Tales of the City 05 - Significant Others

that warmed DeDe’s heart.
    Afterwards, flushed with their achievement, the four of them crammed into the larger tent and sat staring out at the light dancing on the water. They had been there only a matter of minutes when someone approached through the madrone trees.
    The head that appeared through the tent flap had been shaved just short of bald. The remaining hair had been etched with a female symbol, with the circle part at the crown and the cross coming down to the forehead.
    “Hello there,” said the woman, smiling at them.
    “Hi,” they chorused.
    She extended her hand to D’or. “I’m Rose Dvorak.”
    “I’m D’orothea Wilson. This is my lover, DeDe Halcyon … and our kids, Edgar and Anna.”
    The woman looked at Edgar for a moment longer than necessary, then addressed D’or. “I saw you come in. Just wanted to welcome you.”
    “Oh,” said D’or. “Are you … uh … with the Wimminwood staff?”
    Rose smiled in a way that was meant to convey both mystery and authority. “I’m pretty much all over.”
    Great, thought DeDe. Thanks for sharing that. “Do you know the way to the dining area?” she asked.
    “Sure,” said Rose. “If you come out, I can show you.”
    DeDe left the tent and followed Rose to the other side of the madrone trees. “Look,” said Rose, when they were out of earshot. “That boy can’t stay here.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Don’t play dumb. This is women-only space.”
    “But he’s not ten yet. He’s only eight.”
    “Ten is the cutoff date for attendance. He still can’t camp on women-only space. That’s made perfectly clear in the regulations.”
    “Well, Jesus … what are we supposed to do with him? Float him on a raft in the river?”
    The woman gave her a long, steely stare. “Have you read the regulations? Maybe that would help.”
    “Well, I’ve—”
    “There’s a separate compound for boys under ten. It’s over next to the—”
    “A compound?” said DeDe. “Give me a break. A compound?”
    “It’s called Brother Sun,” said Rose.
    “So … my daughter can stay with me, but my son has to be … deported?”
    “I never used that word,” said Rose.
    DeDe was livid. This was Sophie’s Choice without the choice. “Well, this is truly sick. This is really the dumbest thing I’ve ever …”
    “They should have told you at the gate,” said Rose. “I don’t know why they didn’t.”
    “Yeah. Must have been an oversight on the part of a human being.”
    Rose’s eyes narrowed noticeably. “I have an obligation to report the boy. My job is to ensure that this remains Women-only space. If you’re not willing to comply with the rules, you’re free to leave at any time.”
    DeDe faltered, then turned, hearing D’or approach. “What’s the matter?” D’or asked Rose.
    “It’s Edgar,” said DeDe. “His wee-wee is a major threat.”
    D’or met the remark with a scowl and spoke to Rose. “He’s not ten, you know.”
    “Ten has nothing to do with it,” said DeDe.
    This time D’or gave her a look which said: Shut up and let me talk to the woman.
    “We have a separate camp for the boys,” Rose explained, sounding far more placatory than she had with DeDe. “It’s a courtesy we provide for women who can’t leave their kids at home. If you’d like to see the facility …”
    “But we came here as a family,” said D’or. “Surely you can bend the rules enough to …”
    Rose shook her head, a maddening smirk on her face. “You know where that would lead.” She turned and swaggered away, yelling her final edict over her shoulder. “The person to see is Laurie at Brother Sun. I’ll check with her later to see if he’s situated.”
    “Let’s go home,” said DeDe.
    “Now wait a minute.”
    “I won’t stand for this, D’or. That woman will not tell me what to …”
    “I know, I know.” D’or slipped her arm around DeDe’s waist. “She’s a bitch. I’ll grant you that.”
    DeDe felt a sudden urge to cry. At this rate, she’d be down at the Womb before she knew it. “D’or … why didn’t you tell me about this compound business?”
    “I didn’t know, hon. Honest.”
    “Well, I think we should just leave. I couldn’t possibly tell Edgar …”
    “Hang on, now. We don’t know what it’s like. It could be very nice.”
    “Forget it.”
    “He’d be with other boys his own age. Haven’t we talked about that? It would be like summer camp … only we’d be just a few hundred yards