THIS IS GOING TO BE SOME DAY....

*Sethrony*

It is finally my first day. Okay not exactly. I’m only going there to meet my new boss and get everything about this job together. My minds’ in a bust considering it being D-day having to actually come this far. My palms are all sweaty and the rest of my body seems to have gone partially numb, but that’s the least of my worries right now. Today really has me rethinking my confidence levels. Lucia gave me some huge speech of how I’m fit for the job and will do awesome before I left the house, I trust her words entirely, but what if they don’t like me and think I’m undeserving of it after rethinking?

I snap out of my internal debate and ring the doorbell of the smith household while taking one final check on my “trying to look professional” appearance. My black knee length skirt, white collard blouse and flat black pumps look amazing according to Abby, but I think otherwise. I consider ringing the doorbell again, but it opens before that thought is put to action. An elderly man stands there. His dark brown eyes rimmed with glasses, gray hair slicked back and a somewhat delicate but serious facial features.

“You must be miss stone, please come in.” I nod. The door is held wide open waiting for me to come in. He walks ahead of me and I walk closely behind him as he leads me up the stairs to the second floor of the house. I can barely call this a house, it a freaking mansion, it is insanely huge and absolutely wonderful. “This way please,” the man calls after me. I feel embarrassed to be caught staring. Catching up to him, he leads me to an office at the far end of the hallway opening up to a large office.

“Please take a seat, Mr. smith will be with you shortly,” the elderly man says as he closes the door behind him. Taking a seat across the large dark wooden table, I curiously inspect the office. It’s just as palatial as the rest of the house but with more of a modern touch to it. The right side of the office has a book shelf, obviously full of books. There were almost a hundred book of all sizes, some in other languages I have never heard or seen of. It’s so amazing. It wouldn’t hurt to be a little more curious, I wonder standing up and taking the quietest steps I have ever taken towards it.

I take one off the shelf, “the art of loving yourself in food”. They must really enjoy food I guess. I put it right back in its spot. I pull another one out of its spot “growing mind and growing wealthy”, I asses the books spine and book cover. Its well kept

“You must enjoy reading”, startled I look behind me. “Though I don’t quite like those types of books, I prefer a little more romance and thrill in mine, don’t you agree?” His emerald eyes are piercing.

“Sorry, I was just taking a look. They seem so well kept.” I respond sheepishly as I’m embarrassed to be caught unaware again today. I really need to get myself together. “No need for apologies. We all get curious with the things we like or are interested in don’t we?” he smiles directly at me, “take a seat.” He ushers me towards the office chair I previously sat in a few minutes ago.

“You must be miss stone, right?” he pulls out some files from one of the table drawers. MY FILES. My palms are beginning to sweat again. “Yes, that’s me.” I reply softly. He opens the file and goes through it so slowly. It feels like an eternity before he looks up at me again. “it says here that you only graduated high school, and work in a book shop.” “yes,” I mumble looking at my folded hands on my lap. “Under normal circumstances, we would not have hired you but you stated that you loved reading to a great extent and all about your love for literature,” He pauses “and that’s something we are in need of. Your love for literature.” he continues to talk about how my reading skills and literature enthusiasm is really needed. I kind of zone out while I stare at his eyes and just wonder how vibrantly green color they are. He pulls out a small note book that has some scribblings in it. I refocus my attention back to him.

“You can start next week; your accommodation will be ready by then. You’ll only be needed from Monday to Friday. Saturdays and Sundays are free. Your monthly grocery allowance will be given to you through John. I’m sure you met him on your way up here.” He looks at me for confirmation. My confused expression answers his question. “Older looking man, glasses, some streaks of grey hair, though it looks like strands of silver under the sunlight.” he says almost curiously about the said mans hair. With that description, I definitely know who he’s talking about. “yes, I met him.”

“okay then, lets continue.” He continues to scribble. “your pay will be given every month end, your schedule will be given to you once you start and you’ll be working with someone else. Accommodation will be given to you once it’s done as said but It’s a little further away from here and closer to the other main house, I hope you don’t mind?” looking up at me. “no I don’t. its fine with me.”

“Well that’s great.” He says as he continues scribbling. “then you’re ready to go, I look forward to working with you”, he reaches out his hand to shake mine. “Thank you, I look forward to working with you too.” I shake his hand.

********************************************

The rest of the week has had me restless and jittery. I was all over the place and couldn’t sit still. At some point, Ben said my jumpy behavior this week was the event of the year cause I’m never like that. You can’t blame me for it.

At this point in time, I feel ready to take on anything, except my job. Which reminds that I have to leave in an hour. I take a final look around the room I’ve spend the couple of weeks in since dad run off with everything. During these couple of weeks, I no longer feel the immense anger and hatred I harbored towards him like a huge overweight suitcase. I just feel sad. I’m sad that he still can’t get a hold his life together and has to resort to unbelievable means.

Don’t get me wrong, he made a terrible choice but that still doesn’t make him not my dad. Eventually, I want him to get better and live a normal healthy life.

“Sethrony, hurry up, the foods’ going to get cold!”, I hear Lucia from down stairs. I quickly leave the room and shut the door behind me. I hope that’s the last time I ever have to walk through that room door so desperate for help. I plan to leave and not come back the same way I got there in the first place. I want to build a better life for myself and enjoy all those bits and pieces I never got to have. I haven’t told anyone about my decision yet, of not coming back till I’ve finally settled down. I obviously haven’t informed Lucia and Ben of my decision to have a long term leave but I hope they get to understand later on.

“Sethrony, if I call you one more time, I promise, you won’t leave this house till you finish every last bit of your cold food.” She tries threatening me with her endearing mafia granny voice. She told me never to call her threatening voice a “mafia granny voice”. I quietly laugh, because I can’t help it really. She tries to threaten with me with the deadly aura of the mafia but can’t hide her endearing granny side from the threat. I sit down quietly and begin to eat breakfast as she mutters how nobody takes breakfast seriously and how its the most important meal of the day. Ben observes her silently as he eats his breakfast. He’s obviously used to it after forty-two years of marriage, but I bet it never ceases to amaze him how she still fusses about how breakfast should be served hot.

We finish our food while talking casually and I clean up after we all finished. We hear Ben talking to the cab driver outside making the necessary arrangements on which way the suitcases would fit best. “I’m going to miss you so much my little sunshine. Make sure to come back home and visit this old lady sometime.” She tears up holding onto my hand. I promised not to cry but it’s a little too hard right now. I pull her in for a hug. “I LOVE YOU LUCIA.” I hold her tightly, tears slipping down my cheeks. “I really don’t know how I can ever repay you and Ben for what you’ve done for me. You’re the closest people I ever got for a family, and for that I will always be grateful.” We hold each other for a minute before Ben fetches us from the house and escorts me to the cab.

“I’m proud of you my little Sethy. It might be a hard on some days but keep on fighting. If you ever need a place to lay low and rest, you know where to come.” Ben says as he pulls me in for a quick hug before I leave.

I wave through the window as the car drives further and further away into the distance. I promised to go visit during my free time, on the holidays, heck even my free hours. I’d love to always be there and live the simple life and happy life they have always offered me, but I have to make something of myself first. I can’t always depend on people and I’m going to make them proud of what I’ll become. They’ll see.

********************************************

*James*

"Today seems like it’s going to be a nice day and eventful day." I mumble to myself in my sarcastic voice. I have everything planned out for my quick escape. It’s a little childish trying to run away from the new hires that Charles so thoughtfully hired and failed to inform me of till 6am in the morning. I only have to meet up with them for a few minutes before I head to work. I'll inform them of some fake emergency I need to attend to and leave as quickly as possible. I'll make proper introductions on another day. hopefully.

I love the feeling of being able to head to my office and think of nothing else, but that doesn't seem to be possible this past week. Considering my secretary’s’ fiancé, Alex Manuel Antonio, is acting super annoying, agitating, and plain vicious is beyond me. I understand I may have had a tiny deeper liking towards his now engaged fiancé, but that way a long time ago. Anyway, I’ll deal with that later. Right now, I need to make the shortest introduction ever in the world and head out.

I hear a knock outside my door, it must be John. “Come in” I call out while fixing up my cuff links and picking up my jacket and briefcase. “Good morning sir, you have people waiting in the office for you.” He says casually.

“Alright, lets meet our new hires.” I say with barely any excitement walking past John to the office. I really want to get this over and done with. Having nothing more to do with it. I walk into the office directly to the table at the far end of the room. I pull out their files and make a mental note to seem interested in their work. Charles hired 2 people and one of them is a man. That’s a shocker. Considering my brother likes the company of women a little too much, this definitely is a shock. Maybe he really used his head for once.

“Good morning, my names are James Smith and from today onwards you will be working with me” I flip through the first file, the guy he hired seems sensible enough. I continue to flip through to seem a little more interested. “if you need anything, you can ask John about it as he knows everything in this household that you may need. If it can’t be solved by him, feel free to pass by here in the evenings. Any questions?” I look up and my heart skips multiple beats. It’s her. MY MYSTERY LADY.

The man seated next to her says something and with all honesty, I don’t have the care to pay any attention to him while he speaks. She’s here. She is literally seated in my office. Her dark hair rests effortlessly on one side of her shoulder, her diamond stud earrings standing out. She moves her lips and begins to say something. I finally refocus my attention.

“Thank you so much for hiring us once more. To introduce myself formally, my name is....” “Sethrony”, her name leaves my lips so effortlessly. This is definitely going to be some day.