The Courier Ch. 06

Cecilia glanced at Maria Elena's hands:

"You got 'em done in Panama?"

"Yes, sort of a last treat before my trip."

"Well, enjoy them for now, because when we get home tonight you'll have to cut 'em short. It's not because you'll be digging tomorrow, you'd have to do it anyway. No matter where you'd work, you'd have to cut your nails."

----------

Thirty minutes later Maria Elena was sitting in a class with 15 exchange program students. Most of them were from the United States, although there were two Canadians and a guy from Ireland among them. After being able to forget about being naked in public for several hours, in the classroom she felt very intimidated because she was the only nude person in the group. She noticed the guys constantly looking at her, but as best she could, tried to ignore them.

The professor came to her aid by watching for anyone paying more attention to the naked Colombian than to his class and calling on that person. Time after time he tripped up inattentive classmates, until finally they were able to focus on the fact that they needed to concentrate on Danubian vocabulary and not on Maria Elena's body. The professor avoided calling on Maria Elena the first day, but she knew that he'd expect her to participate after the newness of her situation wore off.

----------

After class the students immediately headed to the gym, while Maria Elena stayed behind to wait for her translator. When she showed up at the door, the prisoner was shocked, because Cecilia was completely naked except for a pair of running shoes. In her hands was another pair of shoes. It turned out the extra pair of shoes were Maria Elena's, borrowed from her seized clothing.

"Exercise time. I need to go out with my group, and you're coming with us. Put these on."

They left the language faculty building to join a group of about 30 women, all of whom were completely naked except for running shoes. A group of naked young men had gathered about 100 meters away and already were standing in formation. Maria Elena recognized them as the male participants of Cecilia's exchange program. In both high school and at the university, men and women always exercised in separate groups, to prevent them from being distracted by members of the opposite sex.

The women were all from Cecilia's exchange program. Four larger-breasted women who had obtained medical waivers carried folded sports bras in their hands. However, they would only be allowed to put on the bras when the group was ready to start running. During the stretching exercises and immediately after the run they would have to take them off.

A female Danubian fitness instructor, who was equally naked, was in charge of the class. She picked up a leather switch and snapped at the group in Danubian. The women quickly lined up and spaced themselves for stretching. The instructor used the implement to point at a couple of students who had not positioned themselves properly within the group. Very quickly they complied with her commands.

As scary as the scene might have been for someone who had never seen a fitness class at the National University, it was obvious that Cecilia and her students were used to what they were doing. Fitness was a serious matter for all students and participants in the foreign exchange program were no exception. The students had been informed about fitness classes during orientation and had to sign waivers upon entering the program. The instructor kept a sharp eye on everyone in the group, and a quick swipe of the switch across the bottom or thighs was the penalty for anyone not putting full effort into her exercising. Nearly everyone in the class, Cecilia included, had taken a stroke or two at some point.

Maria Elena was included in the fitness group because she would be attending language classes along with the US students. As long as she was studying Danubian with the exchange program, she would have to exercise with the North Americans. Cecilia explained that the newcomer would be expected to stretch with the group on the first day and perform some of the more basic exercises, but for the moment was excused from running. Within a few days she would be expected to run with the others, once she was completely recovered from her experience at the airport.

An hour later Maria Elena joined 30 very exhausted women in the shower. The women chatted in English, but there was one student from Miami who spoke some Spanish and was able to communicate with her. She commented that a couple of the guys in the group also spoke Spanish, one of them fluently. That was heartening news for the prisoner, the hope that she might be able to converse with someone besides the bossy Dominican.

----------

Upon leaving the shower room, Cecilia told Maria Elena to pick up her study materials and follow her back to Victor Dukov's house. They were joined by Cecilia's fiancé, who would be accompanying the two women back home. Later Maria Elena would learn that anytime Cecilia traveled around Danube City, she liked having Jason go with her, even if she was wasting his time. It was not because Cecilia perceived any danger in the Danubian capitol, or because she wanted to show him off. Instead, she suffered from real anxiety if she was separated from him for more than a few hours. Maria Elena later calculated that Cecilia could spend up to six hours without Jason in her sight: anything more than that made her nervous and depressed. She didn't merely love him: her feelings towards him came much closer to a desperate need for him.

That night, however, Cecilia was not wasting Jason's time. The couple would be going out on a date, to a place called the Socrates Club. Cecilia promised to invite Maria Elena in the future, but informed her that night she needed to clean the house, cook dinner for Victor and Pedro, and study Danubian for the next day's lesson. "After your trial, you'll have plenty of time to go to the Socrates Club...you'll have the rest of your life to hang out there."

Cecilia left instructions in the kitchen for dinner: a salad, boiled potatoes with fried vegetables, and blackberries for dessert. Victor helped Pedro with his homework while Maria Elena cleaned up from dinner and straightened the house. She laid out the clothing that Victor would wear the next day and changed his sheets. Finally she managed to take a bath.

After that she sat down to do something she hadn't done in three years...study. She had dropped out of school at age 16, missing graduation by only one year. A wasted opportunity, just one out of several chances in life she had passed up. At first it was hard for her to concentrate, but suddenly a long-lost feeling of hope welled up inside her as she tried to memorize the guide book given to her by the professor. She now had a goal for the following day, something that was achievable. She was determined that, if called on in class, she would give correct answers and outsmart the norteamericanos.

----------

Two hours later Maria Elena was too tired to continue studying and was satisfied that she was adequately prepared for the following day. She decided to make herself some herbal tea before going to bed. She quietly slipped by Victor, who was in the living room praying in front of his wife's portrait. There was something very sinister about that black prayer robe...she thought to herself...very medieval...from a different time...

She pushed that thought aside and quietly boiled a kettle of water. She poured herself a cup and proceeded to take it upstairs when she noticed Victor just standing in front of that picture. In a flash she realized she had a very good opportunity to ingratiate herself with him, by offering him a cup of tea. She took the cup originally intended for herself and walked up to him. She lightly tapped the spoon against the cup to avoid startling him. As soon as she was close to him, she knelt, and without saying anything, offered him the tea.

It was a small gesture, but it had a huge effect on Victor. With trembling hands he took the cup. Then he held out a hand to help Maria Elena rise to her feet. His eyes were full of tears. He pointed at the picture:

"Minák jínokt. Onákt nad Juní mortk dék."

He took a sip from the cup. After a long pause he spoke again:

"Spakéebo dék. Spakéebo."

Maria Elena was able to ask him one question, something she had learned that afternoon in class. She knew how to ask if he would be alright:

"Ved búdkt doc-doc dék?"

He nodded. "Dóc-doc...dóc-doc..."

However his expression told her something very different. It was clear that he wasn't going to be alright. She tried to give him a sympathetic look. He drew a deep breath, wanting to tell her that he deeply appreciated her effort at condolence, but also knowing that she would not understand what he was trying to say. He drank the rest of the tea and handed back the cup.

Finally he touched her hand and repeated:

"Spakéebo dék."

"Doc."

With that Maria Elena figured she was dismissed and returned to the kitchen to clean the cup and put it away. When she re-entered the living room, Victor already was gone. She decided that she too, needed to go to bed. She brushed her teeth and noticed her fingernails. With deep regret she searched among Cecilia's items in the bathroom and found a fingernail clipper. She held the device to the first nail, took a deep breath, and clamped down. She clipped as quickly as she could, but could not prevent tears from welling up in her eyes as she contemplated her ruined nails.

Maria Elena looked at herself in the mirror: her uncovered body, that horrid collar, her face without any makeup, her ears devoid of earrings, and those weird braids. It was surreal and terrifying to think that the image in the mirror was what she had become. On the inside she didn't feel like what she saw in the reflection, but she knew that it was only a matter of time before what she was on the inside would match the image she saw in the mirror.

She heard a question in her mind, from a voice that was as clear as if it had come from someone standing next to her:

"Is becoming different really so bad, Maria Elena? Can you tell me that you actually liked who you used to be? Is there anything you've ever done with your life that you can say you're proud of?"

She turned around with a start, but there was no one in sight. Even so, she could feel the presence...of something...or someone...and it was enough for her to answer out loud:

"No, nothing to be proud of...nothing...absolutely nothing..."

She returned to her room and lay awake on top of her sheet for a few minutes, but finally forced herself to go to sleep.