August.
“Come on August, we’re getting late” said Caroline. I nodded my head and walked towards her with a bag in my hand. I handed the bag to the driver and sat in the backseat with her.
Resting my head on the window glass, I closed my eyes and couldn’t help but think about how my life would be from now on... as a maid. Yes, I was going to work as a maid. I had no choice. I used to live in a hostel. Before that, I was living with my abusive foster parents. They were harsh with their punishments. While I was living with them, my body was almost always covered in bruises. One cold winter night my father decided to leave me outside of our home after he finished belting me. The coldness of night felt like knives tearing my tender skin. I was tearing up and curled into a ball when I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. I looked up and saw my aunt Caroline. Her eyes teared up when she saw me in this state. She Immediately took her coat off and put it around me. Then she hugged me and reassured me that everything’s going to be okay now. She treated me as if I was her own child, something I hadn’t experienced before. She was an unmarried woman in her late 50′s, but she looked young because of her beautiful blonde hair and grey eyes. She reported about my abusive parents to the police and took over my custody from them. After that night, I lived with her for 5 years, however, living with her became harder and harder everyday as I couldn’t see her working day and night just so she could earn enough money to feed me twice a day. Finally, when I was 12, I decided to live in a hostel. Even though raising me and carrying my expenses was difficult for her, she still insisted on me staying with her. I could not do this to her anymore. She had a little cart she used to sell fruits. That’s why it was quite difficult for her to earn enough for my school expenses. I pleaded with her to send me to a government hostel or an orphanage. After what seemed like hours of argument, she hesitantly replied that she knew someone in a hostel who could help me stay there. I thought, At least it would be better than an orphanage as I could study. Well that was what I really thought and I spent 4 years living there. Their education style was quite good... but I was always being bullied. I didn’t know why the other students did that to me. I didn’t know why they hated me. No one wanted to be my friend. I was completely alone and I couldn’t do anything but cry every night until I fell asleep. Suddenly, one day we heard that the hostel will be closed soon. The owner of the hostel had been continuously suffering financial losses so he had decided to close it. All of the children were going back home. Some of them were orphans like me, so they were going to their relative’s house. All I could think of right now was about my aunt Caroline. How would she manage now? She was much older back then, how would she work? There was one lady in hostel who was my English teacher, Mrs. Will. She was a really nice lady. I talked to her about this and she told me about these maid jobs. At first, I was anxious and worried. Was I really worth enough to a maid? Hearing this, my eyes teared up and It gave me a lump in my throat. I never even thought that my life would become so miserable that I had to work as a maid! But I had to do this for myself and for aunt Caroline. So, I talked about this with Caroline. She got angry and refused. But I somehow managed to make her say approve.
“What are you thinking my child?” Caroline’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
“Nothing aunt” I said and smiled at her which she returned gladly.
“I’m really sorry my child. I wish I could income enough money so th-” before she could finish it I stopped her.
“No aunt Caroline please don’t say that. You don’t know what you have done for me. You helped me escape my abusive parents. It was you who worked hard so that I can eat properly. Aunt you have done enough for me, you don’t even know that.” I stopped as a tear escaped my eyes. She wiped my tears and kissed my forehead.
“Thank you my child. I really hope you will not be in misery now. I have heard that Knights are very rich. Their servants live in ravish they get good food even.” she said with a relief. I never knew that I was getting a rich owner.
“I also hope the same aunt.” I
replied.
The Knights. They were the most rich people in the country. And I was going to work for them. I sighed about the thought. I wonder about what kind of people were living there. I was quite surprised when I heard that they were sending a car to pick up their maid?! That was really confusing and surprising. Mrs. Will told me that rich people were like this. They like to ‘show off’ their money to others. I shrugged the thoughts and closed my eyes trying to sleep.
**After an hour**
“August, honey wake up we’re here” I heard my aunt call me. I opened my blurry eyes and rubbed it softly with the back of my hands. Once I was sure my tiredness was gone, I picked up my handbag and got off from the car. I gasped in shock when my eyes landed on the huge mansion that stood before me. This place is huge!
I wasn’t really expecting that! This was not just a house, this was a castle! It had an attached pool with it and the house was made of marbles. It was really beautiful. I wondered what it would look like from the inside.
“Its beautiful, isn’t it?” Caroline ask. I nodded my head and responded.
“Yes Caroline its wonderful”.
Few minutes later two guards walked towards us. I flinched when I saw them. They looked really big and scary. They picked my luggage and went inside and told us to follow them. I gasped even more when I saw the interior of the house. It looked really beautiful and modern.
We stood in the corner of the house until a lady came.
“Hello there, are you the new maid?” she asked me politely.
“Oh yes ma’am I am” I replied. “August Elliot” I said my name and shook her hand.
“I’m Martha Steve and I’m also the maid here more like the head of the maids as I have been here for years” She said and chuckled.
I smiled at her. “Where is Mrs. Knight?” Caroline asked.
“Oh well, she has some important meeting to attend that’s why I came instead.” She replied.
“Let’s go and see your room” She said and motioned us to follow her.
God my legs were hurting from walking for so long although it had been only a few minutes. She stopped at a room and opened it. The room was quite good, well it was really good and clean for a maid. It had only a single bed, a closet, a study table and a dressing table. It was quite good for me.
“So how do you like your room?” Martha asked with a grin.
“Its really good” I smiled. I turned around to Caroline and hugged her tight. I would miss her a lot.
“Be a good girl my child” She whispered. I could feel the sadness in her voice.
“I will aunt” I muttered. We broke the hug after that.
“Please take care of her Martha, she is everything I got.”
“Don’t worry Caroline she will be alright here.” They both hugged.
After a few minutes Caroline left the mansion. I escorted her to the door along Martha. It broke my heart to see her leaving like this. But I had to do it. It was for her own good. I went back to my room and sat on my bed. Martha told me that I could rest for the day and start my work that evening since I had returned from a very long journey. I sighed deeply and changed my clothes into some comfortable one. I laid down in my bed and fell into deep sleep.
