Jamboree

In less than one week's time, Madam would be home. The rumours about her son were all over the place. They say it's been two good years since he last came home and according to what I've heard, those were perilous times; Madam would go full on melancholic and everyone would be agitated but that was just some exaggerated nonsense to me 'cause if someone acted crazily it didn't necessarily mean that he or she was crazy.

Today had been regular so far and for goodness sake, I hoped it remained that way especially with the kind of luck I have. Regular days were nonexistent for me 'cause there was always going to be a prank or disaster along the line.

Whilst humming a song, I just came around a corridor, my cleaning materials in hand when I spotted her; Susan a.k.a SILENT SUSAN with her partners in crime. My happy, carefree expression morphed instantly. That bubbly and hopeful feeling I had about the day ahead of me waned immensely.

"See, regular days are something I hardly experience these times, that's how wrecked my life is."

Earlier on, Denise explained who exactly 'they' were. Silent Susan was the girl I saw with Estefania on that day I helped her(Denise). Susan was older than most and had been working there for the longest time. She had an intimidating demeanour and she was like the law there as no one dared challenging her self-bestowed authority.

She had her entourage with her; Estefania was the first I spotted along with another girl, Anne, and a redhead like me named Lordys who worked in the kitchen.

Susan had a smug smile curving her lips and when our gazes connected, tlhat mysterious sparkle in her eyes that I had become all too familiar with, fueled my resolution to keep my guard up and be cautious of her.

I didn't want to have anything to do with her but I knew deep down that that wasn't my choice to make and that I'd have to settle things before it got out of hand.

I sometimes wondered why I never noticed her...or perhaps I should have been wondering why she never did notice me or why she'd taken interest in me all of a sudden.

I willed myself to move but remained rooted to the spot. As they passed, Estefania purposely knocked her shoulder into mine.

"Watch it, flattie," she laughed.

Flattie had become my nickname 'cause I possessed a relatively flat chest and derrière. That incident where my clothes were nabbed, leaving me no other option but to walk into the room wearing nothing, led to the birth of that horrible nickname.

On that sour night, I was spotted then mocked and scorned and made fun of—not one of my best moments and I'd rather not remember it. Nonetheless, that was also the same incident that had put me on Susan's radar.

Shaking off those thoughts, I managed to drag myself all the way to the room I was assigned to clean and pulled out the keys to it. My hands trembled exceedingly as I fiddled with the bunch in a vain attempt to find the right ones.

I had to face it, I was in a constant state of trepidation, misery and fear… Frustratedly launching the keys in a haphazard direction across the hall, I sunk to the ground whilst letting my bucket of cleaning materials follow suit...

"I can't take this anymore."

Reminiscing every verbal abuse and physical assault I'd had to put up with ever since I came there, I suppressed the urge to sob and ran my shaky hands warily through my hair.

I've been trying to keep it together, trying not to let their words cut too deep, trying to withstand whatever came my way but there's only so much one person could take.

Had I known that this was what I'd encounter on coming there then I would've been more than willing to stay back. What had I been thinking?

A tear slipped through my barriers and almost immediately, I furiously wiped it away...

Crying was not going to solve this, it wouldn't—couldn't solve anything. But still I didn't know just how much more I'd be able to endure...

<><>

Heaving a wistful sigh, I stared into space, feeling rejected and downcast, wishing that the ground would part and swallow me whole.

Accompanied by the sounds of nature's finest noisemakers, the birds squawking, and cawing in variating frequencies all reverberating in my ears.

"It happened again."

I sat on the dusty earth, knowing my clothes would get dirtied but I couldn't care less. This being my best hiding spot near the poultry house, I was rest assured no one would locate me....

'Cluck!'

Lowering my gaze to the source of the noise, I was surprised to see Henny the hen, Nicholas's chicken. I could tell by the yellow ribbon tied to her leg and the blue paint on her comb, courtesy of Nicholas and I.

Normally, I thought that doing as much as assigning a name to a chicken was dumb, I still thought so but Henny was unique; Unlike most chickens, Henny's feathers were pink, I thought it looked beautiful just like a flamingo and loved her for just that. Nicholas thought so too, he said Henny was the superior of all the chickens and treated her like royalty. I laughed, reminiscing.

Henny cocked her head to the side. I followed suit still laughing whilst minding my wounded neck then reached out to pat her head.

At least she wasn't being treated badly for being different.

I blanched the moment I heard footsteps descending on the sand and immediately kept still, I didn't want anyone finding me here 'cause I just wanted—needed to be alone. However, my failure to communicate that to Henny was fatal 'cause she made the loudest chicken noise I'd ever heard at that very moment, in front of me.

"Leave it to Henny to ruin your plans," I thought, shooing Henny away so she could go play with other chickens.

Was there any chance whoever that was didn't hear that? I let out a sigh of relief when those footsteps ceased to continue.

Instantaneously, Mom's face popped into my line of vision. My body jerked with shock, sending sharp sizzles to my neck and I groaned.

Ever since the fire, my body had been trying to repair itself as anticipated and it had been a slow and excruciatingly painful process throughout that period. It still was, right then, as my neck wasn't fully healed, so any sharp turns or movements I made, whether fully intended or otherwise, wouldn't be funny at all.

"So sorry darling. Did I scare you? Are you okay?" Mom consoled me.

"I think so," I answered once the pain ebbed.

"Would you mind getting out of your creepy space?"

So much for having a hiding spot.

"I don't wanna," I whined.

Her smile morphed immediately from a sympathetic one to a warning frown and I all but rushed out from under the shed I took refuge in.

"How did you find me?" I proceeded to ask when we were seated on the same patio bench still in the backyard.

"Oh it was-" she paused, seemingly rethinking something. "It took me hours to find you, great hiding spot darling but that's not what I'm here for."

I wanted to be suspicious about her answer on how she found me, if I didn't have to be all forlorn concerning what happened that day.

She sighed wistfully.

"Nicholas told me about today's incident," she started off softly.

A lump had developed in my throat, I was suddenly this close from crying and I couldn't meet her gaze anymore.

"They called me a freak and they said that they didn't want to play with me any-anymore." My voice finally broke on getting to the end of my sentence.

"Is that why you were here...all alone?"

That wasn't the first time it happened. I didn't endeavour to answer that question and even if I tried it would probably be a mumbled mess as I was already sobbing softly.

One fiery disaster, two years ago was all it took for my life to be shattered into the gazillion pieces it was in right then. All the people I called my friends now abhorred me and I couldn't even withstand my own reflection in the mirror.

"You said it was gonna be okay and that it would hurt less, but it doesn't, Mom—it doesn't." I rushed out. My voice had raised in pitch and each sob was louder than the last.

She took my small frame in her arms, trying to soothe my aching heart as she held me close to herself and let me cry my sorrows out. She felt my pain, I knew so because her emerald eyes had taken on this distant glow...

"I'm so sorry that this is happening to you. It's not your fault—at least I didn't lose you...if only our finances are not what it is then we could afford to give you back what the fire took from you..." She began in a sorrowful tone before adopting a softer one.

"But I need you to be strong, you can't let their hate-filled words get to you. They don't know what you've been through, they don't know how you fought for your life.

In fact if they really were your friends, they wouldn't care what you looked like, you might look different now but you're still my charismatic, sweet little Carina with a big heart who thinks less of what people think of her because she's too busy living her life to notice, nothing's changed.

So what are little side talks from people who barely know you? You've faced tougher things...that's why I want you to be stoic and brave, ready to level whatever hurdle that comes your way-"

"-Like Dad?" I asked, having ceased my tears.

She laughed mirthfully. "Yes, like Dad and besides, if you're looking for someone to play with, I'm available."

I raised my head and gawked, my nose wrinkling a bit. "But Mom...you're like… Old."

She stared at me for a moment, feigning hurt. I was so lost looking at her facial expression that I didn't notice her hands creeping up to my sides before she began tickling me and the sounds of my giggles filled the air...

<><>

I thought about those words Mom told me back then before a smile broke through my lips and through my tears whilst touching my medallion.

Their words, their silly japes couldn't get to me ever again—I wouldn't let it, I knew what I'd been through, I knew the long way I'd come just to be there and they could come at me with all they got but I was there to stay...

The room consisted of a large king-sized bed and mostly dark furniture. I just wanted to get this over with and go hang out with Mr. Manuel or something.

A creaking noise emanated from the huge over six feet wardrobe and my eyes instantly flew to it for the third time that day. Sighing and still thinking that it was just the breeze, I went to check again. When I did and didn't see anything, only to turn around and find Denise, had me quite startled and I screamed.

"It was you, wasn't it?"

She smirked.

I frowned in return, not finding it in the least way funny.

"How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to witness your run-in with Susan and your little teary outburst." She answered. There was something different in her tone like she felt sympathy for me but that assumption ceased to be when she said, "And congratulations on your new nickname, Scarina."

I hadn't forgotten the last time someone called me that and shook my head.

"If you call me that again then-"

"-Scarina, Scarina, Scarina," she continued. "What are you going to do about it?"

Short and irksome, that was what Denise was. Honestly it was well beyond me just how an odious little brat and an incorrigible old man became the kind of company I kept.

"I'll start calling you Bambi then," I told her.

Mirthful chortles escaped past her lips at my remark and again, I couldn't find what was so funny.

"Don't you have anything else to do?"

"Just what business do you have with Susan 'cause this goes against all the rules I told you about on the day you arrived. I told you not to draw any attention to yourself." She explained, completely ignoring my question.

"Yeah and?"

"And the fact that you've drawn Susan's attention is outrageous 'cause hers is of the worst kind. Susan's a freaking pervert, more perverted than every single one of us and I'm worried about you."

I mean, I understood the severity of the situation but Bambi, of all people? Worried about me? Then I was amused.

"Did she ask you to become one of her playthings too?"

"Not exactly." She said before flouncing onto the bed I had just arranged.

Becoming a plaything for Susan was something that couldn't be understood just by looking at it plainly.

You see, I came to understand that phrase when I came to have knowledge of what exactly piqued Susan's carnal interests. Instead of men, she preferred women—young girls to be precise, and that day when I saw bodies writhing over each other underneath those covers, it was her, it had to be.

"Wait, Susan asked you to become one of those?" Her eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets.

Susan did ask me out as crazy as it sounded then told me to think about it before giving her an answer. I mean I wasn't even attractive and not to talk of how disturbing I found the habit to be.

She didn't talk much, that girl but her eyes just said it all. I guess that's why they called her 'Silent Susan'.

"Yes," I responded to Bambi.

She scoffed. "Silent Susan? More like Sordid Susan."

Then she stood up. "I mean look at you, you got nothing, no flesh, zilch and that's why they called you Flattie in the first place. What could she possibly want from you? Pssh, I would be able to handle her but you? I'm not sure."

"Says the girl who couldn't stand a chance at her or have you forgotten, should I remind you?" I retorted, harrumphing. "The only thing you seem to handle effortlessly is a broom, it would do you well to stick to it and just it, ok?"

At the end of my sentence, the appalled look on her face almost sent me to a laughing fit, I'd never thought it would be possible to ever render Bambi speechless considering that she was always so obnoxiously loquacious.

She opened her mouth to say something but remained speechless.

"Also, would you mind getting out of here, as you can see I'm very busy. If you're done with yours, then allow me to finish mine." I said, gesturing at the place before proceeding to shoo her out.

She was just at the door, one hand grasping the door knob, when she turned again, eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Hey, what do you say about a tour around this labyrinth of a house, I could give you one?"

"No, Bambi, thanks for the offer but no."

She had to be kidding me, how could I go prancing around with the most capricious person on the planet—I would be crazy and again, I'd been there for more than a month then and yet I hadn't been to all the places there. There were still lots to see and I wanted to see them. This was an opportunity I might never get for a long time, not to mention Bambi knew that place like the back of her hand so she wouldn't get us lost...I hope.

"Ooh come on, Scarina stop being such a workaholic, it will be fun."

"But won't we get reported or something when the cameras spot us?" I asked her.

"As long as you're not being stupid or acting suspicious, you'll be fine."

"What about my chores?"

"Mrs. Evelynn doesn't come to inspect our work until one and it's still ten so there'll be enough time for you to finish before then."

It was at that time that I was convinced that she too hadn't even started on her chores yet.

My hand went around my medallion subconsciously as I considered what I was about to do for the last time. Maybe I was crazy but I was not missing out on this and against my better judgment, I said, "Fine, lead the way."

She showed me some great hiding spots along with a particular room that used to belong to Madam's younger daughter. I was shocked to hear that Madam had another child apart from her son and that for some reason, her daughter didn't stay here with her.

I was starting to see just how lonely she really was and felt.

Paintings now lined the pristine passage from the top to bottom unlike the other walls. We emerged in this humongous room split into sections after we had rounded a corner. My breath hitched in my throat as I took in the beauty of it all;

Apart from more intricate vases, priceless jewelry encased in glass mounted on pedestals, there were sculptures of animals, buildings, busts of aristocratic-looking people made from different materials, porcelain figures and various antiquities on the shelves and other curios, their shiny surfaces glistening under the brilliant lighting of the chandelier that hung from the dome-like ceiling.

In the middle of it all was a statue of a man, elegantly dressed, waving a single hand. There were others by the entrance and the corners but that particular one really stood out, though it looked like it belonged on the outside than in there, to me at least.

"This is..." I found myself at a loss for words.

"Breathtakingly astonishing, fabulously fantastic, profoundly mesmerizing," Bambi supplied.

"Yes, all of that, what is this place?" I asked, going to peek at the porcelain figures.

"I believe it's called a museum." She answered, still stationed in one spot.

"Ooh, what's a m-u-museum?" I didn't think I'd heard the word before. She tapped on her chin thoughtfully.

"Nah, I got nothing but whatever it means, it is this place." She gestured around.

I never knew of that place's existence in that house, just how estranged have I been? And Evelynn never showed me any of this which leads up to another question.

"Is it okay for us to be here? I don't think we should be in here."

"We shouldn't actually."

My eyes widened exponentially causing her to snicker.

"But it's not like we're touching or stealing anything. I know the guy in charge of the surveillance cameras in this wing, such a slob that one, and that sobbing mess of a woman isn't around either so all will be well."

"By the sobbing mess of a woman you mean..."

"Yes, I am referring to Madam. She's always gloomy and lackluster, you get it, right?"

She was peering at some jewelry enclosed in glass while I now inspected the busts.

"I guess, do you have any idea why she's always like that?"

"I'm not quite sure, Scarina, but it probably has something to do with that demented son of hers. They say he's as crazy as they come but we'll bear witness to it soon," she replied.

"You mean Madam's coming back with him," my interest was now very much piqued.

"What? I didn't say that, there's just a fifty-fifty chance of that happening."

"But that's not what you said at first," I huffed.

"What do you mean, you just don't listen well." She retorted.

Again I ask, why do I still hang out with her?

"The stuff in here cost millions," she started off abandoning our initial topic as she twirled a lock of her honey blonde hair around her fingers, her gaze still centered on the jewelry. She was probably envisioning how good that sapphire necklace would look on her.

"It appears so," my hands itched to touch one of these things. Now the reason for all the security measures were clearer, it wasn't just for the house because it was mostly for all this.

"So...if someone raided this room that person would become very rich."

"Tell me something I don't know." I said, rolling my eyes.

After our little visit to the museum we wandered off to somewhere along the West wing stopping short when we came upon the hall that would lead to the 'forbidden' room.

"Hey isn't this..." She interrupted me by saying, "Wanna go in?"

The expression on her face was the exact opposite of mine and she was beaming widely. Was that girl crazy? But I should know the answer to that already. Wasn't she the one who had warned me not to even go near here?

Bambi was treading on dangerous waters and maybe she could swim in such but I definitely couldn't and being a victim to one of her devious ploys wasn't part of my plans.

"Oh no-no-no, I'm not interested, see ya." I turned to leave.

"You can't be punished if no one sees you go in," she spoke again.

A part of me wanted to stay out of this but a stronger one was all for understanding what she meant by that sentence.

"What do you mean?" I know, I succumbed, my curiosity always got the best out of me.

"Well it's something called blind spots, an angle from which the camera can't and won't spot you from. I've gone there lots of times even though it's prohibited and here I am and you know how it was all possible? Blind spots."

"Just follow me, step where I step and you'll be good." She continued.

So we tip-toed along the walls and across the halls. There were five rooms altogether but the one we were looking for was the farthest.

We emerged through an intricate door into the room to the other side. That one was bigger than the museum for it was a 2-storey bedroom. There was this one huge window more than seven feet and the bed was on the second level, it was visible from where we stood on the first.

The room looked utterly rid of stuff but there was still a wardrobe and a door at one end which I presumed to be the bathroom, otherwise it looked kept. I was sure there were maids assigned to that room too.

Turning to Bambi, I asked, "How come you knew about this blind spot thing?"

"Ooh that, well uum, Tommy showed me." She said dryly.

Narrowing my eyes at her, I asked, "Who's Tommy?"

Before I knew it, her carefree demeanour had morphed into something else. I think I just struck a nerve.

"Tommy is my ex," she voiced.

That was the very first time she ever bore any vulnerability of hers to me. And the way she said his name...I felt kinda sad for her.

"He got fired?" I asked softly.

A moment of silence fleeted by.

"No," she chuckled mirthlessly. "We just couldn't stand each other anymore."

* * *

* *

I wouldn't lie, I really enjoyed that day all thanks to her. She wasn't that bad after all even though she had a few loose screws. I couldn't help but feel that somehow she was trying to cheer me up after witnessing my breakdown that day or maybe she just showed me around because she wanted to. Either way, I was profoundly grateful.

"Aaargh!" Someone screamed into my ear, jolting me out of my thoughts.

"What is wrong with you?" The lights were out so making out whoever screamed in my ear wouldn't be easy since I didn't have a torch yet.

My attacker decided to show herself by switching on her torch.

"You should be asleep, isn't it like eleven or eleven-thirty?" I told Bambi tiredly.

"What's that thing I said about her having a few loose screws?"

"Yeah, but I can't, I don't feel sleepy yet." She responded. "So, what do you want me to do about it? I'm not your Mommy."

"Tell me a story then" She whispered.

I stared long and hard at her. How could a girl so small be that pesky?

"I don't know any, ok? Goodnight." I turned away from her.

"What about the story about how you got your scars?"

She looked like she really wanted to hear it too which made me wonder if it yet again had to do with what happened that morning. My mood changed as I thought about it.

"So-sorry you don't have to say it if you don't want to," she apologized.

I only ever told that story to people who were close to me so, agreeing to share that story with her did it mean I wanted for us to be close or that she wanted to get close to me?

I made a resolution once before not to let anyone get through those barriers because of what I'd faced in the past and she made it clear to me that she didn't intend for us to be friends right? Then I guess I had nothing to worry about.

I nodded to her once I sat up. "It was uum… 11 years ago..."