The next weekend, Hannah’s Home hosted twelve survivors from the Serpentine warehouse facility, and I finally met Diane Greer. She was the person that ‘Roger’ had saved from being raped at Serpentine. She was only 5’4” tall, a few inches shorter than I was, but her attitude and confidence made me feel that I had to look up at her. Her hair was longer than I remembered, but that could just be that the last time I’d seen her she’d been a prisoner and her hair was matted and dirty.
Without the chains, both literal and figurative, Diane was a force of nature. She got off the bus that the foundation had chartered for her and the others and came over to introduce herself to Shauna and me. “I’ve got to tell you, Abby, when Captain Stevens called me and explained that Hannah’s Home was inviting us over to see how they could help us out, I was skeptical and told him that it was probably some sort of a scam. Then he tells me that Roger’s involved and I told him that he should have started with that and I called Shauna right away. I want to thank you for what you’re doing for us. These women have been having a hard time re-integrating back into their lives and I’m hoping that getting them together to talk about it and to learn how they can re-start their lives will help them get started.”
“I just wish we’d been around to help them all right after they were freed. I hope that this initial trial will get more of the survivors to come see us.” I really did hope more would join, especially the kids. Some of them had been near catatonic when they were released.
Shauna and Diane had planned this weekend retreat in great detail and there was a lot to do. With introductions over, Diane re boarded the bus and got her charges moving and soon we had everyone assigned into three cottages. Over the next two days, the women had the chance to talk to councilors on an individual and group basis, sharing their stories with people that understood exactly what they’d been through and talking about the troubles they were having in adjusting to regular life. Most of them had families that expected them to be ecstatic about being freed and to just pick up where they left off, as if nothing had happened to them. Being able to share these stories with each other and with the councilors eased a lot of their tension about not being able to meet the expectations of others.
One of the most interesting sessions for me to watch was the career counseling session. The women had decided to take the session as a group. The councilor asked everyone what their occupation was and if they had been happy doing that work prior to their abduction. I was amazed to discover how many of them were in jobs that they didn’t care for or not in careers that they had studied in school. For a few, the opportunities in their chosen field had not materialized and they’d taken temporary jobs doing whatever was available at the time. Over time, they hadn’t left those jobs. Others had given up their positions when they’d gotten married or had children and then taken any jobs that came along to make ends meet. Not one of them was doing what they’d planned on or studied for. This idea was in such stark contrast to the hope and aspiration of my classmates that it boggled my mind. It is said that life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans, but this was ridiculous. I wondered if the men in their classes had similar experiences.
If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
The women were given questionnaires to fill out that helped them understand in which direction their interests lay in terms of careers. I heard several of the women say, “I always wanted to do that but...". A few had found other interests and many had been discouraged from pursing careers in those directions because they weren’t lucrative enough or didn’t meet with the expectations of their parents or siblings. I had no siblings and my father had always supported me in whatever I wanted to do, so these reactions to their plans were thankfully unknown to me. As the councilor explained to them how most people ended up having three or four careers during their lives and how they could pursue their, I saw the light of hope enter their eyes. These women had been through hell and back and were only now realizing that their lives could be different. They could change and become what they’d always wanted to be. When the session ended, I announced that the Hannah Foundation would pay up to ten thousand dollars for tuition and expenses related to schooling or re-training for anyone that wanted to change careers. This news was greeted with tears and hugs and Diane even picked me up and swung me around. She’s pretty strong for someone in such a small package.
By the end of the weekend, my heart was full. I finally felt like my foundation was real and doing the work that I’d wanted it to do. The women had come here broken and feeling trapped by their lives and had left with some hope and excitement about their future. None of us believed that the two days would magically make everything better, but it was a start and they were all invited back to stay with us for longer, with or without their families.
Overall, we’d given the women a chance to relax for a little bit and helped them regain their balance. Most just appreciated having a meal that they didn’t have to cook themselves. They’d been amazed at Gabriel’s culinary skills and a few had suggested that he could give cooking classes as a form of therapy. Sister Clara and her team had given each of the women a thorough examination and suggested supplements and vitamins in some cases and written out prescriptions in a few. Our education councilor had worked individually with each of the women and shown then how they could pursue their new career goals online and how to find physical classes in their area. We also gave the women a binder with information about what government programs they could take advantage of and how to apply for them. These programs covered everything from housing to starting their own businesses.
However, our biggest hit, pun intended, was Sifu Zhang’s self defense course. The women loved the idea of learning how to fight back. Sifu gave them some basics in how to carry themselves so they weren’t seen as ‘prey’ and focused on five techniques that they could use to break someone’s hold on them. Gabriel and I figured prominently in all of his demonstrations, with little ole’ me as the damsel in distress and huge muscle-bound Gabriel playing the mean attacker. Two hours of classes left them wanting more and Sifu Zhang helped them find classes in their area before they left.
When all the goodbyes had been done and everyone was getting back on the bus, Diane wiped tears from her eyes and thanked us once again. She handed me an envelope and promised to return with a larger group very soon, once she’d had a chance to share her experiences with the ones who didn’t make it out this weekend.
As the bus drove off, I showed Shauna the contents of the envelope. It was Diane’s career questionnaire. It showed that she had a high aptitude for helping others and that her dream job would be to work for Hannah’s Home. She’s attached her c.v to the questionnaire.
“It looks like you’re going to have a new helper very soon, Shauna. Think you’ll be able to keep up with her?”
“No, but it’ll be fun to try.”