CHAPTER 4: FEEL THE DEAL

Wow, I never see it coming.

“Work for me.” She simply said.

“And what kind of work is that if you don’t mind me asking, Mrs. Myles?” I said graciously. I don’t want to sound bothered but I really can’t help it. I am feeling nervous but I don’t exactly know where it is coming from.

Of course, I can’t help but doubt, since Mrs. Myles was too harsh on me when I started working for her as a helper in her cafe. From being so bad to be this good? Well, who would’ve not weighed things first, right?

“All you have to do is stay with me at home.” She happily said as she waited for my reaction. My jaw opened wide with shock. This woman is thinking about a lot of things. She loved the sound of her “second life” outshining her thoughts.

“You have a lot of people with you, Mrs. Myles. You know…”

“One thousand dollars a week, a hundred dollars per day and two days off on the weekends.” She grinned. It made my heart pounds so fast.

Why?

“Well, you might not believe it but after you saved my life, I realized that a bigger body and male bodyguards can’t assure my safety but a brilliant mind like yours can.”

“What?” I can’t help but feel awkward. Do. Seriously???

“But Mrs. Myles---”

“Is it not enough for you?” Upon seeing my reaction of somehow disagreeing to her idea, she looked gloomy all of a sudden.

“No, that’s not what I mean. It’s just that, I am a bit worried about our house, my mom and my chicken.” She chuckled.

“What chicken? Do you want to eat fried chicken or are you craving for one?”

“No, Mrs. Myles, that’s my pet chicken.” I looked down while she gave a hearty laugh as she shook her head with amusement.

“Oh, so that’s what is concerning you, right?”

“Yes.”

“Very well, that’s not a problem. With ten large rooms around my house, you, together with your pet chicken and mother can live with me, it’s alright.” She smiled again as if she’s serious about what she’s telling me. Gosh, I wanted someone to slap me on my face to let me know this isn’t a dream!

Before I can say a word, she already gave me her address and on that exact day, she told me to go home and pack my things, tell my mom and bring my chicken with me because we’re all gonna be fetched by Mrs. Myles’s driver as we all go together in her house.

“Oh dear, what have you done?” My mom said, almost shook her head with disbelief. I can see her recovering because she even helped packing all our things. I tied my chicken with a string on his foot on a plant near the entrance of our house so that I will not have a hard time chasing him if we’re all set.

“I don’t know, mom. It’s just a simple deed yet it made a big impact on Mrs. Myles, I guess.” I answered. My mom suddenly hugged me tight with teary eyes.

“You know what, dear? I am so proud of you.”

“Thank you, mom. I think I have done what I should do because the situation demands me to do it.”

“Of course. I know even if we’re not financially stable, I am still proud that I have raised a daughter so beautiful and great like you.” She said, crying, but I can see her sweet smile as she gently kissed my cheek. I can’t help but close my eyes to feel my mom’s warm love for me.

Cutie clucks which bring us to the realization that we need to move double time because the driver is waiting for us outside. We’re still in the middle of discussing what to bring and what to leave when the driver politely knocked on the door behind us. When we faced him, he smiled at us.

“Ma’am, you can bring little stuff. I know Mrs. Myles will buy some of the things that you need when we get there.”

“Really?” My mom said, amazed. She looked at me and smiled. I nodded my head and smiled back at my mom as well.

“Yes. We better hurry up. Mrs. Myles is an impatient woman and is very strict with time, she might wonder if we're taking so long.”

“We will!” We almost chorused as we answered the driver. He was able to go outside again. The last thing that I picked was my chicken who clucked in alarm as I quickly picked him. As we go inside the van, I can’t help but grin because it’s once in a blue moon that I am able to ride a vehicle like this. The car’s air freshener also calmed my senses. When I look at my mom, I can see that she’s looking through the van’s window, taking a final look upon our small house as it gets even smaller as we move away from it.

“I will miss our humble house.”

“Me too, mom.” I softly said I can also hear Cutie’s soft cackle as he moved his head slowly, up and down and eventually closing his eyes.

“Look, Mom, Cutie is comfortable, sleeping on my lap,” I whispered to my mom who is also smiling as she looks at my pet hen.

“Yes, he’s been waiting for you since this morning.”

I smiled and closed my eyes. I know we’ll be in Mrs. Myles’s house in a matter of minutes. Maybe ten minutes to fifteen minutes, I’m not quite sure. The thing I am sure of right now is this life-changing event that I know will make a difference to my life starting today.

“Delina, we’re here, dear.” My mom gently said as she touched my arm. My eyes suddenly opened and I could see a big mansion in front of me. The light from the lamppost outside this big mansion, I guess can already lighten our whole town, not exaggerating though.

The house has a big lawn equally bigger to the size of the house itself. I can see a three-car garage beside the three-story mansion for the cars to be parked, but then I can assume that besides the three-car garage, three other cars can still enter the lawn surrounded by bermuda grass covering the entire place.

I can hardly breathe. Mrs. Myles’s house can be compared to a humble palace, to begin with!