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“Where are my daughters? I want to see them.”
“Please come with me.” The woman let me through the gate, and I followed her inside the colorful building with its many drawings reminiscent of a child's play universe.
We entered a room, and I saw Mary lying on one of the desks, her head down and her eyes closed. Her sister was nearby, as was a woman I remembered seeing a few times.
“What's going on with her?” I asked in a harsh tone.
“About ten minutes ago, she started complaining of a headache.” The woman turned to me. She was young, probably no more than twenty-two or twenty-five years old. Her hair was brown and fell in waves around her triangular face.
“Mary.” I crouched down next to her, and my daughter raised her arms, putting them around my neck.
“Daddy...” His voice was weak and sly.
“What's wrong?”
“I'm sick.”
“I'm taking her to the doctor.” I checked her temperature by placing my hand on her forehead but found nothing suspicious.
“You don'thave to.”
“Aren't you sick?”
“Helena will look after me.” She stretched out her arm to try and reach the teacher but couldn't.
“Mary, I...” The woman scowled as she looked at me. “Your father is going to take you and see how you are.”
“ButI wantyou.”
“I can't go, princess.”
“Why not?” he whined.
“Mary, we have to go.” I closed my face with a stern expression. My heart was squeezing at the thought that she might have been ill, but she wouldn't stand being picked on.
“Helena...”
“We'll see you again tomorrow if you're better.”
“Please...”
“Come on, Mary.” I picked her up, and my daughter began to whimper. “Anne?”
I turned to my other daughter who grabbed the teacher's hand, trying to pull her along with me.
“Anne.”
“Vamu, Helena.”
“Go with your father.”
“Anne...” I squeezed my eyes shut, and the girl finally let go of the teacher's hand and approached me.
I followed them out of the school and took them to the car. I held Mary with one arm and used my other hand to open the back door. I settled her in the car seat and put my hand on her forehead. There was no sign of fever, but I was still worried.
“How are you feeling, child?”
“I'm fine now.” She fidgeted as if she was upset.