Savages and Beasts, a novel

Date: 11/03/2024Author: vequinox 0 Comments

(excerpt)

Anton listened to him
attentively and occasionally nodded his understanding.

“Come now, let me walk you
around the building to orient yourself with its various sections; by
then recess will start and you’ll have to go talk to father
Nicolas”

“I’d like to ask you
something” Anton said in soft tone.

“Shoot”

“Why you call children
savages?”

The old Irish man stopped
on his tracks; he turned towards Anton; he looked deep in the young
man’s eyes; he raised his eyebrows as if not expecting such a
question; he extended his hand and touched Anton’s shoulder.

“How else could I call
them? Everyone else calls them the same way. I just work here I don’t
question”

Anton didn’t go any
further and kept his pace next to the old Irish man who had climbed
the stairs to the ground floor and leading his way to the right he
pointed each office saying, “this is the personnel director’s
office, father Nicolas, who you have met” to which Anton nodded his
head as they passed the reception where Sister Gladys was sitting and
carrying on further, “this is father Jerome’s office, he’s the
head of this Residential School. He’s the one responsible for
everything and anything that takes place here; you’ll meet him at
some time.” Next to Father Jerome’s office was that of Mary, his
administrative assistant’s office. Then Dylan led him through a
hallway to the building next to the offices, “Here we have the
class rooms, the music and choir room and further on the girls’
sleeping quarters, four big rooms that house sixty beds per room; on
the other side of the main building, passed the offices I showed you,
is the other half of the facility where the sleeping quarters of the
boys are”