Chapter 9 Hope
Sweat was trickling down my breasts in rivulets as I scrubbed, washed, and cleaned every corner of the house. I felt like I was moving in fast forward with how fast that I was working. I hoped that as I worked, the feeling of frustration that I had would leave me. But, I actually found the opposite to be true. The more that I cleaned, the more I found myself thinking about how rude Mr. King had been. Exactly who did he think he was, anyway? And my mother had been amazing to him. Simply my being there was proof of that, that she was willing to do anything to keep her clients happy, even when she’s not doing well herself.
The fact that he could be anything other than grateful was really irking my nerves and making me want to say something. Before I finished up the last few rooms, I felt like I just had to say something. I couldn’t hold it in any longer.
I marched up to his office door and didn’t bother knocking I pushed open the door and walked right in. He was on the phone when I walked in. He paused midsentence and quickly told whoever he was talking to that he would have to call them back. As soon as he hung up the phone, the words starting to spill out of me like an avalanche.
“Look, I just need to get some things off of my chest. Things are not easy for my family right now. My mom is the only one caring for our family and her heath is failing pretty badly. We’re so behind on bills and my mother is very stressed on top of being sick. I have two younger brothers who depend on her. She can’t afford to lose her job.” I paused, hoping that he would say something, anything.
He didn’t. He just stared stoically with his arms crossed.
I got so bad, I didn’t know if I wanted to scream, cry, or just run. I could feel the tears beginning to well up in my eyes before I had a chance to stop them.
“I’m really sorry! Please don’t fire my mom! She cries and it breaks my heart. If you’re going to blame anybody, just blame me. I didn’t listen to her and disrespected your wishes. But, I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just that you have a huge, beautiful house and I’ve never seen anything like it and…” I knew that I was rambling, but I didn’t care. I had to do everything that I possibly could to try to save my mom’s job.
“You know what? I’ll make a deal with you. If you let my mom keep her job, after she feels better, you will never have to see my face again. You won’t have any more problems after with. I promise.”
I waited, eyes fixed on his face. His eyebrows simply furrowed as he looked on at me in silence. I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know what to do.
Backing out of the room, I said, “I guess I’ll be going, then.”
I turned around and headed to the sitting room where I had been cleaning. I picked up a spray bottle and rag and got ready to dust the wooden cherry furniture.
I wiped away a stray tear that fell with my sleeve, counting down the seconds before I could put that house and that man in my rearview.
Chapter 10 Hope
I felt thrown off somehow for the rest of the week. I kept forgetting things. My sleep was off. I felt like a huge fog had settled over my brain. And everyone seemed to notice it because I kept seeing peoples’ faces twist up in confusion as they asked, “What’s wrong with you?” I told myself that I needed to snap out of it, but I wasn’t even quite sure that “it” was. I had been angry and sad after leaving Mr. King’s house, but there was something else. I just couldn’t pinpoint the feeling. And it was enough to keep me off balance.
Then, something happened that really sent me reeling. I was sitting at home with my mom, watching TV with her in her bed. It was one of my favorite things to do and it was one of her better days. We watched a comedy and it actually got some belly laughs from her. In the middle of our bonding time, the phone rang. It scared both of us. I screamed.
“Hello?” answered my mother softly. She listened silently. I tried to lean over and hear what was being said, but she moved away and put the phone on her opposite ear. I could see her face grow really serious and I was starting to get worried.
“I understand,” was all she said as she gently placed the phone back in the cradle.
She swung her feet over the side of the bed, got up, and began pacing. I really got worried then. My mother only paced when something serious was happening. And with her failing health, she paced even less.
“Mom, what’s going on?” I asked desperately. I needed to find out what was going on and fast. Otherwise, it was going to drive me crazy.
After some time, she spoke quietly and deliberately.
“That was Mr. King,” she said. “He says…wow…he says…”
“What did he say?” I blurted out, not able to contain myself any longer.
She blinked several times and then turned to face me. She looked over my face, examining me.
“Hope, what happened when you were at Mr. King’s house?”
My heart sunk. I had a feeling that this was not going to be good.
“I told you. I apologized and gave him the pie, I cleaned his house, and then I left.” He looked at me like she was trying to decide whether or not I was lying.
“Are you sure?” she asked again.
“Yes!” I sighed, irritated at being kept in the dark. “What’s going on? What happened?”
She shook her head and laughed.
“I can’t believe it. Hope! He says that he really likes you and is asking that you come out to his house tomorrow. He says he wants to offer you a job and pay you double what he has already been paying.”
My mother grabbed my face in her hands and placed a big, juicy kiss on my forehead.
“Our prayers have been answered. I don’t know what you did, but it looks like what we thought was going to be a bad thing actually turned out to be pretty good!” She leaned back and sighed happily. A look of happy calm came over my mother’s face. I hadn’t seen her look so satisfied like that in a long time.
I went off to bed, saying that I was tired, but it really was my turn to be confused and try to think. Why had he made that offer? He hadn’t said a single word to me as I stood there blubbering and spilling out my guts begging and pleading. Maybe I had gotten through to him somehow. Either way, I went to sleep, eager to find out what the next day would bring.
I woke up before dawn cracked and began washing, blow drying, and straightening my hair. I put on make up and wore a cute plaid skirt with knee high socks and a frilly white blouse with a matching plaid blazer. I wanted to look my best when I went to see Mr. King.
When I got there, he was standing at the front door, like he had been waiting for me to get there.
“I’m so glad that you came,” he said. “Follow me,” He turned and began walking toward his study.
We walked in silence, our footsteps echoing down the long, dark hall. His shoulders were wide and high as he walked with determination.
Once inside the study, he walked behind his desk and sat down, motioning for me to sit in a chair across from him.
For a while, he didn’t speak. He just sat with his fingers peaked to a point in front of his face and stared. His eyes were so piercing.
“Hope, I brought you here because I need something from you.” He stopped and didn’t say another word. I was more confused now than I was before I’d walked through the doors. This man went from being angry at me, to not speaking tome at all, to wanting to pay me double. And now he wanted something?
My stomach did a little flip and I swallowed hard.
“I’m listening,” I said, scooting to the edge of the chair.