HER CARE

Chapter Seven: Brainwashed, Aria's Narrative

I nervously prepare for my meeting with Grace in ridding anticipation. Putting on my Tuesday uniform just in case, despite there being no more homeschool lessons, a fact I am totally mesmerized by. Home school on its own was tact but adding the mediocre regulations we had to adhere to during each lesson transformed the already dreadful experience into an everyday misery.

Caleb and I have since our seven days in confinement been ordered to stay in our rooms, only to leave when the time came for breakfast, lunch and dinner so the events of this evening will be interesting in more ways than one.

It's 5.40 P.M. and I have just nervously completed the lumpy bowl of potato soup, which was dinner. Cold mists of anxiety permeate me to my core as I make my way to the library basement, highly anticipating this so-called proposal that she has for me. Grace has never been one to negotiate with. What she says goes so I am still in shock that she would be interested in striking a deal with me. Of all her twelve children she wants to talk to me and I can't make out why.

I am shaking my way to the basement when I'm halted in my tracks by the melodic sound of a grand piano being beautifully played. The soft melody sounding identical to Mozart's famous piece, The Piano Sonata, swiftly carries me to the entrance of our legislated meeting forum, where I notice Grace seated by the beautiful piece of art that is the gloss black grand piano.

For minutes, I watch her play in silence as she wriggles her arms in swift movements, never missing a key. I'm musically literate enough to know that she's playing this piece in C major and it's the most beautiful ballad my ears have given attention to since my late mother's lullabies.

"You're twenty minutes early" she howls and the melody stops.

"I'm sorry" I blubber without thought. Giving an apology even where it's not needed is what we are all inclined to.

"Come, with me to my office," she whispers, gesturing for me to trail behind her to the far left corner of the room and finally behind the huge astronomy bookshelf where a tiny wooden door stays hidden. I've never noticed this door, ever. Granted, I don't think the others have either.

It's perfectly obscured to look like mere decoration. If I hadn't been led through here by her, I wouldn't have suspected that it was a real portal.

The small gateway opens to a tightened compartment the size of an elevator. It's pitch black when Grace closes the wooden door we just came in through until she again pushes a diminutive button which slides open yet another secret door to reveal her office, and I flinch in surprise.

What in the undercover enigma did I just witness? This cannot be real.

The appearance and the size of this office space leaves more to be desired. One would think the mighty Grace would have an office the size of an average apartment, but no, it's exactly the opposite. Modest and undecorated. There's a tiny wooden table next to the door and on it is a medium-sized iMac and a small jar filled with pens and pencils.

A sizable brown leather chair seats behind the wooden slab and there is a small bookshelf in the far left corner of the room that houses a Cactus plant. Besides the bedazzled metallic bin, this room has absolutely no character.

Unlike the basement, the walls of her office remain undecorated. The old stone walls and vintage choice of furniture here when compared to the furnishings of the Library basement make me feel like I just stepped through a time machine into an ancient archive. The image of this office, compared to that of the library basement, is drastically different.

"Take a seat" she offers, gesturing at one of the two chairs on the other end of the desk before slipping forward a piece of paper and my eyes widen.

"Read it, it's a contract," she plains

"C..c..contract?" I freeze.

"Yes daughter, I'm offering you a job"

"What!?" I squeal, "offering me a job why?" suddenly this room feels a lot smaller and I'm failing to contain my words.

"Read the piece of paper child," she says glaring at my tensed being, and I oblige to her request doing as her stare commands.

"You want me as your Envoy?" I ask after Two quick minutes of scanning through the tangible document in haste.

"Exactly, will you accept?" She asks using her persuasive grey-eyed glare against me and I avoid it. This is something way too serious to be persuaded into accepting.

"How? Why?" I ask. Just the other day she was punishing me for not following her rules, and now she's offering me a job?

"I see something special in you Aria, but let's just say that the confidence in your defiance is unravelling" She smirks slowly leaning forward. I don't know whether to feel honored or frightened at her declaration.

"Still, and with all due respect I don't think you realize what you're asking of me Mother, I'm merely a high school graduate with the lack of professional know-how to undertake such a hefty task "

"No..no..no Aria, see, your lack of self-confidence is making me question my decision to bestow this upon you"

"Well, maybe you should question your decision" I grouch

"My Alpha is never mistaken, " She smirks. Again that's Grace for you, well-articulated, poised and persuasive. I'm unsure if it's due to her pronounced British accent and deep tone, but when she speaks, she demands attention and respect, leaving little room for opposition.

"I can see that you're very conflicted, are you harboring any thoughts that suggest accepting this responsibility would be of any harm to you?"

"No mother"

"So? Why is my proposal so hard to accept when you will be awarded a monthly pay whilst you still continue to go to college?"

"I just need some time to think about it"

"Well, you have 24 hours at your disposal, use them wisely"

"I just have one question"

"You know I never like to be questioned but I will award you this chance just once"

"Hmm why does the contract restrict my work to Maricopa County and not entirely Arizona"

"I will be frank with you Aria, the works of the Claire Grace foundation are not particularly accepted in the black community and most of them have residence in Maricopa," she tells and I expel in disarray.

So if I'm decoding her statement right, she wants to use me as bait

"Do not dishearten, it's only logical that I use a young, beautiful black woman like you plus you will undergo eight weeks of intensive administrative training by one of the best publicists in Phoenix, then after a while when you become well affiliated with your work, we can expand your area of concentration county by county"

"This is too much " Being Grace's ploy to help her attain more of a black following does not sound like something I'm both physically and emotionally ready to undertake right now. If she locked me up for seven days without food and water for simply talking to Caleb, I can't even imagine what she would do to me if I messed up this responsibility.

"Look Aria, you will have Lisa and myself in your corner every step of the way, all you have to do is be a physical representation of me to the youths of Maricopa" she persuades, taking my palm in hers and I shiver. The last time I touched her this explicitly was when she hugged me through my panic attacks as I struggled to deal with my mother's death and the last one was three years ago.

"Consider the impact this opportunity could have on your future career in law. It offers exposure to top lawyers in the county as well as high-ranking officials, providing invaluable experience and networking opportunities " Grace knows all too well of my aspirations to become a well-known practicing lawyer, and she's using it as a decoy.

"Think of it as a paid internship, of early pact" she adds

"Okay, I'll take my 24 hours and get back to you before they elapse "

"Good" she smiles, leaning back against her rocking chair in noticeable amusement.