Chapter 17 - My Mother’s Deposition
Marjorie testified in a civil protective-order matter before criminal trial.
She admitted:
She believed Ione should spend a term in England.
She knew I would probably say no.
She believed my no came from guilt.
She believed she understood Ione’s needs better.
Then:
“Did Fletcher authorize international travel?”
“Not explicitly.”
There.
“Did the authorization forbid international travel?”
“The version he originally signed did.”
“Why remove that sentence?”
“I believed it conflicted with the broader caregiving authority.”
That answer was disastrous.
“Why not ask Fletcher?”
“He would refuse before thinking.”
There.
Then:
“Did you intend to tell him before boarding?”
“No.”
“After?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“So he couldn’t sabotage it impulsively.”
There.
She said it under oath.
Then chores.
“Why sleep by laundry?”
“To teach her that comfort follows responsibility.”
“Was her bedroom unavailable?”
“No.”
“Did you believe a bed should depend on chore completion?”
She hesitated.
“For one night as consequence.”
There.
Then:
“How many?”
“Three.”
Ione’s therapist estimated three to five from child memory.
We could prove three.
Good.
Then:
“Why make her scrub clean floor?”
“She said she was done too quickly.”
“So you dirtied it?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To show that work is complete when adult says.”
That sentence crystallized everything.
Not cleaning.
May you like
Obedience.
The work existed to prove authority.
