Chapter 13- The Punishment

CHAPTER 13

Sara was excited, she had just gotten a job at a nightbar downtown as a waitress.

Although she had not met the requirements for the job, she had to print a CV, and increased her age by 2, she thanked God for her amazing stature, as the manager in charge of the bar, had not doubted her and had immediately given her the job.

She was to start work the following Monday, and she was given night shifts with a nice pay of 15 dollars per hour, she was so delighted and couldn't wait to tell Ariel the news.

She sat on her bed in her room, trying to arrange her hair as she wanted to take her bath and prepare for dinner, when she heard a knock on the door.

Looking at her roomies, lively 16 year old girls just like her, Sara faced the mirror by her bedside, ignoring the knock and continued to comb her hair, suddenly the door was pushed opened and she heard someone calling her name.

Turning to look at the person calling her ,Sara heard the shock of her life.

"Sara Parker, you are being summoned by Mrs Patrick, the head matron, you are to report to her office this instant." A short chubby girl said, and proceeded to leave the room.

Sara sighed as all eyes turned to look at her, if the head matron sent for you it was either for a good or bad news. 

Today when she wanted to be happy, Dinah and her friends had succeeded in ruining it for her.

She immediately dropped her comb, stood up and went to face whatever bombshell was awaiting her.

*********

Sara knocked quietly on the large plywood door that housed Mrs Patrick's office.

"Come in." Mrs Patrick answered.

She gently opened the door and came face to face with the head matron and one of the strictest disciplinarian in the shelter.

"Good day ma'am." she greeted politely.

"Good day, have a seat." Mrs Patrick said.

Sara was afraid of the tone the matron was using, calm and soothing under a brewing storm, her head turned and churned as to why she had been summoned, was it because of the late night call rule Dinah and her friend had caught her disobeying, or was it another thing she had done.

She tried to think if she had done anything bad throughout this week at the shelter, but she couldn't remember anything and she decided to forget about it, and listen to what the matron was saying.

"Sara, I called you here to inquire about something, know if it's true, and know my next line of action."

"Okay ma, what's the question?" Sara asked, her heart pounding profusely.

"Dinah, Tessa and Miranda reported you to me, yesterday morning, but I forgot to call you, they said they caught you speaking to someone late at night, at the corridor side, is that true?"

Sara's face fell, she knew this would happen, but she did not expect it to take her by surprise like this.

"Ermmmmm, ma, you are........." She stammered, she was lost and scared, she didn't even know how to answer the matron.

"Don't ermmmmm me, don't stammer and just tell me the truth, Yes or no?" Mrs Patrick asked.

"Yes, it is true." Sara answered.

"You know it is against the rules of the  shelter to make calls in the night, but you went ahead to disobey me and this shelter as a whole, I wanted to let you go as you have not had any bad record since you came here when you were six (6), but you were reported by the most notorious people in this orphanage. And if i let you of the hook, the whole shelter is going to know about it, and that rule will be flunctuated, and constantly disobeyed." the head matron said.

Sara knew she was right, if she was not punished duly, the same people who had reported her, would still be the same people to spread the news that she disobeyed a rule in the home and she was not punished.

Sighing she nodded her head in confirmation to what Mrs Patrick just said, "Yes ma'am, you are right."

"So how do we go about this punishment thing self,  you'll be put under house arrest for a week, I just spoke to the principal at your school and he said, you guys are done with your example, right? she asked Sara.

"Yes ma, but........" Sara stammered again, this was the worst punishment ever, house arrest, she had wanted to go to so many places this week, she had also wanted to see Christian at the shop this Saturday, before they went on their date the following week, but it seemed time had other plans for her.

"But what, this is the most lenient punishment i have ever given to someone in this shelter, I like you very much, you are a very easy going girl, respectful and admirable, is this not the second time you are coming to this office since you were brought here when you were 6, the first being that day. But you see the trio that reported you, here is their home, everyday reports about them keep piling on my desk and I don't know what to do about it. So you see, I have been lenient enough right. This should be the last time a report like this about you should be brought to this office, I never expected it from you, You are hereby dismissed." Mrs Patrick ushered her out.

"Thanks ma." Sara said as she moved to open the door and quickly went back to her room.

She was somewhat happy that she had not been punished severely, but at the same time she was still sad cause she wouldn't be able to see Christian till their date, next week, it seemed they just had to continue exchanging letters.

Immediately she got to her room, she abandoned the hair she was combing, laid on her bed and thought-

"Guess Ariel's going to receive a good and bad news today, afterall.