"It was nice to meet you, Maggie. Normally school will be from 8-3 with lunch and recess. Today I wanted to see what you know", said Betty as she left the classroom with Maggie.
"Thanks, Ms. Williams, but I don't deserve to go to school."
"You are smart, Maggie."
"No I can't be smart! I thought I was as stupid as my mother."
"I think you are smart. You know how to do math."
"I'm shouldn't learn anything else though."
Lovey was waiting for Maggie and hated hearing Maggie talk like that.
"Hello Maggie. This is Peggy and she's going to show you to the dining room." Maggie walked off with the maid while Lovey stayed to talk to Betty.
"The poor dear, did she say many things like that?"
"Yes, Mrs. Howell. She just can't believe she is entitled to an education. She has very low self-esteem. She said she'll go to school because she must obey you. She's convinced its wrong for her to know anything other than Math. She said she used to do the shopping, so she knows math."
"Oh no, that's terrible! I want to help the dear, but it's so hard to convince her that those horrid people's ideas are not right!"
"Yes, I suppose we'll have to be patient."
"Thank you so much for taking this job! I think you'll do very well with Maggie."
"I hope I will. Have a good evening, Mrs. Howell."
"You too."
The dinner table overwhelmed Maggie. The table and room were so large and grand.
"Mrs. Howell, I can't eat here."
"Yes you can." Poor dear doesn't even think she's allowed to eat with us, thought Lovey.
"I must eat in the kitchen."
"You can eat here, Maggie. I'd never make you eat in the kitchen!"
"You'll let me eat here at this table?"
"Yes, Maggie, you can sit right here across from me." Lovey motioned and Maggie did so, feeling uncomfortable and unworthy to sit at such a grand table. She had never eaten in a dining room before.
"Hello Lovey dear. The closing bell was just wonderful! My stocks keep on going up and up! Hello, Maggie." Thurston kissed his wife and smiled at Maggie.
"Mrs. Howell said I may sit at the table, may I?"
"Of course, Maggie!" What an odd question Thurston thought.
"Maggie, do you like shrimp and crab? We are having seafood salad."
"I don't know."
Maggie barley ate her food and ate slowly in silence. Thurston and Lovey were in an animated conversation but Maggie did not contribute to the conversation.
After dinner Lovey talked to Maggie in the siting room. Maggie sat on the floor.
"Here let me help you up dear. You can sit here, all right?" She indicated a chair. Maggie sat in it hesitantly.
"Maggie, I talked to Ms. Smith..."
"I did everything she wanted me to!"
"Of course you did, dear. She says you don't think you can go to school. I want you to go because every child deserves to!"
"It's wrong for me though. Why are you making me do something I shouldn't do?"
"It's the law that every child must go to some school."
"It is. Mr. and Mrs. Murphy broke that law too?"
"Yes."
"Even people whose mothers were stupid whores?"
"Maggie, that's a very vulgar word! Yes you must have schooling too. It doesn't matter what your mother did!"
"Oh, I didn't know."
"Well you do now, thank goodness! I have a meeting to go to, now. Ms. Williams is going to stay with you until I get back."
"Will you come back tonight?"
"Of course I will. I'll be here to say goodnight to you. I hope you have fun with Ms. Williams."
Betty walked in the room with a book of fairy tales.
"Hello, Maggie would you like me to read to you?"
"Read to me? Mrs. Howell says the law says I have to learn."
"Yes, she's right. Do you want to learn how to read now or for me to read you stories with happy endings?"
"What am I supposed to do?" Maggie wasn't used to making decisions yet.
"What you want to do?"
"Hear the stories, can I?"
"Yes, Maggie. You can sit next to me."
"Goodbye, Maggie, dear." Lovey left for her DAR meeting.
"Once upon a time.." Betty began.
Two hours later Betty had just carried the sleeping child to bed. Lovey had just got home and went into Maggie's room and kissed the sleeping child. "I hope one day you'll understand what love and kindness is", Lovey wisped