Chapter 3
“Faith? Where the hell are you?” Naomi barked the moment Faith answered her call.
“I’m at the south site. What’s up?” Faith asked, baffled by her tone.
“Oh god, please don’t tell me you forgot…” Naomi whined, her voice bordering on tears.
“Forgot what?” Faith asked, still feeling confused.
“You were supposed to meet the Brown family thirty minutes ago over breakfast to discuss the project!” Naomi exclaimed making Faith freeze.
“Shit.” Faith cursed, frantically picking up her belongings from the porch of the house she was visiting.
“They rang the office and I told them you’ll be with them soon. Hurry!” Naomi snapped, flustered.
“Text me their address. I’m on my way.” Faith said, cutting the call and running to her car parked at the front of the house.
She eyed her appearance, feeling unsure if jeans were the best clothes for a meeting with a benefactor like the Brown family. Deciding that she didn’t have time to head home and changed, Faith drove out to the address Naomi had sent her.
***
Faith pulled in towards the huge mansion, with the name plate next to the steel gates stating Brown.
“Yes?” The security guard asked Faith as she pulled down her window.
“Faith Williams. Here for Mr. and Mrs. Brown from McKenzie.” Faith told him, handing him her contact card.
“Yes, sign here please.” The security guard said, handing her the signup sheet.
Faith wondered just how wealthy the Brown family was, considering the efficient system they had for their guests. In Faith’s house, the guests usually walked right to the door and rang the bell.
“You can head inside.” The security guard said as she handed the sheet back to him.
She drove further, entering the driveway of the houses, surrounded by a huge garden on either side with flowers, bushes and trees. She parked the car in front of the main entrance, quite taken aback by the huge mansion in front of her, architecture quite beautiful. Faith wondered who had designed the house for the Brown family, wondering if it was some popular architect from Europe. As was the case with most wealthy families.
Faith had to admit that she didn’t like the fact that people preferred hiring European architects to design their houses, thinking they were more creative and fancier. This was not the case, according to Faith, who had spent a summer during college in Europe, interning for a firm. She could confidently and safely say the architects in Europe were simply guided by taste, which differed from the Americans and hence, excited them.
Faith picked up her handbag, taking the file for the project out of it, and tossed it back. She checked her hair in the side mirror, trying to tame her curls but failing as always.
Faith had the same hair texture and color as her mother, brown and curly, while her eyes resembled her father’s, blue and intense.
She sighed, wondering just how much Mr. and Mrs. Brown would judge her for her disarray appearance. Sighing one last time, Faith rang the doorbell, hoping the meeting would be over soon.
“Ms. Williams?” A young man in a sharp black uniform inquired. Faith wondered if he was the famous butler.
“Yes.” She said, smiling formally.
“Mr. and Mrs. Brown are expecting you in the living room.” The ‘butler’ said, leading Faith to them.
They entered the living room and Faith saw two adults sitting on the sofa set, who got up as soon as she entered.
“Ms. William!” Mr. Brown greeted, shaking hands with her.
“Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Brown. Sorry to keep you waiting.” Faith said, noticing that they indeed did not resonate the same fanciness as their residence.
Mrs. Brown’s reassuring smile calmed Faith and she relaxed.
“Oh, no issue at all. I hope the girl who fell is fine.” Mrs. Brown said, concerned.
“Yes…she is…” Faith said, hesitantly, wondering what lie Naomi had fed them.
“Very well. Would you like to have breakfast on the porch or inside?” Mrs. Brown asked Faith, sweetly.
“I don’t want to burden you.” Faith said, quite taken aback by their humble natures.
“No burden at all.” Mr. Brown said as Mrs. Brown turned to face the butler.
“John?” Mrs. Brown looked at the young man who stood waiting near the door.
He nodded, “I’ll serve it on the porch.”
“Come, dear.” Mr. Brown said, opening the door that led to the porch.
“Dare I say, you are quite young.” Mrs. Brown said, laughingly.
“That’s always good to hear.” Faith said, giggling as they sat on the table on the porch.
“So, what’s the verdict?” Mr. Brown asked, gesturing to the file Faith had in her hand.
“Oh, yes.” Faith said, remembering the real reason she had come here.
She handed the file to Mr. Brown, who opened it to check the documents.
“We’re just about done with the construction process.” Faith said as Mr. Brown passed the file to his wife, Mrs. Brown.
“That was quick.” Mrs. Brown said, scanning the documents. “Impressive.”
“The men were quite motivated to have this done before the ceremony.” Faith told them, relaxed after hearing they approved of the project’s status as of yet.
“That’s good to hear.” Mrs. Brown said, putting the file down. “What about the houses that were waiting for the approval from the government?”
“We received the agreement letter a week ago, as you may have heard so we’ve started the work. We’re putting in extra time to get the houses ready soon.” Faith told them, making a mental note to head out to the said houses after the meeting.
“Okay, that sounds fine.” Mr. Brown said, “We were hoping to have the project completed altogether before we allocate and present the houses.”
“Yes, absolutely. My team and I think that is the best way to go about it.” Faith said, agreeing with them. “We’re hoping to get it done in enough time to allow the project a week to be approved by the authorities.”
“Ah. Dean, I feel they have this under control.” Mrs. Brown said, patting Mr. Brown’s hand.
“Yes, yes.” Mr. Brown said as John walked into the porch, carrying a tray of breakfast.
“Are there any other concerns you would like me to address?” Faith asked, picking up the file.
She wondered if she should leave, considering the meeting had ended.
“No, no.” Mrs. Brown said, smiling as John served them breakfast.
“I’ll take my leave then.” Faith said, not wanting to impose on them.
“Won’t you stay for breakfast?” Mrs. Brown asked, frowning.
“Please enjoy.” Faith said, wondering if she was being disrespectful.
“I insist that you stay. Look at you, you need the food.” Mr. Brown said, motioning to Faith’s thin frame and making her laugh.
“Alright.” Faith said, conceding as she sat back down.
“We’ve never seen you around here.” Mrs. Brown said, pouring herself some orange juice and passing the bottle to Faith.
“Thank you.” Faith said, taking the bottle. “I moved here only a few years ago.”
“Oh, where from?” Mr. Brown asked, intrigued.
“Chicago.” Faith told them.
“Ah, your family is settled there?” Mrs. Brown asked, smiling sweetly.
“No, I’m originally from New York.” Faith said, “I went to college in Chicago and worked there afterwards.”
“Where did you study from?” Mr. Brown asked, taking a bite from his toast.
“UIC.” Faith said, feeling proud.
“Ah, our son also applied there but at the end opted to go to Northwestern instead.” Mr. Brown said, “He graduated with honors in journalism.”
“You must be so proud.” Faith said, remembering that their son was in the Navy.
“Yes, he is a mature kid.” Mrs. Brown said, “We’re so very excited for him to come back.”
“Everyone is. Isn’t that why we’re here?” Faith said, smiling kindly.
She couldn’t even imagine how proud Mr. and Mrs. Brown were of their son and the tours he had done while in the Navy. Naomi had told Faith about their son being the hero of the community and how all the exhibitions were being held to honor him and the chivalrous acts he had done.
She looked at Mrs. Brown and wondered how hard it was for her to deal with the fact that her son was out there, fighting to save the country and defend it, putting his life at risk. Some of Faith’s acquaintances and two, three of her own cousins were in the army. She knew just how bitter their families were towards the notion and how much it distressed them.
They prayed every night that they wouldn’t wake up to a letter informing them their kin had passed away on the battlefield. Faith couldn’t even imagine how much it would worry her if someone very close to her was enlisted in the army.
“Are your parents also architects?” Mr. Brown asked, finishing his plate of French toast.
“No, my father is a high school professor.” Faith said, smiling fondly. “My mother maintains a blog from home.”
“A writer? That’s very interesting.” Mrs. Brown said, encouragingly.
“Not really if the whole of New York knows every little detail of your daily life from your mom’s blog.” Faith joked, making them laugh.
***
“Thank you for breakfast. I’ll be sure to send you any updates you would like to know about the project.” Faith said as Mr. and Mrs. Brown led her out of their house.
In the free flowing conversation, Faith had all but forgotten to keep an eye on the time. It was almost noon now and she had been here for more than two hours already.
“Thank you, Faith.” Mr. Brown said as Mrs. Brown hugged Faith, taking her by surprise.
“It was really nice meeting you. Mr. and Mrs. Brown.” Faith said, feeling foolish for thinking they would be fancy and elitist.
“Likewise.” Mrs. Brown said, her eyes crinkling. “We’ll be seeing you at the charity dinner?”
“Yes, for sure.” Faith said, knowing she couldn’t call in sick and skip it anymore.
Faith walked to her car, unlocking it and sat down. She fished out her cell phone from her pocket and saw a few texts from Naomi. She replied and tossed her cell phone to the other seat, putting the key into the ignition and starting the car.
She drove out of the house pathway, onto the main road, taking the route for the construction site that had just received the approval.
She heard her cell phone ring just as she was pulling into the parking on the pier. She picked it up, seeing Naomi’s number, and answered.
“Hello.” Faith said, locking the car.
“How was the meeting?” Naomi asked, curiously.
“Quite good, actually.” Faith said, walking to the house closest to her.
“Really? What did they say about the project?” Naomi asked.
“They were impressed. But they do want all the houses to be ready soon.” Faith said, walking to the back of the house in search of Walter.
“Hmm, yeah I guessed as much.” Naomi said, “Did you get a look at their house? It’s huge, I’ve heard.”
“Huge is an understatement.” Faith said, lightly. “But they’re very humble.”
“That’s always good to hear.” Naomi said, “Anyways, we’re going for drinks and dinner after work. You want in?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure….” Faith said, trying to come up with an excuse.
“You’re coming, that’s it.” Naomi said, “Joe’s, at seven.”
“Cool.” Faith said, cutting the call.
She found Walter in the backyard, sitting and sipping on beers with his men.
“Hey, Walter. Early break huh?” Faith asked, waving at his team.
“It’s burning inside.” Walter groaned, getting up and putting down his bottle of beer.
“Isn’t the portable fan working?” Faith asked, following him inside the house.
“Hasn’t been working since last week.” Walter told Faith, making her frown.
“I’ll have that checked over.” Faith said, picking up the construction plans from the desk in the living room of the house.
“So, as expected, we’re running behind on the four houses here.” Faith told him, scanning the map in her hand. “We need to work double time.”
“Men won’t be too pleased to hear that.” Walter sighed, shaking his head with disappointment.
“I know, I know. I’ll try to get more workers on board so the work can be divided.” Faith said, “Did you get a chance to look at the plans though?”
“Yes, I had a few questions.” Walter said, scratching his head out of habit.
“What questions?” Faith asked, openly.
“I don’t quite understand how we’re going to take staircase from here and move it out all the way to the back.” Walter said, pointing at certain spots on the plan sheet.
“For the staircase, we’re going to make a whole new one rather than reconstruct the current one. I don’t think we can salvage anything from this one.” Faith told him, vaguely gesturing to the broken staircase behind her.
“Alright, boss. What’s the main focus on this plan?” Walter asked, putting his hands on his waist.
“The ceiling for sure. The intricate detail is something we can’t replicate. I don’t want to lose it, as it gives the house character.” Faith said, looking up to the patterns on the ceiling. “Try to work around it. We’ll polish it where needed when the major work is done.”
“Okay, got it.” Walter said, turning to whistle at his men and get their attention. “Get off your lazy asses and get to work!”
“I’m going to take a round around the other houses. Call me if you need me.” Faith informed Walter as she exited the house and walked to the one next door.
She went over the plan in her mind, scanning the sheets to make sure that nothing was amiss. Faith had been given complete creative freedom on the project. She was heading it with Naomi and Jack, and all three of them wanted to maintain the honest architecture of the house even after reconstruction. The whole reason behind restoring the historical houses rather than purchasing new, fashionable and modern houses was to build something that reminded them men of what their stories were.
Faith absolutely did not want to ruin or lose the true essence of the houses and had planned the construction in such a way that the old architecture would be highlighted by the new one and emphasized rather than diminished.
If she had to advocate for herself, she would say she was quite proud of the plans she had created for the project, unique and using techniques that saved and polished more than overpower the real structure. She had envisioned the outcome, the end goal, of the project long before they started building. She wanted to display the beauty of South Carolina, famous for its history and not tarnish it.
While Jack handled the financing of the project, Naomi overlooked media and marketing interrelated with public relations, leaving the architecture and creative aspect over to Faith. She was heading the construction and planning department, as it was her forte. Jack and Naomi, although working with the architectural firm, were in fact not architects but rather finance and marketing graduates respectively.
Faith entered the last house on this side of the location, after visiting the previous two and ensuring the plans for them were settled. She put down her bag on the rusting kitchen counter, victim to years in front of the salty water and air. She placed the plan sheet on the kitchen counter, spreading it and laying it wide open. This was her most favorite house from the entire nine houses they were restructuring for the squad returning from Iraq.
Although Faith had vowed to herself to remain partial and plan the houses to the best of her ability, this one house had won her heart and she had given it her all in making the plans.
The house was smaller than the others, still big by modern standards. It had a beautiful garden space that would no doubt look gorgeous after it was replanted, according to Faith. As the house was smaller than the others, Faith knew it would take up less time, meaning they could do more to it for less work.
The interior of the house consisted of a kitchen, a living room and a dining hall on the first floor. The staircase led to the second floor with one bedroom facing the pier, the other facing the back porch, and one last room that Faith predicted to be the gallery. Perhaps, in old times, an artist had lived here for the gallery had different paintings that were now faint, on the walls.
The gallery opened onto the balcony that was vast and looked out onto the pier, a beautiful sight to sit and stare at the South Carolina sun set each evening. Upon her first inspection, the gallery had been the room that had won her over, hence, the reason she had worked overtime to plan the reconstruction for this specific location.
Faith went back downstairs, checking the time and realizing she was running late for the meeting back at the office.
She drove out to the office building, running upstairs to join the meeting. She sat and discussed the plans, notifying her boss of the advancement. When the meeting ended, Faith sighed in relief, done for the day with her work. She was excited to head home and relax when a nagging thought reminded her of something she had completely forgotten.
Standing against her car in the parking were Jack and Naomi, grinning mischievously. Faith knew there was no way for her to back out from the night of boisterous activities they were so looking forward to.
“Come on, missy! Saddle up.” Jack said, encouragingly, making Naomi laugh.
Faith hung her head in dismay as she unlocked the car and everyone sat inside.
“I don’t want to…” Faith began to protest.
“Shh.” Naomi said, determinedly.
Fait sighed, rolling her eyes at her friend’s antics as she pulled the car out of the parking lot, directing it towards their favorite bar, Joe’s.