I wished the Spirit told me practical things like that guests were coming instead of vague feelings of “right” or “wrong.” Maybe there was something spiritual for me to learn from this strange, child-like woman.
“That’s very scientific,” Stephen mocked her without any kindness. “I should bring in someone to do a study on them. But then again, what do you know about science? You’ve had no education about it at all.”
I was taken aback, but Joanna looked smug and superior, not at all hurt. “It’s not science. It’s the Holy Spirit. Remember back in April when all the milk in all the houses went bad at once? The Spirit had told me it would happen, and I warned all the wives in advance. Don’t you remember that, Stephen?”
Stephen seemed to barely be restraining himself from belittling her. But I didn’t have any sympathy for his position. I did wonder about what Joanna believed to be her power. I knew that some evangelical traditions spoke about gifts bestowed by Christ, but it wasn’t a real part of mainstream Mormonism. I found I wished I could believe it, though—how glorious to have a voice of certainty pointing the way.
“It’s a gift,” Joanna explained to me and Kurt, “from the Spirit, just like anyone else if you read Christ’s promises in the scriptures.”
“I see,” said Kurt, whom I could see felt sorry for her.
“Joanna, could you send the children outside to play?” Stephen asked. It was a strange thing for him to ask, since he’d been so intent on showing off the children of the other wives.
“All right,” she said. I noticed she was very careful to step away from Stephen and put the two toddlers on the floor by Grace, corralling the little girls with her feet. “Grace, can you take the little ones outside?”
“Yes, Mother,” Grace said in a grown-up tone, without looking up. “I just need to finish one more cookie.”
“Not one more cookie,” Joanna said. “Zina and Liza need you.”
“Oh, all right.” Grace licked her finger, the only sign of her real age, then took off her apron. She gave me a quick, very adult appraising look. Then she picked up the smaller of the two girls in her arms, grabbed hold of the other one by the elbow and took them outside. The last impression I had of her was of eyes so piercingly blue that they would have made her fit right into the family, even if she wasn’t genetically related.
“You like it here, don’t you, Joanna?” Stephen asked. “It’s much better than when you lived with the FLDS?”
Joanna hesitated a moment, and I wondered if she was trying to parse Stephen’s tone. I couldn’t tell what he wanted her to say. “I like it here, yes,” she said.
“And why is that?”
“Because you are good to me,” Joanna said, slowly at first, and then warming up to it. “Because you give me freedom and you make sure we always have enough to eat and you are a good father, coming to visit and play with the children almost every day.”
It was so obvious this was a learned speech that I cringed at the way Joanna eagerly looked at Stephen for approval.
“Well,” he said. “You have certainly had a life without freedom or real education. I’ve always tried to be fair to you, more than fair. The other wives have complained that I’ve spoiled you, do you know that?”
Was I imagining a mild threat in what he said? Maybe not, because a tear rolled down Joanna’s cheek. “I never want to make you angry with me,” Joanna said. “Never.”
I remembered Jennifer’s insinuation that they had argued last night. I felt like I was listening in on a conversation with only one side in English.
“There now.” Stephen bent over and kissed her cheeks. “You just need proper discipline.”
“Discipline” did not sound good to me. I looked at Kurt and could see his jaw was clenched. If this were our ward, Kurt could step in and say something. But we were just here for the day and Kurt had no authority to demand a change.
I could only guess that Stephen was doing this in front of us to humiliate Joanna and keep her cowed. I wondered how often that happened here, with the wives being used to embarrass each other.
Stephen was now rubbing a hand down Joanna’s back, the picture of sympathy. Ugh!
“I need to be sure of you, Joanna. I’ll just have to think of the right thing. Maybe you need more time to yourself so you can think. I could have the older girls come up and fetch your girls to the main house each morning. Would that help?” His voice sounded kind, though his manner was cold.
Joanna had paled dramatically. “I don’t need more time to myself,” she said. “I need my daughters with me always.”