped the remaining tears from her eyes as we followed Professor Bahr back into the classroom. Everyone in the room except Arlo must’ve heard us. Arlo sat there looking distraught, reaching out to see if we had returned. I hurried to him and told him we were back.

“What happened?” he asked. “Emergency? Something wrong?”

I lied. I told him it was nothing, just a little disagreement between Molly and me, but he knew it was something more.

“Please tell Molly I’m sorry,” he pleaded. “I do wrong. I’m sorry.”

29TOP SECRET

I spent half the afternoon fantasizing about things I might have said to Molly during our argument, and the other half disgusted with myself for blowing up the way I did. I had expected a reprimand from the agency, but I heard nothing by the end of the day. Then, just as I was headed to bed, I received an email from Arlo.

Dear Cyril Brewster, Interpreter:

Hello. Sorry because TROUBLE today in writing class. Molly mad at me and you. She was scare because other JW WATCH her, and because I do SIN. If bad things happening Elders blame her. ALSO, so many years Molly take care about me like her own small child. (FROWNING.) I not small child! She love me and scare. Understand? She trying good Christian JW lady. (She also do sin things too BEFORE, but ask JH GOD forgiving… SHH secret.) Molly good interpreter and SSP. Help me lot, so much. WOW. Think many time she helping me. (ALMOST CRY!) But she not on purpose behave ANGRY bitch person. Because her very hard time life. (All of us having hard time life. I know!) But Molly and Brother Birch think YOUR FAULT cut my hair andwrite SECRET private essay-story for classroom homework and other SIN things. I telling Brother Birch NOT TRUE. My fault. My idea writing forbidden essay and other SIN. Also they don’t like you still do GAY and maybe will future die eternal death forever. (FROWNING.)

But I still you SUPPORT. I am wanting you still interpreter. Do not worry: all TOP SECRET. Not telling NOBODY.

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