To Wyatt999, Viking, and sarumansauron, thanks. And Wyatt, my mother was the one who first saw us, then my brother, so Andrew didn't have much choice, did he?
Winter 1966-67
Breaking the Nine-Year-Old Rule
Part V
Interrogation
It had puzzled me why they were back so early. They weren’t supposed to come home for two hours or so. My mother told me so. So I told Angela that my Mom wasn’t supposed to be due in two hours. That was why she was confident in kidnapping us all. Obviously, we were wrong.
“Aunt Mary,” Donald stuttered. “I—I didn’t have anything to do with this, Angela will tell you,” my cousin stuttered to my mohter.
“That reminds me,” my mother said. She walked to the garage door, and shouted. “Rachel, come here! Come and see what our children did.”
A few moments later, my Aunt Rachel, Donald and Maggie’s mother and my uncle’s wife, went and took in the scene. “They really ignored that rule, didn’t they?”
“Yes,” my mother said. “But first, let’s here from them. Angela?”
“Mrs. Ford, Mrs. Ford,” she said to the two adults standing across the living room demanding an explanation. “Tom, Louise and I tied up Betty and Maggie,” she said, her head looking at the floor, her previous elation disappearing completely. “I tied up Louise and Tom, and Donald here hasn’t had anything to do with this.”
“We should untie them,” Aunt Rachel said.
“No. Only their gags should go,” my Mom said. “I want them to first spill the beans, then we can decide what to do.”
“Angela, remove their gags,” my aunt ordered, and she complied. She started first with Maggie. Andrew joined to help, and slowly removed my sister’s gag, while Donald went and removed Louise’s gag. My mother finally stepped in and removed my gag.
“Andrew, get a glass of water,” my mother said as she looked at the saliva soaked handkerchiefs. “Kids these days,” she said, looking at my aunt. “Back then, we didn’t have this much tape to use for gags.”
My aunt nodded. “We only used handkerchiefs and long pieces of cloth to gag someone,” she added.
Andrew returned with a large glass full of water. My mother took it and offered each of us four a mouthful of water.
“Okay, now that you’ve drunk, I’ll ask a few questions. Betty, did you ask your brother and the others that you want to be tied up right now?”
“No,” my sister replied.
“Maggie, how about you?” Aunt Rachel asked.
“Not really, Mom,” she replied.
“So basically, you were forced to? Tom, can you say anything to that?” My mother asked.
I needed to speak, otherwise, we would even be in greater trouble. My sister and cousin didn’t lie. They told the truth, but the way they told it would leave a worse impression on the adults than if they knew the whole story.
“Well, when we started tying them, they didn’t resist, they were laughing and giggling, so I thought that they were okay with it,” I said.
“Did you ask them if they wanted to be tied up?” my mother asked.
“No Mom,” I said. “We just tied them up!”
I was all alone here. Angela, this not being her house, was absolutely silent unless asked.
“Was it true that Donald doesn’t have anything to do with this?” my aunt asked.
“Yes Aunt Rachel. He told us that we shouldn’t be doing this and that we should let them go,” I said. I at least owed my cousin that. Yet it would lead to more trouble. The way I said it made it even worse. In an effort to get Donald out of trouble, we sank deeper into it. “We told him that it was alright and we’d tie him up if he interfered.”
I saw Angela glare at me, but I ignored it.
Donald seemed to be relieved that he was going to be off the hook.
“Is that true, Angela?” my mother asked.
Despite herself, she nodded.
“But who tied up Betty and Maggie,” my mother asked.
“I did,” I confessed. I already said so much. Might as well tell all. We couldn’t get into even more trouble than we already were. “I tied them up.”
“And did Angela and Louise help?” my mother further inquired.
“Yes. I was the one who put the tape on their mouths after Tom stuffed their mouths,” Angela explained. “Louise merely handed us the materials that we used.”
“Is that true, Louise?” Mom asked.
“Yes, Mrs. Ford,” she replied.
“And why are you and Tom tied up?” my aunt asked. “Aren’t you supposed to be the captors?”
“I wanted to tie them up,” said Angela. “So I did. I squirted them with a water gun. Under our rules, they were my captives if that happened.”
“Oh I see,” said my mother.
After that, my aunt and mother engaged in a hushed conversation among themselves. We were all quiet, fearful of what they might do to us to punish us.
Finally, my mother spoke.
“You knew about the nine-year-old rule, and you promised us that you wouldn’t violate it,” my mother began. “Right in our house. You know well enough that Betty and Maggie are exempted from being tied up until next year—it was only one month for Maggie and two for Betty and you couldn’t wait. Yet you still chose to disobey us. To make it worse, you tied them up even though they made it clear that they choose not to be tied up.”
“Angela, Louise, you’re not under my rules. Yet you encouraged them do break the nine-year-old rule, is that correct?” my mother asked.
“Yes Mrs. Ford,” both answered. “We’re very sorry.”
“Andrew, pick up the used handkerchiefs and put it in the hamper, then go up and get some fresh handkerchiefs,” my mother ordered.
“Betty, Maggie, you know you’re not supposed to be tied up, yet you let them tie you up,” my mother said. “I’m sorry, but all of you would’ve to be punished because of this. Angela, Louise, I can call your mothers and tell them about this, or you could share in their punishment.”
Angela and Louise looked at each other and nodded. “We’ll share in their punishment,” they said. They already had an idea of what our punishment would be.
Andrew came back with several pieces of handkerchiefs.
“Donald, Andrew, gag them all,” my mother ordered as she bent down and got a long piece of rope. “Angela, come here.”