“That noise you heard was only Shama’s humble and amazed scream when I told her I planned to adopt her and give her my name,” Mrs. Penn declared, looking proud of herself and laughing at the two men in their struggle to enter the room, since neither of them was willing to back away and let the other go first.
“Frank, let the doctor come in and verify my sanity, please. You can follow after.”
I stood up, ready to retreat. Unfortunately, although Frank had followed Mrs. Penn’s order and allowed Dr. Stevens to enter the room, he still stood in the doorway, barring my exit.
“I am glad you are here,” Mrs. Penn told the doctor. “Now you can both be witnesses. I plan to adopt the child. Will you attest to my wishes?”
Dr. Stevens turned his head to regard me. He studied me a moment in silence. “What do you have to say to that?” he asked me.
“I . . .I . . . I” A croaking frog would have been more agile of tongue than I with my dumbfounded stutter.
“I see,” the doctor said. He swung about to stare at Mrs. Penn again. “What do you know of the girl’s history? She’s a vagrant, an intelligent child, it is true, but without more information about her background, we cannot be sure that she . . .”
“Enough,” Mrs. Penn yelled out. “I didn’t ask your opinion. Only your witness to the fact that I have laid down my intentions.”
Frank finally strolled into the room. “Did Shama put you up to this?”
Was Frank back to his scowling distrust? That angered me. I whirled about. “I didn’t ask for any of this. I simply did a good deed and have paid for it ever since with . . .
“You’re going to leave us,” Frances said, suddenly running into the room to thrust himself at my body, an arrow that stung both with its force and through its words.
Carlo, right behind him as always, formed a second thrust of animated protest.
“No. I didn’t say that. I only meant . . .” I don’t know what I would have said then. My tongue was numb with distress. My heart was an open sore. Hurt was a rumbling volcano of lava that was only one second from rupturing.
“Everyone, quiet down. Shama, sit down. Boys, be still. Men, hush.”
Mrs. Penn’s voice was not as strong as formerly, but it still had that element of schoolmarm demand. We all obeyed like a group of naughty little children.