I suppose that these are the guests who are being welcomed by the Huntsville as a whole.

Today a grand lunch party is being arranged in Blake’s mansion. Almost whole county is invited. We have arrangements for almost 800 people. A Catering company will come at around 11 am to arrange all the stuff. And guests will be coming at 1 pm. For me, it’s a curse disguised in blessing. The day will be so packed that I won’t even realize passing the day. I will be tired enough to go to bed and sleep. But dealing with the whole crowd and whispering makes me frightened. You deserve all of this Sydney. It’s your fault by the way. An inner voice echoed.

By the time I finished cleaning the kitchen it was 5 am. I get into the living room and the whole house was eerily silent. Even in this silence, I know that Peter and Ben are awake by this time. They must be busy with the animals at the farm. I was about to go in the living room to start cleaning when I recalled that I got to pick vegetables from the kitchen garden in the backyard. Even this backyard is so big spreading over more than 1 acre of land. One can find any season vegetable here. Getting the basket and my mini plastic spade from the kitchen I head to the garden. Not wasting a single second I started digging and picking vegetables.

Weather was good. The cold morning breeze was blowing my face. It felt good and the fragrance here is something I always like. You are not supposed to like anything or anyone. Isabella’s voice echoed in my brain.

I wanted some potatoes, chilies and some fresh coriander. After finishing my work I picked my basket and the moment I turned back I got startled and fell.

Some guy with a camera in his hand was taking shots. And not even this. He also gestured me to stay still. I looked at him for a second. He had this dirty blond hair just like the guy I saw in the morning under the light. But unlike him, he had the beard. His hairs were long. As he had to have them tied behind his back.

He was not standing so close. In fact, he was quite far like 50 feet away but still, somehow I felt intimidated. He was that guy. The guy in the dark. I ignored his gesture to stay still and walked towards the house after picking up my basket. Living in this house if I was good at something then it was only this one thing ignoring.

Ignoring people’s stare, their voices their gestures, their signals, their behaviors, and their beatings?

Thinking all of this I entered into the kitchen to find Abigail. It was around 5:26 am.

“Morning, Sydney,” Abigail told me.

I replied to her with a small nod. And turned to put the vegetables on their respective racks. Grabbing the mop and basket filled with water and some soda I turn to the living room to do the cleaning. It was almost 6:25 am when I was finished cleaning the whole ground floor.

No one was going to get up before 9 or 10 am if it was some other day. But as today was special, I and Abigail both are expecting the household to be awake at 7 am. So, they might need their breakfast at around 8 am. I was behind my schedule at this rate. It was impossible to clean the whole mansion at this rate. But I gotta do the hallways at least. Without wasting a single minute I tried to clean all the hallways that are connected to the family’s bedroom. And by 7 am I was done. I felt so tired that I feel like I couldn’t lift a finger now. I took some time to get to the kitchen. I sat on a stool and had some water. I was feeling dizzy. Only if I was able to get some more sleep.

“I might be leaving at 3 in the afternoon. I suppose all the guest will be gone by that time.” Abigail informed me. While I was sitting on some stool to catch some breath.

She and Peter have been planning to leave for their house in Georgia for two months now. When we first came to know that some important guests are coming on the very same day their holidays were put into the delay. But then they requested Isabella for days and she finally agreed on one condition that they can only leave if I and Ben will take responsibility for everything.

Abigail was visibly happy today. She is going to her house the first time in two years now. She only has a grandson there, who is always busy in his studies and she talks about him a lot.

“Hmm,” I replied while getting up to make some soup ready. Today’s breakfast request is quite long. Almost never ending. Because their guests were supposed to be coming at around 9 am. So, we were advised to make breakfast ready until 9:30 am. But as we all know that they are already here we know that they can ask for breakfast at any time.

We worked non stop to make that breakfast until 8 am. Well, this is our rough guess that breakfast will be required by this time. Doing a whole lot of work in this short span of time had its toll. My blue apron had some spilled flour, and batter somewhere. I knew if I appeared like this in front of Isabella she will be in bad mood. I made a reminder in my head to change the apron. She always wanted us to look clean when we serve breakfast. But time was slipping away quite fast. So, instead of changing the apron I simply brushed away the flour and clean the batter using a little water. I have done it a lot of time and was never caught. It’s just that I smell like batter. I was still busy when she came.

The moment I feel her presence in the kitchen I found my breath still. I looked at the floor when she entered the kitchen. I was stiff and all so alert. Trying to be ready for any hit on my body or soul. I can’t let my guard down like ever.

“Is breakfast ready?” She asked in her authoritative voice.

“Yes,” Abigail replied.

Though it’s hard to meet her standards but still whenever Abigail took responsibility or assure her of things she always relies on her.

Though my eyes were on the floor I know that her neck is standing like it has some rod in there. And she is looking at things to find anything she can object.

“Why these dustbins have not been changed yet. I want them changed now.” She simply said while getting out. Today she didn’t yell. She sounds like she is in a good mood today.

“We will change them right away Mrs. Blake,” Abigail replied to her back that was leaving the kitchen.

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

Please don’t forget to comment

Facebook: Ashleh Queen

Twitter: AshlehQ

Instagram: theashlehqueenq