Before she wrote this story, LaVera had long conversations with the people she calls Marie, Albert, and Mary. They said they want her to tell this story. They read it and made some changes before LaVera gave it to us. Except for Pine Grove Correctional Centre and LaVera, all the names of people and places have been changed.

I believe our lives are woven together
like a spider web

LaVera Schiele
Pine Grove Correctional Centre, Prince Albert, SK

The classroom seemed very quiet. I could sometimes hear some hushed whispers from other students as I talked to Marie. All the students in this classroom were women. Most of them were young adults and most of them were Native. We are not a typical classroom in a typical school. We are part of Pine Grove, Saskatchewan's provincial correctional centre for women. All the students were prisoners. I was their teacher.

My conversation with Marie had grown serious. I could see the tension on her face. I had asked about the father of her children. She responded by saying, "He's the reason I'm in here. He's dead. I killed him."

"He had been adopted by a family from Kirby," Marie added. "Well, I mean a small place near Kirby."

"I'm from a small place near Kirby," I said. "What's its name?"

"Crocusville," Marie responded.

"I'm from Crocusville," I said. "Who adopted him? What's his name?" ..

"Albert and Mary Froese adopted him and his name is Kevin Anderson."

I told Marie I was good friends with Albert and Mary, and that I used to teach Kevin in Sunday School. Her face dropped. She looked shocked. And I was remembering hearnig about Kevm's death a year earlier.

"I've got to read now," Marie said abruptly. She seemed to feel scared of my relationship with the Froeses and with Kevin. Marie and I had started to trust each other in the last few weeks. Now I hoped that she would not pull away from me.

I allowed Marie to withdraw from me for a day. Then I asked her to talk to me privately, in my office.