From that moment, Dinah changed. No more was she the irresponsible,
careless, naïve teenager, but a solemn, troubled adult. For weeks, she
didn't speak to anyone. She still lived with Barbara and Helena in the
clocktower, but still managed to avoid them pretty well. Finally, one day
at breakfast, Barbara breaks the silence. "Dinah," she said sternly, but
with a hint of gentleness, "Dinah, talk to me." Dinah looked up at her,
then back to her plate. "What's there to talk about?" she muttered.
"Well, let's see, there's school, the weather, that's always nice.," Barbara retorted, her voice rising.
"Or maybe, how you lied to me about my own mother, you wanna talk about that?!" Dinah yelled, her own voice rising.
"We didn't want you to experience the death again. We thought it would be too much for you to handle," the trainer replied, now yelling, "We figured the less you remembered, the better off you'd be."
"So you lied to me?!" Dinah asked, "Barbara, in life, everyone experiences deaths like this. I could've handled it. When I looked at that picture, it all came as such a shock. If you and Helena told me, I could have had more time to comprehend it; I wouldn't be like this now. Now, I don't even know if I can trust you guys now. I'm too afraid."
Barbara just sat there, numbed with both disbelief and sorrow. This was the first time she heard Dinah like this; so grown up, and mature. She knew the next thing that comes out of her adopted child's mouth will be something a mother never wants to hear.
"Barbara," the girl began, "I think I want to quit."
"Well, let's see, there's school, the weather, that's always nice.," Barbara retorted, her voice rising.
"Or maybe, how you lied to me about my own mother, you wanna talk about that?!" Dinah yelled, her own voice rising.
"We didn't want you to experience the death again. We thought it would be too much for you to handle," the trainer replied, now yelling, "We figured the less you remembered, the better off you'd be."
"So you lied to me?!" Dinah asked, "Barbara, in life, everyone experiences deaths like this. I could've handled it. When I looked at that picture, it all came as such a shock. If you and Helena told me, I could have had more time to comprehend it; I wouldn't be like this now. Now, I don't even know if I can trust you guys now. I'm too afraid."
Barbara just sat there, numbed with both disbelief and sorrow. This was the first time she heard Dinah like this; so grown up, and mature. She knew the next thing that comes out of her adopted child's mouth will be something a mother never wants to hear.
"Barbara," the girl began, "I think I want to quit."