Exile to Unity

by Tara Finnegan

  “Only twenty five, I can do this,” Ange said with relief.

  “Okay, babe, let’s go to it.” Jim dodged the inevitable punch that would follow his words and Ange managed a small laugh. Maeve met them at the door with a wide smile at their better spirits.

  “There was an angel smiling in Heaven the day he paired you two off,” she said. Maeve and Jim flanked Ange as they walked into the hall, giving her strength through unity. Jim saw her fix her eyes on the back wall as Maeve had suggested. She squeezed his hand and assumed she was doing the very same to Maeve, too. He squeezed back, and kissed her cheek as they approached the bench. Once she was in position he raised her skirt and tucked it up into the waistband. He put his hand to the side of her thong and looked at Lelo and Brent. They exchanged glances and shook their heads and his relief was enormous, scant and all as they were, at least she got to keep them. He unhooked his fingers and for the briefest moment, let a reassuring touch linger on the small of her back.

  “I love you, Ange O’Brien,” he whispered softly before going to collect the ceremonial paddle from Lelo. He was shocked at the implement. It was designed to make a statement, a statement he would now have to deliver. Bigger and heavier than anything he had handled before, he swung it in his hand a couple of times, getting the feel for it. Ange was not going to be happy.

  He stood behind her, raised the paddle and tapped her back to warn her it was coming. He had to make it count. Otherwise more strokes would be added. Jim watched Ange tense up.

  “Relax,” he whispered and he saw her cheeks soften before he brought down the paddle. Maeve was standing in front of Ange, and the look on Maeve’s face as the paddle struck was enough to give Jim an indication of what the look on Ange’s must be. Maeve offered Ange her hands to grip.

  “One,” Lelo recorded loudly.

  This continued over and over until the count of five. By then Ange could no longer keep silent and the spanks were met with a cry of anguish, each time. By the eighth smack, Maeve looked horrified as Ange’s shoulders heaved in sobs. Jim was just grateful he couldn’t see her face. The next stroke he eased up, but then Lelo called a miss and he had to up the ante again. There was absolute silence in the hall. He repeated the missed stroke and Ange screamed loudly. It took all of his strength not to throw the paddle on the ground and walk away. He drew the paddle back for the next one, but as he prepared himself for the next stroke, there was a cry from the floor as the doors shot open.

  “STOP. ENOUGH.” Instinctively, Jim held back. Any reprieve was welcome, even if he didn’t understand it. Carla was just inside the doors, tears streaming down her face.

  “Just stop, now,” she squealed. “I tried to get back but I couldn’t get here on time. You have to stop. Just stop. Now. Please.” Carla just repeated the same thing over and over, making no sense, until Brent left his spot and approached her, taking her by the shoulders and shaking her gently.

  “It wasn’t Ange, it was me. I reported it. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking straight. I didn’t hear this was happening until last night and I tried to get here to stop it. It was my fault. It’s me you should punish.” She sobbed. The room burst into a cacophony of sounds, chairs shuffling, voices first in whisper, then louder. Finally, a shout, this time from Lelo.

  “Order, order,” he shouted. He approached Ange and lowered her skirt and helped her to her feet. Jim opened his arms to embrace her, his eyes stinging with tears. He knew he was indirectly and unwittingly responsible for what had passed. Once the room quietened sufficiently, Lelo told everyone to return home, the discipline was over. People filed out, many grumbling at the show being cut short, more outraged at how the justice system had been made a mockery of.

  “I’m so sorry, Ange. We will call to you tomorrow and sort this out,” Brent said with a grim face. “But needless to say, Carla’s membership in the community will be terminated.” Carla’s hand flew to her mouth; she obviously hadn’t considered that she could be expelled. She approached Ange.

  “I’m so sorry and so ashamed. I don’t know what I was thinking. I wrote the letter on Thanksgiving, when I was drunk and embarrassed. And then when you came to see me, I got really mad and I mailed it. I didn’t know anything had come of it. I know I don’t deserve forgiveness, but for what it’s worth I deeply regret it. When Bethany told me what was happening, I did my best to get here to stop it.”

  “Please, don’t do anything about her until tomorrow. I need to think,” Ange said. She was still trembling, both from the ordeal of the spanking, and the new revelations. Jim and Maeve guided her back to the ante room and helped her pull her leggings back up on her bruised and blistered bottom. Joe was waiting outside where a nasty blizzard was brewing.

  “God is just, Ange. He brought Carla back to bear witness to your suffering but he won’t let her escape the consequences in a hurry. There’ll be no helicopter for a few days and the community will make her pay.”

  The four walked back together in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. They stopped for the children at Bethany’s and continued the last hundred yards to the O’Brien’s with the lively chatter of two young children who had just had a big afternoon of adventure playing hide and seek in a strange house. The brooding was over.

  By the time Brent and Lelo called the next day, Ange was adamant that if they wanted to make amends they would just drop the whole thing. Dragging it up again to punish Carla would only be reawakening her own humiliation, and she had no wish for Carla to endure what she had endured the previous evening. Ange told Jim about going to see Carla after thanksgiving, and said she regretted it, that she may have been responsible for pushing her over the edge. She would have enough punishment in her own conscience, Ange argued and Jim was inclined to agree. Enough damage had been done. Brent and Lelo reluctantly agreed to a private interview with Carla and a warning that she was one step from being removed from the community.

  The following day, emboldened by their new closeness, Jim went through the domestic discipline contract. He’d known for a while Ange was discontent, but she seemed reluctant to discuss it before. He now understood just how threatened she had felt by Carla and had accepted his rules to keep him happy. He felt guilty of having let it slide so long, but was relieved to come to a compromise. The one clause he wouldn’t alter at all was the one about the children’s safety, he understood Ange’s argument that she would never knowingly endanger her children, but as far as he was concerned, she had already done so by keeping two years of depression from him. He couldn’t argue that she was always sensible with money and didn’t need her finances checked up on. He also agreed that once the shop was opened, the rules about callers would have to be relaxed as it would be pleasure only.

  By the time Christmas Eve came round the humiliation was all but forgotten in the O’Brien household, and a contented peace reigned between the couple. The excitement of Santa was the main focus. Ange’s bruises had subsided enough to just be a minor pain in the butt and Jim knew she wanted the whole thing erased from history. Carla was indeed snowed in and facing the prospect of a very lonely Christmas as without exception, every single resident was horrified at how she was prepared to bring the entire community under scrutiny in order to disgrace Ange.

  On Christmas morning, Ange and Jim attended church for the first time since their arrival and were delighted to be welcomed from the pulpit by Father Henry and equally as warmly by the other members of the congregation. By the time they left, they were full of the spirit of Christmas. Maeve and Joe had promised to call around for a while as soon as they could escape, and Jim was thrilled to tell Ange that Sarah and John would be joining them. Ange decided to whip up a large batch of eggnog in honor of the festivities, lacing it generously with rum and spices.

  The aroma of turkey and ham were already filling the house. The two children were running from toy to toy, but Jack seemed as excited by the boxes as any toys. He still had a problem dealing with the concept of Santa Claus.

 
“But Daddy, it’s Jesus’s birthday why isn’t it Jesus who gets the presents?” Ava asked for the twentieth time. Jim threw his hands in the air and looked fruitlessly for Ange to help him out. The front doorbell chimed, and he thought she must have gone to answer it but when it rang again he attended to it. He invited the Harshaws in and poured drinks for all, shouting for Ange. He felt embarrassed that she wasn’t there to greet their guests and even more mortified that he had no idea where she had gone. Maeve was keeping it all going, helping him cover up his awkwardness. Finally the back door opened and Ange came in, looking like the abominable snowman. As she entered, she shot Jim a look, and put her fingers to her lips.

  “We can’t have Carla spending Christmas alone. She can’t get to Denver with the weather, so I invited her to join us.”

  The room went silent for a couple of moments, but Ange filled the silence with chatter about the children’s excitement and asked a blissfully unaware Ava to show Carla the new painting set she got from Santa as she filled a glass of eggnog for her.

  “What the fuck?” Jim hissed as he joined Ange by the cooker.

  “I don’t want to have to pass a neighbor on the street and look the other way. She’s having a bad enough time of it. How would you like to spend Christmas stuck somewhere on your own, knowing the rest of the neighborhood were all spending it with friends or family,” Ange said quietly.

  “She only has herself to blame,” Jim whispered.

  “Come on, it’s the season of good will. Hank has been good to you and Carla’s just depressed. I above all people know that depression does funny things to you. Maeve tells me she’s usually a model community member. It was hard for her to come, be kind to her.” He downed another eggnog quickly and bit his tongue. Ange had a point about Hank at least.

  Maeve, kind-hearted as she was, was desperately trying to make conversation with Carla when they returned and Jim took her cue. It wasn’t long before the doorbell went again and Kirk and Bethany were admitted, followed by Brent and Charmagne. If anyone was surprised to see Carla, they were wise enough to keep their own counsel, and act as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Jim helped Ange whip up another batch of egg nog. The party, it seemed, was only starting.

  “That was a very decent thing to do. I’m proud of you, love,” Jim said, kissing his wife as he got her alone.

  The next hour brought a steady stream of callers, all of Ange’s friends, showing support for what she had been through. Jim was struck by the kindness of one and all, not just toward him and Ange, but also toward Carla. By inviting her there, Ange had ensured Carla was forgiven, and Jim hoped Carla appreciated that fact enough to accept the hand of friendship and drop any animosity. It was certainly much more than he would have done if it was left to him. Dinner was a little more awkward as it was just Carla and the O’Briens, but the children provided plenty of pleasant distraction, and Carla left soon after the meal was done.

  Ange walked her to the door. Jim was surprised to see Carla kiss Ange, and overheard her parting remarks.

  “I didn’t deserve that. Thank you. I wish I could undo the past. You’re a remarkable person. God bless and happy Christmas.”

  “Forget it, honestly. I’ve been there and done plenty I wasn’t too proud of. I’m glad you came. Friends?”

  “More than friends, I will never forget you for this. It seems I’m indebted to both the O’Briens for the rest of my life.”

  “Well, that was certainly an interesting day,” Jim remarked, smiling at the sight of his two children sitting on the floor, making a total ramshackle of the place, paper flittered everywhere. The excitement had been too much for them. It wouldn’t be long before they were tucked up in bed and he and Ange could finally be alone. He’d been dying to get his hands on her all day. She looked stunning, in a seasonal red dress and black high heels. And that lovely round ripe bottom was framed perfectly. He had visions of making her skin match the color of her dress. He hoped she was sufficiently recovered from her ordeal to indulge in a little play. He let his thoughts drift to wonderful things as he brought the children up to bed and tucked them in. They were overtired and excited and took quite a while to settle. When he descended, Ange was fast asleep on the sofa. He smiled, covered her with a blanket and set to cleaning up a little. The fun would have to wait an hour or two, but it was early yet.

  Chapter Fourteen

  March, Colorado.

  Private and Confidential. Addressee only.

  Those words had seldom been proven to bring good news in Ange’s experience. She turned the letter round and around in her hands. She recognized the return address. It was from the firm of solicitors that her teacher’s union had used to fight her case. She had thought all correspondence had finished, the union had paid her fees in return for her taking the case. The envelope shook in her nervous hands. Time stood still as she contemplated opening it. She really didn’t want any reminders of her hateful humiliation.

  Finally convincing herself that the contents wouldn’t bite her, Ange inserted her index finger under the gummed flap and ripped the envelope, pulling the letter out.

  Dear Mrs. O’Brien,

  As you are probably aware, recent events in the European Court of Appeals in a case similar to yours have upheld that the dismissal of a teacher for events in their personal life is contrary to the rights of the individual. As a result your dismissal has become an illegal dismissal.

  On your behalf, we have successfully negotiated your reinstatement with the board of management. Further to that you are to receive remuneration for the period of suspension and dismissal. I enclose confirmation that your bank account has been credited with the equivalent of two years eight months’ salary, dated from the time your maternity leave ended.

  Should you not wish to be reinstated, we would be in a good position to further negotiate a termination payment, as it could be argued that the board of management has made your situation untenable. In this case, we have insisted that your name be placed on the panel as of the date you should have returned to work, leaving you second on the list. All we require now is your instructions on how to proceed.

  Anticipating your earliest possible reply,

  Eimear McCarthy, BL

  McCarthy, Brady, Smith & Co. Solicitors

  Fuck! In the end, in a very roundabout way, she had won. Ange’s hands were still trembling, but this time it was elation. She finally felt vindicated. Her battle and subsequent humiliation had finally been for a reason. Ange would never teach in that school again, that much she knew. There was no way she could hold the administration in any sort of regard after how they had treated her, but what it meant was that her dismissal was no longer valid and she would be replaced on the teaching panel as a priority. Getting a new job in another school would be easy, a foregone conclusion. She knew how the system worked. A school was obliged to employ the person next on the list. She picked up her phone to dial Jim’s number, but then changed her mind. This was one to talk about face to face. It affected both of them so entirely. It meant they could return to Ireland if they wanted to.

  That was something they hadn’t discussed for quite a while. Ange wasn’t sure what Jim would want to do given the option. Four months ago, he’d have been on the first flight. But once he started working, he seemed to settle into his new life, embracing the opportunities it brought. The work in Corbin’s Bend was coming to a close, though. No new units would be required for another six months at least. And that could change everything. It had been so difficult for him to get a start in the first place that Ange wondered if he would be back to square one. She knew he was anxious, but was trying to hide it. Given what had occurred with Carla, neither of them expected any further assistance from Hank. He was an honest, decent man, but family came first, as it should.

  Ange pondered her own situation. If it was just down to her, she would probably stay. She and Jim hadn’t been as close since Jack was born; she would even go so far as to say she was positively elat
ed in her marriage. Jack’s health had improved so much, alleviating both their guilt about his bad start in life. Ava was blossoming and making friends with the other children in Corbin’s Bend, the children she would start kindergarten with, should they stay. If she had a choice, she would take the back pay, and use it to set up her own little bakery right here in the community that had become her lifeline during the dark times. But Ange knew it wasn’t just about her, or even the kids, any decision had to be for the benefit of the entire family. She was confident she would be happy anywhere, as long as she and Jim continued to be united as a couple. Corbin’s Bend had brought that unity so it was natural that Ange would, prefer to remain there.

  Ange went up to the office and took out her bakery file. She had plans for extending, selling her bread outside of Corbin’s Bend. She had set up her own unit in January, before the FDA inspectors arrived. It was going well, but it would never be more than pocket money if she didn’t extend. The increase in sales though would make it viable, and she could have her products delivered to Denver daily. It would mean an earlier start for her as they would have to be distributed first thing in the morning. But with Jim’s contract ending, he would be there to look after the children. And failing that, she had a young woman lined up to come in, give them breakfast and look after them. By two or three p.m., Ange’s day would be done, and she would still have plenty of quality of time with the children each day. She would employ someone to man the “shop” counter for the afternoons. The math all added up, and now the payment of the salary took care of the necessary capital. All it needed was Jim’s approval. She could of course fight for it, but it would be a lot better if she could get him on board without a battle. Her fighting days were done, she hoped.