6 - Juanita’s Ordeal - Draft

Juanita was questioned alone in the backyard. A female police officer was there to provide comfort for her as she was informed of her mother’s death. They wouldn’t allow Frannie to be with her at any point, no matter how strongly or how much she asked for her mother. The officers weren’t idiots. They knew that Frannie was the “lesbian lover” of Henrietta. They also knew through Juanita’s own words that she believed Frannie to be her mother along with Henrietta. None of this mattered. The law said that marriage was between a man and a woman only. Children belonged to their biological parents or adoptive parents. Adoptive parents could only be a man and wife. No exceptions.

Since Frannie was automatically a suspect in Henrietta’s murder, the police wouldn’t even allow Juanita to say goodbye to Frannie. While one officer distracted Frannie, the female officer escorted Juanita to a waiting squad car. Juanita was told that Frannie would be along shortly to keep her calm. Juanita understood the ruse when the officer sat in the backseat with her and motioned to the driver to drive.

Frannie glanced out her window as the police car drove away. She saw  Juanita in the back seat pounding on the rear window and screaming. The officers were the only ones to hear her final, painful, primordial screams of “Momma!”

Juanita, like her sister before her refused to say even one more word. Officers tried everything to get her to talk before the social workers arrived. The social workers spent several hours in the police station trying to get her to talk before taking her to the orphanage. The staff and children all tried to get her to talk but she still refused.

Juanita felt like there was no point in talking. Everyone lied. Nobody could be trusted. She was just biding her time until she could be with her mother again.

What Juanita assumed would be a short stay in the orphanage, became endless. She watched the sensational news reports during Frannie’s trials. The other kids taunted her for having a dyke pedophile for a mom. Psychologists tried to get her to talk about the abuse so that they could headline the news and make history. Even the maids in the orphanage would try to get her to talk. When their attempts failed, they simply went to the press with made up stories about the wretched child and all she had endured. For this they were paid handsomely.

Juanita saw through everyone though. The bullies who were trying to make themselves feel better by hurting her. The saccharine words of those seeking fame, fortune or power. She trusted no one and remained silent.

It took almost two years before the media began losing interest in the story of the poor princess’s ordeal with a trusted nanny and her family who abused and tortured her in every despicable way imaginable.

Princess Darcy’s escape was detailed by the Royal Guards who were involved in apprehending the dangerous pair who had the frightened Princess held hostage for hours. It wasn’t until the Royal Guards caught a break and took advantage of a momentary weakness that the Princess was finally safe in the loving arms of her mother, Queen Narcissus.

Queen Narcissus even did a reluctant interview to discuss the horror that had befallen the Crown. She stated that she had wished to keep the matter private and heal in private but she understood the heavy burden of the crown towards its subjects. “The Royal Family is nothing but the servants of the people and therefore the people have a right to the truth at all costs. The Royal Family has no privacy,” she explained.

Juanita had watched the interview so often that she could tell you every word, gesture and facial movement decades later. For now, she watched in silence catching every single detail, every single lie.

The Queen spoke about the grief of a mother for her child. She pulled on the heartstrings of every mother and child in the world as she spoke. She was keeping Darcy out of the spotlight so she could continue to heal in private given her young age. The Queen had always believed in allowing the princess to blossom into adulthood in private,  after all. Small hints about her and her condition were given though. Juanita had wanted to know as much as she could about her precious, beautiful, kind, loving and sometimes clueless sister. It was all she could think about besides the condition of their remaining mother.

The Princess had given an interview to the police. She explained everything that had happened that fateful day. She cooperated with all police questions. She answered the questions honestly. She was brave for telling the truth. The horrors that she endured were not for the faint of heart. No mother or daughter should ever have to hear these stories let alone be a party to them. She is strong and resilient. She is recovering nicely.

Juanita couldn’t believe a word of it. They all knew how much of a liar the queen was. She had hoped that the queen’s reassurances that Darcy was recovering nicely were true.

While Darcy remained out of sight, Juanita could see the state of her mother in color on the evening news every night. Her slight frame became emaciated. Sunglasses covered her swollen, sunken eyes. Her words were spoken while choking on her tears. Her words echoed in Juanita’s ears.

“I’m not guilty of these horrible crimes. I love my daughters. Juanita and I need each other. Henrietta and I loved those girls with all of our hearts. They are my daughters, damn it! Do you know what it feels like to have them ripped from your arms? Could any of you mothers imagine that happening to you? Could you ever imagine hurting them as I have been accused of doing? I know that you parents know in your hearts that I’m telling the truth.”

Frannie’s cries for justice began to fade from the evening news. After the Queen’s interview aired, Frannie never spoke another word publicly. After that Juanita only saw footage of her mother walking into and out of the courthouse.

The news coverage was inescapable. Juanita got a continuous barrage of innuendo and outright lies. Police photos of her home and bedroom were shown and so called experts explained various elements shown in them and how that might have fit into the case against Frannie and Henrietta.

There was only one full sized bed in the bedroom that the girls shared. This was probably done so that the women could create on orgy or force the girls to have sex with each other.

A rocking horse in the corner was indicative of beastiality. We all know that gay people aren’t right. Their lives aren’t natural. This mental illness, this sickness leads them to all manners of sexually deviant behavior. Beastiality being a prominent one.

No disgusting idea wasn’t considered and spoken throughout all of Jahim. From the lowliest worker to the halls of the palace, nothing was too risqué. The only thing not considered was the simple truths. Their house only had two bedrooms so the sisters naturally shared a bedroom like so many others. Their bedroom was too small to accommodate two twin beds. They shared a bed like many other sisters throughout Wahid. A rocking horse is a common toy that many young children own.

While the world continued to tear down everything in her life that was good and pure, Juanita clung to what she knew was true and wouldn’t allow them to ruin her happiness.

The second time she saw the photos, she tuned out what everyone else was saying and let herself get lost in the memories they contained.

Juanita had insisted on having that princess bed. Darcy protested loudly. She found nothing glamorous or desirable about princesses. Royals were despicable parasites as far as she was concerned. There was no arguing with Darcy about this. They all knew that her belief wasn’t logical. After all, Darcy was a Royal and they didn’t find her to be a despicable parasite. It was simply how Darcy felt about the subject, as irrational as it was.

Once Darcy had calmed down, Juanita described it differently for her. “This is the bed of two fairytale princesses and sisters who love each other beyond measure. The sisters both absolutely love purple so the Royal Seamstress has incorporated it heavily in her whimsical design. While the one princess hates pink for some inexplicable reason, the other loves it so. There are small pink splashes as a compromise. The netted canopy invokes outer space and makes a glorious enclosure for all of their adventures.”

Darcy could never deny Juanita anything for long. The bed arrived with matching tiaras that Darcy had purchased from her allowance. Darcy couldn’t resist making Juanita’s vision even better.

They spent many days together under the canopy imagining all sorts of different adventures. Juanita was good at creating new worlds and creatures. Many of her arts and crafts contained these interesting new forms of flora and fauna. Darcy gave life to her creations in her stories. They were the perfect pair.

The rocking horse was the only toy they kept from their toddler years. Juanita and Darcy created numerous stories and future plans while riding Matilda. They never grew tired of her.

Juanita’s memories of her family and a hope for a return to better times were what she clung to in order to survive. Employees of the orphanage, the media, the Queen and even the other kids teased, taunted and even beat her but they could never touch her mind. She just knew that better days were coming.