Teach Her a Lesson
Summary: Aunt Lydia is called before the counsel to explain the failings of recent Handmaids trained under her and learn if she still has a future at The Red Center.
Chapter 1
Aunt Lydia has been up and dressed for hours. Truth be told, she never really slept last night. She is dressed and waiting, waiting on the time to pass, waiting to be driven to the Full Counsel meeting. She is scheduled to be there at 10:00am.
There is a tap at her door. "Come in", she says. The door opens, Aunt Elizabeth steps in holding Lydia's breakfast trey. A "Martha in Training" usually bring the trey, but Elizabeth waited in the hall way, took it from her and sent her back to the kitchen.
"I just wanted to say that we are all praying for you", said Aunt Elizabeth. Lydia did not respond, just nodded her head in understanding. Elizabeth placed the tray on the small table in Lydia's room and left. Elizabeth thought Lydia might want to talk or at the least, not be alone this last hour. But Lydia said nothing more so Elizabeth left the room.
Elizabeth and Lydia were the first ones placed at the Re-training Center, also called the Red Center. They were the first to actually refer to each other as "Aunt Lydia" and "Aunt Elizabeth". Together, they interviewed, picked and trained the rest of the teaching staff. The teaching staff are more like monitors in Aunt's clothing. Only Lydia and Elizabeth actually teach, the monitors stand around until needed to slap the face of an out of line handmaid, pick up a over turned chair, hold a new handmaid's head still while she is being red ragged, all the while keeping a watchful eye for anything and everything.
Prior to the arrival of the first set of girls, Elizabeth and Lydia picked their own rooms and assigned the bedrooms (converted class room) to the staff. They set up the day and night works schedule. They decided who and how many will work nights monitoring the handmaids as they sleep on cots in the gyms. They decided who would supervise meals, showers, outdoor exercise and teaching sessions.
At first, Lydia was surprised that she is being called to speak to the Council, then she realized that it made sense that they would want to hear directly from her because no one else really knows the details. Commander Stewart told her about the summons yesterday.
Commander Stewart is a small man of little real consequence. Because woman can not work, much less, be in a leadership position, Commander Stewart was placed in charge of all Re-Training Centers in the Territory (formerly the Greater Boston Area).
There are two re-training centers under his authority. One is the Red-Center which re-trains single woman of child baring age to be Hand-maids. It also provides "On the Job" training for up and coming Marthas. The other re-training center under Commander Stewart is the ""Pink Centers". Pink centers are for orphan girls ages 5 to 16. At age 17, they have their first GYN physical by a doctor to see if everything is in working order. Those who pass, are moved to the Red-Centers to begin their training. When they reach 18, they are assessed for placement in Commander's home.
When all second marriages were determined to be illegal so that those fertile woman could be pressed into Handmaid service, many children instantly became orphans without a legal parent. The girls ages 5-16 were placed in "Pink Centers" and the boys were placed into Military schools where they learn the art of war until they reach 16. At that time, they are given a choice, join the Army of Giliade or go to the colonies.
Babies and children under 5 are placed in approved foster homes (middle class econo-wives), with the understanding that at age 7, the child either goes to a Pink Center if female or a Military school if a male.
It was felt that all Re-training centers would fall under one Commander, Commander Ethan Stewart, former vice principal of a high school in Boston landed the position. Because woman cant work or earn money, Aunts and Marthas are considered "volunteers". They are given food, clothing, shelter and medical care, this is all they need. Some, like Lydia, are given power. Because woman can not read or write, Aunt Lydia records her report using a hand-held tape recorder. She give the days tape and a short verbal report to Commander Stewart once a day. He also gets verbal and taped reports from the Lead Aunt teaching Martha Trainees and the Lead Aunt from the Pink Center (Aunt Marion) and the Lead Aunt over all Foster Homes (Aunt Deloris).
On any given day, Commander Stewart can tell the Full Council how many Hand-maids are placed, how many are in training at the Red Center, how many younger girls are in line to become Hand-maids, that is how many are at the Pink Center and in Foster Homes. He can also gives numbers of how many have run away, been redeemed and how many have been sent to the colonies.
Truth is, Commander Stewart is informally a lower level Commander. He is a loner, not married and not in the higher circles of the more powerful Commanders like Waterford and Putman. He has no idea that the Jezebels even exists. He knows that Myra was caught, but both he and all the Aunts think she was sent to the colonies.
Commander Stewart also keeps tabs on the Hand-maids that are placed in Commander homes. He makes contact with each home by telephone, usually the Martha, but sometimes the wife, at least once a week. He knows how many are currently pregnant, how many are in their first placement, their second and their third and when those placements are ending, No Hand-maid gets a fourth placement. If there are any handmaid problems, either the Martha or the Wife can call Commander Stewart straight away. Commander Stewarts relays the problem to Aunt Lydia and she usually takes care of it and then tells him how it was handled.
Lastly, and the most important data, he knows how many have given birth to a fully formed health baby and so far every healthy born baby is still living and thriving.
Even through his Red Center has been very successful, Stewart was unexpectedly first and foremost on the agenda at the last Full Counsel meeting. He was being peppered with question after question of recent activities by Handmaids from his Red Center. First, they missed the Gender-Trader and even after redemption and re-placement, she stole a car and killed one Guardian and injured another. Another delusional Hand-maid, kid-napped a baby and endangered her life and lastly, another hand-maid lead the entire group to rebel in their duty in the particicution of a convicted criminal who had endangered a child.
It was obvious that the Council as a whole was beginning to think that these problems may not be just isolated events or individual problems, but a much bigger systemic problem. It appears to be the failure of the Re-Training Centers in training and assessing these women. It was at this point that Commander Steward brought up Aunt Lydia as the common thread to all of these woman. He explained that he felt that she is a true believer who takes her duties seriously, but maybe the job of re-training grown woman maybe more than she is capable of doing.
Waterford's house also drew some questions and comments having had two failed handmaids in his home, one killed herself and the other caused serious problems and disappeared, not to mention his driver who has also disappeared, apparently with the handmaid.
Waterford made the mistake of over defending his household and not appearing humble enough stating that it was Offred who saved baby Angela Putman from that mad woman. Commander Pryce interrupted sternly saying, "God saved baby Putman, not that handmaid!". All of the Commanders, including Waterford, silently agreed.
Commander Pryce told Commander Stewart to have Aunt Lydia attend the first part of the next Full Counsel meeting set two days from today. Commander Pryce added, remind Aunt Lydia that she will be here to answer straight forward questions and we will want concise answers. We are not interested in long speeches or her opinions. Commander Stewart agreed. Both Steward and Waterford breathed a sigh a relief.
End of Chapter 1