Page 87 of The Sign for Home

“I guess I didn’t know everything about him. But getting to visit people he loves is not going to put him in any danger.”

“You don’t know that!” Clara snapped, the tendons of her neck straining against her pearls. She quickly covered her mouth, surprised by the ferocity of her own voice. She jotted a note in Arlo’s folder. Her voice settled again into her cold, controlled monotone.

“Cyril, you know what I need to ask you next. God, I hate this.”

Clara ran her fingers through her hair like she was in some old Susan Hayward movie and was about to be sent to the electric chair. Only, I was the one who was supposed to confess.

“Clara, I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”

She pressed her thumb and forefinger onto her eyes and lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper.

“Cyril, did you try to seduce Arlo?”

Clara’s words were a fist to the gut.

“What?” I stammered, shocked. My stomach felt sick. All I needed was to say no, but I couldn’t speak. My heart began slamming itself against my chest.

Clara’s eyes returned to the case file, and in rapid succession her cold voice went down the page reading the rest of the allegations.

“Did you grab Arlo’s leg under the table several times during class? Or stroke him on the back and arm in an inappropriate manner?”

“No,” I said, finally, forcing the words out. “Of course not. Unless they mean the Protactile, but that’s not—”

“Did you enable him to meet a male friend at the train station?”

“That was Big Head Lawrence, his friend. He asked me to—”

“Did you buy him expensive meals from the cafeteria? Did you take him to get his hair cut and advise him on how to dress?”

“Yes, I bought him some food, but what’s the big deal? And no, I didn’t cut his hair. Molly said all this, didn’t she?”

“Did you introduce him to a woman named Hanne Van Steenkiste, who took him back to her workplace to try and have sex with him? And on this secret trip to New York City, did you or did you not attempt to seduce Arlo in your car?”

I shook my head no. Her charges were almost wholly false, except the first part about Hanne, and buying him lunch and my helping him to see Big Head Lawrence and Shri. As her accusations echoed in my head, I found myself once again questioning myself. Was I lying to myself? Did I break the code of ethics because of some subconscious attraction? No. That was not why I had helped Arlo. Still my face grew red. Of course, knowing my face was flushing made it turn a deeper shade of crimson. Clara interpreted this as an admission of guilt.

“Stop looking at me that way!” I begged, the panic causing my voice to rise, and the more I fought to try to sound levelheaded, the more I started to shout. “I’m a redhead! When anything goes wrong, I immediately turn red! This is ridiculous… No… No! I never, NEVER, hit on Arlo. I’ve never hit on any consumer. Whoever said all that is a liar. I’ve been in this business for almost fifteen years and have a spotless record. Ask the agencies. The only time I ever even touched Arlo was when he’d take my arm to guide him or when I was interpreting for him or doing Protactile!”

“Enough!” Clara shouted. “Monitor your tone! While the investigation is going on, it’s best if—”

“Holy Christ, there’s a fucking investigation?”

“We are mandated reporters. Arlo is a person at risk.”

Suddenly I stood up, placed both hands in the center of Clara’s desk, and looked her square in the eyes, my voice trembling as I loudly proclaimed:

“I’m only gonna say this once more, Clara! I did not touch him!”

For some reason I thought the sheer volume of my honesty would burn itself into her brain, but instead, I came off like I was totally unhinged. Clara jumped up and immediately grabbed the telephone and put her fingers on the buttons, ready to call for help.

“You’re scaring me! Do not threaten me!”

I took my hands from her desk, turned away to take a breath, then turned back, lowering my voice.

“I’m not threatening you, Clara. I’m so sorry. I don’t want you to feel like… I just can’t believe anyone would think I would do something like that. Please, please believe me.”

Clara placed the phone back on the receiver and closed the case file on her desk. She wouldn’t look at me again.

“You have already been reported to RID. Even if nothing like that happened, your behavior has violated the interpreter’s code of professional conduct. RID will make the final decision whether or not you keep your certification, but if the family or I have anything to say about it, you won’t. Arlo and his uncle have taken out a restraining order against you, so you may not have any contact with them whatsoever.”

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