And then she noticed the blood on the girl’s clothes, and the bruises on her shoulders. Valerie’s left cheek was still a little swollen as well. Effie’s heart immediately went out to this poor, weak girl.
“Young man, have you no pity for this young lady? What kind of mistake has she committed that Miss Simmons would exile her to work in the farm?”
Rickey glanced at Valerie and scoffed.
“Don’t be fooled by her appearance. She is more vicious and cunning than the deadliest viper.”
He recounted all of Valerie’s misdeeds and stressed Lucinda’s orders twice.
Once the truth was revealed, Effie’s sympathy turned into scorn. When she looked at Valerie again, there was a glint of outrage in her eyes.
“Oh, tell Miss Simmons not to worry. I will never go easy on such a filthy monster. I’ll be sure to make her every day a living hell!”
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Rickey nodded with approval and handed her the money. Leon went ahead into the house, carrying numerous copies of the Prajna Sutra.
Effie gave Valerie a set of old, cotton clothes and let her wash up.
It was eight in the morning, the perfect time to take Valerie to the farm and teach her the ropes.
Valerie’s lips were bloodless, and her head was heavy. She was exhausted, having had barely any sleep last night. Not to mention the beating she had endured and the long walk here.
“Ma’am, may have some water first?”
Effie scowled and mocked her.
“You haven’t even done any work yet, and you already want to take a break? I see that you’re so used to living a good life indeed! Do you also expect me to cook something for you before you go into the fields?”
Valerie was desperate, so she chose to ignore the older woman’s sarcasm and pleaded, “Please, I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday. I was whipped and didn’t get much sleep. I don’t have any strength to work right now. Please! A glass of water is all I ask.”
“No way! We live by certain rules out here. You get up at half past five in the morning, and have breakfast at six. It’s already eight o’clock. You missed breakfast, so there is nothing left. Don’t think that I will cook especially for you! Did you think you were coming out here to relax?”
Effie sneered and looked her up and down.
“You were brought here to work! To repent! You’d better get that through your head right now.
And don’t even try to play innocent with me! I’m not so gullible.
I’ve had my fair share of dealing with snakes like you!”
In the end, Valerie had no choice but to go to the fields with an empty stomach, and dig up the soil with her bare and bruised arms.
After fifty lashings, a huge blow to the face, getting locked up without food or water and then an hour-long hike, Valerie thought she might pass out and just die.
But the desire to survive often pushed people to lengths they had never even thought they were capable of.
Under Effie’s watchful eye, Valerie managed to spend the entire morning toiling in the fields, usually with her hands, but mostly with a heavy shovel.