Chapter 5: The tutelar
1713 Words
The miller manor was a beehive of activities during the day. Under the stewardship of the butler everyone could be seen doing their designated duties silently, the groundskeeper mowing the lawns or taking up all the dirt, trimming the beautiful green hedges, the cooks carrying fresh supplies from the farm and the gardener weeding the flowers or the veggies in the greenhouse, the housekeepers dusting the couches, the repair team painting or fixing up anything that needed fixing and the mechanic would always be doing a test drive, washing the cars or fixing something in his red greasy dungarees.
That day, things were different. All the employees, roughly twenty of them were seated under a tent in the front of the house. Seated in a classroom arrangement with Mrs. Miller at the front. It was their monthly meeting where they had a chance to discuss their work, where the shoe fit and where it didn’t. Except that, they didn't discuss where the shoe didn’t fit. Not since Mrs. Miller became the new mistress. All they did was pretend how much they loved working for her even though they knew they worked for David but since the death of his wife he had abandoned them. They used to chair such meetings with his wife and they were fun, they could openly talk about their problems back then and even negotiate a pay rise whenever the economic situation of the country was alarming. Sweet old days.
"If that's all we have, everyone, go back to work I won't tolerate laziness and incompetence anymore. You, stick behind for a quick word" she pointed to the butler, after ten years, she didn't even know his name and she wasn't planning to.
"Mum"
"You drove Audrey to school in the morning?"
"Yes mum, we got there on time is there a problem?"
"No, you did well. I just got from a call with Gideon, he has forgiven her. Don't bother going to pick her up, you have a lot of things to do here"
The butler seemed like he wasn't buying it. Big mistake.
"Have you heard me?"
"Yes mum"
"Then why do you have that look on your face?"
"Sorry mum" he forced a smile and walked away.
"You leave this house without my permission you kiss your job goodbye. There are a lot of competent individuals out there who can do the job anyway I don't know what David has his lips glued to your ass"
At least he had job security. The others, it was a matter of keeping their heads down because they needed the job.
*****
They say love is blind, but no one talks about that feeling just before love, that feeling when you realize that someone likes you. It might be genuine or not but that realization gives you wings...bigger than those promised by that red bull advert. Audrey spent the entire day smiling sheepishly at herself, Tina's words echoing in her head derailing her concentration. As a scientist or a future one she kept calculating the odds that Mason actually liked her and sadly it was impossible by a big percentage but somehow, she believed in a small percent, that 0.001percent chance that he liked her was enough to keep her going.
At games time, she braced herself for the library, where she believed all the truth could be found. On the menu that day was going to be books on non-verbal cues.
"Strange" the librarian said looking at her closely.
"I'm just trying to widen my scope"
"Oh, thank God I almost thought you have given up on the dream to become a cardiologist. You got me worried there"
"No. Thank you for this"
"You're welcome"
She was leaving when she remembered something. Tina said the librarian was her aunt. It was not like she was doubting that but certainty would have done much good to her conscience.
"I…Never mind"
On second thought, why doubt the only person who had offered to be her friend? She was grateful for Tina whether her story checked out or not. Or maybe she just wanted to so badly believe in what she said about Mason being into her.
Tina's relationship to the librarian might not have checked out but the evidence on non-verbal cues did. Thanks to her retentive memory and also the fact that Mason was the hottest boy in school, she could remember every inch of the conversation they had and re-live it in her mind grasping all the cues and interpreting them with that load of books she had on her desk.
"Ooh, look who's here" her moment of peace didn't go unnoticed. It was the zookeeper. The fact that he was in the library with his bunch of minions just surprised her.
"She literally lives here" one of them grabbed her bag of snacks. Audrey didn't fight back she just froze avoiding eye contact, in her mind counting just when it was all going to be over.
"Aren't you gonna say something? Your little show of defiance in class didn't go unnoticed, you shapeless mass of meat" he poked her head, Audrey kept her head down fighting back the tears. Most of the time it worked, crying but then she realized they enjoyed seeing her cry and report them to the school authority and it made it worse
"Is she gonna cry" the teased when she covered her eyes.
"No, but you are if you don't get out of her way" Tina said out of the blue.
Relief seeped through Audrey’s sweat pores, she slowly uncovered her face and opened her eyes. Tina was standing between her and them with a hockey stick behind her back supported by both of her hands.
"If you know me so well, am sure you’ve heard that I've broken more noses than eggs, so you better be on your way gentlemen or one of you is going to the infirmary…all of you actually"
"You won't be able to protect her all the time"
"That’s for sure. But just imagine, I know where you all live and the routes you use home. I'm familiar with your girlfriend's, don't get me started on your polyamory relationship with that i********: w***e, what do they call her? Ivy who?"
"Enough. You win. We will stay away from her" the zookeeper gave in to Audrey’s surprise. She was looking at Tina like a divine being send from heaven to protect her.
"Good boys now you’re free to leave before I change my mind"
The zookeeper and his minions walked away with their tails between their legs. It was the best thing she had seen for the day, second after Mason. Once they were gone far away she hugged Tina, who didn't hug her back.
"I thought you are not a hug person"
"Yeah I'm not, in normal occasions"
"So, this is a special occasion?"
"Yes, that was amazing. I wish I was as brave as you are"
She burst into laughter. It made Audrey rethink what she had just said. To her that was bravery and confidence same or two different things either of which she didn’t have.
"Anything funny about what I said?"
"Bravery, I was s**t scared to death. You just need that adrenaline rush to stand your ground. Being brave doesn't mean you're not afraid, being brave means you're afraid but you are gonna face your fear nonetheless and take the adversity head on. Now let's try this...get out of my way"
"Like right now"
"I said get out!"
"No, this is my chair and I came here first get another chair or I can get you one"
"See, not so hard"
"You're amazing. What are you doing here anyway, you don't seem like a reader"
"I play hockey. Came to see my aunt, the librarian, remember?"
"Oh yeah"
"See you tomorrow? Can I have your number" she fished out her iPhone and gave it to Audrey who keyed in her digits and handed it back, "saved, Audrey"
"We need a selfie"
"No, I’m also not a photo person"
"Did I seem like I was asking for permission" she grabbed her possessively and took a photo of them, she showed her for confirmation, "Pretty, just got my new screen saver"
"Send it to me"
"Later enjoy your studying"
There was no much reading left to do. Audrey finally had a friend, someone who was proud to be around her. On the clock she had twenty minutes, enough to comfortably walk downstairs and wait for the butler to pick her up. The weather was changing fast, dull and the rain laden clouds roaming in the now dark sky. She put her stuff together and fished out another bag of chips from her bag pack then headed to the librarian’s office.
"I hope you enjoyed your reading?"
"Yeah, now I know things I didn't know a couple of hours ago"
"Great, see you tomorrow?"
"Same place same time. Say Hi to Squishy paws"
"I wish you'd meet him, he is a good cat"
"Most cats are good. Though I can't rare one, their fur scares the living hell out of me"
"Someone who’s not fond of you might say you’re so sensitive. Bye!"
Outside, the wind was blowing the foliage of trees making them dance to its whooshing tunes. The clouds were woolen and dark, sagging heavily with rain. It started with a drop, two to three, a few students around mostly those in sports were running to the parking lot. The drops turned into minor showers and the wind became stronger, she loved the rain. Walking in it and letting the droplets beat her into a wet submission. But that was not just droplets, they were showers and wind, storm that had her frozen in the parking lot, there was no sign of the butler and she didn't know whether to hold on or let go-run to a shade somewhere in that big school. Tears started welling up her eyes, she didn't even know how to call a cab online and also with the recent cases of abduction it was a risk for someone as naive as her. As for the bus, she didn't even know where the stop was and the routes it used.
- Writer
