Lost to be found

Part 11

Miss Diona dragged me towards the kitchen. I leaned against the counter, awaiting instructions. She went towards the drawers and took out a variety of utensils. She placed them on the counter in front of me.

"Before we can get into the manner of cooking, you need to learn the purpose of each."

"But I already know the basics. I think we should start with the more complicated stuff."

"It may seem like just cooking but there are valuable things that you can learn."

This all seemed like a waste of time. Everything I've been doing here is a waste of time. It's almost like a distraction. I can't be happy here. I can't let myself get comfortable, especially with what they were saying earlier.

"Or just pay someone to do it. That's what plenty of people did back home. Whether they went out to eat or brought someone to cook for them."

"Well things are quite different here." She handed me the utensils. "Now differentiate them."

This was so unnecessary. I almost walked away. I looked down at the utensils and looked at her before getting started.

It felt like a long time as I stood there trying to differentiate utensils. The frustration was evident on my face. I wanted to get to the actual cooking.

Ms. Diona sat on a stool by the counter. She watched my every movement. Her eyes showed nothing, whether I was doing it wrong or right.

I placed the last fork before pushing them closer to her. She said nothing but stood up. She made her way towards the cupboard and took out some ingredients.

"I'll be doing this once so pay attention. First you have to know your ingredients. You have to know what they are capable of, how much to add, when to add them. It's all about knowing your team..."

And that's how I spent the past couple of weeks. I was in the kitchen 24/7 learning about different recipes and methods to cooking. She also showed me some strategies that makes it easier when cooking.

The weeks were very long and harsh though. She wasn't as nice as when we first met. She was serious and stern. There was no room for joke or attitude and I ended up learning that the hard way.

It was one of those mornings. She wakes me up before dawn every morning and keeps me in the kitchen the whole day. I would be covered in sweat, flour and other ingredients. At the end of the day, I would be so tired that I would immediately fall asleep when I got back to my room.

I hadn't really gotten a chance to hang out with Declan much. He would come down to the dining room and do his homework. I always felt his eyes on me. He tried to come into the kitchen once and Ms. Diona chased him out while threatening him. In my opinion it was a little too much. This whole teaching how to cook thing was over exaggerating. She made it seemed like it was life or death.

It felt just as suffocating as when I was back home. Everything had to be perfect. Do this. Do that. Why do you make it seem so hard? I wanted to leave but I had nowhere to go. I had to stay.

But one thing was different than back home. I had Declan. He was like my sun in this storm. That sounded cringe cute. Let's change that. His presence calmed me for some weird reason. We might not be in the same room but knowing that he was there made me feel better. He would make a joke now and then and it would distract me from the work which I really appreciated.

Then one day he didn't come into the dining room. He went upstairs to his room and he and his father left. He didn't even give me a smile.

This had put me in a rotten mood. I couldn't take it anymore and my feelings burst out. I don't really remember what I said. It was very hurtful though and I regret it instantly.

She gave me a piercing look. She was staring into my soul. I stood there frozen. Everything in me screamed to run but my body wouldn't move. I gulped. Her eyes had changed, even if it was for a split second.

It felt like hours had passed. I couldn't look away. My eyes were getting watery.

She looked away. Someone had entered the kitchen. I felt like I could breathe again. My hand was still trembling. I gripped it, hoping to steady myself.

I felt him behind me. He placed his hands on my shoulder and slowly slide it down my arms. My body instantly stopped trembling. I felt calm. "I know you get passionate about things that you like but please take it easy on her."

He rested his hands on my elbow and his chin on my shoulder. He picked up a piece of meat and ate it. "Yummy. You're doing well"

That small compliment really meant a lot to me. He was breathing down my neck. I could feel him everywhere. It felt intimate.

"Ok. Now break it up."

*****

It was the final day of the week. Ms. Diona said that this was the last day of my cooking practice. Everyone was busy.

Declan was out doing jogs with Nicholas and the other guys. Mr. Thompson was in his office. I always wondered what he spent most of the day doing. He was always busy with paper work. At times Ms. Diona would leave to help him and return back to me.

It was a huge feast and it took hours to make. The mouth-watering aroma spread throughout the house. I couldn't wait to start eating. Even Ms. Diona was proud as she showered me with compliments.

Speaking of shower, I needed to take one. I was sweating in places that sweat shouldn't reach. I headed towards my room. Ms. Diona said that she would be fine setting the table on her own.

I looked through the closet. I was running out of clothes to wear. I choose a simple sun dress, nothing to fancy. I laid it out on the bed before heading to the shower.

I could hear different voices downstairs. It seemed they invited others over for dinner. I couldn't escape this one. I had to be there.

I headed for my room and got dressed. I heard footsteps pass my door. It must have been Declan. I exited my room the same time as Mr. Thompson. "How are you?" He gave me a smile.

"I am good, a bit tired but that's nothing some food can't fix." We made our way down the stairs together.

He leaned towards me and whispered, "Between you and me, Diona is too much of a perfectionist. But that's what I love about her. She tries her best for everything, it's admirable."

You could see the lovestruck look on his face. He meant everything he said and I know I should have given a serious reply as well but I couldn't help but say," someone's whipped."

He looked confused then offended and finally scuffed at my words. "I'm not the only one." He walked towards his wife.

I rounded the corner, heading for the dining room when Declan came out of nowhere. I held my chest in fright as a small scream left my lips. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I forgot about your hearing."

"It's ok. Let's go." I calmed myself as he threw his hands over my shoulder. We entered the dining room together and I immediately started panicking again.

"Hello Luna." They said in unison.