Turning 15
I sat by the window, anxiously waiting, a vague idea of what was about to happen. The information I had received was so unbelievable, I simply couldn’t fully trust it. Or so I thought.
My suspicions, however, were unfounded. At 12 o’clock, a carriage drove up, and the doorbell rang. My mother opened the door and then called for me. I put my hands together in front of me, looked modestly down at the floor (partly because I wanted to hide my excitement; and partly because it was expected of me, as a young girl in the presence of unknown adults) and went out to her.
She introduced me to the man in the door, and told me to turn around so she could tie my hands together and gag me. This would be the last time she did that to he “little girlâ€, as she liked to call me. The next time we saw each other, I would be a grown-up. Anyway, just before putting the blindfold on, she kissed my forehead as if to say “good bye†forever; which she sort of did, I suppose.
I was led out to the carriage, and lifted up. I sat down on the hard wooden seat, and off we went. The ride seemed to go on for forever, but eventually we stopped. I could feel the cool breeze against my face, when the door opened.
I was led inside and the blindfold was taken off. In front of me stood a stern-looking woman, all dressed in black and holding a metal-shod cane. Without saying a word, she grabbed my arm, and more o less dragged me upstairs to a little bedroom. She untied my hands, but put metal-cuffs on instead. One of the cuffs had a D-shaped ring, the other one a clasp. That way, they could be locked together, either in front of, or behind me.
Around my neck, she put a larger metal ring, with two smaller D-rings, situated beside a clasp in front. She took a heavy padlock and locked the big ring behind my neck. Once locked, it was so high, it held my head rigidly.
To finish it all off, she buckled a leather belt around my waist. On it was yet another ring on one side and yet another clasp on the other.
She looked me straight in the eye and said, (not too) unkindly:â€Now, my dear. From now on, you will have your hands clasped, at all times. You, of course, will not look at any adult, nor will you be able to speak, unless the gag is taken off. You will curtsey and step aside, every time you are approached by an adult.
In this house, you will learn how to become an adult. You will work tirelessly, day and night, towards becoming one. If I see you loitering at any time or for whatever reason, the consequences will be dire.
You will learn; how to cook and sew, and just about anything else belonging to a properly organized household.†Every time she said the word “willâ€, she emphasized it, by pounding the floor hard with the cane. Though I had my eyes fixed on the floor, I could see it left no marks or scratches. That amazed me a great deal, considering the force she used.
Thus began my training to become an adult.