I didn’t know how to feel because the hope I had tasted on the way back to Susie’s home was slowly disappearing and I felt I was again left with a lot of nothing.
“It seems like the room is some kind of clinic for couples,” I gestured. “But why hold it at such a secret place?”
“Did you see how many couples went inside?” Susie motioned. “It was quite a lot and I forgot to count though.”
“Yea but there is nothing to prove anything illegal on the video except for the location itself,” I signed. “I don’t think there may be even a process and it looks like we have been chasing rainbows. Sorry for wasting your time.”
“Let’s take a look at the video again,” Susie signaled. “We may have missed something.”
I decided to entertain her never give up attitude, but the reality was we had reached another dead-end and I was getting tired of it. Should I give myself up to the Magistrate? It was tempting as I would no longer be the most wanted person in Thomson, I could finally stop running and the Magistrate may not be so bad since they could even help find out what’s wrong with me, but I knew this was wishful thinking.
“We are not giving up okay?” Susie tried to cheer me up.
My facial expression must have been obvious to her as I smiled weakly.
“Remember the Magistrate sees you as a threat,” Susie reminded me. “If they caught you my guess is they wouldn’t hesitate to kill you because your new ability is something which takes away their control of the people. The Magistrate won’t give up their control to anyone and especially not to a teenage girl since they know your ability would bring fresh hope to the people, let them express themselves and find meaning and purpose again.”
Susie’s words brought me strength helping me recall Felix’s last words and making me refocus on the fact the Magistrate was pure evil who would go all out to catch me in horrible ways, but I knew I could not let them win.
“There are many people whose lives would improve so much if they could speak,” Susie continued. “Sign language is great and all but it has its limitations. The power of words is something we cannot underestimate because it can build people up in so many ways.”
“But it can also destroy people,” I motioned back. “The power of words can really bring people down too.”
Now I was beginning to think like Josh and I wondered why I let Josh’s words shape my mind in such a powerful and dangerous way.
“Yes, but we need to have the freedom to decide right,” Susie gestured. “Look at us now. We can’t and don’t have a chance to make such a choice because the choice is gone the moment we are born. Having the right to choose would make a huge difference for us.”
I understood her point although my feelings continued to sing to a different tune and I tried to shake this gloom and doom off me.
“Thanks for just now,” I signed appreciatively. “I needed to hear it.”
Susie smiled. While I had experienced such deep loss during this whole saga I had also been fortunate to experience some amazing gains and Susie was one of the those gains and trusting her had really helped me and no one could have ever imagined the most popular girl in school would stick out her neck for someone like me. For her to see something in me worth fighting for was amazing and life had its unexpected ways of bringing help when you needed it.
The second viewing of the video footage revealed nothing new, but I was determined not to let it affect me.
“I know what I am going to do,” Susie signed. “You may not like it, but we must. I am going to ask my dad.”
“Huh.… wait…. are you sure?” I motion in surprised.
Bringing an adult into this mess was complicated and her dad wasn’t another ordinary adult because he was connected to the Magistrate.
“I know… it is risky,” Susie motioned. “But maybe he can show me what is going on.”
“We need to be careful though,” I signed. “Try not to tell him too many details.”
Susie nodded. “Don’t worry my dad is my dad. He always looks out for me and I know he would never choose the Magistrate over me.”
Susie’s confidence in her father calmed my nerves a bit, but I had a disturbed feeling about it.
I decided to let her try this strategy. “Susie you know your dad best.”
Susie nodded. “Let me talk to him alone here. You can hide and watch from my closet because I don’t want him to see you. It would certainly complicate things for him if someone the Magistrate is after is hiding here under his very own nose.”
I agreed with her.
THIRTY-THREE
I realized Susie’s walk-in closet was so much bigger than the one I was inside at Mrs Wills’ home as I sat down on one of the boxes to wait it out. Susie left a slight opening for me to peer through and I hoped she knew what she was doing because I really didn’t know how her dad was going to react to this and it could go downhill very fast if her dad reacted badly but, no matter what, I must let it play out.
I heard her dad coming up the stairs and he entered the room, saw Susie at the computer, walked over and hugged her.
“What is going on Susie?” her dad signed. “Your message sounded so urgent.”
I was glad the position he was standing in would help me see the entire conversation with Susie.
“Dad I am going to show you something,” Susie started. “You may not like what you see but I need you to stay calm and tell me what’s going on.”
She clicked something on her computer and, although I couldn’t see her dad’s facial impression, he stepped back a bit.
“Where did you get this from?” Susie’s dad motioned. “Did someone give you this video footage?”
The uneasy feeling emerged again and I started to think we shouldn’t have done this.
“I saw something about a Compound one day when you didn’t shutdown your computer,” Susie gestured. “I am sorry for being curious about it but with all the news reports going around these days I wanted to know more.”
Susie’s dad placed his arms on his hips.
“WHAT???? You shouldn’t be going through my computer,” her dad signed. “The computer belongs to the Magistrate and everything on it is considered to be confidential.”
“Hmmmmm…. okay,” Susie signaled. “I also went down to this Compound building, snooped around a bit and it is where I found this storage device issued by the Magistrate. The device had this video footage, but I was confused when I saw it and I wanted to ask you about. I didn’t mean to….”
“Oh my goodness,” her dad interrupted. “What are you doing Susie? This is none of your business and you shouldn’t have gone down to the building because it is considered trespassing and is very dangerous.”
This wasn’t going the way we planned.
“I wanted to help my friend Marinette,” Susie signed in defense. “She isn’t the person the news is making her out to be.”
Oh no. She shouldn’t have mentioned my name.
“Why are you talking about her and what does this video footage have to do with her? The girl has gotten herself into her own problems,” her dad motioned. “You should stay away from her as she is in a lot of trouble. Haven’t you been watching the news in the past day? Her face is everywhere. She isn’t your problem and you shouldn’t be friends with someone like her.”
Someone like her. What did he mean by it? Was it because I had no parents or because I was a nobody unlike his daughter who was a somebody and the most popular girl in school with so much to look forward to? Susie’s dad’s words made me bite my lip and I wanted to defend myself, but I knew I cannot.
“But…. ,” Susie began to defend me.
“But nothing,” her dad motioned. “You need to stay far away from her and this is not a request I am making. When did you use my computer?”
Susie described what she did leaving me out of her story.
Susie’s dad brought his hands to his head in frustration. “OH NO! You have no idea what you have done
my dear!”
Susie was sweating as she looked at her dad and I realized this wasn’t the reaction she had expected from her dad.
“This computer is monitored 24/7 by the Magistrate because it’s their property,” Susie’s dad signed. “They have ways of knowing when I log in and log off and when you used my computer I was at work meaning they will know someone else used it illegally. They also install software on such computers to track the things typed in and there is a hidden camera that is auto-activated when any suspicious activity is noted. This recording is sent back to the Magistrate with an alert and by now they would be processing all of this information.”
Susie’s dad stopped for a while as Susie briefly turned and looked me in the eyes. Her face was flushed with her eyes white with fear and her face looked like the blood had drained off it and I knew this had gone bad fast.
“Does your mother know anything about what you have been up to?” her dad signed.
Susie shook her head as her dad used his hands to wipe away something on his face. Was he crying? Why was he crying?
“Honey I am sorry, but I need to do this,” her dad began. “It is only a matter of time before the Magistrate figures out everything about who used my computer. Unauthorized use of their computers is an offence and their officers will be coming for you any time now.”
I put my hand to my mouth. What had I done? This could not be happening to Susie and it was my fault because I brought her into it. Oliver’s capture was my fault and so was Felix’s death and now it was Susie’s turn and I could not let this happen again and, without thinking, I jumped out of the closet.
Both Susie and her dad turned to look at me and Susie’s dad’s eyes were glaring as a scowl emerged and the muscles on his face tightened. Susie’s eyes widened the moment I appeared because I knew this wasn’t the plan and I should have stayed hidden but, then again, things had gone completely wrong. I didn’t know what else to do and I could not let Susie take all the blame.
“What is SHE doing here? What the hell is going on here?” her dad signed pointing at me.
“Marinette isn’t a killer! I know she didn’t do what they said she did, and I am trying to help her,” Susie motioned. “She is my friend, dad!”
“This is totally crazy. Have you lost your mind Susie?” Susie’s dad motioned. “The whole Magistrate I work for is looking for her and you bring her to our home putting me in a very awkward position. Our whole family could be in trouble because you brought her here and all of us could be taken away because of your lack of concern for the welfare of this family.”
I stood motionless and wanted to say something, but I didn’t want to make matters any worse than it was. It was a stupid thing to do walking out of the closet because Susie’s dad had gotten more angrier since I came out.
“Susie you need to get out of here fast,” her dad signaled. “This is for your own protection because the officers will question you in ways I don’t want to even mention. I cannot protect you then and this is the only way you can be safe and please take your so-called friend with you.”
The way he said friend made me want to tell him everything and even make a sound just to show him how wrong he was about me and why Susie was doing what she was doing for me but this wasn’t the time for it because the problem was I could not control when I made a sound and Susie’s dad didn’t appear to be willing to listen to me.
Both Susie and her dad were now tearing, and I tried not to make any eye contact with either of them as I slowly moved away to a corner of the room so as to give them some space.
“It is okay dad,” Susie finally signed. “I made a choice to help Marinette and please don’t be angry with her because I chose her way before she even knew I knew about her. The consequence is mine to bear and I am sorry and didn’t mean to cause all this but I believe what I am doing is the right thing and I hope someday you will understand.”
I chose her. Those words moved me so much I started to tear, and I hoped again I was worth all of this.
Susie’s dad looked at Susie, hugged her as my eyes continued to tear, didn’t look at me anymore and had his hands in his pockets with his head looking down. I guess he knew he could not change his daughter’s mind in this matter and I felt bad for him because he was about to lose his only child to the mercy of the world out there. I was sure he never imagined his day would end like this.
“I do not understand everything going on here, but I trust you Susie. You have always made wise decisions but I don’t know how I am going to explain this to your mother or how she is going to take this news, but you must please leave tonight,” Susie’s dad gestured. “The Magistrate’s officers will be coming soon and here is all the cash I have on me now. Take whatever you need and go and hide somewhere until I can think of a way to get you out of this.”
Tonight! Oh my gosh. This was all happening too fast because a few minutes ago Susie was living the most popular girl in school teenage dream and, now, in an instant it was all gone. Susie’s decision to confide in her father had led her to leave her home and everything she had known behind.
“But what about you and mum?” Susie motioned. “What will the Magistrate do to you?”
“I don’t think they will do anything,” Susie’s dad signed. “They will think you did this on your own.”
I watched helplessly as Susie started packing and her dad left us in the room shaking his head and I wanted to say something, but I didn’t know where to even start.
“I am so so sorry ….,” I signed.
Susie waved it off. “We need to get out of here first okay. My dad’s right and I should have been more careful about all of this. Here help me with this.”
I helped her pack and, as we both left her home, I didn’t see Susie’s dad again.
THIRTY-FOUR
Every decision made produces a consequence and whether good or bad this was a non-negotiable part of life and sometimes we never see the consequence until a series of decisions fall together in the right way to trigger it.
For Susie being forced out of her popular girl image and her wonderful home really was the result of a series of decisions she had made. To her I think it was the right set of decisions in the moment but neither she nor I could have ever imagined the eventual consequence. Would she have done it differently if she had known the eventual consequence or would any of us have done it differently had we known? It was a difficult question to answer because the decisions we make really define who we are and who we are becoming. For Susie it defined the kind of person she wanted to be and how she saw my ability to speak as a game-changer.
I was astonished to see Susie’s determination and courage to support me in this whole saga in front of her dad and amidst so many tears. She could have easily thrown me under the bus and asked her dad to protect her and I was sure her dad would have figured out a way and Susie would still be in her home continuing with a normal teenage girl’s worries. Yet, aware of the unknown she faced out there she chose to stay with her decision and the greater truth for society over her comfort. It was one thing for a family member to sacrifice for you because blood is thicker than water, but it was a completely different thing when a stranger, like Susie to me, sacrifice for you. Her ability to sacrifice for an unknown person like me was beyond any words I could describe, and I didn’t think I could ever repay her for what she did and, although I still didn’t know if I was worthy of such a sacrifice, I was very deeply touched by her actions.
The bus was half full of people, Susie hadn’t said a word ever since we left her home, her dad never chased after her to plead her to stay and no messages came to her phone from her parents. The dream of Susie, the most popular girl in school, and her picture postcard family took a beating tonight and it was all because of me.
We were on the way to the meeting point with Oliver since at this time of night it was the only place I could think of. We both remained unnoticed way in the back seat and once we reached near the place we got off and w
alked towards Oliver’s friend’s home, which was a few steps away.
As Oliver had instructed me we went to the back of the home, entered by the side gate, and I tried the back-door latch and it opened. Walking in slowly followed by Susie I switched on the lights to find we were in an empty kitchen which appeared to have not been used for a while. The last time I had been in a kitchen like this was during Felix’s last living moments and I slowly turned my face away from Susie, so she couldn’t see my tears.
Piercing Through the Silence Page 15