Blue (6 page)

“Is there anything that I can do to help you at all? I know it’s always weird coming to a new place,” Tabitha asked, turning her head toward Alyssa.

“Well, actually, I was curious as to when your next harvest day is planned, and when you guys normally have your visitation day. I have heard that the dates can vary by compound,” Alyssa asked, making quick eye contact with Tabitha before averting her eyes back to the floor in front of her.

Tabitha thought about her question for a moment. Not many of the residents at Humanity ever had a reason to ask about visitation day. There were very few parents of Humanity residents that ever came to visit their children. Tabitha always thought it was because Humanity was in a more affluent area, where the parents of afflicted children could have actually afforded to put the necessary alarms on their houses, or security fences to protect their children from the black market, but chose to sell them to the compound for the enrollment grant anyway. Very few of the residents at Humanity even knew who their parents were, and only a handful of them had actually met them. No, visitation day was not really a special day at Humanity.

“Well, harvest is scheduled for Friday, which would make tomorrow visitation day. Do you normally have family that comes to visit you?” Tabitha asked.

“Oh yes, my mother came to visit me every month on visitation day at the last compound. She was within walking distance of the compound, though, and could make the trip easily. When we last spoke, she said that she would try to make it as often as possible, but the distance to Humanity is over an hour away for her, and that’s driving time. She said that she would call, though, either way, if she isn’t able to make it every month,” Alyssa replied, smiling with a reassuring nod.

“Wow. That’s amazing. Pardon me if I acted nonchalant about visitation day. Not many of the residents at Humanity even know who their parents are. Most of us have been here since we were babies and have never even had a visitor,” Tabitha said, trying her best not to sound pessimistic.

“Oh, I know—I know I am one of the lucky ones, that’s for sure. I have peace of mind knowing that my mother only has me here to protect me from the black market, and to ultimately give me a better life when I am finished with high school. My mother has been working hard to save her money over the last twelve years, and in a couple of years, she should have enough saved for us to buy a safe house near one of the technical colleges. Only a couple more years, and I should be able to go back to living with her. I’m very blessed,” Alyssa said to Tabitha as they reached the doorway of their next classroom.

“Yes, you are very blessed. I love hearing stories like that,” Tabitha said, looking up at the top of the doorframe of their classroom. “Here’s our class. I usually sit in the back, care to join me?”

“Sure. Thanks,” Alyssa replied. “Wait, I didn’t catch your name.”

“Tabitha,” Tabitha replied, reaching out her hand as Alyssa reached her left hand out to and shake it. Tabitha realized that Alyssa was probably embarrassed to shake with her right hand just yet.

Tabitha sat looking out the window as their teacher came in and introduced Alyssa to the class. Two more days and the harvest would be here once again. She couldn’t help thinking about how much better harvest day would be if she had a family member to come visit her the day before. She was happy to hear stories like Alyssa’s, but couldn’t help wishing her story was the same. No one would ever come to see her on visitation day, and the blow of harvest day would never be softened by a visitor.

The school day ended, and Tabitha showed Alyssa around the compound for the rest of the afternoon. Together, they walked under the metal awnings, discussing the routines and details of everyday life at Humanity.

The rains started pouring harder in the evening, and as the night fell, Tabitha showed Alyssa back to her room and retired to her own. Tabitha lay on her back staring up at the ceiling, listening to the drops of rain pounding on the roof, thinking about Alyssa’s hand wrapped around her books. She wondered how her loving mother must have felt to see her daughter bleeding. Tabitha’s eyes winced shut at the thought, and she decided not to reopen them for the night.

The next morning, Tabitha awoke to the sunrise again, got dressed and headed out before the breakfast bell rang. She went to the courtyard to sit for a while before the rest of the residents awoke for the day. Sitting down on her favorite bench, she looked out around the awning and noticed that the sky was still dark and thick with rainclouds.

To her left was the back of the main building of the compound, where any visitors would go upon their arrival at Humanity. The building was where the staff had their offices, and a receptionist was stationed at the front desk to answer phone calls and guide any guests to their intended location. The building was much nicer than the other buildings around the compound, though still made out of concrete. The walls were freshly painted, and the roof had recently been redone. Tabitha never really had a reason to enter the main building. The only time any residents were summoned there was for disciplinary reasons, or if the resident had a visitor. Tabitha only knew that the building was well kept and decorated on the inside, from glances through the wall of windows into the foyer every month on visitation day.

Tabitha sat on the bench, watching the clouds churn and listening to the start of the small rumbles that emanated from them, when a small voice and footsteps broke the silence around her.

“I guess we are kindred spirits after all,” Alyssa said, sitting down beside Tabitha as a gust of wind blew in a mist on their sandaled feet.

“Oh—good morning!” Tabitha said. “You’re an early riser too?”

“I am sometimes, but—well—especially on visitation day,” Alyssa said, pushing herself up on the bench with excitement.

Tabitha noticed that Alyssa had seemingly put on especially pretty clothes and makeup today, probably in preparation for seeing her mother. She wore a yellow dress with a denim jacket, and had a brightly colored scarf tied around her head.

Alyssa sat nervously pushing her body up from the bench and looking toward the main building, kicking her feet under the bench as they sat next to each other chatting. Alyssa’s head perked up as two compound workers began to take down the large wooden panels that covered the wall of windows on the side of the main building.

“What are they doing?” Alyssa asked.

“Taking down the panels so that any visitors can see out into the courtyard. They keep them covered most of the month—I guess to keep the glass protected from soccer balls and sticky hands. On visitation day, though, anyone that would like to see into the compound can come look out of the window-wall into the courtyard as the residents go about their daily business. I think it is mandated by the government that the taxpayers be allowed to come look at the conditions here at least once a month,” Tabitha said, watching one of the panels being pulled down. “I’ve always found it a little creepy to think that basically anyone—well, anyone with security clearance—is just allowed to come and watch us live our lives.”

“Yeah, at my last compound they did guided tours around the compound every month. I always thought it was just kind of exploiting our disabilities—putting them on display. The weirdest thing about it was that it seemed like the same people were coming every month to gawk at us. At least your gawkers have to stay behind glass,” Alyssa replied.

“Wow. How awkward. I guess this is a little less creepy. I’ve noticed that there are some ‘regulars’ that show up. I’ve seen some of the same young women come by a few times, and I’ve always assumed that they were the mothers of some of the residents here, coming to check on the children that they sold to the compound when they were babies. I know I’ve caught myself examining their facial features to find traces of my own, or those of the other residents. I am pretty certain I have identified the mothers of a few of the kids here, but I haven’t shared with them. Quite frankly, what good is it to know that your mother thinks about you only enough to gaze through a window guiltily at you, once a month or so? I like to sit here and think and dream, though. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t wonder if my mother has ever come by to check on me. I can’t help but sit here every week and look at their faces and wonder,” Tabitha said.

“I don’t blame you. I would do the same thing if I were you. I’m sure that your mother has come by to check up on you, and I’m sure that the only reason that she sent you here was to protect you, just like mine,” Alyssa said with a smile, trying to find the right words to say.

“I like to think that too,” Tabitha said, smiling back at her and pausing a moment as she looked into the foyer behind one of the open panels in the wall of windows. “But I do think that it is awfully convenient that the window-wall is only open, and visitors are only welcome the one day of the month that we are looking the most ‘unshorn.’ Harvest day usually puts a damper on everyone’s mood. It might be considered ‘humane’ but it still doesn’t feel right to be plucked, shaved, and clipped until we’re raw.”

“I know. Harvest isn’t fun for anyone. But, I try to always remember that it could be so much worse,” Alyssa said, setting her hand down beside Tabitha’s on the bench. Tabitha saw her missing fingers and immediately felt a pang of guilt. “Speaking of worse, have you happened to have heard any of the rumors about the new harvest laws? They were stirring like crazy in Johannesburg when we left.”

“I’ve heard that there may be some changes soon, but I haven’t heard anything about what they might be yet,” Tabitha responded.

“Soon? I heard that they were already in place, we just haven’t felt the effects yet,” Alyssa said. “I was actually expecting to see the changes at the next harvest.”

The workers finished pulling the panels down, revealing a few people looking through the glass already. The residents were starting to wake up, and the breakfast bell was getting ready to ring. A pretty woman in a blue dress walked up and placed her hand on the window-wall, making eye contact with Alyssa.

Alyssa jumped up and ran to the door of the main building to meet her mother.

C h a p t e r 
5

Anytha sipped on a cup of hot coffee at her dining room table as the sun peaked through the clouds. She had been tempted to study all night for her history final, but sleep had finally gotten the best of her around two in the morning. She decided it would probably be best to get a few hours of sleep before she started her long weekend of studying for her final exams. Graduation was so close that she could taste it, but she knew that these exams were the last piece of the puzzle of her high school career. These tests could mean a scholarship, and a scholarship could mean the difference between staying home and being able to live on campus. She wasn’t prepared to sacrifice that opportunity for anything, so she buckled down to spend her entire weekend with her nose lost in her textbooks.

As Anytha dug through her backpack to pull out a box of highlighters, her mother walked into the kitchen and started pouring herself a cup of coffee. Anytha looked up from her books and watched her mother, seemingly fully dressed for the day, open the refrigerator.

“You’re up early today,” Anytha said, setting her highlighters down on the table.

“Yeah,” Delah said, closing the refrigerator door, “Your father and I are going up to the courthouse this morning to get some service hours. We would have asked you to come, but we figured that you would be spending your weekend studying.”

“Oh. What for?” Anytha asked, as her mother poured some cream into her coffee.

“Well, they’re starting talks on the Termination of Pregnancy Bill today, and Inali said that he wants activists there all the time while it’s being drafted,” Delah replied. “He said that there are surely going to be people protesting it at all times, so we need to have a strong positive presence there, too.”

“Oh. Are they voting on that soon?” Anytha asked. “I thought that wasn’t happening for a while.”

“Oh, no—it won’t be. Dad and I went to a meeting last week at camp about it. Inali said that he just wants us to raise awareness and to cover this bill with as many hours as possible. If you need some hours this month, it’s an easy way to get them,” Delah said. “And it’s for such a good cause.” 

“I’m not even sure if I’ll be able to get any hours at all this month,” Anytha said, placing her open palm on her forehead. “I’m so swamped with school.”

“Well, you don’t want the month before your activation to be a disappointment to Inali. You’ve got to have something for him to brag on you about, in front of all those people,” Delah said, setting her cup down on the counter and looking Anytha in the eye. “It’s all about priorities.”

“Honestly, Mom, I feel like I have my priorities in place,” Anytha said, trying not to disrespectfully roll her eyes as she turned her attention back to her book.

“Okay. Whatever you think,” Delah said, rustling through the junk drawer and pulling out a black permanent marker. “I just don’t want you to be disappointed in yourself come Activation Day.”

Anytha’s father came downstairs and joined Delah in the living room with a few sheets of poster board, and the two of them sat together on the floor making picket signs. Anytha refilled her mug of coffee, sat back down at the table, and pulled her legs up onto the seat as the sound of a loud knock came from the back door.

“Anytha, can you see who that is?” Chester asked, directing his voice into the dining room.

Anytha got up from her chair, walking around the corner of the dining room and into the laundry room to see Commissioner Inali peering in through the window of the back door. He waved and smiled as he saw Anytha peek around the corner. Anytha reached for the door and opened it, putting on a weak smile.

“Good morning. I hope I’m not intruding. I was just jogging through your area, and I got a page from one of the decrees. May I use your phone?” Inali asked, stepping toward the entryway of the door.