by Tey Holden
“Snob!” Karen laughed and went upstairs to change.
***
Raising Alex proved to be a challenge in more than one way. She was very bright and was never afraid to raise questions.
“M’Addy am I adopted?”
“Whatever makes you think that, Alex? Haven’t you looked yourself in the mirror lately? Don’t you see that you look exactly like your mother?”
“Yes, but I don’t have a daddy, and I also don’t look like you. And two women can’t make a baby. I know that already. A daddy has to kiss a mommy to make a baby. How come I don’t have a daddy?”
Addy had to provide an answer and although she didn’t like to lie to Alex, she also didn’t need to lay it all out. In this case, the lawyer in her took over and the solution simply was to provide the necessary information asked. After all, someone who thought that a daddy had to kiss a mommy to make a baby had a long way to go to understand artificial insemination. Or was she ready?
Alex looked at her expectantly. Oh dear! “Well, Alex, I thought we discussed this some time ago.”
“M’Addy, I’m six. The God and the angel story were okay when I was four, but I’m all grown up now, and I want to know why I don’t have a daddy.”
Well, there was no point in postponing the inevitable, but how could she explain it in a manner Alex would understand? “Okay, let’s see how do I explain things to you? First, Mommy Karen is definitely your mom. You were in her belly for nine long months.” That statement made Alex smile.
“You are also right. Two women cannot biologically make a baby. We however, made you up in our minds and our heart. You see, Mommy Karen and I were already married when we decided to have you. We wanted you very much. So, since we needed a man to make our baby, we went to see a famous doctor in Sweden.” She paused and almost felt like saying: ‘the doctor took her magic wand and—.’ But she thought that the magic wand story would be right there with God and the angel ones and decided to keep it as real as possible.
“The doctor in Sweden specialized in something called ‘artificial insemination.’”
Alex opened her eyes. “I was artificially inseminated?”
“No, silly! Mommy Karen was!”
It was questionable at this point who was the silliest, since Addy didn’t know for a fact that Alex knew what artificial insemination was! However, in cases of uncertainty, the best tactic was always to probe what the other party understood the terminology to mean.
“Do you know what artificial insemination is?”
“Yes. I saw a documentary on television about it.”
Oh dear, God! They are showing that on prime time now? We are going to have to pay closer attention to what this child is watching. I need to talk to Karen about this matter.
“I watched it because it was about horses.”
Addy chuckled in relief. “About horses?”
“Yes. Like they take a little piece of a horse and put it inside the mare and then she has a baby horse. It’s like a miracle!” She then opened her eyes real big. “Is that what happened with me?”
“Yes, Alex, they do that for humans who cannot have a baby themselves.”
“Like you and Mommy Karen because you are both women.”
“Correct.”
Alex smiled at first, but then her face quickly saddened. “What’s wrong?”
“You are not my real mommy.”
This one she could tackle. “But I am, Alex.”
“Because you adopted me?”
Karen was coming down the stairs and overheard the conversation, however, not wanting to deal with the hot potato, she stopped behind the wall and listened. She always left the big issues for Addy.
“Alex, let me explain something to you. Do you remember what you just said about the baby horse being a miracle?”
“Yes.”
“Alex you are more than a miracle. First let me say something. Some people have children because they can, others can’t have children and adopt them, you, however don’t fit into any of those categories. Mommy Karen and I wanted you and dreamed you together, and we went to that doctor together, and I was with Mommy Karen for the whole nine months that it took her body to make and develop you. I talked and sang to you when you were in her belly, and I was there the day you were born, and I was the very first person who ever held you when you arrived into this world.”
Alex smiled as she heard the loving story. Karen listened attentively. Addy continued in a very calm tone. “Alex, I wanted you as much as Mommy Karen. I may not be your biological mother, but I am every bit your mom as Mommy Karen, and by golly if that darn school doesn’t want us we’ll find another one!” At this point Addy was off her chair and pacing the room.
Alex couldn’t quite understand where that last part came from, or why the school had anything to do with M’Addy being her mother. It was then that Karen showed up from behind the wall smiling. Alex looked at Karen.
“What Mommy Addy said is all true, Alex. You are hers as much as you are mine. What’s more—.”
Addy interrupted, she feared what Karen was about to say. “Ker!” She paused and Karen stopped talking, “you were listening?” Addy smiled.
Karen realized that she had been purposely stopped. She pursed her lips and gave her a contrite smile. She had been about to tell Alex that it was actually Addy who wanted her and all that stuff about her being her gift to Addy. Addy stopped her, thinking that Alex was too young to comprehend that level of love and might think that Karen didn’t want her. As intelligent as she was, Karen had no sense when it came to dealing with Alex. She often forgot that Alex was still a child.
Alex seemed perfectly happy with the explanations given and with the display of emotion and endorsements from her moms, so she first hugged Addy and then Karen. And all things returned back to normal, at least for the moment.
***
The school board met in the oak paneled conference room. The room always gave the ominous look of antiquity. The green carpet and the massive oak conference table surrounded by the enormously tall leather chairs were a reminder that the school had been there through the ages. The stern faces on the pictures on the wall were also a reminder that the school was the home of Scotland’s oldest families.
Mr. Stetson entered the room and looked around at the familiar faces. Tonight, these faces looked different, though. They looked severe. They represented centuries of traditions, unyielding to change. They knew nothing about diversity and would most likely condemn what they could not understand. These were the people who held back the school and the world. These were the people who had to go in order to allow change and progress. But this was his reality, and he knew he had a tough road ahead.
He feared that his final remarks would be the element of the feared changes that would bring about a tsunami of issues. But these were indeed the changes the school needed so badly. Tonight, would be a decisive night in the history of the school. It would mark whether St. Claire’s would survive and continue to accomplish its mission in all its greatness to educate Scotland’s best, or whether it would succumb to the abyss of obsolescence like many other great institutions which had been unable to adapt to the changing times.
Mr. Stetson knew that St. Claire had to integrate itself into the modern world, and that it had to diversify to educate and nourish the minds of all individuals equally. It would be only through that exchange that it would enrich itself and its pupils. This was the way to grow and advance into the future. Yes, diversity was not only the right thing, it was necessary to keep abreast of the times. Although he knew there would be an immediate uproar from the board members upon hearing his presentation, in a strange way, he felt good that he would be the one to stir things up in the room tonight, and he smiled thinking of the face of the lovely six-year old who was about to turn a four hundred year old institution upside down.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I call this meeting to order. We have three items on the Agenda, and I believe the last item wi
ll consume most of our time.” The first and second items were discussed and agreed upon within the first twenty minutes. It was that third item that sent everyone into a spin.
“I have been asked by one of the parents to make a correction to one of our student’s record. The correction concerns the student’s personal information. The student at issue is Ms. Alexandra Marcos Larsen, who happens also to be the highest ranked candidate for the gifted and talented program. Ms. Larsen’s accomplishments are many. Some of you may already know her from her consistent participation in many school activities.”
“Delightful child.”
“Yes, very articulate and well behaved.” Some of the board members who knew her spoke very favorably of her.
“You will find her accomplishments and qualifications in the package of information given to you tonight. The correction was requested by Ms. Larsen’s biological mother, Lady Karen McGill Larsen. The correction requested is that Ms. Adriana Marcos appear listed as a parent rather than as the student’s legal guardian.”
The members of the board looked up from the paperwork in front of them appearing to be at a loss with the request. Lord Stevers, a gentleman with a very stern look, spoke. “I beg your pardon, Mr. Stetson, did you not say that Lady McGill Larsen is the child’s mother?”
“Yes, Lord Stevers, I did.”
“Then how could it be possible that Ms. Adriana Marcos can appear as the child’s mother as well? Or for that matter how is it that she appears as the child’s legal guardian? Is this child the product of a divorced home?” He seemed almost upset with the prospect that the school would have enrolled a child of a divorced home.
The schoolmaster pursed his lips, bracing for what was coming. “Lord Stevers, Lady McGill Larsen and Ms. Adriana Marcos initially had a civil partnership under English common law, and later married. They have been together for thirteen years, long before the child was born.”
Lady Audrey Cameron spoke. “And what exactly does that mean? I don’t quite understand what their business partnership has to do with this matter. How does this partnership matter, Mr. Stetson?”
Mr. Stetson was about to explain, when everyone was startled with a huge bang on the table. “It means they are bloody gay people! And I will have none of them at our school!” Lord Chesney, another of the board members, yelled at the top of his lungs.
“Please! Lord Chesney!” Mr. Stetson called for him to calm down.
With Lord Chesney’s bang on the table, his loud uproar, and the sudden realization of the matter at hand, Mrs. Rosalind Thompson, one of the oldest members of the school board exhaled and fainted, dropping her head sideways, thus creating a downward force which dragged her down to the floor right under the humongous conference table. Everyone rushed when they saw her sliding off her chair. The school secretary ran outside to get salts. It was not the first time there had been a fainting at a board meeting. They practically had to pick her up from under the table. She was a bit heavy and they had to drag her to the nearby leather sofa.
“Mrs. Thompson, Mrs. Thompson, please wake up!” Ms. Jenkins, the school secretary, cried out to her at the same time that she administered the salts. As Ms. Jenkins waved the salts near her nostril, Mrs. Thompson began to regain consciousness and sat up. “Oh, dear! Oh, dear, Oh dear! Where am I? Samuel, Samuel? What has happened?” She had lost her shoes and was all discombobulated stretched out on the leather sofa. Samuel was her dead husband, and even though he had been dead for over twenty years, she still called for him.
“We were talking about Ms. Alexandra Marcos Larsen.” Mr. Stetson tried to remind her.
“Oh! Dear! That poor child! What are we to do?” She was one who until a few minutes ago had been complementing Alex. “That darling child! Who would have thought? And those two women with her, I thought one was an aunt or something. They look so normal!” As Mrs. Thompson was being revived, others spoke amongst themselves.
“Looks like we find ourselves in a bit of a pickle here. What are we going to do about this now? I never thought we would be faced with people like that! I thought we were screening people better before accepting them,” Malcom Bride spoke. He was retired military.
“Expel them, that’s what we must do,” Lord Chesney proclaimed.
Mr. Robertson who was a managing partner of a CPA firm addressed the matter in clarification. “Mr. Bride, Lord Chesney, may I remind you that Ms. Larsen is a Lady and thus of noble rank? We cannot possibly expel this child. She is nobility. If we were to expel her, we would be in every newspaper in the country. We would come across as bigots, and it would be known worldwide. Something like that would be detrimental to future patronage of the school. We must be very careful with what we decide here tonight. Our decision, could determine the very existence of the school.”
Mr. Stetson smiled inwardly. Although, Robertson had not yet expressed his own opinion, at least he was well aware of the consequences of their decision, and that was favorable to Alex’s cause.
“I will not have it. You admit one and soon we will have a million of them. I will not have the school full of gay people!” Mr. Chesney was very adamant about his position. Lord Stevers and Lady Cameron seemed to share his position as well.
Paul Bryer, another member of the board and a real estate broker spoke. “I would like to remind the board of several facts. The McGill’s are not only nobility, but they also hold an influential position in the community. Ms. Larsen is a corporate attorney, known internationally for her expertise. Also, Ms. Marcos single handily created, and managed the Inn of Scotland and later the Inns of Europe, where I’m sure a lot of you stayed while traveling in Europe. They are also the owners of the well-known McGill Scotch Distillery, and Stables. The distillery is one of the largest business enterprises in the country, and its Scotch is known internationally. It is also a very profitable enterprise and crucial to the revenues of the community. When we consider our recommendation, we must bear in mind that we are considering here individuals of the highest caliber in our community. We must also consider that the student in question is an extremely gifted child. My vote is to keep her and to have her attend the gifted program.”
“Thank you, Mr. Bryer.” Mr. Stetson couldn’t help himself from showing his excitement and obvious position regarding the matter. Mr. Stetson thought to add wood to the fire now. “I would also like to remind the board that, Lady McGill and Ms. Marcos are the highest contributors to our school fundraisers, and that if we could not count on their contribution the impact would be felt in many of the schools programs.”
“Just exactly how much money do they contribute, Mr. Stetson?” Lady Cameron asked.
“Lady Cameron, I do not have the figures with me. I can provide them to all of you tomorrow, but I assure that the contribution is such that its loss would be felt.”
“Dear God! How much money do they have?” Lady Cameron asked.
Mr. Robertson, the CPA, spoke. “The McGill distillery is not a publicly owned corporation. Therefore, its revenues are not made public. Because the distillery is privately owned, that means that these two ladies gross all its revenues. I wouldn’t even dare to estimate the amount of money made by, probably, one of the most well-known Scotch whiskys in the Kingdom, or maybe even in the world. And, if they ever went public, the queen would be wise to keep them as friends just in case the country ever needed to borrow some cash.”
“Dear God!” Lady Cameron was shocked by Mr. Robertson’s response.
“Do you still want to see the figures of their contribution to the school, Lady Cameron?” Mr. Stetson asked. She waved him off with her hand.
There were general comments amongst the board members. Some were in agreement with Mr. Bryer, some were in an uproar over his suggestion. Some were surprised that the women had so much money. Some talked about the child who was innocent and a ‘poor victim’ of the women’s deviant behavior.
There were also comments about how could ‘such people’ be allowed to raise a child. Some o
f the board members wanted details of what a civil partnership was, and some inquired as to its legality in Scotland, and there were also comments as to where this world was headed. Others also wondered as to whether the adoption was legal. Mr. Stetson and some of the more rational and progressive board members answered most of the questions.
The meeting went on well past ten o’clock in the evening. It was at that time that Mrs. Thompson again tipped over, this time due to sleepiness. She again had to be rescued from under the table, and propped up on the sofa. After all, she was past her eight o’clock bedtime. Lord Stever was also having trouble keeping his eyes open and had snorted a couple of times. Lady Cameron was startled with the snorts and screamed. She in turn startled Mrs. Thompson who was barely coming back from her slumber. Not having reached consensus, Mr. Stetson decided to adjourn for the night and reconvene in two days when everyone would have had time to think. The next meeting would be held at four in the afternoon to make sure everyone was well awake.
Karen was aware of the board’s meeting day and the following day she called the school. “Good morning, Ms. Larsen I did not call you because I do not have an answer yet. Last night the board met and deliberated until late, but no consensus was reached. We are meeting in two days to take a vote. I will give you a heads up, though. I’m afraid we are encountering a lot of opposition. I did what I could in terms of presenting your position, but you must understand that I cannot do more than I’ve already done.”
“Yes, I understand, Mr. Stetson. I expected opposition. Thank you for bringing the matter to them. Please, let me know the decision.”
“Yes, you will be hearing from me.”
When Karen came through the door that evening, Addy knew things weren’t right. She had only but to look at Karen. “No decision yet, I will give you details later.” She didn’t want to say ‘when we are alone’ because Alex was close by and she could hear.
“Okay.”
They always talked in their bedroom. They had just turned off the light when Karen told Addy what Mr. Stetson said. “It’s not looking good, Addy. I’m sorry. I don’t know how or what we are going to tell Alex if this doesn’t go well. I think I screwed up.”