Regenesis

Katie remembers

Katie's time in Iuvenham had begun some time ago when her mother brought her to the building Katie was to call home for the next four months. It was a cold and blustery winter's day when they parked the family car just outside the imposing and slightly forbidding entrance a full 20 minutes before the scheduled arrival time of 11am. The letter had landed on the doormat a month before, very official, with the logo of the Department of Justice. Katie knew it would be arriving at some point and dreaded it. There was one letter addressed to Katherine. It was filled with very official language about alternative justice, absolute adherence to the instructions given, and that the term was at the discretion of the authorities in the Institution. There was a separate confidential letter addressed to Katie's parents which Katie was not allowed to read, and was locked safely out of her sight. This was the point when things began to become very real, the date set for her to join the Programme, and nothing in any letter about how long she would be there for. She said a cheery goodbye to her sister Amelia, hugging her affectionately. Her father embraced her formally after giving her some trite words of advice about toeing the line and making the most of this opportunity to avoid a criminal record. She was almost relieved to be sitting in the front seat of the car with her mother as they slipped out of the driveway and followed the directions to the town of Iuvenham. The journey seemed long, although it was only 90 minutes. Her mother tried to make conversation about inconsequential things at home, while Katie stared out of the rain-streaked window. It was only when her mother talked about what the family would be eating for supper that night and the series that they were watching on TV that she realised that Katie would be playing no part in it, and wouldn't be for quite a long time to come. The silence that followed was only interrupted by the occasional scrape of the windscreen wipers when the rain became too much. And so they sat, mother and daughter, as the windows began to fog up while they waited for the minutes to pass. There was so much to say, and yet, so little. At two minutes to eleven, Katie's mother took the keys out of the ignition and said. "I suppose we had better get going. We don't want to be late." Katie didn't answer but opened her door and stepped out into the slight drizzle. There was a strong institutional smell of boiling vegetables wafting over the high wall which curved around the end of the building. There was a camera set at the corner of the wall pointing inwards. It hadn't been raining when they had left earlier and so Katie had no coat to shield her from the film of drizzle which hang in the air. She had spent some time the night before, trying to decide what outfit to wear for the journey, and had finally gone for a pair of blue trousers and a grey long-sleeved top. Her hair was in a plain ponytail held with a neutral elastic. She hoped that this would allow her to blend into the background: not too drab and not too showy.

There was a sign on the imposing wall "Welcome to Fresh Starts Nursery.... where the little things matter" Katie looked up at her mother questioningly. "Are you sure this is the right place?" In place of an answer, her mother pressed on an electronic buzzer. Katie stared up at her and felt herself swallowing nervously. They both waited. After a minute, the lock clicked and the gate opened slowly inwards. Katie's mother took her hand and they both walked up to the door. As they approached, the gate behind them clicked loudly. A few seconds later the door in front of them clicked and Katie's mother pushed the door open for her daughter to enter first. The entrance hall was deceptively high, with a skylight set into the roof. Hanging from the very top was an enormous mobile which moved in the slightly musky air. The aroma was a mix of so many things sitting in Katie's memory: a sweet and sickly disinfectant, the aroma of meals, both cooked and cooking, laundry soap, and the unmistakable warm smell of infants. Just as this connection was forming in Katie's head, a door opened just off the entrance hall and a tall and very official lady in her early thirties appeared and made her way down the hall to greet them. She was wearing a starched uniform Her face looked stern, but she smiled as she approached Katie's mother, addressing just her. "Hello, you must be Mrs Hargreaves. My name is Nanny Reynolds and I will one of the team looking after your daughter. Would you please come with me while we complete some formalities." She paused for a few seconds before turning to face Katie, who had been totally ignored thus far. Nanny Reynolds looked her up and down disapprovingly before addressing her. "Katie...you are to stand over there on the mat." She nodded in the direction of a grey rubber mat set against a blank wall, with the outline of two feet clearly facing the wall. Katie looked imploringly at her mother who widened her eyes before looking away to avoid her daughter's sad eyes. "Now!" the voice was raised but not a shout, but the implication was clear. Katie flinched a little and turned to take up the position, putting her feet directly on the spots shown. Nanny Reynolds walked over and stood behind her, her body less than a metre away. "Raise your arms, bend your elbows and extend your fingers so that they touch your shoulders." Katie did as she was told, her elbows pointing down at each side. Nanny Reynolds gently but firmly lifted each elbow up and back so that Katie's posture improved immensely. "This is what we call the "fingertips" position, Katie. Do not move from that position until you are given permission. Is that clear?" Katie nodded nervously. "When I ask you a question, you answer 'Yes, Nanny' clearly and respectfully"