The person Claudia chose to speak with was a woman named Nelly, a mother of boys aged three and five. As someone with young children, she had more needs than most women. Her husband had been conscripted into the army back home, leaving her by herself. She was obviously anxious, having come all the way here on her own, and Claudia hoped their conversation could help her relax.
The director entrusted the care of Nelly’s children to a woman from a neighboring room while Claudia spoke with her privately. Claudia summoned Nelly to the facility’s lounge—but when the woman entered, she made no attempt to sit on the unoccupied sofa and instead fell to her knees before Claudia.
“Please, I beg of you!” she cried, a tremor in her voice. “Have mercy! I don’t know what I have done to offend you, but I will apologize! I’ll do whatever I can to make it right! So please, don’t punish my children! They haven’t done anything wrong!”
Claudia had only wanted to get an idea of how they could better provide for women like Nelly. It made her heart ache to see the woman so overcome with fear at being summoned. She hadn’t fully considered how intimidating an aristocrat could seem to a commoner.
It’s so obvious in hindsight.
Nelly had fled the conflict zone. The ruler she’d supported took her husband away from her, and if she’d been unlucky enough to meet the enemy, her life would have ended in tragedy. She must have really suffered to have such an intense reaction to Claudia’s request for a meeting. In retrospect, Claudia realized she should’ve been more conscientious.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
Nelly must not have expected the apology because her eyes went round. There were noticeable flakes of dandruff in her brown hair, cropped just above her chin. Her face and the rest of her body were covered in a layer of filth, her clothes reduced to tattered rags. She still hadn’t had her turn to wash up.
Claudia lifted herself off the sofa and stooped to press her hands over Nelly’s clenched fists.
Nelly gasped. “Huh?!” She jerked back, shocked by Claudia’s actions, and fell squarely on her bottom.
As Nelly gaped at her in disbelief, Claudia smiled gently. “You must have felt so hopeless. You did well to make it all this way.” She reached behind Nelly and rubbed her back.
Nelly’s eyes darted to and fro as she tried to digest what was happening.
“I didn’t call you here because you did anything wrong,” Claudia told her. She spoke slowly, her voice soft. “I just wanted to talk to you.”
Nelly’s frantic glances finally ceased, indicating she’d calmed down. From Nelly’s right side, Claudia guided her to the sofa. Claudia positioned herself so that their knees bumped and their bodies were fully turned toward one another. She put her hands, palms up, on Nelly’s lap, so that Nelly’s palms touched hers when she clasped them. The reason Claudia was so intent on all these details was because they were techniques for getting the other person to open up—something she’d learned during her brothel days. She had been taught similar tricks when studying diplomacy. The common thread between diplomacy and sex work seemed funny to her.
Although diplomacy doesn’t involve quite as much touching.
A person’s emotions were unconsciously communicated through their expression and body language, which also meant one could use those aspects to demonstrate they weren’t a threat. The reason Claudia sat on Nelly’s right was to make sure her left-side profile was visible, as the right side communicated intelligence while the left communicated empathy—such were the slight differences between them. She had placed her hands palms up to demonstrate she had nothing to hide. She also timed her breathing to match Nelly’s.
“It must be so stressful living in a new place,” said Claudia. “As part of my studies, I lived at a monastery for a little while. It was difficult to adapt to a completely new schedule.”
“A…monastery?” Nelly repeated, surprised.
“Yes. I had to cook and clean for myself. We even did the laundry, which as I’m sure you know can cause cracks in the skin from the prolonged contact with water. I cannot even begin to imagine how hard it’s been for you, having to look after your children on top of it all.”
In truth, Carlo and the other faithful had gone out of their way to ensure Claudia’s chores hadn’t been too difficult, but she supplemented what she had learned with the experiences and knowledge from her previous timeline. What she wanted most was for Nelly to understand that she could relate on some level, that she had some understanding of Nelly’s suffering.
“Isn’t it difficult to do such tasks when you have young children requiring constant supervision?”
“Absolutely. The children have adapted to this move far faster than the rest of us. The second they step outside, they run off.”
Claudia smiled. “It’s a relief they’re so energetic, but I bet you still have a mountain of worries. I plan to increase the security during the day.”
Nelly perked up. “You mean it?! To be honest with you, me and the other mothers have been worried about that. Other than my neighbors from back home, the rest of these people are strangers to me.” Her shoulders sagged with relief.
Pleased to have made progress, Claudia decided to push it further. She held Nelly’s gaze. There was a brief silence between them, though not enough to unnerve the woman. “Hmm, yes. I see.”
“See what?”
“You see, I can tell exactly what kind of person someone is by looking at them. Allow me to show you, and please correct me if I get anything wrong,” Claudia said. “I don’t think you’re the lucky sort. Rather, you strike me as a hard worker with great perseverance who bides her time and snatches up an opportunity when it comes her way. When it comes to important decisions especially, you tend to hesitate and wonder about the correctness of your actions.”
“Oh, that’s absolutely me!” Nelly cried. “How can you tell?”
Claudia giggled. “I can tell by looking at you, as I said. You have a lot weighing on your mind right now, don’t you? Your current situation, your and your children’s futures, and how everything feels like it’s up in the air. Am I right?”
She nodded vigorously. “Yes, completely!”
“Then let’s resolve these concerns one at a time, shall we? Discussing these things in detail can help lessen the toll on your mental health. Plus, under the right conditions, you’re a sociable and optimistic person, aren’t you?”
Everything Claudia had said thus far was vague enough to apply to anyone, but that was what made it so easy for someone to latch on to, thinking it applied specifically to them. This, too, was a technique for getting someone to open up. She felt a little guilty doing this to Nelly—who was opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water—but it was for the woman’s own good. Claudia hoped it would help reduce some of Nelly’s anxiety.
“My gosh, you really can read me!” said Nelly.
“Now, you needn’t hold anything back. Under the wrong conditions, you probably tend to become more timid and reserved, don’t you?”
“Very much so,” Nelly said with a sharp nod. She then slowly began to reveal her fears as well as the aspects that were lacking in their accommodations. As she spoke, she dissolved into tears. “I-it was so hard…doing this all on my own…”
“Of course it was hard. You’ve been so brave. Anyone would be at their breaking point after traveling all this way with two children,” Claudia reassured her. “But you made it. You are an incredible mother. It’s all right—your children know that too.”
Claudia had experienced firsthand how soothing it could be to have someone recognize her suffering. It was validating to have someone listen to and believe you, to stay beside you until your tears finally dried.
“I’m so sorry for crying!” Nelly sniffled. “Especially when you have been so kind to me!”
“Not at all. But, hmm. If you ever feel like you owe me, can I ask a favor?”
“Certainly, what is it?”
“Would you mind lending a hand if you see someone in need? It can even be someone close to you. Doesn’t need to be a stranger.”
Nelly’s jaw dropped. She stared at Claudia; she’d probably expected a more demanding favor than that. “But that won’t benefit you at all, will it?”
“Strangely enough, it will. Good deeds have a way of paying off. If you help someone else, it will eventually come back to me.” She warned Nelly not to burden herself unnecessarily, however. “I think you already know what’s most important. Trust your heart.”
“Absolutely! I will!” Nelly thumbed away her tears, smiling brightly as she excused herself and left the lounge.