by Ann Marie
“Get her to the infirmary immediately. I will be there in a moment.” she instructed them.
Joe had no idea where Antonia was being taken. She was scared. Her arm did not hurt at all but she knew it was broken. She glanced back at the bear sitting on Antonia’s pillow. At that moment she wondered if Antonia was as scared as she was. She should have listened to her friend. Antonia was always right. She was always right. Josephine let the older girls take her away. She started to forget the fear when she realized she was being treated with extra care. The girls treated her as if she was special and she liked the way that made her feel. So it was easy, once in the infirmary, not to think about Antonia and what she may have been going through. However, within the hour, Sister Katherine had come to collect her. With a fresh white cast on her arm and a sling to hold her arm to her chest, Josephine exited the infirmary, with Sister Katherine. They did not go back to the dorm hall though. They walked past them, straight through to the church. Sister Katherine explained to Josephine that she was to go inside and give thanks to God, and ask that He protect her from further inflictions by Antonia.
Josephine started to explain what happened, but when Sister Katherine looked down at her; she was stopped short by the fear of what would happen to her if she was found out. Sister Katherine was appreciative of the extent Josephine would go to protect her friend, even after what had happened.
“Be assured Josephine, Antonia will not hurt you again. She will be punished severely, after which I am certain, she will be humbled.” Josephine was not sure what humbled meant but she knew by the look in Sisters eye, just what severely had meant.
Josephine was instructed to return to the main hall when her thanks had been appropriately given up to the Lord. And with that Sister had left her on her own. Josephine did not know how much time would be appropriate, so she just sat there. She sat there so long she grew tired. She lay down in the pew and curled herself into a fetal position. She fell asleep as the hours of the day wore on. Just past dinner, Sister Ursula was sent to find her. On the way back to the main hall, Josephine inquired as to where Antonia was and what had happened to her.
“Sister Katherine was very upset. She did not want to punish Antonia, while she was in that state of mind, so she placed her in the main buildings confessional.” Josephine was confused.
“You mean she made Antonia sit in there?”
“Yes, that’s right and she is still sitting in there I believe, waiting for your return.”
“She had to sit in there all day?”
“That was what she had been instructed to do? Yes.”
“So, if I had come back sooner, she would have been allowed out?”
“I believe so, Josephine, it is really not for me to say. Sister Katherine is in charge here. It is her punishment.”
Josephine started to feel guilty all over again. “Isn’t it dark in the confessional?”
Sister Ursula looked at Josephine quizzically and said “Yes.”
“Dark like a closet?” Josephine asked, knowing the answer already. Sister Ursula hadn’t thought about the closet aspect of the punishment, at least not up until now. Dark like a closet. Sister Ursula’s heart went out to Antonia, as she quickened her pace.
When the two arrived in the main hall they were summoned into the chapel. It was darker in the chapel and your eyes had to adjust a moment. After they stepped through the doorway, the doors were closed behind them. Josephine jumped at the sound and turned towards the door. Sister Katherine was looming in the darkness. Her appearance seemed to unnerve Josephine. Sister Katherine motioned for the two to follow her. Obediently the two complied. They were led to the front of the chapel, to the right of the altar, where there had been a single chair placed.
Josephine let her eyes wander around the chapel. All of the girls from the younger dorms were sitting in the pews. None of the older girls were present. Josephine was asked to sit in the chair. Sister Ursula stood directly behind her. Josephine could feel Sister was as nervous as she by the tightness of the hand that held her shoulder. Sister Katherine stood in front of the altar. She started to pray and her audience followed suit. The prayer session was followed by a lecture on the acceptable behavior required by the students at St. Agnes. Finally, Sister Katherine explained, how what was about to take place; although it may be frightening to some in the chapel was a necessity in the eyes of God. One must be punished for their sins, in order to be cleansed before the eyes of God. It would be in the best interest of all to accept what was about to happen, and to use it as a reference for each and every day of their future.
Josephine was knowingly frightened as she watched Sister Katherine walk down the aisle towards the rear of the chapel. She had no idea what was about to take place but she knew that she did not want to see it. Sister Katherine walked over to the confessional, just to the right of the entranceway. Josephine said, in little more than a whisper, “The confessional.” Sister Ursula’s grip tightened for a brief moment.
As the confessional door was opened, a small white robed figure appeared. It was difficult to recognize the figure that emerged, because of the darkness of the chapel. But Josephine knew, deep down inside, who was robed in white. Her beautiful auburn hair had been hastily cut to within an inch of her scalp. Antonia was the figure in the white robe. And Sister Katherine was directing her to the altar.
As Antonia walked, heads turned. Josephine felt embarrassment for her friend. Antonia though, had not seemed to notice. Her eyes seemed fixed to something. Josephine followed her gaze, to the crucifix above the altar. Once at the front of the chapel, Sister Katherine requested Antonia turn and face her benefactors. It would be with the help of all in attendance that Antonia’s soul would be cleansed.
“Let us all pray for the soul of Antonia Dal Santo.” she began. And another ten minutes of prayer followed. Antonia never moved. She did not sway back and forth. Her eyes never darted around the chapel. It was as if she were a statue, in Josephine’s eyes. Josephine felt the need for air. Sister Ursula gently squeezed her shoulder for reassurance.
When the prayer session ended, Sister Katherine requested Antonia turn once again and face the altar. Antonia did as requested without a sound. Once again her eyes looked up to the crucifix. Sister Katherine requested that Antonia kneel before the altar. Again the child complied without complaint; her eyes never left the crucifix. Sister Katherine requested Antonia drop the robe from her shoulders and let it fall down around her waist. Josephine bit her lip, as Antonia did what was required.
As if by the hand of God himself, the cane pole appeared. Sister Katherine turned to the girls in her audience. “You shall all pray now for Antonia and for her swift return to Gods favor.” And her audience began to pray. Sister Katherine returned her gaze to Antonia’s tiny shoulders and back. “May God forgive you child.” she said as she brought that cane pole down upon Antonia’s back. The sound of the impact was so sudden, the entire audience’s posture stiffened and with a collective gasp, the praying had stopped. Sister Katherine’s head swung around to face the silence so fast, it could have flown right off her neck, and the audience started to pray again. As she returned her gaze to Antonia, Sister Katherine’s eyes briefly met with Josephine’s. A chill went through Josephine, who quickly joined her friend and stared at the crucifix above the altar.
The second strike was so fast and sharp, it could have gone unnoticed. The third raised a welt. Whipping had been done in the schools past, on three separate occasions. Two of the offenders had received three strikes, with the third offender receiving four. Sister Ursula was stunned enough to inflict pain, unintentionally to Josephine’s shoulder, when the fourth strike hit Antonia’s flesh, causing it to tear and the child’s blood to touch the face of Josephine. But when the fifth strike matched the fourth and the sixth came down much harder, she could not take it anymore. As Sister Ursula was collecting her wits about her, Sister Katherine had delivered both the seventh and eighth strikes.
“Stop
!” Sister Ursula shouted, as she reached out for the cane pole, but missed and caused the ninth and final strike to land. “Stop it. Sister Katherine, stop it now. Enough!” Sister Ursula had managed to get the cane pole. She was livid, as she broke the cane pole in two and tossed it to the floor. She looked at her hands, now both covered with Antonia’s flesh and blood. She grew even angrier. “Sister Katherine, it is over. It is over, do you hear me? I will not allow you to touch another hair...” she let the sentence drop as she turned her gaze to Antonia’s head. She returned her thoughts to Sister Katherine, and said “I think you should leave now.”
Josephine watched as the transfer of power took place. She realized that the chapel was quiet and still. ‘When did the praying stop?’ she thought to herself. She looked out across the rows of girls. Several had tears running down their faces. All seemed to be looking up at the altar. Josephine followed their eyes. Antonia was still kneeling. Her eyes were shut, no longer gazing at the crucifix. But she was still kneeling. She had not bent or broken. She had not swayed or cried. Not a single sound had escaped her during the whipping. And she was not making any sound now that it had ended. She was only eight years old, but she was far from a child. Josephine looked at her friend with a mixture of both guilt and pride. Antonia’s white robe was now stained with her own blood. Sister Ursula turned to face the audience.
“You are all dismissed, girls. Please return to your own rooms at once.” And with that, the group as a whole stood and left the chapel in as quiet a manner as shock would allow. Sister Katherine remained at the altar. She watched Sister Ursula with nervous defiance.
Sister Ursula turned to Josephine and said, “Child, run to the rectory and get Monsignor. Tell him to come at once.” Josephine was slow to rise. She did not take her eyes off the three remaining bodies until she had reached the rear of the chapel. She did not know what happened next, or where Antonia was taken. After she returned with the Monsignor, Josephine was dismissed to her room for the evening. She had not eaten since lunch, but her stomach pressed down on her as she tried to rest that night.
Josephine’s parents arrived the next morning to collect her for the summer break. They were a week earlier than was the norm, but when they were told of her broken arm, her mother had insisted. It wasn’t until they were three miles from the school that they learned of the caning.
Josephine had started to cry. Out of concern for his daughter’s mental state, her father pulled the car over and shut off the engine. Both of her parents turned around in their seats to stare at her. Josephine looked out her window and cried.
Her father started, “Josephine, sweetheart, we understand what you have had to go through. These past twenty four hours must have been quite unsettling.”
Her mother interjected, “Antonia will be removed as soon as possible and by the time you return to school, you will have forgotten all about the matter.”
Josephine looked up at her parents. “Removed? Anthony is leaving? But why? Where is she going?”
“Slow down there sweetie. Of course she has to be removed. Can’t you see the danger of having her there?” Her father tried to reassure her.
Once again Josephine’s mother interjected, although she spoke more to herself than the others in the car, “God only knows what that child might have done.” Josephine’s father glanced over at his wife with understanding.
“Anthony can’t leave, she can’t. What will I do without her? I won’t go back, I won’t. Don’t let them send her away daddy, please, I need her, she’s my best friend.” Her parents looked at each other.
“You are too emotionally attached to the situation at the moment dear, you will feel differently next week, you’ll see”.
“No, I won’t, I won’t ever feel differently. She’s my best friend.” As she looked at her mother, she said again softly “My best friend.”
Her mother was folding under her daughter’s plea, but had to stand firm, “Josephine, she can’t be allowed to hurt you. Think of the other girls. Think about what she might do to them. If she breaks the arm of her best friend without as much as a second thought. My God, Josephine, she is unstable. The child needs help.” And then in more of a whisper she said to Josephine’s father, “They say abused children grow up needing to abuse others.” Josephine heard what her mother had said and felt the need to throw up. She opened her car door and got out.
Her father jumped out right after her. “Young lady, I will not tolerate this type of disrespect, no matter how upset you are. You are going to get back in the car this minute.”
Josephine looked back at her mother still sitting in the car. “She didn’t do anything.”
“What? Who, your mother?” Her father interpreted incorrectly.
“Anthony.”
“Josephine, you need to get in the car.”
“She didn’t do anything. Daddy, don’t let them send her away.” Josephine was pleading.
“She broke your arm! How can you stand there and say she has done nothing!” He screamed at her incredulously.
“Because she hasn’t! Anthony never does anything wrong! Anthony never does anything! All Anthony ever does is read! That’s all she does!” Josephine screamed back.
Josephine’s mother felt the need to get out of the car. Her husband had never, in the past, raised his voice to Josephine. Josephine’s father stopped himself and gathered his thoughts as he waited for his wife to join them. Both parents stared at her, as they stood on the side of the road. Josephine started, “Anthony didn’t break my arm. I broke it.”
Her father tilted his head sideways in a jerky manner. Her mother swept at the hair that was falling in her face with a white gloved hand. The white of the glove and the wisp of the hair brought the chapel back for Josephine, who turned her back on her parents and emptied her stomach of what little contents it held. Her parents just looked at each other questioningly.
When Josephine regained her composure, she told her parents everything that had gone on the past year. Everything that she, herself, had done and how Anthony had taken the blame for all of it.
“It would seem to me,” her father said, in a slow and thoughtful manner, “That this Antonia should have stopped accepting the blame a long time ago and that you Josephine Ferrero, if she was your best friend, should have owned up to it.” He was pacing back and forth, slowly. Her mother was staring out at the traffic as it passed, separating herself from the story.
“I asked Anthony, once, why she didn’t say she wasn’t guilty.” Josephine replied, as she pushed a stone around with her shoe. Her father stopped pacing and stood still, waiting for her to continue. She looked up at him, “She said all that mattered was that she knew she wasn’t.”
“Josephine, why would you, my flesh and blood, allow someone else to take the blame for your actions?”
“I tried, Daddy. I tried to tell Sister Katherine. But...she hates Anthony. She said I was noble for trying to protect my friend. She never even asked what happened yesterday. She just came into the room and drug Anthony out.”
“Drug her out, you say? So, let me get this straight. You steal, lie and destroy other people’s property. Your best friend takes the blame, and it’s now all Sister Katherine’s fault because she wouldn’t let you explain.”
“She never even asked, Daddy.” Josephine started to whine.
Her father ran his hand through his hair as he picked up his pacing. “Get in the car Josephine. We will discuss this again tomorrow. I have had enough for now. Get in the car.”
Josephine did not move. She kept rolling the stone with her shoe. Her father looked up at her mother, in hopes that she might say something. Her mother was too stunned to think, and had started to walk back to the car.
“She whipped her daddy.” Josephine said, in a very soft tone. Her mother froze in place as her spine stiffened.
Her father looked at her sternly. “What did you say?” he questioned, slowly and deliberately. He brought himself down to her level, and res
ted on his haunches. He grabbed her arms with his two hands and pulled on them, he beckoned her to look him in the eye.
“She whipped her.” Josephine repeated, just as softly. Her father felt her start to shake.
“Josephine, I want you to think about what you are about to say. Think about it good. You understand me?” He was looking into her eyes.
She started the story. She never made it to the part where she had to go and get the Monsignor. Her father stood up and took a deep breath. Without another word he walked hurriedly back to the car and opened the door. While he got into the car, Josephine and her mother looked at each other and then both rushed to follow his lead. Her father had started the ignition and was turning the car around, before either of them had fastened their seat belts.
Josephine’s father had never broken a law in his life. The speed with which he drove back to the school was anything but legal. They were back at St. Agnes before the dust had settled from where they had just left. Her father seemed to have forgotten all about his bride and daughter, as he jumped out of the car, and without even bothering to close his door, raced up the stairs to the front door of the building. He threw open the doors and walked directly and purposely to the admissions office. Sister Ursula witnessed the family’s return and rushed to greet them. She arrived at Josephine’s side just as the father bursts through the office door. Sister Katherine was stunned. She jumped to her feet.
“What is the meaning of this?” she asked.
Josephine and her mother arrived at the office, with Sister Ursula at their heels. “I want to see Antonia.” Josephine’s father was not making a request.
“That is simply out of the question.” Sister Katherine started to respond. Josephine’s father wasn’t listening.
“I want to see the child now! Where is Antonia?”
“Sir, if you will calm down, we can discuss...”
“I will not calm down!” he yelled at her, then through clenched teeth, as he tried to hold onto his anger “I want to see Antonia. Where is she?”