In Part 22, Angelisa hesitates to inspect the library’s initial work crew even though she’s been designated as the boss. Rebeka isn’t ready to travel to add to her Women At Work drawings and is glad Sharlene goes with her then she helps rescue a young woman and is reminded of her own abuse. Angelisa endures an unpleasant ‘discussion’ with her mom and turns to those who support her college plans.
A peek inside:
While she tries to imagine Nansee without all of the tubes and wires, Rebeka opens her sketch pad and draws a picture of Nansee softly smiling and smelling a bouquet of flowers. After she writes, ‘To Nansee, Get Well Soon,’ below the drawing, she shows it to Sharlene who calls it wonderful then she signs her name and dates it. With a couple of pieces of tape from the nurses’ station, they attach the drawing to the closet door, then step back out of the room, since they’re unable to express their concern more directly due to Nansee being fully sedated and with an Emotique comfort recording set up to play every few minutes.
Soon a middle aged couple step into the room, look at Nansee for a few minutes then step back out and are clearly upset and hurting. The woman is apparently oblivious to anything around them because she doesn’t bother to whisper to the man, “What are we going to do?”
He shakes his head as he answers, “I don’t know.”
Rebeka can’t seem to stop herself from stepping closer, although she does lower her voice as she asks, “Are you Nansee’s parents?”
He looks startled at being addressed and says, “Yes.”
“Why are you wondering what to do?”
“She was . . .” he seems unable to utter the word.
“Raped.”
As he flushes with anger and embarrassment, he responds, “Yes.”
Rebeka again asks, “Why are you wondering what to do?”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me.”
“If word got out . . . .”
“You’re more worried about your reputation than about your daughter?”
“Why would she do such a thing?”
Rebeka can’t control her anger, “Do you think she wanted to be raped and beaten?!?! Look at her. Not me, look . . at . . her! Do you really think she went up to some guy and said ‘rape me and beat me and try to kill me’? Nobody asks to be raped. Or did you teach her that was her role in life?”
“No way!”
“Did you teach her and encourage her to be independent? Did you teach her to get a good education in order to get a good job and support herself? Did you teach her to stand on her own two feet? Did you teach and encourage her to be strong and self-confident? . . . Or did you teach her that she needed to find a man to take care of her?” Nansee’s mother clamps her hand across her mouth. Rebeka goes on, “Then a man comes along, pretends to be nice to her and treats her romantically, so she thinks she’s in love and when she goes with him, he does that to her,” she points at Nansee.
Nansee’s mother turns white, looks around in a panic, sees a garbage can, hurries over, and vomits. After he briefly glares at Rebeka in anger, Nansee’s father hurries over to join a nurse who is helping to take care of his wife.
Rebeka turns, leans on the window to Nansee’s room, lets the tears flow, and is thankful for Sharlene’s tight hug from the side.
When Nansee’s mother is slightly recovered, Nansee’s father marches over to Rebeka and demands, “Who do you think you are to speak to us like that?” He’s startled to see Rebeka turn to him with tears running down her face.
“Because my friend was right where Nansee is now and I was almost there and do you know what our loving wonderful families did? They kicked us out of our homes like we were so much garbage. The worst experience of our lives made worse by those we trusted. Where was the love, where was the care, where was the forgiveness? I can’t tell you what to do, but if you don’t care about your daughter, if you can’t love her and help her to recover from such a horrible experience, then you might as well have raped and killed her yourself!!”
