The guard began to pound the door and the sound filled my ears. My cries increased now as l realized where this is leading too. l looked back at the guard looking as pitiful as I can, dumbly thinking l will be shown mercy once again.
"Will you shut your mouth this instance!" the guard roared but l made sure l did the opposite. l increased the pitch of my cries. The guard looked frustrated as he stared at me like l have grown two heads. The door suddenly opened to reveal a young girl of my age or younger than l am putting on a gown that screamed 'I am the maid'. She looked between me and the guard as if trying to figure out what conspired between us. She however do not look surprised and that means she has witnessed scenarios like this a lot. She opened the door wider and paved way for me and the guard. The guard dragged me inside and what l saw next was incredible. The interior of the house was heaven! The arts on the wall, the fashionable curtains and rug, the purple coloured, expensive looking sofa, the well furnished chairs, l kept ogling around forgetting my present predicament. The sharp clicking sound of a heel jolted me out of my thought. l searched for the source of the sound and good God! Descending the stairs is a very very beautiful lady that looked like she fell from the sky. Her skin looked like milk and she looks like a queen in her own space. What was l saying? She is a queen in her own space! She should be one of the ministers of this country or her husband is. l forgot about my plan to wail till she set me free and just kept appreciating her beauty. She neared where we stood and l felt someone roughly push me to the floor. That was when l remembered what l was__
'a gift.'
"Good day Lady Quinn. My apologies for disturbing your peace. Master Rudgy asked me to deliver a little gift to you. He said you should not reject it for the Lord's sake"
The guard rushed out in his hoarse voice that dropped of forced sweetness as he feigned loveliness. l raised my head to lock eyes with my new owner and the look in her eyes is enough to send me six feets under the ground if looks can kill. Her gaze held contempt, disgust, hatred and what is that?__jealousy! Sincerely?
'How could she be jealous of me? How could she?'
She is jealous of a mere slave that was brought to her as a gift. l am very much aware of my excessively pretty face, huge boobs and protuding butt but still, jealousy is not something l expected from her. l am probably doing thaty overthinking thing again. That is definitely not jealousy. I fixed my eyes on her trying to find anything... any form of sympathy towards me when l heard her shrilling voice...
"You are welcome to my house girl. l am capable of feeding you for the rest of your life and all you have to do is serve me well. An anomaly from you, I will make you regret the day you were born"
She said sharply and strictly. Somehow, she sounds like she is warning me to detest from something.
'What in heaven did l do to this woman? Where is the hatred coming from?'
l am done for! ls this the woman l will be living with?
"l will take my leave now my lady. Do have a good rest"
The guard blotted out and my head immediately snapped to him. 'ls he going to leave me here?' l felt my head throb. 'l want to follow the guard please...' My eyes trailed the guard as he walked to the door, opened it and closed it behind him. l am finally alone! Alas!
"You!" My new owner said while pointing her well polished finger at me.
"l am 'Your Majesty' to you. You must not look me in the eye, you must not talk while l talk, you must not complain regardless of what l instruct you to do. Understood?"
"Yes ma" I found myself saying impulsively
"You will be alloted your duty and you must perform it dutifully. Any slight mistake, you definitely don't want to know the consequence do you?...Do you!?" she screamed when there was no reply from me
"I don't"
l stuttered
"What? Didn't l tell you how you will address me?"
"l don't your majesty" l corrected myself immediately my lips trembling and my mind blaming my brain for its slow comprehension"
"Stupid!" she glared disdainfully as she made her way up the stairs.
'l don't want this. l did not ask for this. I did not plan for this. This is not happening to me.' Tears streamed down my face while I knelt there as l reminisced what happened today. On my birthday.
"Do you enjoy being on your kneel?" A voice infiltrated my thoughts.
l raised my head to find the maid that opened the door for us earlier, standing over me.
"Whatever happened has happened. There is no need crying over split milk. lnstead, start gathering your strength because you will start working tomorrow unfailingly."
She extended her hand to me and l took it. She drew me up and l felt like l will collapse if she leaves me. Thankfully, she was kind enough not to leave me till we made our way deeper into the living room. We took turns and turns until we got to a smaller section of the house. My tears clouded eyes and tired body prevented me from observing my surroundings on our way. The maid stopped in front of one of the many doors that lined the corridor and pushed it open to reveal a modest bedroom with two small beds designed for two people. The modesty of the room is a huge contrast to the lavish style of the main house. The maid made me lie on one of the beds which made squeaking sounds on receiving my weight. She helped me out of my torn and sweat-soaked clothes leaving me as naked as the daylight. l worried less about being naked for the glowing eyes of the maid to feast on as l was extremely fatigued which made me drift into a much needed sleep in no time. l don't know what tomorrow holds for me but l hope l won't regret not dieing along with my parents in the first place....
"Vanessa, get the lettuce from the store!" the head maid instructed
"Coming aunty!"
Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. It has been two months since l was given to someone as a gift. The first two weeks were difficult for me. l had a hard time adjusting to the new life and l felt like l would die. There was a time l barely escaped punishment when l made a mistake in the presence of Lady Quinn and since then, l have learnt to be more careful. Now, l have fitted in quite well. l do my alloted jobs well and stay out of trouble at all cost.
Lady Quinn had declared a meeting with all the maids yesterday where she announced the homecoming of her husband, Minister Gabriel. She had instructed us to make varieties of food and exquisite juices. She also instructed us to ensure the house is in its best shape as she wants to please her husband to the core.
'She must love her husband so much' l had thought to myself.
Since the day l was brought to her by the guard, l barely saw her since my work revolves in the kitchen and l have no business with the main house. However, anytime l see her, her warnings and caution from the first day resounds loudly in my ears. l watched and listened patiently to her as she gave out instructions and instantly knew the arrival day is a no mistake day. She dismissed us after her long and boring speech that consisted mainly of instructions and command in the most bossy tone ever.
Today is the D-day and as we were instructed, we had all risen at the early hours of the day and had cleaned, mopped, decorated the living room. Some maids were assigned to clean the rooms while some to neaten the garden while l was assigned to the kitchen. Here l am, scrubbing, washing, drying and arranging utensils. There is this one thing l like about the minister's house and it is the fact that we are allowed to eat left overs of the food we cook and there is always left overs since we cook in excess. Clicking sounds was heard coming towards the kitchen and we all ceased what we were doing knowing who it was automatically. I mean, who among the maids would have a clicking shoe? We were all mandated to wear a certain type of clothes and shoes specially designed for maids. We focused our attention on where the sound is coming from and Lady Quinn showed up in a flowy, long, embroidered gown that is tied at the waist to accentuated her curves well. Her hair, a ethereal combination of dark, long and silky. My mistress is truly a beauty!
This would be the first time she comes to the kitchen and l had always thought she does not know which part of the house the kitchen is located.