Chapter 22: " ... this place is not at all set up to handle twenty kids."

"Hello, Cathy ... hello, everybody. Come on in ... as you can see, we're already hard at it. If you feel awkward about all this; I'll quite understand ... feel free to drop off your child and leave. We can talk in more detail later and, if you prefer, we could do it in a PTA format without the children present where we could be dressed."

Cathy Ackerman and one of the other parents accepted the invitation; the others, still uncomfortable with the whole situation, left their kids and fled. Cathy went towards the kitchen to say hello to Beth; Joy Adamson stayed behind to talk to Lisa.

"How Ling, honey, why don't you take your clothes off and go join the other kids? Where can she leave them, Miss Lisa?"

"I guess, for the moment, it would be in the bathroom ... I'll sort it out later."

Not thirty seconds later, a pretty, naked, Asiatic pixie was running towards the back.

"Lisa ... I came to ask you ... tell you something ... well, both, actually. I don't know how to say this ... it's really hard..."

"Would you like a coffee, or something? Maybe that would help."

"I'd like some green tea, if you have it."

"I'm sure we do ... if you hold on, one second, I'll go put the water on."

"Beth, I need to talk privately with Joy Adamson, for a while. Could you keep everyone out of the living room? Oh, and could you make us a pot of green tea, please? Thank you."

Back in the living room, she told Joy she had asked not to be disturbed. "Oh, and the tea should be ready in five minutes."

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Joy began... "My husband and I were married ten years ago; I had just turned twenty-five. A year later, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I did the whole routine; chemo, radiation therapy, the works. Nothing worked. Finally, there was no choice left; I chose surgery. My husband couldn't deal with it; he hasn't touched me since ... We've had fights over it; some real lulus. You see – I wanted to have kids, I've wanted them since I was ten. Finally, he agreed to adopt; we went to China, we bribed half the politburo but when we came back, we came back with How Ling. It was better but not much. Albert left for good two years ago. He pays more than his share for How Ling and he pays me a stipend as well but he can't bear to look at me anymore. That's what hurts. I chose to survive, but the cost ... the cost..."

"Yesterday, I was listening to Venera. I have a choice to make ... today, I must choose to survive for How Ling or I'll go kill myself. So I wanted to ask you ... may I join your team? Would you accept me even though I look like this?" and she tore open her blouse, popping half the buttons in the process. She wore no bra and her right breast was a good four inches higher than the left with an ugly scar right through the middle of it. Her right nipple was so deformed that Lisa wondered whether it was still functional.