Chapter 20
So that's the horrible punishment the Elders have for Jana, I tell myself. They're marrying her off to the cruelest person in Paradise Village.
"Jana will have to serve Highest Holy Grinder. They say he beats his wives every day with the discipline club to show them humility, and he makes them kneel on rice every day for prayers," Helga chuckles darkly.
I can't stand the smirk on her face. "You think that's funny?" I blurt, not keeping my feelings to myself like I usually do.
"I'm just sharing information with you," she states uncomfortably.
"The tragedies of other people make you happy?" At the moment, my tongue knows no restrain. "Because you know as well as I do that what is about to happen to Jana is a tragedy, right?"
She nods solemnly, the smirk on her face completely gone.
"What if it was you having to marry him? Would you be laughing?"
She solemnly shakes her head.
"Then why do you rejoice in other people's misfortunes?"
She eyes me without saying a word. A shadow crosses her face as if she's actually considering what I'm saying.
"You, especially you, know what it's like when something really bad happens to you," I say, touching the burn on her face. She winces and recoils from my touch.
Her eyes become angry slats. "You don't know anything about me."
"I know a little."
"You don't know what it's like to be damaged," she snaps.
"We're all damaged around here. You've got yours on the outside, but we have ours on the inside."
She mumbles under her breath as she walks away from me. I barely understand what she's muttering but I'm pretty sure she says that I just don't understand her situation. I sigh and rush to my bunk to leave my boomerang. I need to get to the Barstowe Household ASAP. I'm already late. Just because the Mister doesn't allow other people to abuse me doesn't mean he feels he shouldn't do it either. As his property, he feels he should be the only one to do with me what he wants.
I run out the door and am surprised Miguel is waiting for me. "I need to go with you or Master Barstowe will have my hide."
"Just keep up with me," I tell him.
Rushing as fast as we can, we make it to the Mister's place in record time. Both of us inhale with hard breaths as I'm about to open the door.
"I'll be here in a few hours to walk back with you to the destiny-bride shack," he tells me.
I nod as I step into the house.
Stacy is waiting. Judging by the domineering look on her face, it's the old Stacy. "It's about time you got here," she snaps. "I'm not supposed to be by myself."
"Where's everybody?"
"They went to take care of some family business."
"You didn't go?" I ask already knowing that she had taken the opportunity to be alone with me to mess with me.
"I felt sick."
"Oh," I say as I head towards the kitchen to clean it first.
"The rules have changed," she snickers as she follows me.
I ignore her as I turn on the water in the sink and pour soap into it to wash the pile of dishes. I grimace when I see that they are all free from any food. Stacy must've gotten rid of all morsels the other family wives usually leave me.
"The rules have changed," she repeats louder.
""I heard you the first time."
"Every household will have a wife in charge. I'm in charge of this one," she smirks.
"Master Barstowe made you the head-wife?" I ask incredulously.
"Not yet, but it'll happen soon. No one here, except for me, has the dedicated and strong personality the Elders like."
I hate to admit it, but she's right. The Mister's other wives are too nice for the Elders. They want a rabid dog in charge of every household. Stacy is the most logical choice to terrorize us and snitch on us.
"When they make me the head-wife, you'll really see what I'm made of!"
"I can see what you're made of already."
"You haven't seen anything yet!" she roars.
Bullies--I just hate their power tripping. I continue with my chores as she keeps screeching in my ear.
"You think you're so great because Master Barstowe favors you, but it won't always be that way."
"If you're sick, shouldn't you be lying down or something?"
"When I'm put in charge of here, he'll realize I'm a much better wife than you. He'll love me more."
What is it with bullies and their need to be on a higher level than everybody?--their need to be better and more important?--their need to crush the competition?
"You're cushy days are almost over!" she asserts gleefully. "I promise you that!"
First Helga and now Stacy, I just can't stand it anymore. The restraints fly off my mouth. I turn to her from the dishes I'm washing, "Why can't we just get along?"
"What?"
"Why are we girls made to claw at each other? We're in this together, aren't we?"
"No, we're not in this together," she insists.
"We're not all stuck in Paradise Village having to do what we're told to do?"
She's shocked at my candor. "It's a privilege to serve our Masters."
"Is it really?"
"How can you be blaspheming against the Great Master like that?" she asks, shocked.
"How can you not be using your brain? Just think about what I'm telling you."
She's furious. "You think you're so great!" she blurts with emotion.
"Where do you get that from?"
"You!"
"You can't get it from me because I don't feel like that. You get it from your own insecurities."
"I'm not insecure," she announces, stamping her foot.
"Why is it so important for you to have power over me and the rest of the wives here?"
"I'm serving the Great Master by making sure everything runs right."
I sigh in frustration and shake my head. "Don't let them cram their ideas in your head. Think for yourself, Stacy. Think for yourself."
She leaves in a huff. I quicken my pace to make sure I have the house spotless before the Mister arrives. My mind is swirling with the stupidities I have committed today. Speaking up is definitely not wise here in Paradise Village. When I clean Stacy's room, she pretends to be asleep but I know she isn't. She's probably planning her next attack.
By the time I hear noises from the outside, I've managed to calm myself down. Even if Stacy was to tell the Mister what I said, he probably wouldn't believe her. Despite her assertions that one day she'll be his favorite bride, as of recently, he doesn't seem to like her very much.
I patiently wait for the footsteps to get to the front door. Fortunately, I have already finished all my chores. When the door opens, the Mister and the family-wives come filing in.
"Hello, Little Bird," he says enthusiastically.
"Hello, Master Barstowe," I greet back.
Judging by his smile and demeanor, he's in an excellent mood. The family business he had been taking care of must've gone well.
"I've got a surprise for you and Stacy!" he blurts. "The other wives already know."
"Yes, Master Barstowe?" I say, trying to inject excitement in my voice.
"Go get Stacy," he tells one of the family-wives.
The Mister starts walking through the living room, his index finger running over the furniture as he checks for dust. "Good job, Little Bird."
"Thank you, Master Barstowe."
"The house needs to look good especially today."
"Especially today?"
"We're celebrating right now! We're celebrating in a big way!"
I do not like this one bit. Some bomb is about to explode. I can feel it. I tell myself to make sure my feelings are masked. They had been running out of me too freely this day.
"Little Bird, we are about to become the most important household--next to the Highest Holy Grinder one, of course--in Paradise Village?"
>
How do we become that? I have a very bad feeling in my stomach.
Stacy steps into the living room. I have to hand it to her. She's made herself look sick. Her face is sullen, and her eyes unfocussed.
"Now that we're all here," the Mister announces, "I'd like to introduce you to the next family-wife." He opens the door and in walks Lauren. She had been Highest Holy Bledsoe's favorite wife because of her great beauty and sweet disposition. Stacy forgets to act ill and grimaces at the other blonde in the house. Unfortunately for her, Lauren is considered by the Masters to be the most attractive girl in Paradise Village. She's only seventeen years of age and had only been married to eighty year old Bledsoe for a year.
Now I know why the Mister had said his household would be the second most important one in Paradise Village. It would be considered extremely prestigious for him to marry the past Highest Holy man's favorite wife. I wonder how he managed to get her away from Grinder when they were dispersing Bledsoe's wives. The Mister is certainly powerful in this village. I no longer have any doubts about it whatsoever.
"I have another surprise," he says gleefully.
I brace myself.
"I've picked the head wife."
Stacy smirks happily, again forgetting to act sick. She knows that even with a new wife in the midst, he can't pick the sweet Lauren to be the iron hand. It's going to have to be Stacy.
"I thought long and hard about his. Believe me, the decision was difficult, but the Elders and I feel we need to make sure the households are running like the Great Master wants them to. Bernice and Agatha I can't pick you because you're too weak."
Stacy is almost jumping up and down with excitement.
"Little Bird, I love you best of all. . ." he says, leaving the rest of the sentence in the air.
Stacy's face falls with the chance that he may pick me. I take a huge breath and start a litany. Please don't pick me. Please don't pick me.
"But," he utters.
Stacy's features soften as do my insides.
"Monica, you're just too kind hearted and besides, you aren't my wife yet. Don't feel bad, Little Bird."
"I understand, Master Barstowe."
He smiles at me as if he's proud of me. Stacy, on the other side of me, looks as if she wants to do a somersault. Her face is beaming.
"The head wife is going to be . . ."
I can practically hear a drum roll as Stacy starts to step over to him. Her face radiates pure happiness.
But then he strides to the front door and swings it open. "Meet the next family-wife. She'll also be the head-wife."
Betsey steps in the house.