SOC 101 (SUBJECT 2)✓

20

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- HATING THE COUNTY -

The looks on their faces had stayed imprinted in my mind as I staggered, holding onto the door handle. My mother still winced in pain as she was still hunched over on the floor. Daniel had wide eyes as he looked down at her.

"Madam." He yelped, hurrying to hold my mother without a care in the world.

"It's okay, Daniel." She calmly said to him before turning her scrutinizing gaze towards me, "Why are you back early? Aren't you supposed to be at the retreat? I need to speak with the sisters..."

As I took a step forward, my voice cracked, my eyes darting from my mother to Daniel and back to my mother. My tongue felt swollen suddenly, and the right words still refused to come as I watched her get dressed. Daniel had also shyly thrown on his trousers and was currently buttoning up his shirt.

"He's a child!" A voice cracked, and I staggered again, feeling light-headed from just staring at them, "He's just 16! Don't you have any shame?"

"It's not like I'm forcing him," She defended, looking down at Daniel who stared down at his hands, "Or am I forcing you?"

"No, madam, this is all essential for my cleansing. Just like you said." He muttered before looking at me, "Stop being rude to her!"

"How can you not see, Daniel? Sex isn't cleansing, it's a sin! It. Is. A. Sin!"

"Shut your mouth, Theresa! How dare you raise your voice at him? What do you know?" My mother questioned, standing up on her feet as she walked towards me, "How do you know what sex is? The outside world has damaged you."

"The outside world made me see everything, mother, the outside world is the same as the County!" I yelled, pointing my finger at my mother, "You claim it's rotten out there, but isn't it just as bad here? Daniel is underaged and you know that, yet you engage in these acts with him and tell him it's for cleansing? I see why everyone hates you."

"Daniel?" She called, and he sprang up to his feet, "You can go home now."

"B-but Madam, we haven't gone through the cleansing..." He stuttered, standing beside my mother and glaring at me.

"We'll continue another time, Daniel." She assured him, smiling as he bent to kiss her square on the lips.

He bumped his shoulder against mine as he walked out and slammed the door loudly. I stood still, more in shock and anger, Daniel wasn't like this.

"How long has this nonsense been going in between the both of you? Answer me!"

She sighed, moving back to the couch and plopping down on it, "Ah, you were always the curious one after all."

"Answer me!"

"On his birthday." She replied, leaning back into the chair, "You should have waited till tomorrow before coming home."

"Last year? His birthday last year?" I asked, my voice rising an octave, "That was so in-"

"His 14th birthday. That's the right age, Theresa."

My legs finally gave out under me and I fell to the ground with wide eyes, "You've been having sex with him since he was 14? How dare you?!"

"How dare you, Theresa? You don't even know how things work around here. What makes him so special? He's not the first."

"I'm going to report you to the priest and you're going to get banished! You are acting so casual about this, I can't even call you my mother!"

"Be my guest." She smugly said as she got up and walked towards the door, "Let's go to the priest, I'll come with you."