A Mother's Embrace

CHAPTER 3

After an enthusiastic David finished describing his study, I finally reached my room. When I thought they would provide accommodation, what I had pictured was a room larger than my basement room and one which didn't leak. But what I had in front of me was a whole house. Grand would be too trivial a word to describe the room I was given. A huge vintage king sized bed adorned the center of the room. I treaded slowly into the room, still in awe. There was a long wooden cupboard that faced the bed. I touched it lightly, trying to guess the material. The cupboard, divided into two sections, had a huge mirror separating the two sections. The mirror had a thin gold frame surrounding it and I felt that, no matter who looked into it, they will feel beautiful.

The mirror had a beauty of its own. It felt like it was enchanted. I looked into the mirror and felt that I was at least five times prettier than I usually looked. I had worn a gray dress with a black belt. I thought looking as simple as I can was the key to impress my employers. But now that I took time to see how I actually looked, I felt that a dress in a brighter color would have looked better. Just as I was cross verifying my dress, Amanda came into the room. She walked so noiselessly that I noticed her only when I saw her reflection in the mirror.

"Is the room to your liking?" she asked in the friendly tone of a hostel owner.

"This is very abundant! I am honored to tell you the truth."

"Oh no! Don't say that, with the help you are doing for us, this is too little of what we can do."

I smiled gratefully. She walked past me to a white door a few steps from the cupboard at the farther end. She pushed it open and the door creaked slowly.

"This is the bathroom", she said.

I walked behind her and almost screamed at the sight I saw. From having to share a dirty old bathroom, I now had my own grand bathroom with a tub in it. I had to control the urge to run inside and scream in joy. This definitely felt like I had hit the jackpot. I mentally made a note to my parents,

"Mom, dad I made it!"

I think my excitement was plastered on my face. Amanda looked at me and smiled contentedly. She bore the slight pridefulness of someone who showed off her brightest diamond and I honestly had no issue in her being boastful. This luxury is something you should boast about after all.

She left an awestruck me in the front of the bathroom door and moved to the glass doors at the end of the long room. I followed her like an excited chicken. She opened the doors wide and the view was breathtaking. I could see the entire property from my balcony. The lush green path I came through a few minutes before, the huge iron gate and both sides of the huge castle lush with greenery.

"I made sure you have the room with the best view."

"This is the best view I have had in my entire life!" I looked at her with excitement.

She explained the entire stretch of my view one by one. The animal sheds to the left, the garden by the path I came through, the statue park on the right far end and the servants quarters beyond that.

"I will take you on a tour when you have settled down", said Amanda brightly. "And that there," she said pointing to a small pond beyond the quarters, "is the family pond. David loves spending time there but I cannot always send him there because he can't go alone and I have to take care of the house too"
"I can take him from now on", I said enthusiastically.

"That would be great!" said Amanda in a tone filled with both gratitude and relief. "I am sorry I kept on talking! I forgot that you had traveled a long way. Take some rest and freshen up. I will send David to call you when lunch is ready."

"Great"

With that she walked elegantly out of the room. I closed the door and jumped straight on the bed.

"Woah! This bounces up!" I exclaimed.

I took my phone from my handbag and dialed Jenny. The fool didn't pick up. I plugged my phone to the charger and ran into the spacious and luxurious bathroom. I filled the tub with warm water and jumped in after throwing my clothes into the laundry basket. I felt that it had been years since I properly took a bath in warm running water. As the bubbles frothed pleasantly around me, I mentally put away my rough days in that box basement room into a deep corner of my mind and pushed it deep down so that it wouldn't ruin my good times. It finally felt like it was my chance to be happy and I promised myself that I will savor every sweet moment of this new found happiness of mine.