Silent Genius

Chapter 5

January 2009

I’m meant to be at my first day of grade nine. But no, instead I’m at The Little Miracles Gifted Children’s College. Its Claire’s first day. She only turned two about a week ago but she’s already starting school. I’m watching her through a two-way mirror. She sits on a plastic blue chair in a room all by herself. She keeps looking at the mirror. She knows I’m behind it, watching her. She holds her hand out towards me, grabbing at the air, tears in her eyes.

Don’t leave me alone!

I place my hand on the cold glass, willing myself to move through it. But I know I can’t. Mum stands behind me, watching her, a confused expression of her face. Her grip on the back of my seat is so tight her knuckles have turned white.

‘Relax, honey,’ Dad whispers.

I’m not sure if he’s talking to me or Mum. I sigh. Claire looks so small, sitting all alone in the large, white room. I just want to break through the glass, pick her up and hug her too me. We both look up at the door when it opens. In walks Maria (Claire’s psychiatrist) and a group of other people, ranging in ages from twenty to fifty, all wearing white coats and holding clipboards.

Claire smiles when she sees Maria. They’ve formed a very strong bond over the last year. Not as strong as the bond we share, but as strong an Claire will allow a stranger. When one of the young men in a white coat approaches her, she cowers back into the chair, her sobs shaking her entire little body.

‘So, she’s a genius, who doesn’t speak?’ the man says.

Anger shoots through both Claire and I. She may be young, but she does not like being talked about as if she’s not there.

‘Ask her yourself,’ Maria says, seeing Claire’s frustration.

The man gives her an unbelieving look, then turns back to Claire.

‘Are you smart?’ he asks, his words slow and precise.

Claire’s eyebrows furrow together in anger.

‘Can you speak?’ again, slow and precise.

He leans in close to her. She kicks him away.

‘Anger issues,’ the man mumbles, writing on his clip board.

‘Claire doesn’t appreciate being talked to like she’s a baby. Do you, Claire?’ Maria says.

Claire shakes her head and glares at the man.

‘But she is a baby,’ he replies stubbornly.

‘Physically, yes. Mentally, no,’ another white-coat says, stepping towards Claire.

Claire smiles sweetly up at her and she kneels down. They are now face-to-face.

‘Claire,’ the woman says, ‘how old are you?’

Claire holds up two fingers in front of her.

‘You’re two?’ the woman asks.

Claire nods.

‘How many siblings do you have?’

Claire holds up two fingers again.

‘Two siblings, a brother and a sister?’

Claire nods, her smile broadening.

‘Can you tell me what their names are?’

At this, Claire frowns. She looks back at the mirror, tears in her eyes again. She opens her mouth but no sound comes out.

‘Tanna,’ I whisper to her, ‘say it, Tanna.’

She shakes her head. A single tear escapes past her lashes and slides down her cheek. I jump out of my seat before anybody knows what I’m doing. I leave the secret room behind the mirror and enter the main room. I run over to Claire, picking her up and hugging her to my chest. She cries into my shoulder, shaking her head at the same time.

‘She seems very reliant on her sister,’ the snobby man says.

‘That could be interesting,’ the kind woman says.

‘Interview the sister,’ another white-coat mumbles.

‘Maria, why hasn’t the sister been interviewed before?’ says the man.

‘She does not attend Claire’s sessions. They are usually booked when Tanna is in school,’ Maria replies.

‘Well, she’s here now. You take Claire. We’ll take Tanna,’ he says sharply.

‘No,’ I turn around, holding Claire tighter, ‘enough for today. She is already scared because of you,’ I point an accusing finger at the snobby young man.

‘Tanna, please, I’ll take her,’ Maria says.

‘No, no, no! Today is done,’ I say.

I turn to see Mum, Dad and Tom standing in the door way.

‘Dad,’ I look at him with pleading eyes, ‘enough for today.’

‘Yes, that’s enough,’ Dad replies, holding the door open for me.

And I walk out, leaving all the white-coats plus Mum to stare after me in surprise and anger. Tom just snaps another photo.