For The Eternals

The Compensation

Amy pov, a week before.

I was about to cry. The letter that came yesterday still made me down. It said that they had cancelled my dorm room because classified reasons. I didn’t know what it was, but it really broke my heart.

The rent of my room was due this week and I had to find another place to live. I hoped I could enter the dormitory of my university since I got the scholarship and couldn’t afford the new place. But this letter eliminated it all.

I buried my head on the pillow. I’ve tried so hard to survive after my parents passed away. The thought always made me blue.

I had to stop my dream to enter my dream university, and started working. I spent almost 20 hours a day to work, at the groceries store from 6 am to 5 pm, and continued my job at the bar until 1 am. And all of the jobs were always changed every season for personal reasons.

After years of working non stop, I could apply for the scholarship at Adheira university. It’s in remote place but it had a good name. Many people graduated from it had worked in the best field and got paid a lot. That’s what I want, a stable and better job that paid me well. I wanted to have a nice house, could visit different places in the world and not thinking about what could I eat tomorrow with no money in my account.

What should I do now? Where could I stay?

No, Amy! Think it well!! You’ve survived all of this year’s and you can’t give up now! You will find a nice place to stay. I said and sat while holding my pillow.

Wait! The letter said that I could call the person who responsible for further information. The number was on it.

I had no phone, so I went down stairs to go to my landlord’s room to borrow phone. He gave permission with some pervy smirks thrown at me. I couldn’t wait to go from this place.

“Hello, my name is Amaryllis Caldwell. I’m calling regarding the cancellation of my dorm room.”

The voice spoke some and we exchanged some conversations, then I hung up and paid for the call. George, the landlord offered some change coins back to me on his palm. I knew why he did that. He wanted me to take the coins on his hand directly so he could touch me. I let it once and I regretted it. He grabbed my hand with his filthy hand and threw a dirty toothy grin toward me. When I saw his dirty teeth, his dirty hand, and a dirty look, I had a bad dream after that. That’s the last time I let him touched me.

George wasn’t long became my landlord. Before him, it was her grandmother, Mrs. Sullivan. She was a lovely woman and I loved her. She passed away three months ago due to heart attack and George took her place.

I went up to my room and prepared everything for a meeting tomorrow with the head of the dormitory.

~~~~~~~

I woke up at 5 am and prepared myself. I put on a brown shirt and black skirt. Then I put my hair in a loose bun and secured it with a hair pin.

I grabbed my bag and I went out, locked my door. I walked several yards to the bus station and sat on the back.

I read a book to spent the time. It was a roman fiction from Mrs. Sullivan. She said to dampen my dry life. She always put on a smile on my face when she told me the story when she was young. She was a popular woman with 6 husbands. Her first husband was a soldier. He died in a war. She married again to a rich merchant. Unfortunately, he died attacked by muggers in his way home from trading. Her third was an old rich businessman. He died because of a heart attack. Her next husbands also didn’t last long. Many people called her ‘the black widow’, because her husbands had no long life.

Even that, she was a very interesting nice woman. I understood why many men took her as an interest.

Her book was also interesting. It was about a girl who had three lovers. I never thought this thing was existed in real life. I never met people who actually had more than one lover. Maybe she liked this kind of thing because the nonexistency it had.

After a few moments of lost in the book, the bus stopped and I walked down the road. It's not really a busy town. Sometimes I could see people passed, but the last one I had seen was likes ten minutes ago. After the bus went to another direction, it's just me and the calming scene before me. The trees were huge in the both sides, followed by bushes scattered around. After a few minutes walking, I could see in the distance, a big building. It's getting bigger in each steps I took.

I stopped myself from walking after I could touched the gate in front of me. I took a long breath. I didn't walk this long for a while.

After gained some energy after a few breath in and out, I walked further in.

I had a map in my scholarship guidance. It told me where I should go to find the room of the head of dormitory, passing some people before I found an oak door.
I knocked at the door and heard the voice from inside, telling me to enter.

It was a middle age man, with half bald head and a pair of thick glasses. He sat next to a desk with a sign ‘the head of the dormitory, Brandon Fabens’. He looked friendly and asked me to sit.

“Welcome, Ms. Caldwell. Have a nice seat.” I sat on the chair opposite him and thanked him.

“I know it must be bothering you since the dorm cancellation was told in a brief moment. I give my apologies.”

He put down his glasses and took a piece of paper from his drawer.

“But the Dean said that you should have no worries because university would gave you a compensation for it.”

“Compensation?” I raise my eyebrows wondering what would he said next.

“Yes. The principal, Mr. Alexandre Thereuss said that you could stay in the Thereuss building, his mansion.“

I thought for a second, “do you say that I will stay in the principal’s house?”

“Yes. Honestly we don’t have any available building for a dorm now. All the dorm buildings are already occupied. It would need extra attention and fund to build a new dorm this time, since the new semester would started soon.

Furthermore, you are the last of student who need dorm room now. That’s why the principal gave one of his room in his house.“

I exhale slowly. I wasn’t in place to refuse any offers.

“Okay. I understand that. I will accept the offer”

He nodded and scribbled something on the paper, then gave it to me.

“This is his address. He told me that you can bring your things as soon as possible and you will meet him there.”

I reached for the paper and read it.

“Thank you Mr. Fabens.” He smiled and nodded his head. Then I went out with a paper in my hand, and an address in my mind.