(Hey everyone! I have another pre – warning about where Amy ends up. I wanted to create a hell on earth situation after living in a bohemian lifestyle for a while and figured a harsh Catholic boarding school would be an interesting idea. I want you to know I have nothing against the Catholic faith or any faith at all; it was a hell on earth for my character. I hope this chapter does not offend anyone and I hope you all continue to read my story. Thank you to all who have read my story so far, I hope you are enjoying it. TKAMB aka Becky)
Chapter 10:
The group opened the door to the loft in silence and stepped inside. They all felt they were in absolute agony giving what had happened. The day started off being normal and perfect and it made them wonder how it could end in such agony. Roger stood in the middle of the loft and thought he could hear Amy at her piano playing away. He turned to look at it and saw the figure of Amy playing away and smiling. He watched her fade away as the music stopped and turned away once more. Looking around there were loads of little things of hers that only until that moment he really took notice of. Her book on the window seat, her slippers kicked off by the coffee table, her denim jacket on the back of one of the kitchen chairs. He looked over to her bedroom and walked in closing the door behind him. He stood amongst her things and felt tears flow down his cheeks. He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes thinking of the happy times he had spent with Amy and imagined she was in his arms, imagining that the day had just been a bad dream.
"Do you think Mummy is happy?" Amy asked and silence fell over them for a moment. Roger turned Amy over so she was looking at him and wrapped his arm around her once more
"I think she's happy that you are happy, that you're being looked after. She's happy you're as fun and smart and talented as you are. I think she's happy that you were in her life and George of course" Roger explained softly
"Do you think she's happy with you?" Amy asked
"I hope so"
"Are you and Mark happy with me?" Amy asked to which Roger smiled
"More than happy" he rubbed his nose against hers which made her smile softly. "Now get some sleep" he whispered and watched her fall back to sleep.
"I'm so sorry Amy ... Sarah ... I'm sorry" he whispered somehow wishing both would be able to hear him and there he remained for three days. He would only let Mark in to give him his AZT medication and the occasional food to keep his energy up. All he focus on was what Amy must be going through, and that thought alone gave him the energy to leave the room and begin to fight for her
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"Where is she?" was the first question Roger asked Joanne at the Loft. All the gang had come together to discuss what was going on. They were all sat around the kitchen table with Joanne's files scattered around them
"She's been placed in a Catholic boarding school for girls up town called Saint Josephs where she has to remain until the custody matter has been resolved" Joanne explained
"She's being looked after by a bunch of nuns?" Mark asked to which Joanne nodded
"Social service thought it would be the best place for her to go. I got the court orders through yesterday ... Because of the attack by the dog they are filing it under child abuse"
"WHAT?" Roger yelled in shock and looked at the documents that Joanne had been sent
"They can't do that" Maureen responded
"Oh yes they can if they feel it applies"
"Child abuse, false temporary custody, contact of inappropriate characters and living conditions?" Roger read aloud confused
"In other words you haven't proved you're her father with a test thus the temporary custody must be false and contact of inappropriate characters apply to us and the loft she's been living in. They feel, and so must this distant relative feel we are not capable of raising her"
"Bull" Tom muttered
"Who is the relative exactly?" Mark asked
"Tristan Campball, he's a teacher and lives in Palm Beach Florida. He did meet up with Sarah a few times before her death and helped out with her funeral. He's divorced with no children and has quite a fare savings and a large house right on the beach apparently" Joanne said reading his profile
"In other words he's everything I'm not" Roger said standing up and walking across the room
"Don't think of it like that Roger, think of it that you are everything that he's not. He hasn't cared for her and known what she's like when she's ill from her medication. You have more things on your side to make people side with you" Maureen said approaching him. When she was done he turned around and faced her
"Yeah and there is a million things against me as well" Roger muttered running his hands through his hair
"You can't think negatively Roger, it's like with anything you try hard at! If you believe you can't do something then you won't. You just have to keep on going, keep fighting" Mark explained
"You know what? Everyone my entire life has told me that I have to keep going, keep fighting. I'm starting to get sick and tired of it" Roger but his head in his hands and went silent for a moment before looking back up. "I'm sorry guys... I wish I could just ... talk to her, tell her everything will be ok" Roger explained and Maureen hugged him
"You can't do that Roger. None of us can. We are forbidden to communicate or see her unless she is called into court through the proceedings. We just have to wait. No doubt each of us will have to take the stand"
"When will it all begin?" Tom asked
"A month, Tristan is flying to New York for the trial" Joanne explained
"What do we do until then?" Roger asked
"We wait and see what the opposition come up with and meanwhile we come up with our own net. We do have one other thing on our side – Tamsin's social services report on Amy's dreams and how her carers in Florida did not recognise it" Joanne explained
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Amy felt completely numb when she woke up in the boarding school for another day that she felt was absolute hell. They were woken up at 6am to get washed and dressed to the standards set by the school. Hey uniform was a dark blue dress with black tights, black shoes and a white apron. All hair had to be worn up in either in one pig tail or two. 7am was Morning Prayer which was followed by breakfast. After breakfast at 8am it was Holy Communion after which lessons began. They were taught all subjects, had periods of study time and develop skills such as needle point, dress making, singing and art. 12:45 was a second holy communion and prayers followed by lunch. After lunch was an afternoon of lessons, 5:45pm were evening prayers. Dinner followed after which they had to go straight to bed for lights out at 8pm. Sunday was the only day that the girls got to rest but even then a day of rest consisted of chores and lesson work they had not completed for the next day. Sunday was also the only day in which the girls could write to their parents and be given any letters/ parcels from home, some if they were very lucky got a visit. It was the only taste of freedom that any of the girls felt in the school, a freedom that Amy was denied
The school catered for girls ranging in the ages of 5 – 18. All the girls felt the place was harsh but they knew they couldn't escape it. The entire estate it was on was cut off from the rest of the city by huge black iron gates, all the windows had bars on them and every door was locked after someone walked through them. Every now and then there would be girls crying in the corners but everyone helped each other out so they all supported each other. Everyone was terrified of the nuns. Even though they couldn't strike any of the girls by law, they still threatened to and found alternative ways of punishing the girls
Amy felt like a prisoner in the school. She was considered a sinner due to her illness. The nuns claimed that she must be a devil child for having such an illness. No one was allowed to talk to her during church services and she had to sit away from the congregation. In lessons she had to sit at the back of the class and was forbidden to write as being left handed was a sign of the devil according to several nuns in the school. It had gotten to the point where they strapped her left arm to her body. Her right arm was still in a cast so she spent most of the day sitting perfectly still and in silence staring at the wall in front of her. She had her own room which was small enough for Amy to consider it to be a cell that contained a bed, a sink and a chamber pot. All of her possessions had been taken away from her. If she screamed in the night no one came to help her, if she hurt herself she was left to deal with it herself, and if she was sick she had to carry on as if nothing was wrong. The only comfort she had was a few of the older girls who knew of Amy's situation and tried to help her as best as they could. Whenever they could see her energy was low due to her medication they would share their meals with her to keep her blood sugar up. Whenever one of the nuns got at her they would stick up for Amy forcing them into isolation as punishment but they knew it was worth it
One of these girls was Chelsea Rogers who was 17 and felt she had to protect Amy and all the other girls. She had been at the school since she was 5 years old and knew every way to get around the nuns. She would list requests from the other girls and sent them to her older brother who understood the situations at the school; however their father wouldn't believe them. Since they had a lot of money their father didn't notice the money being spent on the girls so it was an easy arrangement. Every few weeks a parcel would arrive for her from her brother full of the girl's request and she would share them out to the girls. She was a true Angel to girls in the school and all were dreading the day she would leave
Amy knelt in the gardens scrubbing down the patio area at the back of the kitchens as told to by Sister Margaret. She had a bucket of soapy water by her side and had a large brush in her left hand which was her only tool. Her shoulder was seriously hurting her and she panted for breath. She had wrapped a piece of cloth around her forehead and hair so that it kept off her face as she worked
"Amy!" she heard from the kitchen and looked up to see Chelsea in an apron carrying a basket. "The girls told me you were back here. Are you ok? That bat Margaret hasn't set you too harsh a punishment has she?" Chelsea asked kneeling down in front of Amy
"Harsh enough for me. My shoulder really hurts" she explained throwing the brush into the bucket
"Budge over" Chelsea said rolling up her sleeves and grabbing the brush. She began the brush the stones as rapidly as she could so Amy had less to do. Amy looked at the basket and saw many bread rolls and loafs and she instantly knew something was wrong
"Why is there bread in your basket?" Amy asked and Chelsea stopped scrubbing the ground. "The bread is collected by the nuns every day. Only trusted staff members are allowed outside the gate. How did you get that?" Amy asked fearing the answer and silence fell over them for a moment. Chelsea put the brush back in the bucket
"I'm getting out" she explained and saw the colour drain from Amy's face
"How? ... When?"
"In the next few weeks. I've already completed all the lessons that the sisters lay down. I can't stay here they won't let me! I'm meant to graduate next June not this bloody September! Look I'm leaving my details with the other girls so you can contact me. I'll send you anything you need all you have to do is tell one of the others girls and they'll include it in their letter to me. I'll visit you when I can I promise" Chelsea explained as tears filled Amy's eyes. "Amy please don't cry, your cries always make me cry" Chelsea explained tearing up
"I can't help it! You can't go Chelsea we need you" Amy said and Chelsea hugged her
"I never thought I'd say this about this place. I don't want to go but I have no choice" Chelsea explained holding Amy close
"You'll be going straight to isolation" they heard from the kitchen door and turned to see Sister Margaret. The girls stood up and Chelsea began to defend herself
"Please Sister Margaret, I was just telling Amy how I'm leaving and she was a little upset that's all"
"Even so you do not interrupt a punishment to relay such information on her is that understood?" Margaret explained stepping forward
"Yes Sister" Chelsea curtseyed and picked up the basket of bread and walking into the kitchen
"As for you Miss Morris what is that?" Margaret asked pointing towards Amy's head
"It is some cloth Sister to keep my hair out of my eyes" Amy explained with her head lowered
"Such items are forbidden from our school dress code is that clear?"
"Yes Sister, I'm sorry for offending the school dress code" Amy explained and Margaret grabbed her chin quickly raising Amy's head to look at her. Amy began to breathe heavily and her eyes were full of fear
"Not as sorry as you will be. Chelsea!" Margaret yelled and Chelsea appeared in the kitchen doorway
"Yes Sister?"
"Go to Sister Elizabeth's office and tell her I have a child who's behaviour must be displayed to those in the school" Chelsea and Amy knew that meant something bad was about to happen
"Yes Sister" Chelsea rushed off and Amy was lead through the corridors of the school as several bells began to chime. She stood in the middle of the great hall with Margaret behind her with a firm grip on Amy's dress. The hall quickly filled with people and Amy felt herself beginning to shake. All around her where girls staring at her and right in front of her was Chelsea looking petrified
"Girls, as you know the dress code at the school is one of high standards. We DO NOT accept any changes to the dress code performed by little children who do not consider the great lengths that we go to for their education. Breaking rules is a sin and if she needs a piece of cloth to keep her hair off her face, there is another way" Margaret pulled the cloth off Amy's head and to the horror of the other girls she pulled out a large pair of scissors
"Please Sister! Don't cut off her hair! It is so beautiful can't you see that as her positive asset provided for her by God?" Chelsea begged thinking of a possible positive side to Amy's hair. Amy softly shook her head to Chelsea to make her stop but it was too late
"This is not a child of God but a child of the devil. The only way she will learn and be accepted by God is if she is stops sinning. Until then she will be punished" with that Margaret began to cut away at Amy's hair and everyone watched as Amy's beautiful blonde locks fell to the ground. All that were close to Amy were crying and comforting each other as Amy looked right at Chelsea
"I'm sorry" Chelsea mouthed and Amy closed her eyes waiting for it to be over