Blind truths

Confession

As I stared at Klara's parents, my anger simmering, I felt Theo's wife's returning glare; she scoffed, taking a threatening step towards me.

- "So we're the culprits now?"

Instead of asking her to calm down, I very sternly stated the facts:

- "You are guilty of negligence, this one is undebatable. As for the rest, I'll endeavour to shed some light on the situation."

- "You are biased," she spat, angry that I didn't back down.

I retorted without a second thought:

- "And you are not? Do you even know what Klara told the director? At all? Her exact words?"

- "She accused him and I believe my little girl!"

Great, the hysteric was back. Her anger was so overwhelming that I had to shield myself and shut off my perceptions. If not, I would end up punching her in the face. So I took a deep breath, and tried to make her see reason. Was I dreaming? Perhaps...

- "Of what, exactly?"

- "Of showing her... I can't, I can't say it."

Her voice broke then and she started crying in earnest. Distress, at last, emerging below layers of anger and frustration. I kept my relieved sigh discreet when Theo gathered his weeping wife in his arms. Then, his piercing blue eyes returned to me as he quietly confessed:

- "I don't know what she said."

I nodded thoughtfully, eager to have the wife out of the way so that we could speak truthfully. And I knew that even if she had hidden her face in her husband's shoulder, she was still listening. Hence a more conciliatory tone as I told them:

- "You should have been informed. You should have seen a report, by now. Denise will fill you in once she has finished the sessions."

Theo just nodded.

- "In the meantime, may I ask if I can borrow the computers and tablets of the house?"

The dirty blond hair shot up at that, and the anger returned full force.

- "Why? Why are you treating us like criminals!"

Damn, I was fed up with irrationality. That woman needed a psychologist, and fast if she didn't want to self-combust. Fortunately, her husband seemed to have grown a spine during the course of our discussion. Was it the accusation of negligence? At any rate, he soothed his wife with a squeeze of his hand.

- "Come Lydia, let us help. It is for Klara, and I want the truth."

- "You just want Lucas to be cleared!" she protested.

Theo cocked his head aside, thoughtful. A strange sensation washed over me, a swirl of distress, guilt and sadness. Shock, as well, and incomprehension. It all danced merrily, like butterflies flapping in a field of spring flowers, without direction and even less control. My eyes spotted a blond head in the corridor. Klara.

- "I want the truth," Theo told his wife. "As fast as possible"

- "Mama, Lucas didn't do anything."

The little voice coming from the corridor took them both by surprise, and Lydia made a beeline for the child to scoop her in her arms.

- "Hush Klara, remember what I told you. You are just repressing memories."

The blond head settled upon her mother's shoulder as I ground my teeth to plaster. Is that what the other parents had done as well? I tried to keep my anger at bay to explain to those parents how badly they were misguiding their own child.