When Frank asked Mam Camila what was making her to cry, she wiped off her tears and began narrating her past life to him. From when she was married to her first husband, to when his parents hired her to work in their mansion. One thing I loved about the narration was that, she didn't tell him about our connection until she was done. Then she told him her second husband's first wife was my grandmother, and Jessica's mother and my mother were her step daughters. Frank was bewildered, he couldn't believe her at first... probably because I wasn't saying anything.
But when he turned to me and I positively nodded my head confirming all that she said, he heaved a sigh and covered his mouth. Thus, Mam Camila told him to tell his parents that she's no longer resigning. The family she wanted to go back to had now found her, and that she would be glad to work with them for the rest of her life as long as the bond between me and him isn't severed. Seeing how confused he was, I told Mam Camila to go... he might be needing some space to process all that he was told. "Okay, Laura" she said and then left, this time around she walked as swift as she could to leave the dining room.
Hopefully, she wouldn't end up bursting into tears there again. I didn't even know why she had to cry in the first place, there was practically no reason for her to do that the fact that the Walters Family didn't even want her to go. They wanted her to stay, hence the deal they intended to offer her. For that cause, I see no reason why she had to cry. Or was it just tears of joy? Well, it didn't look like it was. As soon as she left, Frank glanced at me speechlessly. He huffed and adjusted his sitting position. Thus, he slipped the wine in his glass and huffed again. This time around, I decided to ask him what was going on.
"Nothing," he said and then told me he was just surprised that we both were connected. And was ashamed that he hadn't been treating her with respect, or at least as respectfully as he should. His words made me to shake my head and smile, at least it wasn't something other than what he just said. I had been thinking perhaps he didn't like the fact that we were connected, but now I understood. Hence I told him of course he had been treating her well, infact sometimes I even used to think the special treatment she was receiving was really remarkable and way more than the treatment she received in the hands of her own family.
My words made him to smile, and he shook his head as well telling me I knew how to make people to feel special. I also told him the same thing. He wanted to argue though, but he didn't had a chance. He then asked if he could introduce me to is parents, however I was shy hence I told him not now. But perhaps someday, when they return from their trip. I would prepare to meet them. However, I didn't hesitate to tell him how scared I was. And for the first time I opened up and told him I was scared of being rejected by his parents the fact that I was from a poor background. I thought he would be angry by my utterance but he wasn't angry at all. Infact, he wore a smile.
I didn't know exactly what the smile was all about though, but then he cleared his throat and told me we had already talked about it before. And I was like, really? He then stood from his sitting position and told me his parents would not go against his wish and that if they do, there would be a rift between them which his father wouldn't afford. After all, he was the only heir to the family. For that reason, they would always try to make peace with him. After saying that, I felt warmness in my heart for a moment. Just then he asked when I would be going home so he could take me.
Thus, I stood to my feet as well and told me any time he was ready. Suddenly, he began staring at my body and smiling. While I lowered my gaze and anxiously began scratching the back of my neck lightly. Why does he still has his eyes on me? I wondered. "You are beautiful" I heard him said, for the first time complementing my beauty. "You are really... really beautiful, Laura" he added, and suddenly I blushed. I was so shy, you know? I thanked him and then he told me the pleasure is his. Thus, I walked around and met him where he stood. And together we walked out of the dinning room.
While he went to his apartment to get ready to take me home, I decided to go to Mam Camila and seehow she was doing. I really thought I would meet her sobbing or in deep thought, but guess what? I went and saw her helping the other servants in making sure the courtyard and other places are in order. Also, she had been alerted that Frank and I were done hence she organized some servants to go and clear the table. After which she would monitor them while they wash the dishes. That woman was really something else, she was so hardworking. If only other people would emulate her, people that would love to see themselves resting and other people busy.
One good sign of a good leader is leading the way, not forcing or watching one's subordinates to lead the way or be the ones to do the work. Frank was also a good leader, if he hadn't been a good one I am sure he wouldn't have been busy all day and his parents would have replaced him with someone more competent until he's ready to be the kind of leader they wanted him to. Same goes to Aunt Vicky, she was also a good leader, although sometimes she could hide things from people. That was one of the things I hated about her. The other things were minor.
"I am going" I told Mam Camila. She wasn't surprised. She smiled at me and held my hand looking straight into my eyes. She then told me she could see my mom in my eyes. There we go again, someone trying to remind me about my parents. I just didn't know why people wouldn't stop talking about them as that would only make me feel sad, I was already getting over the loss... reminding me would only make things worst.
But what could I possibly do apart from just listening? She continued by telling me a story about my mother and Aunt Vicky. She told me my mom was a very good woman, chubby and beautiful. More beautiful than Aunt Vicky. Sure I knew that, my mom was more beautiful than Aunt Vicky and I was more beautiful than Jessica. It was as if my mom passed down the beauty to me and was obviously passed down to her too by her mom.
While Aunt Vicky somehow resembled their father, passing down the resemblance to Jessica too who also somehow resembled her father. As Mam Camila continued, I paid attention to her. She said even when my mom was in her early teens, men used to chase her. And boys used to fight over her. While Aunt Vicky didn't used to get much attention. That made her always angry, and would often cause chaos whenever people tried to talk to my mom while they see them on the streets.
She would insult them and yell at them to leave her sister alone. They would then laugh at her and call her ugly. And when they return back home, she would make a fuss about it. It was as if she wasn't lucky to be born, while my mom was the lucky one. Hatred grew between them and Aunt Vicky one day told my mom she would like to stop going out or working on the street together with her.
That she was obstructing her from shining and preventing men from seeing her own beauty. My mom was said to have been disappointed, but there was nothing she could do hence she obliged to Aunt Vicky's request. They stopped going out together but would always do their things together at home. Eventually, Mam Camila told me not to hate Aunt Vicky after narrating the short story to me. She told me they were just teenagers, and teenagers can be childish at times but as they grow and become more acquainted about life, they change and become humble.
They would start thinking like adults. I didn't even know when scoffed and told her I would never be angry with Aunt Vicky over what happened during her and my mother's childhood. It was something that happened between sisters and they were children when it happened. Besides, people can make mistakes and then amend later in life. For that reason we ought to be the kind of people that overlook and also forgive other people for whatever they do to us. Hearing that, Mam Camila quickly pulled me into a tight hug. The hug was so tight that I felt I was going to suffocate anytime soon and my bones would be crushed into dust.
As soon as we averted from the hug, she bade me goodnight and told me to greet Aunt Vicky for her to which I assured her I would. However, I was so surprised when she didn't ask about the gown she bought for me. In fact when I asked if I could take it off for her, she told me to keep it and then went to her room and brought my old gown for me. She had package it well in the same container the new gown came with. Wasn't that amazing. We hugged again for the last time before I leftt.
Just as I arrived at the sitting room, I looked up towards the broad stairway that led to the first floor, or should I say Frank's chamber. I was wondering if he was still in his apartment or he had gone out already. Suddenly, a servant came to me and told me the young master was outside waiting for me. Thus, I swiftly began walking towards the main entrance, and then exited the mansion and began looking around for him. Just then I heard a horn from a parked car nearby and the glass was lowered.
It was Frank, and as happy as I was I ran over to the car and hopped in through the front passenger seat. While I fasten my seatbelt, he stationed his eyes on me smiling. Out of curiosity, I asked why he was laughing. However, he didn't say anything. He only started the car and began driving. And as soon as we drove out of their main gate, he turned on the multimedia player in the car.
A soundtrack began playing, it was the original sound track of a movie. I didn't really know much about the movie and before I could ask what it was all about he quickly changed it and selected a new movie. This one was a scientific fiction movie. I didn't pay much attention to it and when Frank realized that, he turned it off and heaved a sigh. Thus, he asked if I had ever thought about the possibility of Mam Camila being related to me.
In response, I shook my head and then told him I never knew but I seemed to like her more than any other servant. Probably because she was the head, and also perhaps because she was so kind to me. Hearing that, he smiled again and told me I really had a good step grandmother. "Thank you!" I responded. How kind of him to say that.
