“Oh, it has more to do with people,” Natani said.
Teal smirked at him.
“I know you are not happy,” he said. “But you must remember that life's sorrows often bring great joys.”
“Here?” I said. “What joys could we possibly find here?”
Natani looked out toward the sprawling desert. “Many years ago the Great Spirit made the sky and the earth and he put the animals on the earth. One day he decided to move the vulture bird to the desert to live. The vulture took one look about and said, 'What a forsaken, miserable place is this. It is hot and dry and full of poisonous creatures. What joy could I possibly find here? Why did the Great Spirit move me here?' And then he saw a dead desert rat and swooped down to gobble it up. After that he saw a coyote that had died when it had disturbed a rattlesnake, and he feasted on that. Then, he smiled as well as vultures could smile. He was full of joy because what better place is there for a vulture than the desert?”
“I'll remember that next time I come upon a dead desert rat,” Teal muttered.
“Yes,” Natani said. “I'm sure you will.”
He began to show us how to plant the tomato plants and we worked at it until all were in the ground.
“When you eat your first tomato from the plant you have put in the ground, you will understand what joy is here,” Natani declared. “Now we go to clean the pigpen.”
“What difference does it make to a pig if his pen is clean or not?” Teal asked.
“Maybe nothing to the pig, but much to us,” he said. "First, we will use what they drop as fertilizer. Second,
we will keep them clean so they don't get diseases and smell bad."
“I can't believe I'm doing this,” Teal moaned. “We had maids. I never cleaned my room. I never ironed or washed clothes in my life, and now I'm cleaning a pigpen.” She looked around. “How far is the nearest city?”
“A lifetime,” Natani replied.
“What's that mean?”
“It probably means if you ran off in any direction, you'd die,” I said. “Is that what it means, Natani?”
He smiled. “One must learn to live within a small circle before he or she tries to cross the world.”
“I just want to get home,” Teal moaned. “Not cross the world.”
“To go home is to cross the world,” Natani told her.
We paused at the pen. Natani opened the gate and shooed the pigs away. Then he stood back.
“I'm going to vomit on the spot. I mean it,” Teal warned.
“If you do, you'll clean it up,” we heard, and saw M'Lady Three standing nearby. “Start shoveling. You have to go to the pottery barn before therapy today.”
“Therapy? We'll need more than therapy at the end of this day,” I muttered.
The three of us began to shovel the pig manure into a wheelbarrow. Natani would then take it around to the side of the garden and dump it in a pile while we filled another wheelbarrow. The stench made me dry heave so hard I thought my stomach would crack open, but we didn't stop because every time we tried to back away, we heard one of the m'ladies warning us about the Ice Room.
Where were Gia and Mindy? How come they didn't have to do this? I wondered.
A good hour or so later we found out. They were in with Dr. Foreman. We saw them leave the house and head toward the barn, both walking with heads down.
“What's with Tweedledum and Tweedledee?” Robin asked.
I shook my head. “Maybe they're finished with their chores and have free time.”
“Free time? What good is it? What could you do here but twiddle your thumbs?” Teal asked.
“Don't worry about it. Free time is something you won't see for a long time,” M'Lady Two replied, coming around the corner of the pigpen. “Pottery time,” she declared, and led us to another barn where we passed cows in stalls and entered a room where there was a kiln, tables, and clay.
Natani was already at work at a table. We were told to sit around and listen to his instructions. He showed us how to mix the clay, how to keep it from being too wet, then how to shape our bowls and dishes. M'Lady Two stood back near the doorway watching us work. She wore a wry smile and seemed to enjoy Teal's discomfort. Natani was patient and focused. Once again, I thought he had magical hands. Everything seemed to come so easily to him.
“You must see the bowl and the dish here first,” he said, pointing to his temple. “Then it will travel down into your fingers and it will be born through them.”
Teal swung her eyes toward the ceiling, but said nothing. Every once in a while she moaned over the clay that was getting under her fingernails. Finally, we had each formed our bowl and our dish well enough to please Natani and he put them into the kiln.
“Let's go,” M'Lady Two said. “Dr. Foreman is waiting for you.”
Robin asked for permission to speak.
“What do you want now?”
“Can't we clean up, rest a moment?”
“Why? You're not going to a party, stupid. Follow me.”
None of us moved with any energy. We dragged ourselves through the afternoon's hot sun and, once again, took off our shoes and washed our hands in the spring-water. We gulped water until our buddy told us to move and we entered the hacienda. M'Lady One led us into the house and brought us to an office with a long, brown leather sofa, an oversize leather chair, and a coffee table between them.
On an oversize dark cherrywood desk, papers were neatly arranged, with a computer on the side, the monitor lit with a screen saver showing spiraling solar systems twirling. The walls had plaques and frames, some with degrees in them, some with letters of commendation. The windows were shaded
