Her, Saving Grace

19

Catherine

"For the last time, bonbon. You put the big plates on the left and the little plates on the right." I groaned as Damon carefully demonstrated how to stack the dishes on the sink. What's the point if you're going to wash them and then stack them properly afterwards? It's just extra effort.

"Alright alright. I get it already." I bumped the side of my hip with his to make him move away from the sink. Who knew reapers were neat freaks? Or maybe that's just Damon.

"You should take off all the remaining scraps on the plates, and put them on a plastic bag." Turning to him, I saw him looking down at me.

"Damon?" I asked sweetly.

"Yes, bonbon?" He smiled and leaned towards me. I elbowed his stomach and he took a step back.

"I know how to do the dishes. Our housekeeper taught me when I was seven." I started doing what he instructed and showed him the plastic bag afterwards. Just to shut him up.

"That's quite a young age to learn washing the dishes. Aren't you supposed to be playing with barbies?" I frowned as I heard the scratching sound made by a chair being pulled.

He's strong enough to kick my door open but too lazy to lift a chair.

"Well I'm not a fan of Barbie." I waited for him to say some kind of remark, anything just to tease me and my lack of interest on a plastic figure little girls my age went coo-coo about, but he said nothing. Relieved, I continued doing the dishes with him occasionally telling me that I was doing it wrong. After drying my hands, I turned to see him gone. Since I got nothing else better to do, I decided to clean the counter.

I miss home. Our old housekeeper retired five years ago and please don't imagine a nineteen year-old crying her eyes out. I only shed a couple of tears. Four days before her actual departure.

I still write to her. Yes. Write. With a piece of paper or two and a pen. Nana Cecille doesn't like mobile phones. Or the internet. She pretty much prefers it when somebody takes the time to just sit down and write what's been going on with their lives. She didn't retire because she was old. (She'll be mad at you if you call her old) She met this nice man when she was on her day-off and they kind of kicked it off. I guess love comes when love comes. Nana Cecille had two children with her first husband and Robert (nana's boyfriend) was okay with it. Nana's children were kind enough to talk to me. I was nine when I first met Keizer. He was eleven and was Nana's eldest. He approached me after a couple of meanies tried shoving my face on the blackboard, repeating 'Can you see this four-eyes?' They eventually got bored when I didn't cooperate. And by cooperate, I meant answering their question or begging them to stop.

The chalk was itchy and the chalk dust made me cough too much that my eyes watered. He gave me his handkerchief and a bottle of water before walking me home. My family wasn't much of a big deal back then than it is now, thanks to my father's drive to be , quote, the best. I made him promise not to tell anyone and for fifteen years, he had kept his promise. And no. I did not have some silly crush on him. I told you remember? Friends were for Audrey. And they were friends. More than friends if you asked me. Nobody's immune, I'm telling you. But he was still nice enough to ask me to tag along when they went out to watch movies. I always said no not because Audrey kept glaring at me, but because I wasn't that into going out. Hah. You never expected that didn't you?

I was never the one to go and 'hang out'. I didn't like talking much. Or noises. Or people constantly badgering me. Which I am experiencing now by living with a reaper. That sentence still gets me. A reaper.