The lobby of the International Tribunal on War Crimes was certainly ornate. It showed the hypocrites that the Canadians were. Ornate or not, this was a prison. Fred and Serena, they were in here while child traffickers roamed free in Toronto. While the immoral "free" press lauded the kidnapping of eighty-six of our children. (Thank the Lord, our precious Angela was safe.)
While in Canada, Warren had not needed to remind me to stay quiet in front of socialist, woke-cancel-culture reporters - the fake-news paparazzi, who assaulted you at every turn. No need. Gilead was leading the world in the God ordained fight for civilization itself, the fertility war. You never heard about that in Canada.
Instead of fighting infertility like we did, Canadians, Americans, ICC and ITWC people were criminalizing those doing something about it. Like Fred Waterford and his Wife, my friend, Serena Joy.
Warren was in another part of the facility with Fred. Fred, he needed his Cubans. Me, I was about to be introduced to proof of God's favour on Gilead. I was to see for myself Serena Joy's blessed baby bump. The baby she'd prophesied so long ago. In the midst of this ugly hypocrisy that was Canada, God was proving through Serena Joy's womb, that he was still in control.
Okay, one last caution from Warren. Do not, he repeated, do not raise with Serena Joy what could be in store for the Waterfords if they were ever returned to New Gilead. As its acting-High Commander, Warren had to keep many balls in the air at once. It was not clear what would happen to Fred if returned.
And if it was not clear for Fred, it was even more up in the air about Serena or her baby. But I had confidence in her, she knew her duty. We Wives, we were going to get through this. Look what was happening to poor, poor, Olivia Winslow. Her husband missing, her children in doubt.
Maybe I'll just play it cool with Serena, once they get around to letting me see her. Maybe I'll just volunteer to take Serena's baby, and see if that settles things for her.
THE SCHLAFLY'S
It was heady having this gathering of The Schlafly's at Warren's and my home. Not just any gathering - one that we had to put out extra chairs for, and hire caterers. Our spacious front living-room was not nearly large enough, so we held it out back under our large, covered deck, hoping no one would fall into the pool!.
The Schlafly's, I'd been elected its chairwoman last year, coinciding with Andrew Pryce naming my Warren as his lieutenant in Council. Both of us, we were now rubbing shoulders with the movers and shakers of the 'new America' to come. The Sons of Jacob.
The main draw of this catered-do, was Serena Joy Waterford, at my home no less. Author of "A Woman's Place." Today she was talking about her two new manuscripts - "Reproduction as a Moral Imperative," as well as "Fertility as a National Resource". Serena Joy, she was a powerhouse of a woman.
Even though her husband, Fred, and my husband, Warren, were leaders in the Sons of Jacob, Serena Joy and I had never met. Indeed, now that I was going to publicly welcome her into my home (with press outside), I hoped I wouldn't embarrass myself.
Indeed, Serena Joy had just survived an assassination attempt, hence the paparazzi followed her everywhere. Even the liberal, fake-news covered her 24/7, there seemed no stopping her from becoming perhaps the most influential voice in the 'rebuild' of America along Biblical lines. Every time they belittled her, she found more supporters in women who'd been 'left behind' by liberal America.
The liberal press, it spun my The Schlafly Club as being anti-women. In Serena Joy, she was proof that nothing was further from the truth. The liberals, they always claimed that if the Sons of Jacob ever dominated America, that women would be oppressed. Yet even they hyped Serena Joy as winding up as a national leader, if and when the Sons of Jacob could control government and nominations to the courts.
When Serena Joy arrived, the other wives of our movement positively squealed. The Schlafly's, Serena Joy had us eating out of her hand. Her speech about fertility and a woman's place was electric. She led us through the rationale for the proper, Biblical corrections that America needed. America needed conversion - from the 'freedom to', to the 'freedom from'. Women had to accept their primary place at the 'top of the moral totem pole', as she put it. 'We're not oppressed, we're the vanguard!' We had to accept our lofty, God-ordained purpose, and leave the mundane, more messy lowly matters to men. Like politics. Like security.
She closed with her patented call to women: "But moreover, never mistake a woman's meekness, for weakness." That brought us to our feet.
As it had everywhere else, that clarion call to The Schlafly's was mocked in the press. But I looked around, even the hired help, the women from the catering company - they paused to applaud. There it was right there, those econo-women (as Warren called them, since they were the basis of our economy), they were the forgotten of liberal America.
Following the ovation, even as I was the chairwoman of this gathering, I had to wait my turn to speak to Serena Joy. "Mrs. Waterford," I said, which she corrected, asking me to address her by her given names…. so I began again somewhat embarrassed, "Serena Joy, I'd like to say one thing. If the rumours are true, that the Sons of Jacob are considering a place for you, in a post-American revolution Biblical republic, in governance I mean, I would support you."
With a steely stare, she grasped my wrists hard. She'd not mentioned yet being shot, so it surprised me that she spoke of it. "Naomi, this is a God-given opportunity for all of us to begin again. Me, I'd been shot in the womb. But my faith tells me that God can do anything." Her gaze lessened and she smiled, "So for me, any offer to participate in Gilead governance, I would pass."
'Gilead'? What was that? I'd not heard that term before.
Later, Warren told me that it was smart that I was seen in the photos with Serena Joy from the gathering. That I was to pay-no-mind to the snarky spin the press had put on it. Both on-line and in print, there I was with Serena Joy Waterford.
It also afforded me to ask Warren, "What's 'Gilead'?"
BIRTH
Angela's birth was a household godsend. Warren had called it God's miracle, even as he then recited the 'line-items' as he called them, that the New Gilead Chancery had put into place to facilitate it, line-items now copied all over Gilead. Warren was big on the Commanders of the Faithful, and how their responsibility was to 'facilitate miracles'. The Red Centre. Handmaids. The Ceremony. Et cetera, et cetera. Building like Solomon.
Me, I looked at little Angela - she was the miracle. Straight from God with no intermediary, she was mine. She was the first 100% healthy, Bilhah birth in the District. If there had been another, I was not aware of it. Most of the other children had been placements.
So why was I so depressed?
The little bitch, Ofwarren, she had bitten me. Ofwarren had been breastfeeding wrong, not a bit like we Wives had been shown. Ofwarren, the one-eyed freak, she wouldn't let Angela go, kept calling her 'Charlotte'. Kept saying, "I've done this before!" I slapped her, she cussed me out. A Handmaid, cussing! Little bitch.
Ok, but I'm not going to blame Ofwarren for me being low.
Then there was when Serena Joy Waterford came to the rescue. I'd falsely thought that that woman had been the real deal. Kind? Understanding? Right.
She came over with her Handmaid, Offred, who Serena said would calm Ofwarren. Truth be told, both Handmaids had had births before, both children had ended up serving Gilead as placements in proper homes.
I told Serena Joy how it had been since the birth. I described the Handmaid's recalcitrance. I said to Serena, "there are times when she is outright disobedient. With Warren's position in Chancery, it makes one wonder what The Red Centre was thinking. Why would we get a damaged one?" With Serena Joy, I knew I had to tread lightly with regard to The Red Centre - their own, first Bilhah placement had been a tragic disaster.
The other Wives, we'd heard the stories about Fred's role in that tragedy. Yet there I was, seeking help from Serena Joy - I was in no position to point fingers at Fred, or even Ofwarren.
"Serena," I blushed, "can I raise some delicate, personal things?" She took my hand and assured me I could. What I wanted to talk about was Warren's staff. They had been the enablers of his 'obsessions'. With women. His staff, they covered for him.
"Serena," I said looking down, "I thought a birth would change our house. Our marriage." I stopped, "don't get me wrong, God has miraculously blessed us." I looked around the living room for prying ears, then softly continued, "Warren has appetites. If he were anyone other than a Commander, his 'wishes' in the bedroom, I would report him." I told him that with Ofwarren convalescing, his 'demands', they were now on me.
Serena remained stoic, I could not read her face, not at all. I feared I had said too much.
When I said, "You remember the fuss about your first Offred…." she dropped my hands and leaned back.
She said sternly, "You mind your husband and I'll mind mine." She and her handmaid left shortly after that. I feared that I'd blown it that day with Serena Joy.
What we needed, though, our house - what we needed was Ofwarren out of there. She was more trouble than she was worth. As soon as The Red Centre said that Angela could go on the bottle, the little one-eyed freak was gone.
MEN DON'T CHANGE
The Monroe's had taken Ofwarren, now officially Ofdaniel. I didn't care how the Red Centre had handled it. The little bitch was gone.
I thought that we were done with her, her lunacy and her violence. I'll give Emma Monroe one thing, she had the patience of Job. God had blessed Emma with something I lacked.
We were woken early in the morning by a call from the Monroe's. Warren had been petitioned by Daniel Monroe, "check for Angela, and get back to me." It was me who screamed, flipping the covers off and sprinting to Angela's room.
She was gone!
Your mind explodes. God must be thanked because the people around me knew what to do. Warren got his Guardians into action, got the SUV - went over to pick up Commander Monroe and one of the Monroe marthas.
But also, Warren called the Waterfords. The Waterfords!? "Bring Offred. Beacon Street Bridge. ASAP."
My memory of it? Two things were seared into my soul. Angela ended up safe, but it was acidic how we got there.
Ofdaniel stood on the wide, stone-rail of the bridge, holding Angela with nothing but the river below her. Screamed that we were to stay back or she'd jump. I wanted to scream at the Guardians, "Shoot her! Shoot her!" But one lone synapse of sanity kept my mouth shut.
The second thing? It was as I'd confessed to Serena Joy after Angela's birth. My depression. The things Warren always wanted me to do in the bedroom. The late-night footsteps from Ofwarren's room to Warren's study. What everyone knew was going on. What even Serena had told me "to mind", when I'd brought up her own husband.
Now for the whole world to hear at the Beacon Street Bridge.
Ofwarren's words. Even from the pitiful, stupid freak, they were true. "Her name is Charlotte, you lying fuck. You said we would be a family." When Warren had replied that Ofwarren was not well, she yelled for all to hear, "I was well enough to suck your cock. I did every fucked-up thing you wanted. All the freaky shit she'd never do…."
I looked at Warren, and he looked like a little boy, caught at the cookie jar.
Ofwarren continued yelling, "You promised me we would run off and we would be a family."
I screamed, "Ok, that's enough!" It was all out. When this was over, Warren was going to pay.
Then Offred started towards Ofwarren, saying softly, "Janine… Janine…"
Ofwarren said, "They all think I'm crazy. But I'm not." Offred said that she knew.
The day got longer, and there was nothing the Sons of Jacob could do about it. Angela was saved, but let's see Warren's enablers handle this!