After I left the doctor's room yesterday, I returned to my room. When my uncle came into the room and told me that I had been hired, he had put me through training late at night. Now, as I tried to open my eyes, I felt pain. However, the faint noises coming from outside had helped me open my heavy eyelids just a little. At that moment, I realized that it was darker outside. When I barely managed to sit up on the bed, I heard a tap on my door. The light from the hallway, coming through the slightly ajar door, dazzled my eyes. As the silhouette standing in the light became clearer, I was finally able to open my eyes.
"Theodore, are you awake?"
Although my uncle had gone to sleep after me the night before, he was awake before me this morning, and as far as I could see with the faint light entering, he had even made his bed. Was this man human? Did he never sleep? I had never seen him sleep. Not wanting to leave his question unanswered, I simply muttered a tired "uh-huh."
After hearing my response, my uncle stepped a little further into the room.
"If you're awake properly, open the window, turn on your light, and get dressed. Young master's wake-up time is approaching. Don't be late."
With the faint light that entered the room, my uncle's stern gaze was sharply focused on me. I had no doubt about the consequences of being late in his eyes; he wouldn't hesitate to bury my body outside if necessary. After giving his warning, my uncle left the room. I sat in the darkness for a while, then carefully got out of bed and began searching for my clothes scattered on the floor.
In the dark, I checked my pants pocket and pulled out a matchbox, then found the oil lamp on the old wooden table and lit it. Within a few seconds, the surroundings became clearer.
As I slipped on the pants I had carelessly thrown on the floor before going to bed, I began putting on my gloves. The moment I stepped outside, I hadn't expected it to be so crowded. Some people were running with cloths in their hands, while others were wandering with plates. I hadn't noticed it yesterday, but there were people of almost every age.
As my eyes scanned the rooms with open doors, some were struggling to wake up, while others had already gotten to work. While there were only two people in our room, some rooms had four or five people staying together.
When I reached the kitchen, I felt relieved when I ran into Mary.
"Good morning, Theodore."
"Good morning, Mary."
I wasn't sure exactly when Mary had woken up, but her brown hair was neatly tied in a tight bun, and she was wearing a clean servant's uniform. My situation, however, was the complete opposite: My hair was messy, I wore an unpressed, wrinkled shirt, and my pants were hanging loosely. As Mary focused on preparing the meal, she noticed my condition and let out a small giggle.
"Theodore, what's with this... oh my..."
After a moment, she became serious and said, "Please, could you prepare yourself to meet the young master?" Then, as if something had come to her mind, she extended her hand toward me.
"Theo, I just remembered. I prepared your clothes yesterday. Could you go to my room and pick them up from the table? I've already placed a paper with your name on it, so you'll know right away."
"Thanks for the clothes, Mary," I said with a bit of a mischievous smile.
After thanking Mary, I left the kitchen. Among the people rushing through the small corridor, I asked around and found Mary's room. There were four beds in the room, so it seemed Mary was staying in a room with four people. When I saw the paper with my name on it on the table, I grabbed my clothes and returned to my room.
After washing my face and hands, I went to my room and started getting dressed. There was a black suit and a white shirt, but something fell out of it. When I bent down to pick it up, I realized it was a pair of high-quality cotton white gloves. I had never seen anyone wearing gloves. I guessed it was a small gesture from Mary.
For a moment, I looked at my old black gloves; they were worn out, and I thought it wouldn't be right to wear them anymore. The gloves my parents had gifted me had accompanied me for many years. Now, I should wear the new gloves. I didn't want to appear like a beggar in front of the young master.
After placing the old gloves in my suitcase, I brushed my hair back and got ready. Now, I was prepared to meet the young master.