Chapter 10: Chapter 10

Chapter 10.

He is silent as he leads us to his car. I know because I can see his car keys dangling and swinging loosely in his hands. His gaze is focused ahead and if I knew him any better, I would be knowing the extent of his anger right now but that’s just impossible.

His jaw is set and he isn’t blinking at all.

I make a mental note. To keep any of the thoughts I have to myself. If I really want things not to get worse.

Janet and Tabby are also very quiet and not speaking at all. We get to the most upmarket and the fanciest car I have ever seen. He opens the back door and motions to Tabby to sit there. I notice a slight sneer on her face. I feel like she expected him to ask her to sit shotgun but he didn’t.

I start walking to the open door but he holds his left hand which is free at the moment to stop me and I step back immediately.

Tabby and Janet get into the car and I stand there stranded. I have no idea what next for me when he whams and whumps the door closed behind the two girls.

I look at his face with a raised eyebrow but he pulls it away. He opens the front door and motions me to go in. The door is clonked and clunked closed once I am in the car. He walks all the way round to the driver’s seat without a word still.

‘’Buckle up!’’ he commands and I swear this is where my lack of knowledge for cars fails me. I grope, scrabbling around with it. I hide my face because I cannot afford to embarrass myself that much.

I give him a glance and I swear I catch a smirk on his face. he is not as arrogant as that asshole Harry.

I have never been in a private car before. This one is totally new to me and I hope I manage to pull it. He notices my delving and reaches out to help me. I want to laugh at myself but I restrain from the same.

I will learn these things sooner rather than later. He manages to clip the belt and I feel so embarrassed. My gaze meets that of Tabby in the rare view mirror and she smiles with the same intensity that she normally does. I know this shouldn’t be the case but I envy her.

Despite her being an only child, she is well trained, disciplined, and knows her work really well. She was really loved by her dad and her mummy is the best person ever. She takes care of her really well and in the past, gave her whatever she needed and couldn’t go for. She speaks a million good things of her parents, I used to do so too until recently when I felt like they are hiding something really important or that I should know from me. I know that doubt was almost cleared but I am still not sure if I wanna trust them fully.

She was never sent home for school fees. She is beautiful and very hard-working. Generally, I really do love this girl.

I wish Luke and her all the luck in the world. I don’t know if they will end up together. All I know is that she really loves Luke or could be falling in love with him.

‘’Are you even listening to me, Clara?’’ I blink when Luke asks that. I know what that means. He must have been talking to my absent-minded self.

‘’U … Hu!’’ I respond almost absently. ‘’What were you saying?’’ he looks at me with a smile.

‘’Please come back here. You don’t need to go that far.’’ He says jokingly and the two girls at the back laugh hard.

‘’Babe,’’ Tabby calls and I incline my head angling it towards the back to be able to glance at her. ‘’can you not go back to the village? We are in the city now.’’

‘’I got the sarcasm, darling. But I was just thinking about you.’’ I tell her quietly and they both laugh at that. ‘’What’s funny?’’ I ask with a raised eyebrow.

‘’You know I am a girl, right?’’ my eyes go wide open. ‘’I am a straight girl. Don’t you go thinking about me in that way.’’ She says with her beautiful Cheshire cat-like grin still on.

‘’In what context was I thinking about you?’’ I ask quietly feigning hurt.

‘’Hey, I am sure you were thinking of that little hunk we just saw a while back. Who is he, anyway? You just came to the city a few hours ago and you are already attracting a macho and a stud muffin? Girl, you are lucky. May …’’

‘’Shut up, ladies! Stop teasing Clara, Janet. This is neither the place nor the time for your jokes.’’ He says angrily and with a firm voice. ‘’Who was that guy, Clara?’’

‘’Um … some strange guy who I met at the bus station in the morning. I wonder what he was doing there. Is he following me around?’’

‘’Did you ask him that?’’ he asks quietly. ‘’Because I don’t think I will be able to respond to that. It’s a good question but to the wrong person.’’ He adds.

‘’I did, Luke.’’

‘’And?’’

‘’He asked if I think I am that important for him to follow me around. Such rude guts, you know?’’ he nods.

‘’Yeah, very rude of him. But don’t worry, I will teach him a lesson the next time he harasses you. Would you want me to do that for you?’’

‘’What kind of lesson, Luke?’’ I ask frightened.

‘’You don’t have to worry, Clara. I will just ask him nicely to stay away from you. He shouldn’t be gripping you that hard next time. Anyway, I doubt there will be a next time.’’ That sends chills down my spine. His eyes move very slowly to my arm that he had gripped and I try hiding it from him but he stops me by holding it with his free hand.

I shrug. ‘’If you say so, Luke. Just don’t get into trouble because of me. I would wish to try and be a good girl.’’ He gives me a smile, followed by a wink.

‘’You don’t have to try. You are already one.’’ I don’t know if that’s meant to make me feel good. Maybe, maybe not but it soothes my heart anyway.

‘’Avoid such people though. Will you?’’ I nod sadly. I am not really trying to get to their lines. They are coming to mine and that’s what makes the difference.

The distance is short, so the drive isn’t really long. We’re quiet the rest of the journey as Luke drives smoothly.

No hurry in Africa.

When we get home, Madam Aliana is seated comfortably on her couch. She smiles when she sees us and after the greetings, Janet and I walk to the kitchen to go do our work.

Janet prepares most of the foods as I watch. I know this will take longer but trust me, I will learn and perfect it sooner or later. The table is set when we are done and trust me I am amazed at how Janet does things, she sets the table neatly and I have never seen this done in real life. I am happy I will be able to do this in a few days.

I am surprised to know that she has invited us to eat with her at the high table. I start thinking about how magnificent the house is but with no kid. Maybe she is one of those people who made up their minds never to sire kids at all.

Is that even possible?

We do the cleaning after dinner and once we are done, I walk to our bedroom ahead of Janet. I get alert when I hear voices and suddenly I have the urge to listen to whoever is speaking.

‘’what do you think about her?’’ the first voice which I almost make out to be madam Aliana’s asks quietly.

‘’I am not sure. We’ve had her only today, so, I wouldn’t tell if she’ll be good or not.’’ Janet says calmly and I wonder why they want to or why they would discuss me.

‘’You need to teach her all you can. Make her shine at her work so that if I have to retain her, she can do it better okay?’’ wow! I hope she is not planning to dismiss me before she even employs me.

‘’Okay, ma’am. I will make sure that happens.’’

‘’Good, now, get to sleep and you know when to wake up.’’ When I hear that, my heart skips a beat. I am wondering when the waking up time is but am not surprised because ideally, I am here to work and not to sleep.

I jump up in bed just when I hear footsteps. This woman is a soft-spoken woman. She is friendly and smiley. His happy face makes me wanna be friends but I remember why I am in this house.

To work.

Not to familiarize me with anyone.

Then I remember that keeping lanes is very important.

I lie facing the door. I will be drifting to sleep soon because I am really tired. I want to wish Janet a good night sleep before I do so though.

The door flies open and I spare her a baby smile and she gives me a toy smile as well. She is stripping and plundering her clothes off her body. She wants to get into the bathroom.

I suppose.

‘’Clara,’’ she calls and I lift her face with a grin. ‘’Have you showered?’’ she asks firmly almost as my mum would ask me.

‘’I … you know it is …’’ she cuts me off before I finish talking.

‘’Very cold you wanna say?’’ she is a bit harsh with her words but I nod at her anyway. ‘’Get up, Clara. You need to shower first before sleeping.’’

‘’But I showered ‘’

‘’No buts, Clara! Now!’’ I am shaking with both fear and cold but I remove my village clothes anyway. I look at her and I realize that she is smiling.

‘’What’s funny?’’ I ask with a sneer on my face.

‘’Nothing. Just make sure you take a shower.’’

‘’But the water is cold.’’ I grouse and twine loudly making her laugh.

‘’You don’t need to worry about that, girl. There is the hotter version of the water. You can use that.’’ She says jokingly.

‘’Thank you. I swear I …’’

‘’Don’t you dare swear.’’ I lift my arms in a bid to surrender. Okay, ma’am. I say teasingly. She walks to the bathroom and when she comes out, I marvel at the sweet smell of her bathing soap.

I walk into the shower. Letting the water run through my skin, I stand there for about ten minutes. I apply some cleansing agent to the sponge that she bought me earlier.

I scrub myself roughly, I am hoping that I will get rid of my rough and dark skin and get a light one. I rinse the cleansing agent off my body. I run the water over my skin repeatedly to ensure that it is all clean.

When I walk back to the bedroom, Janet is already in bed. I wish her good night and drift into a night of its own kind.

‘’Madam Aliana wants you to serve her visitor,’’ Janet tells me. It is early in the morning, we woke up very early and are almost done with our chores.

‘’Why me? Can’t you just help me with that?’’

‘’I take orders and deliver them. Just do what you are told to avoid confrontations okay?’’ I nod at her before walking out of the kitchen to the living room. I have a jug full of drinking water and a glass at hand, I am holding firmly to avoid dropping them by mistake.

I am serving here for the first time, so, I got to make an impression.

‘’You?’’ we both ask in unison as the jug and the glass I was holding fall at the same time making a shattering sound.