Chapter 14: Chapter 14

Chapter 14.

Weeks later.

I wake up to the humming of birds. I am feeling cool and enthusiastic. I wanna do more of the work I am currently doing. I have learned a lot and right now, I can stand alone and comfortably do my work without guidance.

Thanks to Janet.

The weather is humid and muggy. So, I drag myself out of the bed, I glance at Janet’s bed but it seems she is out of bed already. She is an early bird.

I sit upright in bed when I hear movements in the bathroom and I think she is the one in there. She always takes a shower first before roughing me up to get out of the bed. I smile despite myself when I think of what life has done to me in the past few days that I have been in the city. The past few weeks have been quiet and I desperately hope that it will always be this quiet.

I haven’t seen Tabby much, I went to her master’s house once, I was accompanied by Janet but we didn’t have much time to talk. She promised to come today since it’s our off day so that we can chat about Harrison and she insists that these city boys can show you, love, just until they get deep under your pants, then the love will fade away. I don’t know where she got that theory from.

Maybe she has experience. I roll my eyes at that. I mean, maybe, maybe not but who cares?

I haven’t thought about having anything with Harrison, he is still very self-important and haughty but softens a number of times when we are together. He visits madam Aliana very frequently that Janet was asking me if there is anything between us.

She is quite nosy. No doubt.

I wonder how I am supposed to respond to such questions though but well, everyone is entitled to think about whatever they wanna think about, ask whatever question and feel whichever way.

I stretch myself dramatically at the same time that I hear the bathroom door flying open. I turn to the direction and Janet is standing there looking really beautiful. She has already bathed and will be ready soon to start her day.

‘’Good morning, Janet?’’ I greet her eagerly and passionately. I want to believe that we are keeping well. She has been very good to me and most of the time, she has had to do my chores just to help me pass tests that I have been asked to do by madam Aliana. A few days ago, I was asked to prepare some pancakes and they got burnt. I was in the learning process. I expected madam Aliana to be mad at me but she wasn’t. She told me to keep learning and make sure that I got things right. I was happy that she was giving me a chance to learn.

‘’Hey, how was your sleep?’’ She asks moving closer to me.

‘’Great, I slept well. No dreams at all. What about you?’’

‘’Really? You know I had nightmares all through. I didn’t sleep well at all.’’

‘’What kind of nightmares did you have?’’ I ask her with a slight frown.

‘’I saw my dad being so nasty to my mum. He was beating and manhandling her, he hit her all the way until she lost consciousness. My dead siblings were all celebrating mum’s anguish, while my little sibling and I were so sad and begging dad not to do that to mum.’’ She pauses a little before she continues. ‘’He didn’t listen to us. In fact, he kept glaring at us, making us cower. He at some point lifted an arm to me and was about to hit me hard but he pulled back.’’ She explains patiently.

‘’What had caused their fights?’’

‘’That mum had caught him in bed with another woman. She asked him and he bluntly said to her that he was a man and could do whatever he wanted anywhere. That he was the head and the owner of that house and his body as well, therefore could do whatever shit he dimmed right at whatever time.’’

‘’such a chauvinist! So sad.’’

‘’Tell me about it. Anyway, mum threatened to leave him, he wasn’t happy and that’s when he decided to do that to her. He said that whenever mum wanted to leave, she could do that only over his dead body but not just any time. Not when he was still alive and could defend himself.’’

‘’Wow!’’

‘’Is that all you can say to all that I have told you?’’ she asks sadly and I shake my head.

Like seriously? What does she expect me to say? I ignore her question though. She is hurting and the pathetic me can’t do anything to help her. I can see that that dream to her seems real. I know that her dad is dead, she didn’t attend the burial but still, why would she see such dreams? Anyway, some of them tend to bring life’s confusion.

‘’How did the fight end?’’

‘’Mum gained conscious within a few minutes. I was crying my heart out when she touched my shoulders gently and told me to be calm and collected. Listen more and only take in what I think is important. She mentioned that I should not lose control of anything because I should be able to take care of myself all the time.’’

‘’Ever seen such a dream before?’’

‘’Not an exact one but since dad died, so much is crossing over in my mind. I see him resting under a tree, sometimes he is seated somewhere in a gazebo resting and sipping on his favourite beer. He cusses most of the time I have seen him in the dreams and throws very nasty words at mum.’’ She explains painfully.

‘’Hey, relax. You know it’s just a dream, right?’’ I ask quietly and uncertainly. She nods gently with her gaze pulling away from me and making me feel the pain.

‘’Thank you.’’ I nod when she says that. ‘’Anyway, that’s enough of me. You slept well?’’

‘’Yes I did.’’

‘’What’s up with you and Mr. Harry?’’

‘’Nothing much, he is just like any other man whore you could be knowing. What surprises me is the fact that madam doesn’t say no whenever he comes and asks me to spend some time with him. Are they related or something.’’

‘’You should have asked your friend, Harry, you know?’’ she asks and I shake my head.

‘’I have been trying so much to ask him but he keeps brushing me off. Can you imagine even asking him why he keeps spending time with me, he doesn’t respond with anything concrete. All he keeps saying is that I am so beautiful and he wouldn’t wanna let go of me. That he wants a friend in me with no tactile reason.’’

‘’Gross.’’

‘’Tell me about it.’’ sometimes life sucks, but sometimes life’s good. You meet people like Tabby and Luke and you know that life is good. But when you meet someone like the arrogant, assertive and opinionated person like that guy, Harrison, then you know that life isn’t good at all.

He makes belittles you, demeans and makes you feel unimportant. I wonder whether he does that knowingly or if that’s just his nature. There are a number of times that I have been cheated to think that he is actually a good person with a heart.

But when I get a little bit used to it, he asks me to stick to his lane. What exactly is Harrison’s problem?

One second he is really good to me, while the next second he is saying very mean things to me. He is kinda proud of me when we are together but when he takes me to someplace to meet his equally dictatorial and domineering friends, because he has actually done that a few times, I feel like he is ashamed of who I am.

Not happy that I am a village girl in the city.

‘’Hit the shower, girl. We need to get madam’s breakfast ready before she wakes up to an empty table okay?’’ I nod at her as I loot and raid my clothes off my body hurriedly.

I walk to the bathroom reluctantly. I am feeling cold but I have to take a bath. I stand under the shower, as the warm water cascades my super warm skin. I take the moment to remember the event of the day that he took me to the ranch.

That guy’s family is filthy rich.

From my understanding, not just anyone can own a ranch such as the one they own. I want to understand why he told me that he needs a friend.

Those few hours spent there were worth it. It was beautiful, adorable and I really enjoyed. I was being on a horse for the first time in my life. I was so happy that most of the time I caught him smiling. I am sure he thought about my happiness as an achievement to him.

I will keep the memories for a good number of years.

He took me around the ranch and shows me beautiful things and places within. He took me to a restaurant where I couldn’t even handle cutlery and when one of his friends showed up, he was or rather seemed so ashamed that he didn’t even know how to introduce me. Maybe it’s because he didn’t even know my second name which he doesn’t know even today.

He promised to help me know how to ride a horse and even go into a competition with him. Mr. Austin was there all the time except when we went to have lunch in a posh hotel trying to make me understand things. Let’s just say I was double happy that day and I wish to have more of it.

‘’You are not bathing for the last time, or are you?’’ I hear Janet’s voice coming from our bedroom. The water is now cold and that makes me realize that I have been here for quite some time. I was lost in a trail of thoughts and that’s not good for me. ‘’Are you there, Clara?’’

‘’Yes, ma’am. How can I help you?’’ I say wrapping my towel around my chest. I walk out with a smile on my lips but when I realize that she isn’t laughing, I rub off the smile quickly.

‘’Cut the crap, Clara! Seriously? You wanna help me? When you have literally been in there for more than thirty minutes? Do you think I really do need your help?’’ I shake my head. She doesn’t need my help. ‘’Are you okay, Clara?’’

‘’I am excellent, Janet. What’s up?’’ she shakes her head unbelievably.

‘’Breakfast is almost ready. Go set up the table and please do it for one more person.’’ I eye her suspicious. The only person who I know who normally visits madam Aliana here is Harrison. I hope it’s not him.

‘’Who is visiting?’’

‘’None of your business. Just set the table and all shall be well. She doesn’t appreciate people intruding in her life. Got it?’’ I nod obediently. I understand her. I need to be very careful with what I ask and what I don’t ask.

I set the table as fast as I can I am not yet perfect in this but hey, I believe in myself and in whatever I can do. I also do my best and work extra hard to better my very best.

I smile sweetly despite myself once I am done doing the setup. The table looks lovely and I am really proud of whatever I have done.

‘’You look beautiful in that smile.’’ A sweet deep familiar voice startles me and I turn swiftly to meet the biggest beautiful, brown eyes I have ever met.

His eyes are the color of deep sienna, with a mischievous glint that seems to reflect the corners of his mouth, which are fighting a smile. They are every shade of brown you could imagine, a raw umber and caramel mix, dotted with bits of dark chocolate. They glow with humor and playfulness that gives one shivers and wraps you in a warm embrace at the same time.

He locks eyes with me and I see just how deep they really are. They're not a solid brown. Spirals of earthy brown colliding with honey droplets and even a green color fill those two orbs with magnificent light.

They are beautiful.