Chapter 91

Jennifer pulled herself to her feet. For a moment everyone thought she might faint. She tried to avoid her relatives, particularly her mother's eyes. But she could not. She expected her mother to look at her with contempt after hearing about those shameful things she had done. She did not doubt that she had failed everyone and had put to shame the name and the image of the family. Though she was happy about her mother, she never regretted what she had done.

She never for once accepted what she had done to be bad. Then she took a deep breath and began. Slowly at first, then gaining strength as she spoke, she did not attempt to glorify her actions or to excuse her inhumane and unreasonable actions. She narrated everything she had been doing. How she had been moving the sacks of foodstuffs and other things.

When she finished, there was a moment of silence. " I cannot apologize for my miserable actions," she said. " But I invite your hardest punishment for my actions. I know what my acti